The Negro in The American Rebellion

O Moses, stretch your hands across,
Let my people go.
And don’t get lost in the wilderness,
Let my people go.
Chorus– Oh, go down, Moses, &c.

You may hinder me here, but you can’t up there,
Let my people go.
He sits in heaven, and answers prayer,
Let my people go.
Chorus– Oh, go down, Moses, &c.”

After this an old man struck up, in a clear and powerful voice, “I am a free man now: Jesus Christ has made me free!” the company gradually joining in; and, before the close, the whole assemblage was singing in chorus.

It was quite evident, through the exercises of the day and night, that the negroes regard the condition of the Israelites in Egypt as typical of their own condition in slavery; and the allusions to Moses, Pharaoh, the Egyptian task-masters, and the unhappy condition of the captive Israelites, were continuous; and any reference to the triumphant escape of the Israelites across the Red Sea, and the destruction of their pursuing masters, was certain to bring out a strong “Amen!”

An old colored preacher, who displays many of the most marked peculiarities of his race, calling himself “John de Baptis,” and known as such by his companions, – from his habit of always taking his text, as he expresses it, from the “regulations ob de 2d chapter of Matthew, ‘And in those days came John de Baptis,’” came forward, and, taking his usual text, went on to show the necessity of following good advice, and rebuked his hearers for being more lawless than they were in Dixie.

Then came another contraband brother, who said, —

“Onst, the time was dat I cried all night. What’s de matter? What’s de matter? Matter enough. De nex mornin’ my child was to be sold, an’ she was sold; an’ I neber spec to see her no more till de day ob judgment. Now, no more dat! no more dat! no more dat! Wid my hands agin my breast I was gwine to my work, when de overseer used to whip me along. Now, no more dat! no more dat! no more dat! When I tink what de Lord’s done for us, an’ brot us thro’ de trubbles, I feel dat I ought go inter his service. We’se free now, bress de Lord! (Amens! were vociferated all over the building.) Dey can’t sell my wife an’ child any more, bress de Lord! (Glory, glory! from the audience.) No more dat! no more dat! no more dat, now! (Glory!) Presurdund Lincum hav shot de gate! Dat’s what de matter!” and there was a prolonged response of Amens!

A woman on her knees exclaimed at the top of her voice, —

“If de Debble do not ketch
Jeff. Davis, dat infernal retch,
An roast and frigazee dat rebble,
Wat is de use ob any Debble?”

“Amen! amen! amen!” cried many voices.

At this juncture of the meeting, an intelligent contraband broke out in the following strain: —

“The first of January next, eighteen sixty-three, —
So says the Proclamation, – the slaves will all be free!
To every kindly heart ‘twill be the day of jubilee;
For the bond shall all go free!

John Brown, the dauntless hero, with joy is looking on;
From his home among the angels he sees the coming dawn;
Then up with Freedom’s banners, and hail the glorious mom
When the slaves shall all go free!

We’ve made a strike for liberty; the Lord is on our side;
And Christ, the friend of bondmen, shall ever be our guide;
And soon the cry will ring, throughout this glorious land so wide,
‘Let the bondmen all go free!’

No more from crushed and bleeding hearts we hear the broken sigh;
No more from brothers bound in chains we’ll hear the pleading cry;
For the happy day, the glorious day, is coming by and by,
When the slaves shall all go free!

We’re bound to make our glorious flag the banner of the free,
The first of January next, eighteen sixty-three;
Of every loyal Northern heart the glad cry then shall be,
‘Let the bondmen all go free!’

‘No Compromise with Slavery!’ we hear the cheering sound, The road to peace and happiness ‘Old Abe’ at last has found:

With earnest hearts and willing hands to stand by him we’re hound, While he sets the bondmen free!

The morning light is breaking: we see its cheering ray, —

The light of Truth and Justice, that can never fade away;

And soon the light will brighten to a great and glorious day,

When the slaves shall all go free!

And when we on the ‘other side’ do all together stand,

As children of one family we’ll clasp the friendly hand:

We’ll be a band of brothers in that brighter, better land, —

Where the bond shall all be free!

After several others had spoken, George Payne, another contraband, made a few sensible remarks, somewhat in these words: “Friends, don’t you see de han’ of God in dis? Haven’t we a right to rejoice? You all know you couldn’t have such a meetin’ as dis down in Dixie! Dat you all knows! have a right to rejoice; an’ so have you; for we shall be free in jus’ about five minutes. Dat’s a fact. I shall rejoice that God has placed Mr. Lincum in de president’s chair, and dat he wouldn’t let de rebels make peace until after dis new year. De Lord has heard de groans of de people, and has come down to deliver! You all knows dat in Dixie you worked de day long, an’ never got no satisfacshun. But here, what you make is yourn. I’ve worked six months; and what I’ve made is mine! Let me tell you, though, don’t be too free! De lazy man can’t go to heaven. You must be honest, an’ work, an’ show dat you is fit to be free; an’ de Lord will bless you an’ Abrum Lincum. Amen!”

A small black man, with a rather cracking voice, appearing by his jestures to be inwardly on fire, began jumping, and singing the following: —

“Massa gone, missy too;
Cry! niggers, cry!
Tink I’ll see de bressed Norf,
‘Fore de day I die..
Hi! hi! Yankee shot’im;
Now I tink dc debbil’s got’im.”

The whole company then joined in singing the annexed song, which made the welkin ring, and was heard far beyond the camp.

I

“Oh! we all longed for freedom,
Oh! we all longed for freedom,
Oh! we all longed for freedom,
Ah! we prayed to be free;
Yes, we prayed to be free,
Oh! we prayed to be free,