I saw at once the minister took me to be one of those slave-holders
who were coming into their camp almost daily to persuade their slaves
back, though not one of them ever succeeded. I told them my object was
to inquire after the health of this people, body, soul, and spirit--
and my people were all who accept salvation through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ; that our Heavenly Father made all the nations of
the whole earth of one blood, and never designed that one race should
hold another in bondage. I had hardly finished my first sentence
before the minister and those near him were urging me to step to the
top of their platform, as I had only taken one or two steps forward.
"Come up here; our people all want to see you." I had to obey. Ten
minutes' talk did not satisfy. The minister and others in that large
congregation bade me go on; and ten or fifteen minutes more were
occupied.

At the close a few hundred of those whose families had been broken up
by cruel separations came to me, and many tears were coursing down the
sable cheeks of many gathered around me to shake my hands, which were
actually lame and swollen for three days after.

Said the disappointed minister, "It 'pears like an angel dropped down
'mongst us, in place of the slave-missus come for her people."

Said one woman: "My ole missus come las' week to get all fifty-five of
us back again, and she tried mighty hard to get us to go back wid her.
Den she went to General Grant, an' he say, 'If your people want to go
back they may.' Den she try us again; but not one would go, 'case we
knows her too well--she's mighty hard on us. Den she went back to the
general, an' begged an' cried, and held out her han's, and say,