University of Virginia Library

85. How the Negroes helped the Yankees
By REVEREND GEORGE HUGHES HEPWORTH (1863)

MANY a man who has boasted that all his slaves could be trusted, that he had often given his boy Jim hundreds of dollars to carry to the bank, and that not a hand on his plantation could be cajoled away, had his eyes opened wide on these days of our advance. Unwilling that either Confederate or Federal should confiscate his most valuable horses, he had very stealthily and carefully hidden them in the thick underbrush of the woods, a mile or a mile and a half away. Jim alone knew where they were. The Confederates came rushing by, and Jim stood with open mouth at the spectacle; and, when asked where his master's horses were, he, of course, stared in profound ignorance. When the Federal advance came along, a cavalry-man rode up on his jaded beast and inquired,—

"Boys, can you tell me where I can get a fresh horse ? "

And Jim was not at all bashful. He at once answered,—

"Yes, marster: I'll show you where de old man hid his stallion; " and forthwith trotted by the side of the cavalry-man until he exchanged his worn-out hack for a fine, sleek stallion worth a thousand dollars.

These instances were innumerable. I will venture to say, that nearly half our cavalry-horses were changed in the T6che country; and, in the vast majority of cases, it was the favorite servants who pointed out the hiding-place, and said,—

"You give us free, and we helps you all we can."A curious instance of this kind came under my notice. Wheelock and I were riding along with the skirmishers towards Opelousas, on two beasts that were thoroughly jaded; when a black boy rushed out from a cabin in the most excited manner, and would hardly let our horses go by, crying out,—

"Master, if you wants me to, I will tell you where there is two splendid horses belonging to de ole man."

"How far off ? "we asked.

"'Bout half a mile, master; and hid in de thick cane-brake."

"But why, you young rascal, do you come here, and discover to us your master's property? You ought to have more love for him than to do such a thing."

The idea of love seemed to strike the boy as being very peculiar; and he only answered,—

"When my master begins to lub me, den it'll be time enough for me to lub him. What I wants is to get away. I want you to take me off from dis plantation, where I can be free."

It was not a particularly pleasant though a somewhat romantic thing to leave our columns, and go half a mile into the woods. The guerillas abounded; and they had no scruples whatever about drawing a head on a stray Union soldier.

Still, we needed horses, and made the attempt. The beasts were not there. The black boy was confounded, but said he would call Jean.

Now, Jean was the only boy on the plantation who knew where those horses were. He was a favorite servant at the "big house;" and, when the owner discovered

that the retreat of the horses was known to some of the hands, he told Jean to remove them secretly to some secure corner, where neither the hands whom he knew he could not trust nor the Federals could penetrate.

Jean was brought. He was forty-five years old, had a family, lived as well as a slave can live in the Têche country (which is one of the most cruel places in the State), and had received a great many favors from the "big house still he longed to be free. I said,—

"Jean, I hear you have hidden two good horses in the cane-brake. Will you show me where they are ? "

He hesitated a moment, as though revolving the subject in his mind, grew serious, and then said slowly and calmly,—

"Yes, master, I will show you where dem horses is. De ole fokes will kill me near-a-most, if dey ever finds it out; but you'se de people dat sets us free, and we poor colored fokes ought to do what little we can for you."

He led the way through fields half a mile, and then came to a very dense cane-brake. It was a ticklish place to be in; but we were in such condition, that we were willing to run some risk. Jean disappeared, and soon brought out a fine gray horse; and then, disappearing a second time, came back bringing another. We mounted with all despatch, the black boy getting astride of a very lean beast he had managed to pick up, and hastened on for our advance.

Jean's is a sample of the kind of love the best negroes bear their masters. The more a slave knows, and the nearer he comes to being a self-supporting

man, the less willing is he to live in servitude. With the first idea that enters a black man's head comes the desire for freedom.