Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard GlazierOwens, John Algernon
History
Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard Glazier
Owens, John Algernon
Glazier, Willard W., 1841-1905; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
After a sleep so profound as to extend several hours beyond the time
they had agreed upon as best adapted for the resumption of their
journey, they found themselves much refreshed and strengthened, so much
so that by sunrise they had reached a small stream known as Black Creek,
one of the tributaries of the North Edisto River. Here, in crossing a
bridge, they very opportunely encountered a colored laborer, who was on
his way to work, and who cheerfully turned aside to guide them to a hut,
where he assured them they could remain in safety throughout the day.
The proprietor of this refuge for hunted wayfarers was a certain "Aunt
Katy"--an aged negress, whose heart and hut, and such fare as her scanty
larder contained, were always at the disposal of the distressed. Hearing
that the strangers were Union soldiers who had escaped from Columbia,
she approached them with the following salutation: "Gor A'mighty bress
yer, marsters; dis is de yeah ob jubilee, shua, when de Yankees come to
Aunt Katy's. Come in, marsters, come in!"
Accordingly they entered, and, by some occult process, the fact of their
presence soon became known to the entire slave population of the
neighborhood, who came flocking in throughout the day. Such an important
occasion would have been incomplete without a prayer-meeting, Aunt Katy
herself being a pillar of the Colored Methodist Church, and it was not
long before the whole assemblage were on their knees, invoking every
imaginable blessing upon the cause of the Union and its defenders, and
every evil upon its opponents. Among other things Captain Glazier
records, as a feature of this impromptu prayer-meeting, is the petition
of a venerable prototype of "Uncle Tom," named Zebulon, "who appeared
to be a ruling spirit in the party." This good man's enthusiasm burst
forth as follows:
"Oh Lor' Gor A'mighty! We'se you-ah chillen as much as de white folks
am, and we spec yo to heah us widout delay, Lor'; cause we all is in
right smart ob a hurry. Dese yere gemmen has runned away from de
Seceshers, and wants ter git back to de Norf! Dey has no time to wait!
Ef it's 'cordin' to de des'nation of great heben to help 'em et'll be
'bout necessary for dat ar help to come right soon.
"De hounds and de rebels is on dar track. Take de smell out ob de dogs'
noses, O Lor'! and let 'Gypshun darkness come down ober de eyesights ob
de rebels. Comfoozle 'em, O Lor'! dey is cruel, and makes haste to shed
blood. Dey has long 'pressed de black man, and groun' him in de dust,
and now I reck'n dey 'spects dat dey am agwine to serve de Yankees in de
same way.
"'Sist dese gemmen in time ob trouble, and lift 'em fru all danger on to
de udder side ob Jordan dry-shod.
"And raise de radiance ob your face on all de Yankees what's shut up in
de Souf. Send some Moses, O Lor'! to guide 'em frue de Red Sea ob
'flickshun into de promised land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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