the young under your charge from their
allegiance to the Government, you have
won a name that will never be placed on
the roll of patriots. A visit to the North
may be of benefit to you.
Digitized by
Google
90
THii BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION*
Loyal DeiiMmstratioi& -with a Oratoh.
At one of the fashionable hotels in New
York, there boarded for a time, during the
war, a somewhat wrathful secession sym-
pathizer — one of the New England and
consequently one of the worst kind, — and
a chivalric, spirited Major-Greneral of the
army, minus a leg, and hobbling about on
his crutch. Fired by natural folly and a
luxurious dinner, the former insulted the
latter, as he was passing through the halls,
with loud and coarse denunciations of the
war, and all who fought on the loyal side
in it. The cripple turned and faced the
coward, demanding apology and retraction.
They were denied. The man of crutch
and soul then asked the name of the pol-
troon traducer of his country and her
patriots. With natural instinct, a wrong
one was given. Other words followed;
another insult was added by the traducer ;
whereupon the hero of Chancellorsville and
Gettysburg ''shouldered his crutch and
showed how fields were won," by breaking
it over the head of said degenerate son
of Adam, who then took himself off, with
at least one new idea in his head, namely,
that the next crippled soldier of the army
he insulted had better be somebody else
than Dan Sickles.
First Oath and Testimony of a Slave in
Virginia.
A fcTf miles from Fortress Monroe, to-
ward Buck river, there is a place called
Fox HOI, in the neighborhood of which
are or were several excellent fiums, one
of these being the '^ Hudgins place.'' The
Hudgins fiunOy had absconded when Gen*
end Magruder retired from Hampton, and,
under permission frt>m General Wool, Cap-
tain Wflder (superintendent of the colored
inhabitants) had allowed a colored man
named Anthony Bright to occupy and cul-
tivate the Hudgins farm. Under this per-
mission Anthony had carried on the place
in 1861, and -up to August, 1862, assisted
by other industrious and well-behaved ne-
groes.
In July or August, 1862, Mr& Hudgins
and her two children had unexpectedlj
returned to the fiirm, taken possession of
the mansion, and set up a claim to the
harvest of 1862. She came with her
claim to the provost judge, John A. Bolles.
On the other hand, Anthony Bright, in
behalf of himself and his black co-laborers,
presented his claims to the fruit of his
labors, and called on the judge for protec-
tion. A day and hour was appointed for
the trial. Mrs. Hudgins was an intelligent
lady, and in all her conduct and conversa-
tion made a very pleasant impression on
those who observed them. Anthony Bright
was a tall, finely-formed, and very bright
young man of perhaps thirty years of age.
He was a slave. His master had been
many years in California, and during that
period Anthony had been left in charge
of Mr. and Mrs. Hudgins, who had allowed
him on payment of $75 a year to work for
himself and to act as though he were a
freeman.
About half an hour before the trial was
to begin, Col. Joseph Scgar, the member
of Congress from that district, called up<Hi
the provost judge in behalf of Mrs. Hud-
gins, and among other things inquired if
the judge was intending to allow Anthony
or any other slave to testify. The judge
answered yes. But the Colonel begged
him to reconsider his determination, re-
minding him of the exclusionary rule of
the Virginia law of evidence, and remark-
ing that in his own judgment the admission
of colored witnesses would, more than al-
most anything else that could happen, dis-
please the Union men among his (Segar's)
constituency, and prejudice the cause of the
federal government. The judge, however,
was unmoved by that suggestion, and ven-
tured to express the belief that never again
in the Old Dominion would a odored man
be banished, as unworthy of belief or as
unfit to be heard, from a court of justioe.
"^ However, Cokmel,'' said he, "^I will first
examine Mrs. Hudgms, and possibly she
may save me the necessity of locking the
Digitized by
Google
PATRIOTIC, POLiriCA-L, CIVIL, JUDICIAL, ETC.
91
pffejadioe of your oonstitiients. If she
places the case beyond the need of ftirther
evidence, or is herself desirous to hear
what Anthony will say, your difficulty will
be obviated.'*
Accordingly Mrs. Hudgins appeared in
court, and after being sworn, proceeded to
relate her story. From her statements and
the documents which she produced, it ap-
peared that the farm, which formerly be-
longed to her &ther, had been devised by
him to her two minor children, and that
she was the executrix of the will, and
gnardian of the little girls. Her husband,
then with the rebels, had no interest in the
fium. She went on to state what ^Anthony
said," and what ^Anthony told me," and
was interrupted by the judge, who in-
quired, ^ But who is Anthony, Mrs. Hud-
gins?** "Anthony," answered she, with
much surprise, ^ why, judge, Anthony is
the colored man that claims the harvest"
"Yes," said the judge, "but isn't he a
slave, fmd would you think of believing
what he said, or of wishing me to hear his
stray ?" "Of course. Sir," replied Mrs.
H., " why should not I believe him? He
was brought up in the fiunily. I would
believe him as quickly as I would one of
my children." "And have you no objeo-
tions to my examining Anthony, and at-
taching such credit as I please to what lie
may say?" "No objection in the world,
judge ; I want you to hear him."
Here the judge exchanged glances with
Coknel Segar, and said, "Well, Colonel,!
don't see but that I must gratify Mrs.
Hudgins ;" and the Colonel, in a tone that
was almost amusing, responded, " I suppose
you must"
Anthcmy was accordingly called into
eourC, and told all that Mrs. Hudgins had
said, to which he assented as strictly true.
He was then asked if he had ever testified
under oaUi. " No» Sir," said he, very re-
fl|>0ctfully, "Ineverhas." Hewasftirther
adked if he knew what an oath was, and
wbtX would be the oonsequences of fidse
•wearing. ^ I s'pose so master," was his
answer ; " If I ask God to hear me tell
lie, God will punish me for lying." " Very
well, Anthony ; very truly answered," said
the judge. >
^^And nawy Antfumy^ continued Judge
Bolles, rising as he spoke, ^ I am ctbout to
administer to you the oath to teU the truthj
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Hold up your right hand/*
It was worthy of a long journey to be-
hold Anthony in that supreme moment of
his life. As he Med his hand and arm
aloft, he seemed to gain several inches in
height ; his broad chest expanded and his
dark eye lighted up as with the inspiration
of a new manhood. He was a noble spec-
imen, physically and intellectually, of his
race, and most fovorably impressed all who
saw him.
Anthony produced the permission of
Captain Wilder and of General Wool, and
then told hb story clearly and intelligibly
and with a modesty as pleasing as his in-
telligence was remarkable. When he had
finished his statement, the judge asked the
lady if she wished to cross-examine An-
thony ; but she said, *^No, I believe he has
told the truth." AAd there, so &r as the
evidence was concerned, the case was
ended. The judge gave the parties a short
time to settle the matter among themselves,
and at the end of that period, as they "had not
come to a settlement, appointed a commis-
sioner to divide the products of the farm,
awarding one half of the harvest to the ex-
ecutrix and guardian, as the representative '
of the land, and the other half to Anthony
and his associates, as the representatives of
the labor. This decision was satisfactory to
both the parties in interest, and even Col-
onel Segar was content with the result,
thou^ not entirely pleased with the pro-
cess by which it was attained.
Two Sinffs at the South.
Senator Hammond, of South Carolina,
will long be remembered for his fiunous
"mudsill" speech in the United States
Senate, in the palmy days of Union, when
Digitized by
Google
92
THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.
the lion and the lamb there commingled.
In that speech, the vivacious Senator de-
clared that by means of her cotton crop
the South could " bring the whole world
to her feet" With a defiant air he went
on to say : " What would happen if no
cotton was furnished for three years ? I
will not stop to depict what every one can
imagine, but this is certain — England would
topple headlong and carry the whole civil-
ized world with her, save the South. No,
you dare not make war upon cotton. No
power on earth dares to make war upon
it. CoUon is King ! " Senator Hammond,
as well as many others, unquestionably be-
lieved this, and acted accordingly. But
there were and are a much greater num-
ber believing, with Senator Qark, of New
Hampshire, who, in his review of the
astute South Carolinian's argument, re-
marked : ** Cotton is King ! Sir, there is
another King besides Cotton — Humbug is
King!"
♦
Which fiUdeP
Walking one day on the beach at Birattz,
Louis Napoleon happened to meet an intel-
Whlch side?
ligent looking boy, about eight or nine years
old, who took off his hat as he passed.
The Emperor courteously returned the
salute, and said, "Are you English?"
"No," answered the boy, very quickly,
and drawing himself up, " Fm American."
''Oh I American, are you? Well, tell me,
which are you for. North or South?"
"Well, father's for the North, I believe;
but I am certainly for the South. For
which of them are you. Sir ?" The Em-
peror stroked hb moustache, smiled, hesi-
tated a little, and then said, " I'm for both! "
" For both, are you ? Well, that's not so
easy, and it will please nobody!" His
Majesty let the conversation drop and
walked on.
Diseases cf the Brain and Heart.
In one of the upper townships of Ohio
were two farmers, their places being sep-
arated by a small creek- They were well-
to-do people, but diametncally opposed in
politics, and each noted for the zeal with
which he defended his sentiments, JVIr. M.
being a straight uncompromising Union
man, and Mr. S. an anti-war Democrat
Meeting a few days before the State elec-
tion, Mr. S. accosted his neighbor, say-
ing:
" How is it, friend M., — 1 hear there is
a very prevalent disease oi> your side of the
creek!"
"Ah!" said Mr. M., "what is the dis-
ease?"
« N-i-g-g-e-r on the brain," replied Mr.
S.
"Well," said Mr. M., "that is a mere
trifle compared to the malady existing on
the other side."
" Indeed ! " exclaimed Mr. S., "and pray
what can that be ?"
" Treason on the heart !" retorted M-
The conversation " took a turn."
Treason In an TJnezpeoted Gtuarter.
As one of the boats containing Federal
prisoners was on its way to the point where
an exchange was to be made, the rebel
Captain essayed a conversation with one
of the passengers on board, the circum-
stances and situation furnishing Uie theme.
Digitized by
Google
PATRIOTIC, POLITICAL, CIVIL, JUDICIAL, ETC.
93
^ I am a Northern man myself; my name
is Samuel Todd; I am Mrs. Lincoln's
brother," said the Captain. ^And what
are you doing here ?" asked the passenger.
" Yea, Sir," he repeated, in a musing man-
ner, " I am Mrs. Lincoln's brother. I was
Mm. Liacola.
bom and brought up in the North ; but I
am into this thing on the Southern side,
and I mean to see it through." To this
the Captain received answer : " Now, you
know very well that the cause of the
Union, for which the United States are
fighting, will be successful in the end, and
what in the world are you doing down
here, fighting against the lawiul govern-
ment of the Union — fighting against your
own historic flag, which you know has
been respected and honored by the civil-
ized world?" This allusion to the Stars
and Stripes seemed to touch him ; but he
answered, ^'I came down here several
years ago, made some money, bought some
property, and my home and interest are
here. We consider that the Northern
people are encroaching on our rights, and
of course we feel bound to protect them,
or die in the attempt." And yet, there
was no truer-hearted loyal woman, during
the war, than Mrs. Lincoln, whose mis-
guided brother was thus willing to "die in
the attempt" to destroy the best and most
benign government in the world.
Hatred of Southern XTnlonisti to Sonthem
Li one of the tents of a Union Mary-
land regiment a man was found who had
I been wounded in an engagement with a
I rebel Maryland regiment, in which were
two of his cousins, "the same as brothers to
him — ^they had all gone to school together
and lived on the next farm to each other
all their lives, till the war broke out."
The Unionist was asked if it would not
have been very disagreeable to him if he
had learnt that either of them had been
shot by a bullet from him. " No," he an-
swered savagely, " I was on the lookout for
them all the time, so that I might aim at
them. I was hopmg and praying all the
time that my shot might by chance reach
them. I would ask for nothing better
than to shoot them, or to stick them with
my bayonet — curse the traitors ! " When
thrown together on picket or in hospital,
the Yankee boys from Massachusetts or
Ohio, and the Johnnies from Alabama and
Mississippi were the best of friends : but
the loyal Virginian scowled darkly on the
rebel Virginian, and the rebel Tennesseean
had only a curse for the loyal Tennesseean
— and so of the other border States-
''To the Manor Bom.**
At one of the receptions at Secretary
Seward's, the dusky representative of
Haytien government was present as one
of the diplomatic corps. This distin-
guished colored gentleman figured con-
spicuously among the richly attired ladies
and official dignitaries in attendance ; but
at the refreshment table an awkward inci-
dent occurred in connection with him.
One of the representatives from Missoun,
upon reaching the table with a lady upon
his arm, observed a well dressed negro
helping the ladies to oyster5>, and suppos-
ing him to be one of the waiters, the Mis-
sourian, holding out his plate, directed the
supposed servant to " put some oysters on
that plate." The colored gentleman hes-
itated. The Missourian then became more
Digitized by V^OOQIC
94
THE BOOK OP ANECDOTES OP THE REBELLION.
imperative, when the colored individual,
whom he addressed as " waiter" — looking
daggers at him — ^finally obeyed the order.
The incident was generally observed, and
the Missourian was soon after informed
that the colored personage whom he had
commanded as a servant and addressed as
" waiter," was " His Excellency " the Hay-
tien Minister. " I am very sorry for the
mistake," replied the gentleman from Mis-
souri ; ^ But as I own an hundred a9 good
looking negroes as he, I can not afford to
apologize for so natural a misconception
of his position." Such an occurrence
seems in keeping with the domination at
Washington which preceded the Rebellion,
but not subsequently. It may, however,
have taken place, and at all events illus-
trate the manner of those who are "to the
manor bom."
Welcome to the Troops at Port BosraL
Our troops at Port Boyal were accom-
panied in their first reconnoissanoe into
the island by Dr. J. J. Craven, who re-
ported the negroes on the plantations
further inland as almost wild with delight
at the advent of our soldiers and the hasty
fiight of their masters, which they described
with great gusto. Said one of them to
the Doctor :
" O, Lord I massa, we're so glad to see
you. We'se prayed and prayed the good
Lord that he would send yer Yankees,
and we know'd you*se was coming."
"How could you know Uiat?" asked
Dr. Craven : " You can't read the paper ;
how did you get the news ? "
" No, massa, we'se can't read, but we'se
can listen. Massa and missus used to
read, and sometimes they'se would read
loud, and then we would listen so " (mak-
ing an expressive gesture indicative of
dose attention at a key hole) ; " when Fto
get a chance Fse would list'n, and Jim,
him would list'n, and we put the bits
together, and we knowed ^e Yankees
were coming. Bress the Lord, massa."
Constmotlve Parole Bichta.
! A detective officer belonging to the
New York police force, named Hart, who
accompanied Mrs. Anderson dn her visit
' to her husband at Fort Sumter, obtained
permission to remain there on condition
that he should not fight He fkithiully
observed his parole, but when the b^racks
took fire, he exclaimed, " I didn't promise
nottofightfire!" and devoted himself with
almost superhuman energy, to extinguish
the flames. With balls hissing and shells
burstmg around him, he worked on un-
daunted, and could with the utmost diffi-
culty be forced away fix)m the burning
buildings, even when it was deaUi to
remain. When the flag was shot down,
the Charlestonians concentrated their fire
upon the flag staff, to prevent its being
i replaced ; but unmindful of the shot, which
whizzed by him every second, Hart nailed
I the flag to the wall, amid cheers from the
United States troops.
That Fla^ Preeentation In New Orleans.
General Butler had a dandy regiment
in New Orleans— one a little nicer in
uniform and personal habits than any
other; and so ably commanded, that it had
not lost a man by disease since leaving
New England. One day the Colonel of
this fine regiment came to head-quarters,
wearing the expression of a man who had
something exceedingly pleasant to conmiu-
nicate. It was just before the fourth of
July, and this is IVIr. Parton's apt narra-
tion of what followed :
" General," said he " two young ladies
have been to me — ^beautiful girls — who
say they have made a set of colors for the
regiment, which they wish to present on
the fourth of July."
" But is their father willing?" asked the
General, well knowing w];iat it must cost
two young ladies of New Orleans, at that
early time, to range themselves so con-
spicuously on the side of the Union.
" Oh, yes," replied the Colonel ; " their
fie^er gave them the money, and will
Digitized by
Google
PATRIOTIC, POLITICAL, CIVIL, JUDICIAL, ETC.
95
attend at the ceremony. But have jou
any objections ?"
" Not the least, if their father is willing."
" Will you ride out and review the regi-
ment on the occasion ? "
« With pleasure."
So, in the cool twilight of the eyening
of the fourth, the General, in his best
nniform, witii chi^au and feathers, worn
then for the first time in New Orleans,
reviewed the regiment amid a concourse
of spectators. One of the young ladies made
a pretty presentation speech, to which the
gaUant Colonel handsomely replied. The
General made a brief address* It was a
gay and joyful scene ; everything passed
off with the highest eclat, and was chroni-
cled with all the due editorial flourish in
the Delta.
Subsequently, the young ladies ad-
dressed a note to the regiment, of which
the following is a copy :
New Orleans, July 5, 1862.
"Gentlemen: — We congratulate and
thank you all for the mamier in which you
have received our flag. We did not ex-
pect such a reception. We offered the
flag to you as a gift from our hearts, as a
reward to your noble conduct. Be assured,
gentlemen, that that day will be always
present in our minds, and that we will
never forget that we gave it to the bravest
of the brave ; but if ever danger threatens
your heads, rally under that banner, call
again youi#courage to defend it, as you
have promised, and remember that those
from whom you received it will help you
by their prayers to win the palms of
victory and triumph over your enemies.
We tender our thanks to General Butler
for lending his presence to the occasion, and
for his courtesies to us* May he continue
his noble work, and ere long may we be-
hold the Union victorious over his foes
and reunited throughout our great and
glorious country. Very respectfuDy."
A few days later, an oflicer of the regi-
ment came into the office oi the command-
ing General, his coimtenance not clad in
smiles. He looked* like a man who had
seen a ghost, or one who had suddenly
heard of some entirely crushing calamity.
" General," he gasped, " we have been
sold. They were negroes ! '*
"What I Those lovely blondes, with
blue eyes and light hair ? Impossible !"
" General, it*s as true as there's a heaven
above. The whole town is laughing at us."
"Well," said the General, " there's no
harm done. Say nothing about it. 1
suppose we must keep it out of the papers,
and hush it up as well as we can."
They did not quite succeed in keeping
it out of the papers, for one of the "for-
eign neutrals " of the city sent an account
of the affiur to the Courier des Etats Unis,
in New York, with the inevitable French
decorations.
Original ConspiTaoy to AMWirtnate XT.
Tiinooln.
That Mr. Lincoln, the President-elect,
was to feel the sting of Southern steel —
as proclaimed by his political enemies —
on his way to Washington, to take the
oath of office, is now historical. A detect-
ive of great experience, who had been
employed by Mr. Lincoln's friends, dis-
covered a combination of men banded
together under a most solenm oath, to do
the deed of assassination. The leader of
the conspirators was an Italian refrigee, a
barber, well known in Baltimore, who
assumed the name of Orsini, as indicative
of the part he was to assume.
The assistants employed by the detect-
ive of this plot, who, like himself were
strangers in Baltimore, by assuming to be
secessionists from Louisiana and other sece-
ding States, gained the confidence of some
of the conspirators, and were thus intrusted
with their plans. It was arranged, in case
Mr. Lincoln should pass safely over the
railroad to Baltimore, that the conspira-
tors should mingle with the crowd which
might surround his carriage, and by pre-
tending to be hb friends, be enabled to
• Digitized by
Google
96
THE BOOK OF ANECDOTES OF THE REBELLION.
approach his person, when, upon a signal
from their leculer, some of them would
shoot at Mr. Lincoln with their pistols,
and others would throw into his carriage
hand-grenades filled with detonating pow-
der, similar to those used in the attempted
assassination of the Emperor Louis Na-
poleon. It was also intended that in the
confusion which should result fix>m this
attack, the assailants should escape to a
vessel which was waiting in the harbor to
receive them, and be carried to Mobile, in
the seceding State of Alabama.
Upon Mr. Lincoln's arrival in Philadel-
phia, upon Thursday, February 21st, the
detective visited Philadelphia, and submit-
ted to certain friends of the President-
elect the information he had collected as
to the conspirators and their plans. An
interview was immediately arranged for
between Mr. Lincoln and the detective.
The interview took place in Mr. Lincoln's
room, in the Continental Hotel, where he
was staying. Mr. Lincoln, having heard
the officer's statement, replied :
" I have promised to raise the American
flag on Independence HaU to-morrow
morning — the morning of the anniversary
of Washington's birthday — and have ac-
cepted the invitation of the Peimsylvania
Legislature to be publicly received by that
body in the afternoon. Both of ike$e en-
gagements I will keep if it costs m$ my
life. K, however, after I shall have con-
cluded these engagements, you can take
me in safety to Wasliington, I will place
myself at your disposal, and authorize you
to make such arrangements as you may
deem proper for that purpose."
On the next day he gallantly performed
the ceremony of raising the American
flag on Independence Hall ; he then went
to Harrisburg, where he was formally
welcomed by the Legislature, and at six
o'clock in the evening he, in company with
Col. Lamon, quietly entered a carriage
without observation, and was driven to
the Pennsylvania railroad, where a special
train was waiting to take him to Philadel-
phia. On his departure, the telegn^h
wires were cut, so that no communication
of his movements could be made.
The special train arrived in Philadel-
phia at a quarter to eleven at night. Here
he was met by the detective, who had a
carriage in readiness, into which the party
entered, and were driven to the depot of
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Balti-
more railroad.
They did not reach the depot until a
quarter past eleven; but fortunately for