The National tribune., 1904-05-19
FIRST BAND OF FREEDMEN.
They Make Kansas Their Promised Ian


may properly include the following record
In November. 1860, the Army of the
Border. SO designated by President Lincoln
and composed Of Kansas troops, found
itself, when i'm the supposed preserves OF
the enemy, handicapped by q crowd of help
less runaway slaves. Gen. James ii. Lane
was in command. lie had allowed the run
aways free ingress to his camps and lines
masters were allowed to follow them and
persuade them to return if they could
but no soldier was allowed in any way tC
interfere in the case Invariably the fugi
tive elected to remain free.
Gen Lane held that slaves supplied the
Commssary of the Confederate army. and
that it was quite as important to cut oil
the supplies of the men in arms as to kill
| them; and far more humane. His -four
regiments of Kansas troops were heart and
conscience with him. The principles prac,
ticed by the Army of the Border in 1862
were. a year later, adopted by the Gov
eminent OH the pretext that the runa way
slave was a contraband of war. The
Kansas troops protected the slave because
| il was right.
When Gen. Lane reached Lamar, Mo-,
on his return from Springfield, word was
brought him that the enemy was not far
away. lie promptly issued the following
order:
"Chaplains II. II. Moore. II. D. Fisher
and ID. X. Fish are directed to imme-
diately take all the refugees in camp, to-
gcther take all their belongings to Kansas
and there find homes and employment for
them for the coming Winter"
This order was received about p. m.
and in about half an hour the colored peo-
it was made clear that they were about
to start for Kansas. where they would
have a chance to work and support them
selves. They were told that if any desired
to return to their masters they could do
so. A shout for freedom was their re-
Spouse. None wished to return to slavery.
A line of vehicleS-Oxcarts, wagons, bug
gies. coaches of every description-was
formed and loaded with women. children
and goods. In leaving home the people
had seized upon anything they could which
they thought would be of service to them:
A number of women had chickens. and
there was a large quantity of bedding,
etc. Horses. oxen. mules and two packs
made up the means of transportation. The
younger men were mostly mounted on
horses and mules.
Col. Weer. of the 10th Kan. had n couple
of boxes of discarded muskets which he
wished the Chaplain to take with him and
ed to the colored men and onehalf placed
i'm advance, the other half as a rear-guard /;
all being mounted.
AS the people of Lamar. and probably
others from neighboring hills. were watch
ing our movements. it was judged that this
military display which was the first made
by cOlOred men in the civil war, might
prevent pursuit as the fact would not be
known by the enemy that not a gun was
supplied with ammunition.
Our caravan numbered 31S and was a
half mile or more in length. The slow
gait of the OK teams made our advance
tedious. Night came on us, but as the
plodded on till ] o'clock. when we reached
a timbered creek, not far from the State
line, and the darkness was too deep for
progress. A halt was ordered.
An ex-slave of planter who lived
near by Informed us that his master was in
the rebel army. and that on his farm were
some fat steers, and he was instructed to
drive one to camp. The steer was killed
and roasted and supplied us midnight
supper, with remnants which we took
along.
Before daylight the order was given for
the teamsters to hitch up and for the cav
airy to mount and we moved on 1: the cara
van was across the creek and through the
timber on the open prairie.
About 3 o'clock, when the last man of
the rear-guard had crossed the State line
and all were in Kansas. Chaplain Moore
ordered halt and called for three cheers
for freedom, three for President Lincoln,
three for Gen. Lane, and all were heartily
given.
About O'Clock p. m. we reached Fort
Scott. where the Quartermaster promptly
provided for man and beast.
Chaplain Moore and his Aids explained
to the people their mission and readiness
20 receive applications for help. Written
contracts of employment were made in
duplicate. Care was taken to learn the re-.
spOnsibility of employers. The slaves had
no surnames-they were Tom, Bill, etc,
and we had to name them. even if we did
not christen them.
About 30 of the caravan We're disposed
of that night. The first. Billy, by name,
became William II. Seward; the name
Abraham Lincoln was given to little
Abe; Daniel Webster to a big black fell
low called Dam Charles Sumner to a
Charley; James III. Lane to a Jim: and
the Chaplains cOmplimented each other in
giving names to n nameless people.
A considerable portion of the caravan
would consider stopping in no locality ex-
cept Lawrence. That was their .Jerusa:
lem-their Mecca. by slow marches We
proceeded to that place. disposing of a
considerable part Of our charge on the way.
The demand for help exceeded our anticipa
tons. In every case written contracts
were duly executed and the refugees were
instructed as to the necessity of preserving
them.
When we reached Lawrence fully three
fonrths of our caravan had left us. and
within few days people from the country
came in and took away such as had not
found home i'm the city.
Four years after that a citizen of
Lawrence meeting Chaplain Moore, said
to him: Il felt angry when you brought
those darkies to Lawrence. but have got
over it: they have built for themselves a
brick church, which they use for a school
house: they care for their own sick and
poor and Kansas never raised SO large a
crop of corn before as it did the first year
they were here. which was remarkable be-
cause all the able-bodied men of the State
were i'm the army, and the fields were short
of hands. Th colored people deserve the
credit. l regard the colored people of the
State as an element of strength. II. ii.
MOORE, Chautauqua, \. Y.
Prom a Reconstructed Johnny