8. VIII.
There was down in Stafford, during the war, a youthful negro
of six or eight years of age, who excited the admiration of everybody
by his passionate devotion to the Confederacy, and the
“big words” which he used. In fact, his vocabulary was made
up of what Mr. Thackeray calls “the longest and handsomest
words in the dictionary.”
Still he could be terse, pointed, epigrammatic, and hard-cutting
in speech. Of these statements two illustrations are given.
1. When an artillery fight took place near the mansion which
had the honour of sheltering him, the young African was observed
to pause, assume an attitude of extreme attention, remove his
hat, scratch his head, and listen. Then turning to his master,
he said with dignity, “Hear that artillery, sir. Those are,
beyond a doubt, the guns of Stonewall Jackson.”
2. Second illustration. A Federal officer of high rank and
character, a bitter Democrat and opponent of the negro-loving
party, with an extreme disgust, indeed, for the whole black race;
this gentleman visited the house where the young Crichton lived,
and taking a seat in the parlour, began conversing with the ladies.
While so doing he was startled by a voice at his elbow, and a
vigorous clap upon the back of his splendid uniform. Turning
quickly in extreme wrath at this disprespect, he saw the grinning
face of young ebony behind him; and from the lips of the
youth issued the loud and friendly address:
“Hallo, Yank! Do you belong to Mr. Lincoln? You are
fighting for me—ain't you?”
The officer recoiled in disgust, looked daggers, and brushing
his uniform, as though it had been contaminated, growled to the
lady of the house:
“You taught him this, madam!”
