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has command of the Army of Virginia, and he thinks we've been rusting here long enough; so we're to help General Stone

we're spoiling for a

most of the men, who had grown tired of inaction. The long summer had worn away, and Ralph had often slipped away from camp and run into the negro cabins near by, where he was sure of a nice piece of

write home, old ones to read; then, too, his spare time is occupied in looking for something to eat which his knapsack doesn't hold-not because his rations a

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in which some of them darned their stockings would reflect credit upon

s at home, and preparations were made with as much re

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re especially toothsome. The old negress was not handsome-her black skin was shr

luscious sweet potatoes, whose pulp was as golden as the sunflower's petals,-"I'se been ponde

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ke the Southerners com

What you me

are thirty-five States, and

e don't have sl

es your water and picks de

all our work is done by people

eyes opened wide

ry whipping a servant up North would bring about. Here was an old colored woman as ignorant of her relationship to the great

eemed to be tal

Wonder how dey makes dem mind. When dey runs across a right smart uppish cull

ie, they

k her head doub

s didn't like the man who was chosen, and so they said

man? Does he b'lon

was struck a blow. I was a house servant, but my man worked on de plantation. 'Diamond Joe,' dey called him; he was lashed ebery now and den, and I tink it made him ugly. He was a likely boy. Wy, massa used to 'clar if he wan't so stubbon, jess like one of our plant

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couth black folks care for each other as white people did? Were they

e looking far away. She was silent so long that Ralph began to be i

Joe now? He must be pr

oking up to where the blue sky showed through

ny a day I'se asked my hebenly Fader whar on dis big yarth my Joe was, but it must hab been wicked fur me to ask de Great King

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did h

a sunshiny day, de yarth was all carpeted wid de short, green grass, and de flowers filled de whole land wid deir sweetness. It was so bright my heart was singing a song, and Missus Flora wanted to be druv to town to buy some nice tings for de little missie's birfday party. Massa say 'Joe, Dicks got a sick hoss to 'tend you hitch up de big black team, and take your mi

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emper, and his voice was like thunder-'No! go

ing dar, and sending fust one nigger, den anudder, to the neighbors' plantations to see if missie had dun gone visiting at any ob dem. Den he called fur Dick and his white hoss, and was jess jumping on his back when de hans' set up a holler ing and de carridge cum taring onto de lawn, and fust dey 'lowed Missus Flora was dead, fur she was cuddled up in a heap, as white as snow. Wen dey got her to cum to

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im, and if he was shore any ob de slabes knew he was going it ud be wuss for dem; he'd sell 'em to de very next trader dat cumd along, and dey'd be toted down Souf, whar dey'd be showed how to work. He s

so deeply interested in her story that he had forgotten all a

I screamed out 'Po' Joe! Will nobody pity po' Joe?' and fell down on de grass all cold as a stone. My breff was gone, and I fought de angel ob de Lord had done called me home and jess den Massa Steve say-'Go to your quarters, Joe.' My Joe, he walk off as proud as a king. Missus she was bery sorry for me, and was allus bery kind to me, but Joe neber sing in de field any mo'. He would fix his eyes on me so terrible I was almos' afraid of him, and he would mutter dat de avenger was on de white man's track. 'I'm gwine to be free. Neber no more will dey lash Joe.' I used to tink

tation for help, and dey all turned out, white people and slabes, and brought water, and soon de fire wasn't red no mo', but de house-you can see de walls now ober dar, whar dey

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away the hot tear

f your master

to look for her, and her mudder was screeching 'My baby-my baby!' and going out o' one faint into anoder, and he

ow how to fin' de way out, fer she was crouched down behind de front stairs, and dat's de sp

tell mamma-I am not hurt-but I caint see!' Honey, de nex' day she shut dem po' little eyes on dis world, and mi

ame of yo

and all de slabes went to his brudder, who had de big house yo' sees ober dar

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don't think he had anything t

't form no 'pinion to hurt deir neighbors. It goes agin

ey susp

, but Joe neber was seen after de house wa

to camp with a sad heart. When he entered the camp he found the men gathered

ing out for?" a

ay us out, or be laid out themselves.

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uff tones net

to answer a civil

but he can't persuade the boys over on the Virginia side to show up on open ground. Th

new recruit said, with a sigh, "bu

a little chicken-hearted at first, often t

ne poor fellow who was pressing on, up to the cannon's mouth. His knees were shaking, his eyes bulged out, and he gave every evidence of being terror-stricken. But his gaze was fixed on the coveted point, his teeth were set ha

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ery regiment which one would have expected to see disgraced by his cowar

an, who made a wry face at being singled out for an explanation-"was right. It's agin human nature not to feel a little shaky when you are going into your

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