The war also vindicated and proved the complete manhood of the colored race before the entire world. At least 200,000 of the flower of our youth had fought most manfully to save the very life of the nation; in fact, the late slave had earned his own freedom, and therefore had at least as much reason to thank his own powerful right arm as to Uncle Sam himself and the armies of the Union. It now gives me great pleasure to inform the kind reader that Tom was now completely recovered from the effects of the wounds he had received up the river. It was now the month of June, 1865, and we were all longing to see our dear friends at Buffalo, and they also were anxious to see us. As Tom and the girls had never seen the Gulf of Mexico, nor the Atlantic Ocean, we thought it would afford us a pleasant variety in the line of travel to return home by Havana and New York City. So we all took a tender leave of our dear friends at the hospital, and throughout the city, many of whom came down to the New York boat to give us the last sweet tokens of affection and see us off. As upon the former occasion, when Mrs. Sutherland and I came this way, we had splendid weather all the way to Havana, where we all landed and had a pleasant walk through the city of the capital of Cuba. It is wonderful what a good idea a person can get of a strange place, even in a few hours. We got up steam once more, passed through among the Bahama Islands, and made a call for a few hours at the beautiful little city of Nassau, on the Island of New Providence. This belongs to the English, and is the most spicy and perfect place in all the West India Islands. Got up steam again, and passed Cape Hatteras in safety, and in due time landed at New York, after which we took the train for Buffalo, where we arrived after a long and weary ride on the cars; and Mr. and Mrs. John B. Sutherland and several other dear friends gave us a very warm welcome when they met us at the depot, and took us all to our own home. CHAPTER XII. _Receptions at Buffalo—The Lincoln’s and Sutherland’s Visit to Canada—Their Grand Reception There—Our Sacrifices for the Union and Freedom—The Difficulties of Reconstruction—Good Work of the Freedman’s Bureau—Universal Rejoicing of all the Redeemed Race—The Colored People Settling Down to Hard Work throughout the South._ The long and terrible Civil War was all over at last, and by the grace of God we had got our Tom home to Buffalo once more, all safe and sound. Our sea voyage from New Orleans to New York did us all an immense lot of good, and seemed to brighten us all up in a wonderful degree. It was at least a grand event in the lives of the girls, and is not forgotten even now.