A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
We had a conversation with a colored captain, who had just resigned on
account of the constant indignities heaped upon the colored troops. He
was a man of wealth and intelligence, and gave us an account of a
review by General Sherman, after General Butler left. When General
Sherman came to him, he stopped to look at the bars on his shoulders,
and gruffly asked, "Are you a captain?" "Yes, sir," was the reply. "O,
you are too black for a captain," said the general. At Fort Hudson,
when our troops were retreating under a galling fire, a colored
captain, with his men, at the risk of his life, ran to bring out
General Sherman, who was badly wounded, and would have died but for the
daring feat of the colored soldiers. The colored captain lost his life,
but General Sherman was rescued. Since then he has spoken highly of
colored soldiers, and of the brave captains that led them. My informant
said that after General Banks assumed command they hoped for better
treatment, but their hopes were vain. As the men in December and
January were in want of shoes and clothing, he told General Banks that
they were not in a suitable condition to work on the fortifications
where the detachment was ordered, but no attention was paid to him. He
inquired why his men could not be supplied the same as the white
soldiers. The reply he received was, "Don't you know you are niggers,
and must not expect the same treatment?" "From that moment," he said,
"I resolved to resign; but after waiting a little, and seeing no better
prospects, I did so, and shall not resume arms until we can be treated
as men."
In New Orleans two regiments of free colored men were raised in
forty-eight hours. They were officered by men of their color in grades
as high as major by General Butler, who said they were as good officers
as he held under him. We arrived in Natchez on the 26th, where we met
rejoicing friends. We found a number of the missionaries sick, among
them sister Burlingame.
The day following we spent chiefly in writing, and distributing
Testaments and tracts among soldiers. In the evening we attended a
protracted meeting, conducted by two sisters. They acquitted themselves
nobly, and had three conversions. They exhorted earnestly and prayed
fervently. They invited us to take part with them. One of the ministers
told me they had worked in this meeting until they were tired out, and
then gave it over to these mothers in the Church, whose labors the Lord
was blessing in the conversion of precious souls.
We made an effort to secure a house for an orphan asylum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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