The free South. (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, August 08, 1863, Image 2
VOL. J.
THE FREE S. UTH.
7
BEAifiOitT, S. f? AIGIST 8, ISC J. '
Agents tsKt' in the different Regiments of this
Department, for the I :cke Sot tii.
Fifty Thousand Volunteer* offered
without Bounty.
The slave population of Maryland, Del
eware, Western Virginia, Kentucky, and
Missouri is about 500,000. These States
are excepted in the Proclamation of the ;
1st of January, and the slave population 1
as vet debarred from the privilege of '
volunteering, and exempt from the eon- ,
scrip^ui. The only reason is that certain 1
persOTs claim a property interest. A
small portion of such claimants may be j
lcyaV the majority are rebels.
Apprentices and minors in the Free j
States are allowed to volunteer and are
not exelhpt from the conscription. The
interest of the master and of the father in
, their labor is of the same nature, so far as
it is recognized by the United States, as'
that of the slave master in the so-called
slave. A population of 500,000 would furni^^
riot less than 50,000 able-bodied men.
No-i^n once enlisted in the army of the
United States could ever be a slave again.
Let the officers of the United States
proclaim this fact in the Border States,
and 50,000 of the best soldiers to be found
would spring to arms. No law would be
violated. No constitutional quibble could
be raised. The Government has the right
to the service of every volunteer, without
regard to color or condition.
The President has called upon the Free
States for 300,000 conscripts. Let him
call upon the Border States, and this call
may be reduced one-sixth.
Fifty thousand enthusiastic volunteers
will replace fifty thousand unwilling conscripts.
Fifty thousand men, now laboring,
if they labor at all, for rebel masters,
will be withdrawn from that sendee, and
take their places in the great army of free,
rinm SKAy-tk^isandv menjl>*bn, las the
- conscription now stands, must drop their
peaceful pursuits, may remain at home,
continuing their productive industry, and
paying revenue to the Government.
m 0 m
The New York Herald, apprehensive
that the mob would miss some of its victims,
or overlook some place where government
property was stored, volunteered
the following information :?
" There is but one quarter where these
unfortunates, the Blacks, live, which has
remained unharmed?Sullivan street in
the Eighth Ward. * * * * * . *
There is an United States storehouse in
Worth street, where there are upwards of
^
IfcT" The Louisville Journm says 6ome
of the papers a.e worrying themselves
about the cost of the newly called 300,000
volunteers. Their services would be cheap
at one hundred thousand millions of dollars
if they can succeed in crushing the
rebellion and restoring peace to the country.
To talk about the expense of defend?
ing the government is as mercenary and
craven as the man who implored the footpad
to take his life but spare his money.
The Patmot's Duty.?"There remains,"
said Judge Bramlette, Union
candidate for Governor of Kentucky, in a
recent speech, "but one course for all
trnc. loval. and patriotic men to pursue,
and this is simply to do all in their power
to strengthen the Government in its effort
to crush the rebellion. After that is done
yon can set about rectifying all the mistakes
of the Administration."
Advices from Havana announce
that Mexico was declared an Empire on
the ,10th nlf. Maximilliau, of Austria, is
to be prooliiimed Emperor, if he will accept
; if not? Napoleon is to select one.
A salute was fired at Vera Crp.z in honor
of the event. . .
\
i
THE FREE SOUTH, SATE
Thanksgiving Way in Hraufort.
The old Baptist cliurch was the scene of
appropriate services on Thursday, the day
appointed by the President for National
thanksgiving, praise and prayer. ?At ten
o'clock the white soldiers of the Union
now stationed in this vicinity, consisting
of the 115th New York and detachments
from other regiments, assembled. Before
the exercises were concluded the congregation
of a sable hue began to collect, and
ere long the tap of a drum was heard in
i i i n
the distance, wmcn announceu me coining
of the Second South Carolina regiment.
They were drawn up in military
order in front of the church as the first
assembly poured out. The young Africans
began to pour in, and in a few minutes
the lately vacated seats were filled
with happy, smiling faces which were full
of the important part they were to play.
The Rev. Mr. French, the faithful servitor
of the black man's highest interests,
called them order, and annoimced the
first thing on the programme to be the
singing of "The Sunday School Army,"
which was given with no little spirit, followed
by an appropriate prayer from the
Rev. Mr. Richardson. It was followed by
the reading of the following stirring circular
VL General Saxton to the Freedmon
of this Department, enjoining on them
the religious observance'of the day :
To the Free-bum in the Department of the South
The President of the United States having
appointed the Gth day of August, 18G3, as a day
of Public Thanksgiving and Praise for the glorious
victories of our armies over the enemies of
our country, who are fighting to destroy her existence
as a united nation, and to return you
again into that fearful state of bondage from
which you have just been relieved,?you are reminded
that it is eminently fitting and pro}>er
that you should join iu the glad chorus which
will on that day ascend from millions of loyal
hearts, made joyous by the victories which our
brave soldiers have achieved. Although you
are still 'in the wilderness, your prospects for
liberty were never brighter than now. The decree
has gone ^orth, and your long expected day
of jubilee is ^Jbwly^ but surely approaching.
Tfte!*e splenA ?*rianri>hs of his anii?> ad?.
greatly to the Jower of your friend, the President,
to put in force his glorious Proclamation
of Emancipation, which gladdened your hearts
on the ever-to-be-remembered first of January,
18G3. I hope that you will all refrain from your
ordinary avocations ontheGthof August, and
meet together at your respective places of worship,
and render thanks to the great Author of
every blessing, who has vouchsafed these triwmt.ko
r\f I .ilwirtf With
UUI^MIO IV IUV U1 IUIVO V* UlWiitj .. ,T1, v??? M WW
prayers that the days of the bondage of
race may be shortened:
Brigadier-General ?
ari/ Governor.
, "^j1? ?^P^S^Clemeiis, Chaplain of
-^gJj^ew York, was then introduced.
Tlisadd;ess was full of encouragement to
the emancipated. He had believed that
God would abolish this gigantic wrong of
slavery, and he rejoiced that it had come.
yie were slow to learn. He thought at
the cutset that we could end this rebellion
in nm<dy days, and leave the peculiar
institution untouched, but God overruled
our plans. The vciy delays of the war
had broken down our prejudices and we
had seen first one and then another delusion
wrought by slavery destroyed, until
we were at last ready to put arms in the
hands of the negro. The reverend gentleman
was very emphatic in his condom j
nation of the enormities of an institution
that put one man under the absolute conj
trol of another. *
The children then gave us "u er uie
Dark Abodes of Sorrow," but as it was
j sung for the first time by them only a few
J days ago, it was, though well sung, liardj
ly given with the usual enthusiastic ener(
gy so characteristic of this music-loving
! race.
The Kev. Mr. Hall, a colored missionj
ary from New York, was then introduced.
. His speech deserves a full report, as a liv'
ing, earnest protest against that claraor;
ously proclaimed doctrine of the inferior'
ity of ilie race. We regret our inability
IrRDAY,
AUGUST 8,18S3.
to give it. He began with a slight sketch '
of liis personal history. Born in Maryland,
apprenticed till 21 and kept till 22, j
whe^ he W1 to buy himself off for $100, \
ha was eany determined to make his own '
way- upward, and having mastered the !
English alphabet he fel^ he had the key j
to all knowledge, and reminded his young
hearers that with that they need put no
limit to their aspirations. He didn't believe
in tlie inferiority of tlie races. God
designed all men for freedom, and it was
opportunity or the want of it which made
such marked differences. When he hud
removed to Philadelphia I13 was for six j
years an agent of the "Underground Kailroad,"
and m:uiy were the hungry souls
panting for freedom he had helped. Armed
with revolvers, horse-pistols and slung
shot he had guarded their rear against attack,
He could not talk of slavery with
any patience. The earth was not big
enough for him and any man who would
seek to reduce him to slavery. He encouraged
the colored troops to establish
the reputation of their race for pluck, to
prove the black man was worthy of his :
freedom by his willingness to fight for it,
and he dwelt in detail on the various
causes of thankfulness which this country,
but especially his own people, had
over the events of this war, which whatever
else it might lead to was certain to
ensure the freedom of every slave.
He was followed by the Rev. Mr. Fowler,
the chaplain of the 1st South Carolina
Volunteers.
The scholars of the schools then gave
us "I have a father in the slavery land,"
the females singing first and the males re- j
spending, springing to their feet as they !
did so. The singing throughout was un- j
der the charge of Mr. McCue, who evinces I
. . 1
an amount of musical enthusiasm that ad- I
inirubly qualifies him for the position he j
so well fills. 0.
The Rev. Mr. French made the final !
address. He .read the eloquent appeal of
Gen. Saxtou in helialf of rearing a monument
to the lamented Col. Shaw and urged
on them the duty of responding freely.?
' Htf al?t> exposed the fallacies\of wkieh tlqs ,
war was disabusing the public min<X_?nd
especially that which Col. Shaw-?oo:nmalui
so proudly stamped as M??that the negro
would not fight. outset of the
war the negro h^fno one on his side,
but God was^j?pjtpy educating us ; military
nece^ty taught us to use him in the
ditchmfljTthe entrenchment. The people
<%l!fored for his employment. Row the
people and the President and the soldiers
were all willing to use him in any way
that might prove hurtful to the enemy.?
Their destiny was in their own nanus, ir
was for them to say whether the abolitionists
should preach undisturbed in Charleston
and Mobile, and whether the great
doctrine of the declaration of independence,
that all men are born free and equal
should beeomea a living truth or a con- j
taminating falsehood. He reminded them
of the decree against the Jews put forth
at the instance of Hainan which left them
at the mercy of those who chose to assail
them, and of the counter decree that permitted
them to arm in their own defence,
j whereupon they slaughtered 75,000 of
their foes. They must stand or fall by
their own deeds. If they proved worthy
of the tvorld's respect they would not fail
to earn it, and redeem the black man from
the obloquy so long heaped upou him.
Mrs. Hosa McKervey, an escaped slave,
who lied from the plantation of her master,
near Georgetown, who is at the same
time her father, came forward to led the
i in sinfrincr the sons: of liberty.?
VUUVMW* ... ~ 0 0 w
Her tones were at tirst low and distinct
but when she came to the words "We
must light for our l.berty," they were
rendered with a magnetic inspiration that
thrilled the house and lent additional en*
thusiasm to the excited tones of the singers.
The exercises were concluded with
the doxology, and the blot sing pronounced
by the Rev. Mr. Harri?, and we venture
the prediction that the. day will long bt
remembered by those who witnessed it ant
NO. 31.
especially by the younger ones who participated
in its impressive observance.
Death of General Strong.
Brigadier General George C. Strong
died at the residence of his father-in-law,
Mr. W. A. Budd, in New York City, on
the 30th ult, from wounds received in the
assault noon Fort Wasrner. Gen. Stroncr
wits born tit Stockbri J go, Vermont, and
at an early age, bis father dying, wa?
adopted by bis uncle, A. S. Strong, of
Eastbampton, Massachusetts. Evincing
a taste for military pursuits, be was educated
with a view to entering West Point,
and joined that institution in 1857. He
graduated with honor, and was subsequently
placed in charge of important
positions?at the outbreak of the rebellion
being in command of the Waterviet,
N. Y., Arsenal. Making urgent request
to be placed on active duty and given a
position on Gen. McDowell's staff, he distinguished
himself at the battle of Bull
Run ; subsequently he was with General
McClelland, and then as Assistant Adju- f
tant General, was with General Butler at I .
New Orleans. In this Department, on V
several occasions, he distinguished him- I
self, particularly 011 the expedition sent up fi
the Yangipalio river. At the time he re- I
cei veer his wound he was gallantly leading L
an assault upon Fort Wagner.
General Strong was a man of intense
earnestness of character, of tine intelligence
and generous instincts. He was devoted
to and accomplished in his profession,
and in his death, at the early age of
31 years, is lost a brave and valued officer.
1
Death of John Jav Crittenden.
The Hon. John J. Crittenden died at
Frankfort, Kentucky, on the 26th ult., at
the age of seventy-seven years. His
death was painless, and he was in full possession
of his faculties.
* <i
f&g* One of the " High Privates" of the
115th N. Y. was convicted the other day
of playing Euchre on Sunday, and "ordered"
on the barrel, ^vith the ace at
hearts pinned on his back. The officer
'-ftsked-Jiim 'hr* he liked ~27ou?'
game. He replied that it was all verynice,
but he wished some one would come
along with the " llight Bower" and take
him off. The captain considered it a good,
joke, and ordered him to be released.
fej1* Deserters from the rebel ranks report
that Beauregard has been reinforced
from Lee's army, and that a number of
the men paroled at Vicksburg are now at
Charleston in the ranks "once more.
JfcgrAt Jackson, Miss., General Sherman
raiifnvpd n nnmhfirof rebels who had.
been paroled at the capitulation of Vicksburg.
These he took out and shot on the A
spot.
X^-j^General Gillmore's dispatch to Gen. ?,
Halleck states that his total loss in killed,
wounded and missing during the three
days' actions on Morris Island was only -* '
nine hundred and eighty-five, of whom.
three hundred and fifty are missing.
Faith in the Government.?A Democrat
of the Jackson school, who recently
died in the vicinity of Boston, left a hundred
and seventy thousand dollars in
United States 7 3 10, G's, o's and certificates
of indebtedness. r
J
The U. S. Revenue steamer, Flora,
is about to pay a short visit to New York,
for the purpose of having new boilers
placed in her and being entirely refitted.
She will then return here and resume her
1
USUai vucuuvu.
?>r$- A quiet sort of a fellow boing asked,
the other day what he would drink, rei
plied : A Vicksburg Punch, and put a.
I little Maul" in it." Of course', the request
was immediately (Ircwted.
Secretary Stauton has given orders for
mounting the guns and grjrissoning the
forts in Portland harbor, and has authorized
the Governor of Maine to raise ar;
tillery companies for the defence of th^
I coa^t towns.
/