One morning the little drummer-boy of twelve years of age marched into
camp with seven men that he had taken prisoners, ragged and almost
barefooted. The suffering men were glad to find comfortable quarters.
Occasionally we found them tamely submitting to be taken, on account
of their sufferings for want of food and clothing. One entire company,
who suffered themselves to be captured, told our officers if they
would allow them to wear out of sight some sort of a Union mark, so as
not to meet with trouble from our soldiers, they would go and bring in
their entire regiment, as they all wanted to come into our lines. They
were furnished with a badge of national colors to wear under their
coats. Soon the whole regiment were with us. One of our officers said
they were among our most efficient helps. One of them told me if they
had known the real object of the war they would never have gone into
it; for more than half of them had never owned a slave, and those who
did were better off without them. They were surprised to find an
attendance of supplies. They had always been told that all the
difference between the Northern people and their slaves was the color
of their skin.

There was great excitement during the last presidential campaign. The
slave passed through terrible experiences during 1860-61. It seemed to
be accepted as a settled fact, that if Lincoln was elected it would
result in war; and in many places regular drills were instituted. In
Natchez the half-grown slave boys got together on Sunday afternoons,
and drilled with sticks for guns. At first it attracted no particular
attention, and the boys became as expert in handling their stick guns
as were their masters. Two slave men were overheard repeating what
their master said, that if Lincoln was elected he would free all the
slaves, for he was a Black Republican; and they declared that if this
was true they would go to the Yankees and help to free their nation.