Year: 1862

/ st Louis. January 10. lS62.-A few
days since, while Company G of the Iowa
Sd, under the command of Lieutenant LET
fngwell, was in the occupancy of Florence.
guarding the North Missouri Railroad at


that point. a negro came dashing towards
the camp about eleven clock at night.
mounted upon high-spirited horse. He


was about 70 pass the guard. who sprang


forward and caught the bridle-reign Of his
horse and stopped him. The negro I'M
mediatelv threw himself from the animal.
and in a cringing, obsequiOus manner OBJ
served: ''Massa soEer, please let me 90
In de camp and see the Illinov soger.
The guard informed him thar they were
Iowa soldiers and desired to know what
he wanted. He hung down his head for
a moment. seemingly musine over some
disappointment, and then continued"
Massa soger look at dis collar. [ Sc a
good niger. Please let me 70 in The
guard now discovered that he was ironed
and immediately called the officer of the
guard and sent him to the guard house


In the morning he was taken before Lieu
tenant Lefingwell, around whose quarters
the entire command had already assem-
bled and never did men look upon a
scene more degrading and humitiatinc
"
the person of this slave Around his
neck was a band of iron half an inch
thick and nearly one and half inches
wide, not locked but securely riyeted
Three Ion prongs of lightning-rod size
were welded to this band, at equal distan-
ces apart, and arose above his head about
nine inches, with an outward inclination.
The iron had lacerated his neck and the
wound had partially healed under the pro
lection he had given to them by holding
up the band with his hands during the
three preceding days that he was conceal
ed in a corn-field, but while riding the
horse he could not hold it up. and it had
opened the wound. from which there was
a bloody, mattery ooze trickling down his
shoulders. The men stood around. gazing
upon the scene before them in mute aston
ishment, and it was not until the negro
had repeated his petition two or three
times that they could realize the fact that
the cruelty Of the scene before them was
the act Of Il slave master, living but a
short distance from st Louis the enlight-
ened emporium Of Missouri The negro
observed Please massa Soger take dis col
lar off my neck Ise good niger; III
do any ting YOU want me. De Iilinoy Sc
gers cut de collar OF er Ben. The Lieu
iclidHL LluLltdldteIN 0fNefel IL 10 be STICK
en- Oft, when an old file was procured.
which could not be made to work uJon
the band only in slanting manner At
ter labor OF over three hours it was re-
moved, the men taking turn about-two
holding the band while one used the file
The band IS now in the possession Of Lieu
tenant Leffingwell, who holds it as one of
the tiophies Of the 81 Iowa, and the egro
Is now officiating ia his quarters as a ser
want


The master Of this coutraband resides
about ten miles from Florence 1t ap-
pears that the negro had carried this IRON
band upon his neck nearly three months,
as q punishment for assisting his wife to
make her escape into Illinois Gen Hal
leck or some other prUdsat commander.
may order this band TO be re-riS eted upon
his neck. and the property surrendered
to his master, but from what | have seen
Of the Iowa soldiers. believe that blood
would drip from the end OF their bayo-
nets before they would 30 il The contra
band always gives the Missouri troops
wide berth, and generally muk for the
Illinois regiments, under whose broad
shield of bayonets he feels sceure.-EN-
FIELD.