caller
Private
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2005
In reading some first hand accounts and civil war journals and manuscripts, I've come across some interesting accounts by Union soldiers regarding encounters with slaves. They have ranged from DC all the way through the south - in all areas including this one of many from my great(3x)-grandfather's journal which took place just outside DC: (Some background - my g-g-g-gf immigrated from Ireland in late 1850's after fighting in the Crimean War for the Brits. He live in the capital region of New York). I would love any other first hand Union accounts any of you are familiar with.
August 7, 1861:
Went on picket yesterday morning, to be gone 24 hours.After I got to my post, staid there about an hour, then went on an independent scout toward Falls Church. On the way went into the house of Mr. Charles Mix. None there but a colored woman, a slave. In the course of the talk, she said she would like to go North. I told her she had stay where she is. She said that nothing was as dear to a person as their liberty and their family. She told me that her husband and 5 of her children were taken away some time since and she did not know what had become of them. She said that present owner was a good man and never whipped his slaves the same as some masters do. She told me that down in the cotton country the slaves under some masters had more work than they could do in the day and if they did not have it done, [ he would ] tie them up and give them 30 lashes and then tell in the bar rooms that they had to punish one of their servants for being lazy, and such is slavery.
August 7, 1861:
Went on picket yesterday morning, to be gone 24 hours.After I got to my post, staid there about an hour, then went on an independent scout toward Falls Church. On the way went into the house of Mr. Charles Mix. None there but a colored woman, a slave. In the course of the talk, she said she would like to go North. I told her she had stay where she is. She said that nothing was as dear to a person as their liberty and their family. She told me that her husband and 5 of her children were taken away some time since and she did not know what had become of them. She said that present owner was a good man and never whipped his slaves the same as some masters do. She told me that down in the cotton country the slaves under some masters had more work than they could do in the day and if they did not have it done, [ he would ] tie them up and give them 30 lashes and then tell in the bar rooms that they had to punish one of their servants for being lazy, and such is slavery.
Bringing the