18. XVIII.
STRATEGISES.
Wingert's Corners, May the 15th, 1863.
Dimokrasy hezn't ez many hobbies now ez it
used to hev, and it is somewhat difficult to keep
the people strung up the proper pitch. Nigger is
all the capital we hev left, and its rayther tough
work to keep the old machine runnin. In Union
and Orange their blood dident bile when I told
em that 40,000 niggers wuz on their way to that
section—nary bile. So I hed recourse to strategy.
Last Friday nite I prokoored some lamp-black
and lard-ile, and applyin it to my classic countenance,
and my laber-staned hands, transformd
myself into a villainous contraband. Then I proceeded
after night to the south end uv the township,
and at daylight commenst goin north. The
skeem workt beautiful. At every house the follerin
conversashen wood ensoo:
“Hello, Cuff, wher you from?”
“Tennisee, massa.”
“Wher you goin?”
“I'se gwine to stop sum 'ers 'bout heah.”
“Who sent you North?”
“Kurnel Niblin, and de Ablishners ob de 21st.”
“Dam Niblin, and yoo too. Git!”
Wich I alluz did. Then goin back I'd take
another road, stealin sich trifles ez shirts and
stockins, and usin sich other means uv arousin
our people 2 a realizin sense uv the cuss uv a
floatin nigger populashen ez sejested themselves
to my mind. It became a serious thing though,
for on the fourth day so many hed seen me, that
they reely sposd the nigger invashen had commenst,
and they hunted me. I run a mile, and
findin they were gainin on me, darted into the
woods, washed, and come out ez the original
Nasby.
Lord! what an enthoosiastic meetin we had
that night. Their faith in the nigger invasion
hed bin shaky, but it was now firm. They had
seen em. Wun had seen 38 that day, uv wich
number he wuz proud to say he had killed 5. I
larfed innardly, but held my peece. Desepshen
is justifiable now and then. I kin do it. I only
borrered $4 in Union.
