The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-26

without attempting defense of it. The
blacks on all sides were telling Of their
joy in their new-found liberty-which they
did not always distinguish from unre-
strained license. = -
Il wer' JUS so happy wen I know'd
1t, dat l cOuldn' do muffin but jus lay
down n laf,' n laf, n laf," said one. Il
could JUS roll up and laf. declar' jus
felts happy's mans got r'ligion n s
soul"
Another chimed in with, 'Folks say
man earn tote n barl flour; but cd tote
bar1 flour dat day, or a bari sugar"
Said another, with evident appreciation
of the privileges of freedman, Il seed a
rebel gwine down de street dat mornin'
wild big ham, and l JUS tux dat ham,
and run'd right down de street He holler
me t stop: but JUS keep dat ham,"
Many of the negroes wanted to tell of
the contrast between the old days and
these.
I'VE hab more liberty in n hour. when
you Yankees come, dan n all our lives
fore"
Some of them would burst out with re-
citals of their sufferings as slaves.
"Dey part us all. Dey send off our
families. Dey send us whar' dey please.
Dey han'cuff us. Dey put us in Jail.
Dey glib MS lashes. Dey starb us. Dey
do eb'ryt'ing to u.s.
The colored Union soldiers, of the
Twenty-ffth Corps, who were with US in
Richmond, were moving about among their
released brethren, telling of their military
exploits. and they were, of course, lions
among the freedmen. Describing their adj
vance over the Confederate works across
the New Market Road. as they were
the first to enter Richmond, on Monday
morning, April 3. one said:
Eve wait for de da Wight 'cauSp oh far
peeders, and den we hab rebel ojers
show us de way. Whewi De tarpeeders
JUS as thick as de wool on top o my
head"
OF the reception of the colored troops
by their Richmond brethren, he added:
"De people JUS t'ink all de worp OBJ we
NOrdern sO'jers. Dey JUS hang bout us,
boys goin' down der streets wild der Rich
mon ladies on der arm. Oh, my! Yer'd
think'd twas a extra.'
And it was.
OF course the freed slaves were unable
to comprehend at once all that emancipa-
ton brought of new obligations to SER
vice, and of added responsibility of toll
for their own support. That had to come
gradually. They did, indeed, at the start,
enjoy making money by trade in the line
of the wants of the Union soldiers, or of
the needs of the community and their own
personal skill. The camps about Rich
mOnd were soon beset with black women
and children offering sweets and ''snacks"
of their own cookery. Small tables
were set along the streets and roads
with milk, and ice-cream, and lemon
the passing soldiers. And rude signs
were scrawled over cabins and small
shops, as if in the hope of bringing in
extra pennies for service for old custO-
mers or new. The announcement, in one
case, of 'Ice-Cream and Children's Hair
Cut" showed a commendable readiness to
cut or cater for whoever would pay for it.
They were ready to provide for them
selves, if they did not have to work too
hard.
A friend of mine coming from the North
just then with enthusiastic ideas of the
negros ability to grapple with every
duty of life, told me of his observation
among freedmen ON the seacOast. He saw
a group of able-bodied black men who had
apparently come down from the country
to enjoy their liberty. AS he asked them
what they were doing for their own sup
port, they said they were doing nothing.
When asked why not, they said there was
no one to employ them. Just then man
came up from a lumber schooner Lying at
the dock near by, and wanted number
of men to work at unloading the cargo.
Not one of those freedmen could be hired.
Il thought you wanted work." said my
friend. "Now's your chance to take hold"
20 massa! we wants work, but we don't
want no lab'rin work." R
Their idea of desirable job was, as
yet, that which keeps many white man
from doing what he ought to do for his
own support. But sooner or later the freed
men learned that emancipation brought
the privilege and duty of doing "lab'rin
work" in order to live.
During the early days of the confused
reconstruction" period, side lights on
slavery and emancipation as related to
the whites were to be seen in Richmond
that are well worth remembering. My
old commander, Gen. Alfred Fl. Terry,
was in charge of the Department of Vir-
ginia, and his Chief of Staff in that posi-
ton was my longtime friend, Gen. Joseph
Il. Hawley. AS Richmond was still a
center of interest to Confederate leaders
and was the prominent point of
the quOndam COnfederacy nearest to the
National Capital, it was the scene of many
an interesting interview and discussion be-
tween those WHO had faced each other
as enemies, but now met as friends. l
was frequently in the office at department
The United States Government had
promised transportation from Richmond
to all officers and men of the Confederate
army desiring to return to their homes.
One day, gentleman in civilian dress
came in and applied for such transpOrta
ton. When asked his name, he answered
81. Z. Johnston"
Gen. Hawley, hearing the name, started
up, and asked:
rs this Gen. Joseph Z. JohnstOn?'
THAT'S what they called me-" was the
reply.
At this Gen. Hawley said that he was
sure that Gen. Terry would be glad to
meet Gen. Johnston personally; and the
three officers were soon together, talking
over war memories earnestly and in eX-
ceilent spirit.
On one occasion, Gen. Henry A. Wise,
Governor of Virginia, at the time of the
John Brown raid, came into the office
to apply for the Intervention of Gen. Terry
to repossess him of building on his lands
in the eastern part of the State. In the |
course of the conversation, it came out
that that building was now occupied as
a school for little negroes, taught by a |
daughter of old John Brown, whom he had
hanged. The disclosure of this fact caused |
4 friend of Gen. Wise, who was pres
emit, to comment on the strange turn of !
affairs by which, within six years from |
the execution of John Brown, the Cover
nor who hanged him was implOring the |
help of the United States Government to |
lrive one of John Browns daughters out /
IF the Governors house, where she was |
teaching little negroes. To the surprise
If all, Gen. Wise responded earnestly:
John Brown! John Brown was a
great man, sir. John Brown was a