The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-29
NEGRO SOLDIERS GUARD
 CONFEDERATE CAPTIVES
BY CAPT. W. c. WARD.

| threatened with death. There was no fun. and not much room for laughter.
 Shortly after this occurrence, one morn ing while we were preparing for break fast, a mess of Missourians, once engaged In the war in Arkansas, were talkins about the negro as soldier In that service. Near this mess was negro sen tinel with high cheek bones, bronze con- plexion and evidently a cross between old Nick" and an Indian As soon as he heard the name negro uttered oy the Mfssourian mess he began to curse, ana as he cursed he grew madder. Then ne called for the corporal of the guard. rms officer was a coal black negro about zi years old and formed something ike soldier. As soon as he arrived in answer to the call he and the guard who hrst gave the alarm and the sentinel on the adjoining beat gathered and opened a pat tery of foul cursing on the Missourlans. You may imagine that you have hearo cursfng, but for ten fifteen minutes the volleys that came from these negroes sur passed anything l ever heard. The Mis- sourians made no reply and all Of them except one, who had been a wagon mas ter in the old service before the war. took up their vessels and returned to thelr quarters. The wagon master did not want to leave his breakfast, and in order to get the benefit of the cooking in very respectful manner he called out to the cor poraI saying, 'I did not say nigger marry a time; 1t was them other fellows The corporal and the sentinels appeared to somewhat modified by this appologetio explanation.
 Before we reached our place at Ship Island there were a few members of our regiment who had been captured at Fort Gaines about eight months before our arrival at Ship Island They had scant food a nd clam orous for food. A cook for large mess was disturbed by the aggressive demands of the prisoners to have their cups filled with soup or broth he had concocted for their meals, and he became so annoyed one day that he called out to the sentinel to preserve order The sentinel, respond ing to this. ordered the men to disperse with the threat that if they did not he would fire into their midst The men did not disperse and the sentinel did fire. The ball lodged In the body of George Duncan, young soldier from Talladega county, who was one of the prisoners captured at Fort Gaines. This sentinel for killing young Duncan was court martialed and some sentence was pro- nounced against him. but when the pro- ceedings went to Washington for ap- proval the sentence was set aside, and the slayer was discharged on the ground that he had displayed too much zeal in the service. So young Duncan sleeps in his bloody shirt in the sands of Ship Island and his murderer went unpun- ished.
 We were always exposed to the threat of being shot and we were always afraid of being killed. Medical service was poor and we seldom saw the surgeon.
 A few days after we landed on the island we saw the flags in the offng at half mast. We knew that something had happened and availed ourselves of the first opportunity to make inquiry as to what it meant. At first there was hesi- tation to give information, but after a little we were told that news had been received from Washington that President Lincoln had been assassinated. Not one word or approval or qualification was ex- pressed at this terrible event We all felt that the war was at an end and since General Lee had surrendered we believed that Mir. Lincoln would be better friend to the south than any other northern man. We were particularly afraid of Andrew Johnson There was much sickness and the last night watch ed all night long in the hospital tent by the cot on which a brother lay sick of typhoid fever. Next day we were told to prepare to be removed to New Or leans.
 l went to the officer in charge and beg
 
 brother because I feared he would die. as he was not of robust condition. I was cuftly told to get ready to go with the other prisoners. I bade the poor fellow bood-bye, never expecting to see him again.
 We soon reached New Orleans and hay ing landed we marched through the streets and the ladles-God bless them they were always right. and in the right place-lined the street on either side as We marched down Canal street giving us meat and bread for stomachs that had no filling for a long time. Not one of their blessed faces had ever seen before and not one of them have I ever seen since. We were impounded in a cotton warehouse, called cotton press. and re- mained two or three days Late in the afternoon one day we were marched out to the river and embarked on a great river steamer called the Molly Abel There were a few passengers, ladies and gentlemen, on the steamer who were friendly and did great many favors for us All night long we steamed LID the river, and late In the afternoon next day reached Vicksburg. We were soon land ed, put aboard a train of cars and sent out to Black Water. Having crossed the river and made a nasty supper we be- gan an all night march to Jackson, the capital of the state, and thence went to -iSi i"iaH' iidNhls peeH m Meridian two or three days the men and the non-corn- missioned officers we had left at Ship Island began to arrive Among them the brother I had left to die was found al- most In a dying condition When the time came to leave the island. he refused to be called among the sick, and muster ing all his strength, endeavored to return With his comrades, We were then paroled and that was the last of our service for the Confederacy, and the last we had of negro guards.