The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-04-07


credible and incomprehensible. The rec
objection of the older persons had faded
as to many details, and the younger per
sons have never been. informed in regard
to them. Generalities only occupy the
mind at the present day as to most fea-
lures of what was then often called THE
peculiar institution Distance has
thrown slavery into such perspective that
we fail to recognize the great differences
which existed among the blacks of that pc
riod as To their mental endowments, per-
sOnal quaiiiica tons, etc. We are liable
to class them all together as being stepped
in ignorance. capable of only the lowest
forms of unskiled labor. and doing as lit
tie of that as they could and escape pun
ishment
That this is; not a correct generalization
an INSPECTION of contemporary records or
recalling ~ wel-known facts and Incl
dents of that period will fully establish. n
recent inspection of memoranda 4O years
old has brought wildly to the attention OF
the writer Il case in point which may be
worth recording in justice to correct un-
der>tanding of circumstances and condl-
lions as they existed before emancipation
became effective.
"CoNTRABAND."
The term ''contraband" was Well under
stood during the civil war. 1t was APP
piled lay Gen. b. +. Butler to slaves who
had escaped from their masters. and was
baS.d OF the legal fiction which he em-
plnycd Ia justify absolving them from
their legal obligations of servitude. But
Ter c.tned that as they were employed by
the Caemy-that is. the COnfederates-ln
Irtx-
and supply wagons. and doing other nee
esSary labor in connection with the mill
tary force, they were as much cOntraband
of war as were guns, ammunition, war
equipments. provisions, ETC., which were
captured and confiscated wherever found.
So when negro came into the Union
lines where Butler was in command, in
stead of returning him to his alleged
owner as other Federal officers had been
in the habit of doing, Butter called him
''contra band" coniscated him, applied his
services to the benefit of the Union cause
instead of against it. and thereby estab-
lished a new principle in modern warfare.
Immediately all runaway slaves who
reached the Union lines of any of the ar
mics, whether Buffers legal fiction was
placed in operation or not, were given the
name of ''contrabands," and it was uni
versally used throughout the war to desig-
nate the Southern negroes. The news
papers frequently based their reports of
military operations, especially or the posi-
ton and strength of the enemy's forces,
on intelligence brought into our lines by
Intelligent contrabands." This became a
stock phrase i'm the Associated Press dis
patches and nearly all other phrases of the
daily news from the front. The phrase
was often used in irony or derision. but
in many cases it's employment in truth and
earnestness was fully justified both by the
of h nly -hn vt,f
the intelligence and by the value of the in
telligence they brought.
have. therefore. adopted this now half
forgotten characterization as n very APP
propriate one to the hero of the narrative
/ am about to give. ~
t'UNCLE HARDY"
Having been severely wounded i'm the
battle of Stone River. near MurfreesborO.
Tenn. Dec. 81, 1862, l was, during the
an inmate of Hospital No. 3, at Nashville,
Tenn. being quartered in that portion there
of set apart for the Surgeons and officials of
the hospital and such commissioned Off
GERS as were enjoying it's facilities for the
treatment of wounds or illnesses. Con-
nected with that section of the hospital
as a servant-half waiter, half messenger
and general utility man-during the entire
period of my detention there was a negro
man familiarly and respectfully known as
"tfncle Hardy" He was about 30 years
old; was perfectly black, with fully de-
veioped negro features: was a model of
tireless industry and absolute good con-
duct i'll every respect. His wife was one
of the washerwOmen of the hospital, and
enjoyed equally with her husband the con-
hdence and esteem of all connected with
the institution.
Gradually we learned the story of this
remarkable man, partly by questioning
him, but largely from other persons. white
and black. who knew the facts and were
more ready to testify TO its most credible
features then he was to exploit them.
Hardy" was a shoemaker by trade,
and had lived for many years at Frank
lin, Tenn, % or 30 miles south of Nash
vile. and the scene nearly two years later
of one OF the bloOdiest conflicts of the
civil war. For nine or 10 years previous
to the beginning of the war he had hired
the time of himself and wife from his
master, paying to that distinguished in
dividual $500 in cash each year for the
precious privilege Of supporting himself
and family. During all this period he had
carried on a shoemaker's shop, employ
ing several hands. some of whom were
white men, and besides paying this annual
stipend to his alleged owner he had lived
In comfort with his wife and daughter,
until the latter was torn away and sold
further south. besides accumula ting con-
siderable property.
His brutal master. not content with re.
ceiying this large sum yearly for the SER
vices of his human chattel, would occa-
6ionally extort other involuntary pay
ments under threat of selling the wife. or
daughter. When he found that the threat
had by too frequent repetition ceased to
produce the desired results, he actually
sold the daughter, separated her from the
parents and sent her into the indistingush.
able. undiscoverable Louisiana country. in
order that he might hold more effective
terror over his victim with regard to the
possession of his wife. That was a mani
festation of "chivalry" which seems t.
have been very common in that region al
that period.
Uncle Hardy was through all this ex
periencs and during his whole active life
man of high reputation for honesty and
business capacity, a consistent member
and class-leader In the colored Methods
Church of Franklin, and not a word Of
complaint was ever heard against him al
q workman or a church member. As tn,
gears went by his circle Of acquaintance,
enlarged until the best people for miles
around knew and trusted him.
The Union forces occupied Franklin a
different times for short periods, never re
manning long. and such was the confidence
r