The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-22
AGED VOTER WHO
PAYS NO | POLL |. TAX.
Unique Case Of Colored M Ian
Registered as a Confederate
Soldier.
HE WAS A BRAVE b ! FIGHTER g
Votes at Ringgold1, Pr, Precinct IL
Pittsylvania County, and is
Proud Of It.

THE subject that gave the members Of
the late Constitutional Convention OF VIZ
GINA the most concern was that OF fran
chsc WHO should be the legal voters
In Virginia was the question that really
called the Convention into existence. II
was no secret. for hlgh-toned Virginians
never do anything In secret, that the
Convention was called primarily to set
tie the suffrage question and to disfrail-
chise as many negroes as possible. All
sorts OF clauses got into the new Consti-
tuition. calculated to knock the negro
out and to do 1t without coming In con-.
fiIct with the Constitution OF the United
States or any OF the amendments thereto.
a or course In order to come up to the re-
ouirenents OF the amendments aforesain
a'few negroes had to be let In, but there
was ono clause in the new constitution
that all the members OF the Convention
thought would not admit Of q single
negro getting OH the registration books.
Mt least not under that Clause, and tnat
was the one providing that Confederate
sodiers could register as voters without
let or hindrancc. without paying poll tax
or doing anything else that others voters
were required to do. 9. .6 !.
Similar clauses found their way IN all
None OF the statesmen who made these
new Southern States Constitutions ever
lima gined that Il negro would come In
under that Confederate soldier clause.
One, however, did get In. and the one
who enjoys this uniq,ie distinction Is o.
coored citizen OF Virginia. What's Is more
he was a good Confederate soldier.
"a rho Individual who enjoys this unique
distinction IL shackleford Pounds, an aged
HI,<>,, ~ sU inc.
gold, a voting precinct In Pttsylvanla
county. TIE history OF Shachleford
Pounds Is Interesting.
{ He was what was known. In the Ian
guage OF the time. as IAN old issue free
negro" and was noted in the days just
preceding he civil war as a tirst-class
\ barbecue cook. His services were often
breaking out OF the war&to prepare big
political barbecue dinners to regale the
patriots after they. had heard much po-
litIcaI elonuence from rostrums erected on
the llustings. Shack w1ia famous
cook. and his reputation was not confined
TO Plttsylvania county. He was frequently
called TO Halifax, Charlotte and Aeckien-
burg counties. and to adjoining counties
In North Carolina, to prepare dinners for
THE patriots. Thus no iInbbed q great
store OF accession enthusiasm OF the time,
and when the war broke out he was ready
to go to the front.
Honorary Position AS Cook.
81 Captain Joynes, who commanded a COM
pany in tho Thrty-eighth Virginia Regi-
j.mert,3 offered 'Shacl1"athe honorary posi-
ton OF cook at his headquarters. and the
enthusiastic egro-proinptly+acc eptcd the
appointment. He hah not been In the
camps around Richmond very long before
the fighting commenced, and no was not
satisfied with the hundrum life OF a camp
cook. s8,
when the boys went out to do battle
lie wanted ITO go with them Captain
Joynes furnished his cook with mus
ke,. which was kept clean. and always
ready for battle Shack" attended to
his cooking all right, but when the bu-
gle sounded for battle. no dropped Ills
cooking utensils. grabbed his shining
,nusket, and went with the boys right TO
the front.
He was good narksman. and did
good shooting but 1t was understood that
when n member OF Captain Jones COM
pany fell with a wound It was the faith
full coored mans business to take charge
OF him. Accordingly 1t was his custom
10 take tho wounded to tho rear. but IN
doing this no never dropped his musket.
He would take care of a wounded man
until lie got him safely In n field hos
pItal or In an ambulance. and then ne
would rush back to tho firing limo and
resume business With his nusket
Thus he went through the entire war,
cooking In camp. looking after the
wounded In battle. and between times
doing as good shooting on the firing line
as any man In the old Thirty-eighth
Virginia Regiment, At Appomattox
Shackelford Pounds walked right UP In
line with the whit, men and surren-
dered his musket and wept over the
necessity Just as the white soldiers did.
independent in Politics.
From Appomattox he trndged his way
home along with the hoys and like them
went faithfully to work to try to build
up the waste places AS a farmer he
prospered and did very we'll until old
age and disease overlook him. and he
had to pay out considerable money as
security for impecunious relatives. His
credit was always good. perhaps too
good for his final comfort, and It was
always said OF hin, BY his white neigh
hors that "hls word was as good as his
bond
Anyhow, when he offered to help his