Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-05-01

down-trodden race to begin the work
| ing ouL of its own destiny.
When we returned from the Meri-
dian Expedition there we're at least
5000 negroes following us. Many of
them had found employment as cooks
or in some other capacity, but the
most of them had shifted for them
selves. following ON day after day,
urged forward ~ the one desire-to
pc free. Some women with little
children who had fallen in with US
on the way out had stuck to us till
our return, carrying with them all the
two or three hundred miles one child,
two part of the way, and followed
by one or more other little ones.
Pathetic, indeed, was the sight of
those poor, tired, hungry people. With
them it was anything to get away
from bondage. Many of them died
rather than go back. In general. they
appeared cheerful and happy and full
of hope for the future, for, though
most of the time hungry and tired,
for the first time in their lives they
were enjoying liberty, freedom While
with us they had no fear of the over
seer and his dogs; his lash could not
reach into our camp Often we asked
some fresh recruits to our army of
contrabands, Where are you going
Sambo?" The answer came quick
tGwine to be free. va. va. ya!" and
In saying it they DOTTED their caps
and sometimes cut an impromptu
pigeon wing. o, the joy of it ALL
Yet, for all of this outside gayety
l am of op Mon that our poor refugee
had some very sober thoughts He
was not only breaking up ali old as
sociations, some of which, | doubt
NOT, were dear to him,-but was ven
turing into a new and untried world
He found, before having been long
with us, that he was not at all GER
tain of three full meals a day. or even
one; and he must at times have sad
ly wondered what was to become of
him.
never saw anything of slavery say
that, with few exceptions, the slaves
were well kept. and were contented
with their lot. If so, why were they
so ready to fee from it into almost
anything else-even death? Many of
these of whom | speak suffered terri
bly, at Vicksburg before anything
could be done for them. Large num-
beers of the men enlisted later in col
ored regiments and did heroic ser
vice when we very much needed it.
While on the famous march to the
sea negroes fell in with US all along
the way 1t was just as it was in all
our marches through the heart of the
south. 1t was General Sherman's pol
icy neither to invite nor repel them.
had been the case on other such
marches. they became hostlers, cooks,
and travelling laundrymen. We knew
that every negro following US left one
less to do work on the plantations for
the support of the southern army, and
so we were rather glad to see them
come with us, while the confederates
were correspondingly disturbed to
know their labor force was thus
leaving them.
Some of the scenes connected with
the breaking away for liberty were
amusing, others pathetic. One day
as we passed plantation, young
negro, bright and jolly in appearance
and about fifteen years old, came
bounding down toward the road. He
was making a bold dash for freedom.
Our boys undertook to get a little
fun out of him by telling him that his
mother would soon be after him, and
that he'd better run back to her,
that she was already crying for him.
But he laughed us to scorn, kicked up
his heels and said that he did not
care fo' dat" Then he ran ahead
as if to put at once some little space
between himself and bondage.
After marching two or three miles
we met the young fellow coming as
fast as his legs could carry him. His
face had a worried expression and his
eyes had lost their snap. He picked
his way along the bushy roadside as
if in a greater hurry to get back to
his nanny than he had been to leave
her. Our boys said: You'd better
hurry back Your nanny is back
there now by the road just a-crying
for YOU You'd better run faster than
that!" These remarks seemed to put
mettle into his heels, and he fairly
bounded toward the rear and out of
sight fully satisfied with a mere taste
of freedom.
AS we came one day down toward
our pontoons on the Oconee river, all
crowded and in seeming confusion
marching troops, wagons, cannon, am
balances and horsemen, all packed
together in a mass. and all moving
forward,| saw little black boy not
more than six or seven years old,
running forward, lodging this wagon
and that horse, and crying in tones of
distress, Il want my mammy want
my nanny" Some Of the mule
drivers, anxious about their teams in
such a tangle, and worried and fretted
toward the close of a long days
march, yelled at the little fellow as he
dashed in and out among the mules.