Year: 1863

whether sick or well who were not in some
employment. One morning went out to
inform q certain Lieut.. W, who .
with an inadequase force was executing
the order, that one of them in the Baptist !
church was dead, and that another, wo.
man lying behind leuoe dying He told
me that he had detailed, for the purpose
of removing the negroes. twenty army !
wagons; shat he hauled them, well sick
and dead, with all their traps, 10 the river
where he had Il steamer to convey them
across to point opposite the lower part Of
the city that he had one wagon to haul
the dead, and that some days be fo1nd as
many as twenty that in one house he
found six dead bodies, with living ones sit
ting and lying around them,apparertly un-
concious Of there situation. Holes were dug
on the river bank and the dead buried.
The searching out and removal Of these
negroes consumed about fifteen or twenty
days. About 1900 were thus removed





to the low grounds opposite Nicksburg,
aud there left in the weeds, without any
shelter, under the care oil man who was
appointed 10 organize them into a camp,
and separate small pox cases from the
rest-in general to do what he could for


their relief. He soon fell sick, and cor.


tain Captain ------ was appointed to


take charge of all the contrabands in and


around Vicksburg. The Captain was soon


Frustrated, but was at work again when /


left Vicksburs, August 2lst, Captain -


appointed a chaplain to take charge Of


thess had been removed from the city, in


place of the man who was first appointed.


He entered upon his labors, but was soon


prostrated with disease, aud was conveyed


acro,s the river in a skiff, whence he made


his way to house, adjoining that OF the


United States Christian Commission


Here he was found alone and very sick.


He was invited to our house, where he was


still remaining when left the city. The


Chaplain told me that these negroes had


suffered and were still suffering untold


want and wretch edness /; that nearly


four hundred had died since he haC


taken charge Of them that from fifteen te


twenty die daily. Sometime they would


crawl off into the weeds and die, wher,
their bodies would be found only by tht
stencil which arose from their decay
That there was no white man with then
but nephew Of his that rations were
furnished them by the Government, bu
sometimes he had difficulty in getting then
over the river; that once they were fv,
days without receiving any food, and th


negroes in dispair threatened to kill him
thinking the fault was his. He also state'
. that they had ne tents or shelter excep
5 brush, to shield them from the sun, o
/ storm, or dews Of night Capt A sta
= ted to me that there were in this cam
| 1000 at Youngs Point, 1851 on Pa
4 paw Island, where he purposed gatherin
? most them $500 and on Blacks plantt
. ton on the Yazoo 2,4O0-ih all over IL
2 600 ,One morning | w,nt among Il
n wretched masses where they were haule
= to the bank OF the river preparatory
< being sent across. tried in vain to fin
v some women who were able to work,
n we wished their labor at our house. A
n were either sick or taking care Of the sic
saw nothing but one sad scene of mi
= cry


e I hus the poor blacks, who were to hay
/, their condition battered by being set fire
e are actually starving and dying Of want,
S, They cannot live upon freedom alone
IS They need bread, and must be supplied
If the Government Of the United State
l. while the families of the white soldiers al
y conserIt are left to the charity of the
st neighbors. This is aboAtsOn ph'lanihy
Il W ?"


NJ If three months more of earnest fghtil


shall not serve to make serious imprssit
70 on the rebels--if the end of that term sha
d find US no further advanced than its b