Old Uncle Hampshire [pp. 430-440]

OLD UNCLE HA MPSHIRE.
er mind! I don't doubt your faithfulness at all, but it's a hard thing to leave
one's family in the face of such possibilities; and yet, to remain would only
make matters worse for them. It's a
bad job -a bad job!" This last was
said half musingly, half inaudibly, and
with a heavy sigh.
" Don't take on so, Marsr! De good
Lor' He aint a gwine tu let any ting
happen to de missus an' chilluns. Dey's
all tu good tu us black uns fur dat.
Dere's Marsr Murphy, ober de creek
dere, he jes' bettern look out-dat's so!
All his black uns'11 run'way, shuah,
an' de good Lor' He'll holler, stu-boy!
stu-boy! an' de debbil he'll larf plum
out. I haint no'pinion o' Marsr Murphy, no how. His black folks dey eats
de green persimmons tu pucker up dere
stummacks tu suit de rations dey gits.
Marsr Murphy he mighty tight on'emhe is!"
"Oh, well, Uncle! we've got our
hands full, just now, without meddling
with anybody else's affairs."
"Dat's so, Marsr - dat's so!" returned Uncle Hamnpshire apologetically
-a trifle crest-fallen at the mild rebuke;
and mortified at the digression, he added,
energetically:
"Now, Marsr, jes' put off dis berry
indiwidual nig,ht! Jake, he bes' dribe de
six-muel team down tu de lower plantation, wid all de black wimmin-folks,'cep
Chloe an' Mom Phillis; Mitch, he ken
foller wid de hosses; an' all de stock
'cep de filly bes' go. Dem bushwhacks
pick it up, sartin!"
"And you promise, Hampshire, to
mind your mistress and the children
Carrie in particular? Don't let her get
frightened, poor child! "
"Lors, Marsr, don't de ole man knows
all'bout dat? How many chillum you
reckon Mom Chloe hab? Don't I knows
all'bout de trials an' tribulations ob de
poor wimmen- folks? Reckon I duz!
Dere's ole Mom Phillis, aint she bet
ter'n all de doctors in de country?
Dat's what I sez she stay fur. Mom
Phillis aint gwine tu let notin' happen
to Miss Carrie-you knows dat, Marsr,
dat she aint! So ye jes' be easy on dat
pint! We bes' bring Miss Carrie ober
wid us to Jasmine Hill, when we goes
back, fur I allow dey'll be on han' by
sun-up, day arter to-morrer, at de furdest."
Jasmine Hill was a scene of bustling
activity all that night, and everybody,
white and black, was mustered into
service. The negro men, with Uncle
Hampshire at their head, were busy in
hurrying off and secreting sto'ck, harness,
grain, and forage- preparing for the
worst. The negro women, under the
direction of Mrs. Glenn, who was calm
and resolute, in spite of the revelation,
were packing up and secreting valuables,
clothing, and provisions, and listening to
injunctions from their master, who saw
no other alternative but to leave, as his
presence would only enhance the dangers to which they were inevitably exposed.
This bushwhacking element was composed of the riff-raff from both armiesthe floating debris of deserters, prisonbirds, and land-pirates -who stole the
livery of the soldier that they might betterprosecute their nefarious work. They
ransacked and despoiled houses, and
then burnt them to the ground; stole
horses from the field and stable; rob bed hen-roosts and pig-styes; plunder ed granaries, smoke-houses, and cellars;
and, in drunken squads, threatened and
intimidated the helpless and weak, not
infrequently doing even worse. Their
depredations were practised alike upon
the allies of the North and South, and
their ruffianism and rascality were de nounced alike by the true soldiery of
both armies. It so happened that Judge
Glenn was an open and avowed adher ent to the Union cause; and, although
he could not bear to lift his hand against
I 872.]
433