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"We'se gib our sogerin' to de Guv'ment, Gunnel," they said, "but we won't 'spise ourselves so much for take de seben dollar." They even made a contemptuous ballad, of which I once caught a snatch. "Ten dollar a month! Tree ob dat for clothin'l Go to Washington Fight for Linkum's darter!" This "Lincoln's daughter" stood for the Goddess of Liberty, it would seem.
A blessed sense of rest soothed every bone; in the heavenly stillness and surcease from noise he drifted gently into slumber, into a deep dreamless sleep. The old negro looked at him, aged face wrinkled in compassion. "Po' li'l sodger boy," he muttered. "Done gib me fo' dollahs. Lor' Gor' a'mighty! Spec' Mars Linkum's men is all richer'n ole Miss."
Then they gave the far-reaching, fiendish, rebel yell. "Shoot," I replied, "if you want to be hung." "Boys," I said, turning to the darkies, "what's the matter?" "Oh, boss, massa Linkum's dead, de Dimikrat am Presidunt, und we poo' niggers be slabes agin. We fight, we die, but we won't be slabes agin, neber."
Negroes flocked, singly and by families, to join "Massa Linkum's boys." The railroads were destroyed, and the Carolinas thus cut off from the Gulf States. Each regiment detailed a certain number of foragers. These, starting off in the morning empty-handed and on foot, would return at night riding or driving beasts laden with spoils.
Tek off de shoon fum yo' feet lak Moses w'en he gwine neah de bunin' bush. Young mars'r en young mistis standin' dar 'spectful. Dey knows dat ef de gret Linkum yere hissef, Linkum's Lawd en Mars'r yere befo' 'im.
Then young massa went, and he got killed, too. Then one day there came an officer one of Abe Linkum's officers and he told us we were free and might go where we pleased. That was a drefful time." "Why was it dreadful? Weren't you glad to be free?" asked Ernest. "No, honey, we didn't know where to go, nor what to do.
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