Year: 1863

TUT "o Cotbm6d Domoordt.


Yorktown, Va, March 10th, 1868


Dear Str Il am in good health and
am very thankful for that. ! am in the
land of hostility but have not been
engaged in any conflict yet. I am as anx.
cious as any other man for the restoration
of the union, and also for the restoration
of the constitution. think the violation
of that in Washington, is as criminal and
as disastrous to our country as it is in
Richmond. The soldiers all are willing
to help suppress rebellion, but are not
willing to help Emancipate negroes. We
see the improperly Of the whole scheme.
Our observations of the negroes character
shows us plainly, that they are not capable
OF self government and history teaches the
same, So the colonization is mere nom
sence and to emancipate them, and lot
them run would be doing great injustice
to any civilized community. Our northern
towns are pestered enough with black va
grants now. And the equal distribution
of nearly four millions of negroes through
the whole Of the States, would be a pui.
sance almost unendurable, and to give them
equal rights among us, and amalgamate
them with the whites at the ballot box,
and in our legislative halls, or place one
in the Presidential Chair, would be de.
stroying the pride ard self.respect of the
Nation The history of Mexico should
teach US not to try the experiment. The
negro is naturally adapted to slavery
Give them liberty, and they are indolent
and lazy. There are several hundred of
them here that have the benefit Of the
presidents proclamation and some of the
mos: intelligent of them ackncwlege that
their condition was better in slavery, than
the way it is [ have heard them saw IL.
They viii genralIy express the same
sentiments when they dare to. They are
mostly under government employ. They
get eight dollars per month and their
families found, Their rations are regularly
dealt out TO them and they have to help
unload boats, and work on the Fortiica.
tions, and cut wood for the bakery. But
to get any thing out Of them, some Of them
have to be dealt with vigorously. There
are some soldiers placed over them, who
use them rough, and some times they have
to be drove out to work, and kept there by
a guard with their bayonets and they
occasionally have cannon ball chained
10 Their legs, for running away from their
work But the most disgusting scene that
that have ever witnessed, was two
wenches, but few rods from my tent,
chained to cannon balls nearly the whole
day their cline was, loly conduct
and public at that and their accomplicc,
were white soldiers, but who lodged de-
tection and escaped punishment. could
not help but wishing the poor degraded
wenches were under the protection of
masters. We have frequently heard
some OF them pray for the prosperity of
their masters, and their restoration to them.
The dissolution of churches has done
much injury to the negro. Their relig.
ious privileges were extensive before
The slave and his master we're members
of the same church We can see the
difference. The old negros show some
knowledge ofchristianity, and designations
= and good manners but the young ones
are rough and saucy. The last acts of
congress will re uce the white poor to
equality with the uegro in slavery. The
bill giving the president power to suspend
the writ olhabeas corpus and power to draft
men enough to sustain him, makes him
a CRATER monarch than has sat upon the
British throne, for the last six hundred
years. do not see how this once happy
and prosperous country will ever Be res
tored to peace aud prosperity again,
withou! Divine aid. 1 do not know wheth.
er we are entitled to provdential intorfer-
, elce. Yours with respect,
A SOLDIER.
, II