CHAPTERXIV
Ona beautiful clear night, while still in the Corps d’Afric, a party of ladies and officers walked a short distance to a cabin where a negro preacher drew a large crowd. This man, though uneducated, was a wonder of natural oratory and eloquence. In addressing his admiring audience his vocabulary was remarkable, as he used some extraordinary sentences such as—“All the englomerated hosts of heaven.”
While at this meeting an orderly came for me saying that a couple of officers from the front desired to see me at my tent. I found there two uniformed, mounted officers awaiting me, one of whom proved to be my old friend Captain Frank Dexter of the Engineer Corps.
The night was perfect in a mild atmosphere and a full orbed moon, and I was reminded of James’ old time “Solitary Horseman,” though here weretworarely handsome men of fine physique; and as they stood, holding their fiery steeds, they formed a romantic picture.
After a pleasant talk of home and friends they remounted, and with raised sombreros, their spurred horses dashed away to the clinking of sword and hoofs, while the bright moon rays glinted uniforms and accoutrements, till they passed under the shadow of the distant woods.
Captain DexterCAPTAIN B. F. DEXTER
CAPTAIN B. F. DEXTER
Captain Dexter had raised Company L of the Fiftieth Volunteer Engineer Corps early in the war, and still commanded that company at Petersburg front, and during many battles. After the close of the war, he became a successful physician, and in addition to his practice in New York City he held for many years the position of Police Surgeon.
As some patients needed fresh milk, I started out boldly one afternoon, with an orderly carrying an empty pail and a basket of extracts and small supplies. We rode through the woods beyond our lines to a secesh house quite near. On the piazza were a pretty young girl and a young Confederate officer in full grey uniform. With them were two or three ladies. At first they were suspicious lest it was a ruse on our part to capture the young “reb,” but a pleasant talk followed, and they were glad to exchange some quarts of milk for the small luxuries that they had been so long unable to secure, and to arrange an exchange of milk for such articles in the future.
We gave the sick rebel prisoners the same attention as our own boys. One asked why we were so kind to them, and I replied—“Why, don’t you know we’re feeding you up to make you well and then send you back so we can fight you over again.” This greatly amused them.
A rumor spread through the camp that the rebel gunboats were coming down the James to capture the hospital. Much excitement followed as to what we women would do; should we try to escape or should we remain with the sick? We promptly decided to remain with our boys; but happily the gunboats did not come.
My only recreation was an occasional horseback ride, accompanied by a mounted orderly. As there was only one lady’s saddle in camp, it was difficult to secure it. Two or three high cavalry saddles were altered so that women could ride, uncomfortably, on them. I once rode a horse from General Russell’s headquarters at the Point, and found the animal quite unmanageable. He at once started for a run and it was impossible to check or hold him. I barely managed to hold on, winding the reins about my hands, and bracing myself in the too small saddle. We passed a hotel on the road where many officers were sitting, then General Grant’s tent, and then dashed down the road over a pile of logs, nearly upsetting some soldiers at work there. With a sudden stop that nearly sent me over the horse’s head the animal stood quietly in front of General Russell’s open office window, where the General and his staff were consulting. They sprang up at the clatter and, gasping for breath, I said, “General, I didn’t come to see you because I wanted to, but because I couldn’t help it.” And there was a general laugh. The check rein had been forgotten.
Another horse took me back very quietly, but for many days the strained muscles stood out like those of an athlete, and there was pain enough through my entire body to make me sympathize with a chronic “rheumatic.”
We sometimes rode to U. S. Headquarters to see the drill and inspection of General Russell’s colored brigade. General Grant often stood beside his magnificent black horse at these inspections, and was very proud of the perfect drill of the negro infantry, whom he complimented, to their great happiness. These were the first colored troops I had seen.
According to General Butler’s autobiography “The first regiment of colored soldiers was mustered in at New Orleans on August22d, 1862. Better soldiers never shouldered a musket. They learned to handle arms and to march more readily than white men.”
How little thought and justice has been given to the fact that, when enlistments began, and as the demand for Confederate troops became more imperative, even old men and boys were drafted into the Southern army,—for light duty perhaps. In some cases there was not a white man within many miles, and to the care and honor of these negroes, plantations of hundreds of acres were left that they might continue to raise food and supplies for their army. Despite the fact that thousands of these negroes had practically no restraint to fear, they cheerfully labored against a cause that even at that early day they felt was for their emancipation, and yet I never heard of an uprising that could not have been checked by helpless women. There was not a case of robbery, destruction of property or rapine among the faithful workers who became the protectors of Southern women and children.
GENERAL HALPINGENERAL CHARLES HALPIN
GENERAL CHARLES HALPIN
In a sketch of the life of General Charles Halpin, (Private Miles O’Reilly) occur the following verses. “Sambo’s Right to Get Kilt” was written to accustom the Northern soldiers to the presence of the negro. They had so strong a prejudice against the negro that they did not like him even to be killed in the company of white soldiers. Its effect was astonishing and its argument was unanswerable, and negro soldiers were ever after held in the respect due to their orderly conduct. General Butler considered them a necessity of Northern success, mainly due to the wonderfully skilled pen of General Halpin, who died at the early age of thirty-seven, at the height of literary honor.
SAMBO’S RIGHT TO BE KILT
Some tell us ’tis a burnin’ shameTo make the naygars fight;An’ that the thrade of bein’ kiltBelongs but to the white.But as for me, upon me sowl!So liberal are we hereI’ll let Sambo be murthered instead of myself,On every day in the year.On every day in the year.And in every hour in the day,The right to be kilt I’ll divide wid him,An’ divil a word I’ll say.In battie’s wild commotion,I shouldn’t at all objectIf Sambo’s body should stop a ballThat was comin’ for me direct;And the prod of a Southern bagnet,So ginerous are we here,I’ll resign and let Sambo take itOn every day in the year.On every day in the year, boys,And wid none of your nasty pride,All my right in a Southern bagnet prodWid Sambo I’ll divide.The men who object to SamboShould take his place and fight;And it’s better to have a nayger’s hueThan a liver that’s wake and white.Though Sambo’s black as the ace of spades,His finger a thrigger can pull,And his eye runs sthraight on the barrel-sightsFrom under its thatch of wool.So hear me all boys darlin’,Don’t think I’m tippin’ you chaff,The right to be kilt we’ll divide wid himAnd give him the larger half.CHARLES GRAHAM HALPIN.(Miles O’Reilly.)
Some tell us ’tis a burnin’ shameTo make the naygars fight;An’ that the thrade of bein’ kiltBelongs but to the white.But as for me, upon me sowl!So liberal are we hereI’ll let Sambo be murthered instead of myself,On every day in the year.On every day in the year.And in every hour in the day,The right to be kilt I’ll divide wid him,An’ divil a word I’ll say.In battie’s wild commotion,I shouldn’t at all objectIf Sambo’s body should stop a ballThat was comin’ for me direct;And the prod of a Southern bagnet,So ginerous are we here,I’ll resign and let Sambo take itOn every day in the year.On every day in the year, boys,And wid none of your nasty pride,All my right in a Southern bagnet prodWid Sambo I’ll divide.The men who object to SamboShould take his place and fight;And it’s better to have a nayger’s hueThan a liver that’s wake and white.Though Sambo’s black as the ace of spades,His finger a thrigger can pull,And his eye runs sthraight on the barrel-sightsFrom under its thatch of wool.So hear me all boys darlin’,Don’t think I’m tippin’ you chaff,The right to be kilt we’ll divide wid himAnd give him the larger half.CHARLES GRAHAM HALPIN.(Miles O’Reilly.)
Some tell us ’tis a burnin’ shame
To make the naygars fight;
An’ that the thrade of bein’ kilt
Belongs but to the white.
But as for me, upon me sowl!
So liberal are we here
I’ll let Sambo be murthered instead of myself,
On every day in the year.
On every day in the year.
And in every hour in the day,
The right to be kilt I’ll divide wid him,
An’ divil a word I’ll say.
In battie’s wild commotion,I shouldn’t at all objectIf Sambo’s body should stop a ballThat was comin’ for me direct;And the prod of a Southern bagnet,So ginerous are we here,I’ll resign and let Sambo take itOn every day in the year.On every day in the year, boys,And wid none of your nasty pride,All my right in a Southern bagnet prodWid Sambo I’ll divide.
In battie’s wild commotion,
I shouldn’t at all object
If Sambo’s body should stop a ball
That was comin’ for me direct;
And the prod of a Southern bagnet,
So ginerous are we here,
I’ll resign and let Sambo take it
On every day in the year.
On every day in the year, boys,
And wid none of your nasty pride,
All my right in a Southern bagnet prod
Wid Sambo I’ll divide.
The men who object to SamboShould take his place and fight;And it’s better to have a nayger’s hueThan a liver that’s wake and white.Though Sambo’s black as the ace of spades,His finger a thrigger can pull,And his eye runs sthraight on the barrel-sightsFrom under its thatch of wool.So hear me all boys darlin’,Don’t think I’m tippin’ you chaff,The right to be kilt we’ll divide wid himAnd give him the larger half.CHARLES GRAHAM HALPIN.(Miles O’Reilly.)
The men who object to Sambo
Should take his place and fight;
And it’s better to have a nayger’s hue
Than a liver that’s wake and white.
Though Sambo’s black as the ace of spades,
His finger a thrigger can pull,
And his eye runs sthraight on the barrel-sights
From under its thatch of wool.
So hear me all boys darlin’,
Don’t think I’m tippin’ you chaff,
The right to be kilt we’ll divide wid him
And give him the larger half.
CHARLES GRAHAM HALPIN.
(Miles O’Reilly.)