Historical Romance of the American Negro Part 12

They have uniformly praised our men with a good grace, and praised them without stint. Now the south is steadily going down, down, down. All they have left is a small section in the northeastern part of the confederacy, and they cannot hold out much longer. Still like rats, they will fight as long as there is one man left standing on his feet. I am afraid we shall have to kill every one of them for they are a stiff-necked and rebellious generation, and they will never surrender whilst they have a man in front who can carry a flag.

"'I ought to be in Virginia now myself, where so many of my friends and compatriots, under Grant, are wearing out the rebellion to a nonent.i.ty.

I would like to be there, and would soon show the rebels and rebel sympathizers again whether I will fight or not. But I am not entirely recovered, even now, from the wounds I received up the river, and here I will remain until I am cured.'

"Captain Lincoln having thus spoken resumed his seat amidst a perfect storm of applause all over the hall.

"The gallant chairman once more arose and said, 'Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is now my extreme pleasure to bring under your kind notice the two accomplished young daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, two of the sweetest girls that I ever met with in all my life. They are regular attendants of a Christian Church at Buffalo, and have also received a first cla.s.s musical education in the north. They will now treat us all to a fine duet on the grand piano.'

"When the commanding general had thus spoken, these two elegant girls advanced to the piano, took their seats, and commenced a duet which gave a world of pleasure to all a.s.sembled in the hall, both soldiers and citizens alike, and where and how these girls had got so much training and perfected musical education was a wonder to many. Be that as it may, the girls were not at all daunted, and played as quietly and collected as if they had been in a private parlor at home. When the girls had got through their lively and enthusiastic duet, the applause that followed was so great and continued that they were obliged to comply with the demand for an encore, which they accordingly gave, and which was, if possible, better than the one before it, and was rewarded with another tremendous round of applause.

"The chairman arose again and said, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, we have all listened with extreme pleasure to the two duets played by these two children. We will now call upon Mrs. Thos. Lincoln to address the house.

She did splendid service during the Abolition Campaign that led on to the election of Abraham Lincoln; and thousands, who are now free, have already risen up and called her blessed. But we will now have the pleasure of hearing the lady herself.'

"Mrs. Lincoln on coming forward was met with a splendid reception from the audience, who even rose to their feet and cheered loudly. It was a glorious sight to see the meeting at this time, the handsome lady waiting on the stage, and soldiers and citizens like to go frantic with joy, as well indeed they might. When order had been evolved out of chaos, Mrs. Lincoln proceeded as follows:

"'Gallant General, Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems to me that this must be the happiest day of my life, thus to stand before an audience in the famous Crescent City in company with my dear husband and daughters. Most a.s.suredly this is the red letter day of my life, if I ever had one, to address both soldiers and citizens at New Orleans.

"'And yet I am quite overwhelmed when I contrast the little I was permitted to do in the Abolition Campaign before the war with what many a brave man,-yes, hundreds of thousands of men have done since, and are doing now, both by day and by night. I feel quite overcome when I think even of these brave men all around me here, and remember the easy times by comparison, that we Abolitionists had as we travelled the Northern States, and were not always well received. Yes, small and puny was our work compared with that of the black and white heroes who have often met a most determined and even desperate foe, on many a hard fought field.

The hearts of us poor women in the North have often bled as we all these years at home lay secure and safe, whilst our loved ones were fighting like giants against the enemies of human liberty, and mankind also. The bravest of the brave were in the field. White and black all fought alike well. They were the flower of all the men of the north. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions.

"'The war, no doubt, is now drawing to a close. The host of slavery is in their last ditch, even at Richmond in Virginia, where blacks and whites will have to finish them between them. And when this cruel war is all over, and those who remain alive return home again, then the country will begin to teem with chronicles and histories of the great rebellion.

But will one hundredth part of the truth ever be told? I don't think it ever will; because it will never be known, and who can write the history of that which we don't know? Such and such things could be related, but there is no one to record them.

"'It is very true that we may catch a glimpse of things here and there, but for one item that is recorded, there will be a thousand lost. There are the marches, and the counter-marches, the snow, the rain, and the hail of winter; the heats and droughts of summer; weakness and sickness arising from the want of all things, hunger and fatigue. O, there is none but the Lord from heaven Himself who can ever know all that our brave fellows have endured before they breathed their precious lives away in the service of their country. Just consider for a moment how their decaying bodies have been found weeks and months afterwards in the deep ravines, at the bottom of swamps and rivers, in the wild tangled thickets of the forest, upon every highway, and under every green tree.

Here a poor wounded fellow wandering away by himself and perishing all alone in a strange land far from home and his native state, who knows all about the end of that man; and who shall write his heroism and the suffering he endured before the Lord put an end to his pains, and took him home to heaven to Himself? Alas, alas! There is no one to tell us how he suffered, fought and died. We only know that he marched forth to the field, in health and strength and vigorous life, and did his part in pulling down this terrible rebellion, a wicked rebellion indeed, built upon the broken laws of human nature, an outrage upon humanity, and a sin against G.o.d. But those gallant heroes who have fallen in the war often said, that it was simply their part to do their duty, and, if they fell, their wives and children would at least be free, and not forgotten by a grateful and Christian government. (They shall not be forgotten).

When I look around me, and see the great advance along the whole line already in the way of human liberty, the results are perfectly grand and most inspiring. With the exception of a small section of the Confederacy, it may be truthfully stated that the armies of the Union have already freed all the slaves. From the Potomac to the Rio Grande one grand song of liberty has been sung by the emanc.i.p.ated race. Was there ever such a shout of joy heard since the Israelites escaped from Egyptian slavery, when Pharaoh and all his host perished in the Red Sea?

Who would ever have imagined that in our own day history would thus have repeated itself? But it has done so all the same; and for the self-same reason our own poor, oppressed people have raised one universal shout to Heaven, and sung all along the whole line, 'I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.' O, my brother! ye brave soldiers of the army of the Union, ye have deserved well of your G.o.d and of your country, and your honors will never fade while sun and moon endure. White and black soldiers, shoulder to shoulder, have marched to the field; they have overthrown their terrible foe, and they have cleared the way for the education, the Christianization, and grand enlightenment and intelligence of an emanc.i.p.ated race. Our sufferings have been great. The whole nation has suffered, but the sacrifice has not been made in vain, for generations unborn shall arise and call you blessed. Your labors, toils and sufferings will neither be lost nor forgotten. The entire emanc.i.p.ated race will bless you while life and time shall last; your names shall be inscribed upon the roll of fame, and all generations shall conspire to call you blessed. 'Be thou faithful unto death, and _I_ will give you a crown of life.' 'Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.'

"'Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much indeed for your kind attention to my few remarks.'

"When Mrs. Lincoln had thus spoken, she resumed her seat amidst a loud and long-continued storm of applause. The gallant chairman then called for 'three cheers and a tiger,' for the Lincoln family, which were given with a terrible vim, when the meeting broke up, and we all scattered for our separate homes. But a grander demonstration was never gotten up in the city of New Orleans."

The last grand struggle of war was in Virginia, where General Grant gathered together many of the veterans who had fought in the South and Southwest, including 20,000 colored troops, one-half, at least, of whom were veterans, and there were also many powerful, enthusiastic recruits who desired nothing better than an opportunity to a.s.sist in knocking down the Confederacy! A goodly number of those brave young fellows had been enlisted in Maryland. It is quite amusing to recall the letters and chronicles of the times when the recruiting officers landed from their vessels on the sh.o.r.es of the Chesapeake, marched up to the slave-holder's estates, called for all the male slaves to be brought before them, when they picked out the strongest and the best, asked them if they were willing to fight for freedom and the Union, and always receiving the joyful answer, "Yes, master, I am willing," laid down their tools there and then, and marched on board the Union vessels with great delight. It was in vain that their rebel masters and mistresses pointed out their need of their slaves, to gather in their harvest, which was then about ripe (1863), or that the officers took their able-bodied "servants," who left their teams right there on the highways, the heads of the horses being turned round in the direction of the plantation. The rebel masters and mistresses were simply referred to Washington for redress-if any could be got there! "You must apply to the Secretary of War; we are merely acting under orders from the head of the department." In the meantime the delighted slaves marched on board, and were taken to the camp appointed for drilling, and thus many a splendid soldier was recruited who mightily helped to pull down the "Confederate States."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _EMANc.i.p.aTION STATUE BOSTON, Ma.s.s._]

The children and I spent a delightful time, as I remember well, on the 26th of April, 1864, reading the glorious accounts in the papers of the grand march, the day before, past the White House at Washington, of the mighty army destined for the conquest of Virginia, and the destruction of the entire slave-holders' rebellion. That never-to-be-forgotten show-day was indeed one of the red-letter days for the army of the Union, among whom were thousands of colored soldiers who marched gaily past, and hurrahed l.u.s.tily for "Father Abraham," who was smiling down upon them from the balcony of the White House. Although they were not yet declared American citizens, still these brave young men were going to fight for the star-spangled banner. They had often heard the name of Abraham Lincoln, but this was the first time they ever saw him, and they swung their caps around their heads, clapped their hands, and shouted aloud for joy, "Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for Mr. Lincoln! Three cheers for the President!" Long and loud were the rejoicings, as regiment after regiment marched past; powerful, enthusiastic men, who were once slaves, but now freemen, with steady step and even ranks moved in splendid order down the street past the White House on their venturesome way to the seat of war. The President had never seen a general review of colored troops before, but he was greatly pleased, indeed, and heartily acknowledged their enthusiastic shouts by bowing and waving his hand to them, and making himself agreeable and pleasant to them, as they marched past.

Thus the whole army under review pa.s.sed on, crossed "yon long bridge"

over the Potomac river, and entered the State of Virginia. Poor, brave fellows! Many of them never returned alive, but they were the bravest of the brave, and performed their glorious mission.

The grand march was past at Washington. It was like the ball and dance before the battle of Waterloo, when the British and allied armies had that glorious night's revelry before they marched to the field to meet the French under Napoleon. And so some 20,000 men of African descent met on the soil of Virginia to contend with Lee and his Confederate veterans. It would require a whole volume to itself to relate all the marching and counter-marching of the next twelve months; the battles in the woods, the advancing and retreating, and the fighting at the fords of the rivers of Virginia. General Grant, poor fellow, lost many brave men, for the rebels were bold and courageous; they were on their own soil, and, worst of all, were fighting for slavery. The evolutions of the contending hosts these last twelve months of the war, remind me somewhat of a great "circus," where the horse and their riders fly along in one unending whirl, whilst Grant seemed to stand in the middle of the circus, and direct the evolutions of both riders and steeds. The colored troops came in for their full share of the work, bravely performed their duties every time, but, alas! there was many a brave man who was laid under the sod! Yes, it would take a whole volume to recount all the deeds that our brave brothers did, marching and fighting month in and month out, in summer's heat and winter's cold. It was in the end of September, 1864, that General Butler, at the head of a strong force of colored troops, carried the New Market Heights, and utterly defeated the rebels. Our loss was considerable, but our own men were completely successful. Many other instances of devotion and bravery might be given; but it would be nothing but an endless task. General Grant and all the other commanders had nothing but good words for our heroic brothers.

It was now the beginning of April, 1865. The bottom had almost been knocked out of the Confederacy by Sherman's march from Atlanta to the sea. General Lee and his determined rebel crew still held out at Richmond, but Grant and the Union armies were thinning them down and wearing them out. Then came the fall of Petersburg, the key to Richmond, and then followed the retreat of the rebels from Richmond itself. The intention of Lee and the rest of the Confederates was to betake themselves to the mountains, and there carry on a guerrilla warfare as long as they had a man left to carry the rebel flag and shoot a gun. But this was not allowed. Swift-footed white and black troops followed them up with unrelenting vigor day and night; with hors.e.m.e.n and footmen we hurried after them, and at last got right in front of them, and outflanked them also at Appomattox Court House. The Confederates had been without food for three days and nights, and all things were coming to an end. Lee soon discovered that he could not break through the Union forces, under Grant, Meade and Sheridan. At one and the same time, he therefore dispatched fleet couriers to each one of the three Union generals to cease fighting, and stating that he would surrender himself and his army prisoners of war. Generals Grant and Lee accordingly met, when the surrender was made; and when the rebel forces in other parts of the South heard of the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House, they also laid down their arms. Thus the South was conquered, and slavery was destroyed. The shackles were knocked off 4,000,000 of our own beloved race, the Union was restored, and, as Lincoln said, "The Mississippi, Father of Waters, flowed once more unvexed to the sea!" Glory to G.o.d!

I shall never forget the excitement when the news arrived at New Orleans that Lee had surrendered. Among the rebel sympathizers it was a time of great depression, indeed; but among all Union people, and the entire colored race, most of all, it was truly a time of such rejoicing as only occurs once in a lifetime. People embraced and even kissed one another who had never met before; they shed tears of joy, sang, shouted, and gave glory to G.o.d. It was a perfect carnival both day and night. To the colored race, at least, it brought the deepest and most sincere joy, and all felt that the war had not been waged in vain, nor so many valuable lives sacrificed for nothing. In many parts of the Union the people met together in halls and churches for the purpose of giving praise and glory to G.o.d; and there was general rejoicing over the triumph of the armies of the Union. Thousands-I might say millions-never went to bed.

That night was like the night when the Israelites came out of Egypt. It was the pa.s.sage of the Red Sea over again. "Sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the Sea! Praise ye the Lord!"

The war also vindicated and proved the complete manhood of the colored race before the entire world. At least 200,000 of the flower of our youth had fought most manfully to save the very life of the nation; in fact, the late slave had earned his own freedom, and therefore had at least as much reason to thank his own powerful right arm as to Uncle Sam himself and the armies of the Union.

It now gives me great pleasure to inform the kind reader that Tom was now completely recovered from the effects of the wounds he had received up the river. It was now the month of June, 1865, and we were all longing to see our dear friends at Buffalo, and they also were anxious to see us. As Tom and the girls had never seen the Gulf of Mexico, nor the Atlantic Ocean, we thought it would afford us a pleasant variety in the line of travel to return home by Havana and New York City. So we all took a tender leave of our dear friends at the hospital, and throughout the city, many of whom came down to the New York boat to give us the last sweet tokens of affection and see us off. As upon the former occasion, when Mrs. Sutherland and I came this way, we had splendid weather all the way to Havana, where we all landed and had a pleasant walk through the city of the capital of Cuba. It is wonderful what a good idea a person can get of a strange place, even in a few hours.

We got up steam once more, pa.s.sed through among the Bahama Islands, and made a call for a few hours at the beautiful little city of Na.s.sau, on the Island of New Providence. This belongs to the English, and is the most spicy and perfect place in all the West India Islands. Got up steam again, and pa.s.sed Cape Hatteras in safety, and in due time landed at New York, after which we took the train for Buffalo, where we arrived after a long and weary ride on the cars; and Mr. and Mrs. John B. Sutherland and several other dear friends gave us a very warm welcome when they met us at the depot, and took us all to our own home.

CHAPTER XII.

_Receptions at Buffalo-The Lincoln's and Sutherland's Visit to Canada-Their Grand Reception There-Our Sacrifices for the Union and Freedom-The Difficulties of Reconstruction-Good Work of the Freedman's Bureau-Universal Rejoicing of all the Redeemed Race-The Colored People Settling Down to Hard Work throughout the South._

The long and terrible Civil War was all over at last, and by the grace of G.o.d we had got our Tom home to Buffalo once more, all safe and sound.

Our sea voyage from New Orleans to New York did us all an immense lot of good, and seemed to brighten us all up in a wonderful degree. It was at least a grand event in the lives of the girls, and is not forgotten even now.

By way of returning thanks and giving glory to G.o.d for the victorious end of the war, a regular reception was given to us one night at the A.

M. E. Church on Vine street, when every member was present, and there was such a time of rejoicing and general jollification as I thought had never been exceeded since the world began. We were also called upon for short speeches; hymns of praise and triumph were sung, and, indeed, there was a high time generally. "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever!"

For the s.p.a.ce of a whole month thereafter we just spent the whole time receiving friends at our house, and entertaining them, and going out and being entertained by them in turn. It was just one round of the purest pleasure, in which there was neither danger nor alloy. Tom had to do an infinite deal of talking, relating his wars and battles in the Sunny South, and the girls and I supplemented the same by giving our experiences of the Rivers Ohio and Mississippi, and the grand sea voyage all the way from New Orleans to New York. People were greatly taken with the two girls, as they were just as bright as two b.u.t.tons.

After all this turmoil was over, we all sighed for some fresh air in the country, and new scenes altogether. The glorious Gibsons of Canada had been writing incessantly ever since we spent that never-to-be-forgotten month at Richmond Hill, and had most urgently insisted upon us three coming back the second time after Tom's return to Buffalo-and for us to bring Tom along with us. And Tom himself was not only willing but he was most anxious to go, for the tongues of our children had been going ding-dong hammer and tongs, about the glories of Richmond Hill and Western Canada. And when it was at last decided that we would take the road, and the day of our departure from Buffalo had been set, nothing would satisfy our anxious children but that they should write a conjoint letter to the Gibsons about our coming to Canada. And this they did in their own way, and with such an incredible amount of enthusiasm that the good Gibsons have been laughing over it ever since.

So we got already for our journey in the beginning of August, 1865, and when we were about to start for the railway station, what was our surprise when Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland, in travelling costume, marched back into the parlor, and said that they also were bound along with us to Richmond Hill and the Canadas! We were as much knocked down by this piece of information as if we had been prostrated on the battle-field by a discharge of grapeshot. We four all gave a loud shout for joy, made a general rush for them, and such a scene of embracing, kissing and congratulation followed as certainly can never be described by the pen.

This unexpected turn of affairs put new courage into us all, and served its purpose as well as a tremendous victory over the enemy. The girls shouted, "Come on, father! Come on, mother! Grandpa, come on! Come on, grandma! There's a good time coming, and no mistake this time." The children set us all laughing. But business is business, and so we got our trunks into a conveyance, and all the presents intended for the good folk at Richmond Hill, and the conveyance rolled on to the railroad station, while we six happy travelers proceeded after it on foot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _HAULING COTTON TO THE GIN._]

We all reached the station in due time, and being in a very hilarious mood, the weather being so fine, and with such pleasing prospects before us, we were taken for a wedding party, and no wonder! We got into the train, and soon was off for Canada. Having at length crossed over the Niagara river, we were fairly launched upon Canadian soil. All hearts were light, all eyes were bright, and nature's face was fair and gay.

Our ride from the river to the railway station at Ingersoll was indeed perfectly delightful, and we had nothing to do by the way but sit back in our seats and admire the beautiful and well-cultivated country. As the girls and I had been here two years ago, it was not such a wonder to us, but the beautiful hills and dales of this land of refuge, to our oppressed people in days gone by, were a perfect inspiration, a wonder and a delight to the rest. In due course of time we arrived at the station at Ingersoll, where we were met by a conveyance from Richmond Hill; but as there were six of us in all, more than they, or even than some of our ownselves, had expected, we could not all get in, and Tom got another conveyance and divided the company in two. When we had almost completed our journey, the Gibsons at Richmond Hill saw us coming over the top of the last hill, as we issued out among the trees, upon which the entire family, dogs, cats and all, were seen leaving the house, and going down the field for the purpose of meeting our cavalcade at the gate that opened into the high-road. We cautiously descended the last hill, moved down the road that leads to the Cedar Swamp, and met these good Gibsons at the gate. I have said hundreds of times since that the warm welcome they gave us put me in mind of heaven, and it seemed to me at the time worth going all the way to Richmond Hill to receive!

We all steered up the field road on foot, and when we came to Richmond Hill, and looked around us upon the country far and wide, we were all perfectly enchanted with the view, and one and all of us exclaimed, "What a beautiful land! Fair as the Garden of Eden before the Lord!

Beautiful as Tirzah!" Then we all went into the house, where we disposed of our trunks, and all the rest of our things, after which we sat down and talked, and felt thoroughly at home. Indeed, there was a home feeling about the place that was irresistible. With true Canadian kindness refreshments were immediately placed before the young man who drove the hired conveyance, and after he had helped himself to his heart's content, he took his departure for Ingersoll, where I doubt not he arrived safely in a short time.

A good supply of bread and cheese and milk were set upon the table, and each of us took a snack only, because the afternoon was now wearing on apace, and supper would be ready in a couple of hours. In the meantime, we all put on our hats and bonnets, and accompanied by several members of the family, we took a walk up to the top of the range of hills that ran away above the house, from whence we could see the sloping lands and dales that lay away beyond them; and, indeed, we had a most complete view of the whole country as far as the eye could reach. There was something perfectly sublime in the scenery that lay all around us, far and wide. How we did admire the fair-faced forest land, where the streams rolled away for Lake Erie, winding round, and round, and round; and the forests grew on both sides all down their banks, and the rest of the country was under a course of careful, splendid cultivation.

We were so much taken with the glorious views of fair and fertile Canada that we felt in no hurry to return, but sat down on the hill-top, like a lot of birds of pa.s.sage resting after a long flight, and inhaled the very inspiration of the joyous scene. But at last time was called for, and we all steered back to the house, where we found Doctor and Mrs.

McKenzie, of the Presbyterian Church, to which the Gibsons go, in the little country town three miles off. The McKenzies live in a beautiful mansion among the trees on the hill-top opposite Richmond Hill. (We left the mansion on our right hand before we descended the last hill). They had heard that we six had come, and in our absence had arrived to pay us a visit. Dr. McKenzie and wife are excellent company; they are highly intelligent, and come from the highlands of Scotland. We had attended his church in the town upon our last visit in the autumn of 1863.

Supper was now ready, and we all sat down around the jovial board, which was fairly groaning under an enormous weight of good things. Dr.

McKenzie said grace; Mary and Margaret Gibson acted as waiters, and we had one of the best suppers that were ever served up even in hospitable Canada. After that we resolved ourselves into a sort of open parliament, and the night drove on with fun and conversation. One after another of the neighbors continued to arrive, and the enthusiasm of the night went on, grew and still increased. The piano was also brought into full play, and the girls and some of the rest of us played and sang, and a better time had never been heard along the sides of those peaceful and lovely hills. I am sure it was for all a time of extraordinary enjoyment.

During a lull in the proceedings of the night, Dr. McKenzie stated that it would be a great gratification to himself and wife, and to all their friends over these hills if a night's entertainment were given in the hall at the post-town, three miles off; and we could order the proceedings of the night in any varied way that we pleased. We informed the learned doctor that we would leave the matter entirely in his own hands, and whenever he called us up we would answer to the summons, and do our very best to please every man, woman or child who favored us with their presence.

In due course the grand entertainment came off, and what with songs, music and speeches it was declared to be one of the very best and most enthusiastic gatherings in all the chronicles of Canada.