The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-05-21

ndu pleasant relDluuer Ol TIE
war the other day." said the Captain
1T came in the shape Of silver cream
pitcher and sugar bowl, accompanied
BY well-written letter, which my peo.
pie liked very much. The letter
ibounded in references the significance
,f which was apparent only to myself
After one of the hot engagements OF
the war came upon young colored
man who had been between the lines
and who was like man paralyzed-
spoke reassuringly to him and hurried
after the retreating enemy.
"In the evening some Of my men
brought the young negro into camp
and as passed the group heard the
boys explaining 10 the young fellow
that he was free and could do as he
pleased. They wanted to know what
he was going to do about it. and init
mated pretty strongly that If they
were in his place they would take the
Job Of cooking for a certain mess in
their own company. As l passed the
IOlOICu NdhIC tONaio LhS anu
stammered that he didn't know what
the massas meant. but if he could do
Is he pleased he would do whatever I
wanted him to do.
work at company headquarters, and
remained with me to the end of the
war; took him home with me and in
due time established him in business.
Then I came West. and after my loca-
tion in Chicago did not hear from my
protege for thirty years. He. in the
meantime. had changed location. had
prospered in business, and after thirty
years. waiting sent me the silve'
creamer and sugar. and letter testi-
tying to his gratitude and affection. l
liked that, you know, and 1 was as
glad to hear of his success In life as l
would be to hear Of the success of an
old comrade in arms"
THAT reminds me-" said the Major.
of Senah. the first cook of our mess
In the old company. Senah was short
for Senegambian. a name the boys
gave our cook the day they hired him.
This was in the first year Of the war,
when the status of the colored brother
had not been determined, and when
the question Of harboring slave was
sne to be lodged. The boys didn't
know whether the ,Senegambian was a
runaway slave or not. and they asked
40 questions. They hired him to cook,
md, as they put 1t. treated him like a
white man. Senah could cook. and he
was good forager. He was as loyal
md faithful as house dog, and SEEM
lngly as contented.
I'm our first engagement Senah. hear
ing that mess number fOh' was in .
light place. caught up a musket an,
started for the extreme front, where
eur company was hard pressed. The
Colonel. seeing a colored man with a
musket in his hands. an incendiary
proceeding in those days. ordered Sc
aah to drop the gun and go to the rear.
wearing he would have any darky
bAo( "hO WoS Caught Win a gun III uiS
hands. Senah dropped the gun, but
went on toward the front.
AN hour later the Colonel came face
% face with the Senegambian again,
but he didn't swear. The big negro
was carrying two Of our mess, who
had been severely wounded, to the
rear. He would carry Joe. who had
been struck in the leg, pickaback, for
fifty yards. and then putting him in n
comfortable position. would go back
and take Charlie. who had been shot
through the body. up in his arms and
carry him to where he had left Joe.
The woods were full Of rebels and the
wounded had been left where they fell
when our line retreated. The Senegam-
bian had seen the last scramble and
had gone forward to the rescue.
He had just got Joe and Charlie into
the zone Of safety when the Colonel
ypied him and rode toward him with
intent TO spank the negro with his
sword. but when he saw what Senah
had been doing. he said quietly,
Didn't order you to go to the rear:'
The Senegambian. with Joe on his
back, said, You did, massa, for n fact;
but land of Goshen. 4 was turned
round like and couldn't find de reah.
I kept grOpin' around until 1 found
mess number fob, and den l knows
what has to do. ! hag to get mess
number foh out of trouble; makes no
dinf'unce who tells ME not to. l
wouldn't mind jeff Davis hisself, if he
tell me not to. Just tote 'em out if
be shot the next mint. OATS de kind
" Senegambian ! Is, shoh.' This
speech won the Colonel over, and re-
ported by Joe to the company, 1t made
he Senegambian very popular. Later
,e carried rife IN a c0lored regiment,
Ind after the war went into the regu-
ar cavalry saw him at Fort Mis-
;oula as late as 1850 and he was a fine
ooking soldier. tall, straight, muscu-
ar, and with liking for the front"
81 wonder" said the Rough Rider.
If didn't see him at San Juan hill?
No? Too old? Well, possibly. But
here were good many like him in
he Ninth and Tenth Cavalry-great
big black fellows. with liking for the
'ront and with training and experience
hat made them good fighters. They
saved the Rough Riders that day at
San Juan and no white man, Demo
rat or Republican, who was in II
,harge grudges them the credit = 1t.
By the way, had queer p tience
With two Of those fello- after the
var, or in 1899. 1 W making trip
through the Sout' nd on going into
he Pullman III two colored men
II the se"' opposite my own.
"T'- struck men as little strange.
as looked at them closely saw
hey wore Uncle Sans uniforms and
noted with surprise that both Wore
shoulder straps. 1 made it my busi-
less TO investigate and after q little |