Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-05-02
Negroes and Escaping Prisoners.

Negroes and Escaping Prisoners.
l was greatly interested, at our
open post meeting last Monday even
ing in COmrade A. T. Lamson's story
Of escape from the confederate prison
at Columbia, South Carolina. Among
other things he mentioned there was
the oft-repeated story Of the help
given him and his companions by the
negroes with whom they came in con
tact There colored people, being
told that the fugitives were union sol
diers, were cheerfulIy willing to run
the risk Of their lives to give food and
shelter and information, and to go as
far as they could, as guides to the
poor fellows who were thus fleeing
from the abuse and starvation Of pris-
on pens. | do not wonder that Com
radc Lamson gives all honor to those
people who were 50 ready under all
circumstances to give aid and encour-
agement, and who never betrayed the
confidence placed in them.
/ have, during the past few months,
read the stories Of dozen escaped
war prisoners, ana have listened to
the "reminiscences Oh Ss'SIdl June" D
and ma LiaI every one Ie'I9 INC
same jhlhg ABOUT Ihe coIor7u IoIhS'
heIp, aid al" ehoouI" Sel"ehI' pu'
never a betrayal. IN many cases they
might have been we'll rewarded if
ihey would give sucn iHIoIilaIIoA' d.
they could Of escaping prisoners, but
no hone of reward led them to be
raise TO lhe men they oei!e'ed 70 DC
hGhJlnS Tor thelr freedom.
nave also feaa stories from me
"ouih o. Lhe lalLilIulheSS OF slaves IeII
on the PLANTATIONS WhiIo LheIf masters
were away III the army. l nave heard
IL sara mat Jhey "oulu not pe'I%S
'''l -, 49, ' ..,tl'..4- - ..,r;ae,,a a,,J
aI,fII,,na,, ,,,ti1o +ha raosto,, rros
,,a,a VIZ t,oro g. No dorht hrI tba+
&C. ~ osoonir,, ,,rion nrIsonor con,a
tba+ u,a,, tboso eorno slaves would uo
,,,ftlo,,t +boir ou,p food T., food +bo
b,,r,,,.r r,,oftivos
,.-.o., t,,-,
| - a,,,a,,,, 40
,l-..,.,, .,,,.7I.,ta.7,7t,,o.
",9 [r,.,
,,a+ l,I,, IA . ,,ra+t,, GOOD Ilno,,ladoo
- o1Iay..l = ia1,,,r, on5 bie eoiors -
h,,t tharn snan1nd 70 ho sanootbina Of
'ta,,, arr,an,- t1,a,,, =, ,rf,,ina. old
to rsc2ning prisoners. Comrade Lam
con smoke cr what he called the I'M
dorc,.ourd raiiroado method nc send.
inc the prisoners on their way. This
concert of action among different
communities ranuired considerable
l,nowIadoe and some system also an
,bsoI,fo t,uetwortbinoee in +boco who
had mart in if Without sucb inteIH-
srnuca vary few prisoners could ever
have ascanod
c.- c.4....d.
GOO
''ii' ~ "'''i' W ''l'N' 'o0''
i-'i'' /" '"' wal '"' NC o0' 0''iiio
>'1'' ".SlG !" MIC" 'i''1 i,9 I''''
"""'" 'e 0i- II, LII p0' '''iic0 80 ,''0'l'
"I' Ne'''lieu ''''',o'' '"7 my ,i'oS ~
"'''''' ,'''" 'i'''' 'i'S ,'o' t." S',o.,,,
~ ""''''I
Sou'Il' I"e '"'lll9 % slavery "o"I"
an ,le more cloSei| rl'l'eu' Nd'uIal-
~ 'leh' I"eH lleu ny thousands 20 ,ne
c'IilPS Oh our army Ila'lHS I"IIh CHdC
III some way MarSe l@hhuh SoJerS
"ou!u neIp 'ieln 70 're3"om anu pro-
'ecI 'hem III It.
Several hundreds of these poor peo-
pie have gathered here at Grand Gulf,
and have been formed into camp on
high bluff overlooking the MissiS-
sippi river, and there they are fed
from government rauons, They have
made the first motion toward freedom,
and now Uncle Sam must Of necessity
keep them from Starving. But for all
that, great problem is now before
them. The question is, What next?
Though some of them, especially the
younger ones, think now Of nothing
but TO revel in their newly gotten
freedom, great many of them under
stand that this question is one of no
little consequence. If we soldiers find
ourselves in an uneasy. speculative
state of mind concerning the outcome
of the great Vfcksburg campaign. the
soiouruers on the hill over wonder