"Did You Eber See de Bone Fight?"

Otago Witness, Issue 1582, 18 March 1882, Page 29

"Did You Eber See de Bone Fight?"

During the summer of 1864 there were several regiments of negro troops raised in and around Nashville, and scarce were the ablebodied blacks who did not prefer camp life and labour to that of any other kind in those days. Sara Carter kept the St. Cloud Hotel, the best public-house in the city, and among the waiters' were an old darky named Sandy and his s©n Sam. It seems' that Sato was crazy to join the Union forces, and claimed that, as the war was for the good of the coloured race and for the freedom of the slave, it was not only his right but his duty to join the Lincoln army. Andy Johnson, John F. Miller, Alvin 0. Gillam, Lovell H. Bousseau, and a crowd of lesser men were Bitting in front of the St. Cloud one evening, and along came the two darkies, wrang'Jtee done jined de Linkum troops, and dats de settlement of de whole fuss, said Sam, triumphantly. •You has?' interrogated Sandy, derisively. 'Yes, I has.' 1 1 say. honey, s'posen a big cannon ball come bustin' through de air, an' took de top o' dat simple head o' yourn right clean off, what would ye say 1 whar would you be ?' •I takes my chances. 1 understands all about dis fuss, I does. De Yankees are fightin' for de freedom of de niggers, an' our boys are fightin' to keep us slaves. I heard a Yankee officer say dis mornin' dat de nigger was de bone of contention, sah, an' ' ' Dats it, honey, now you's got it all right, sure. De nigger is de bone, and de two armies is fightin' ober it, an' its de bizziness ob de bone to lay low an' let 'em fight. See here, honey, habn't you many a time seen two dogs fightin' ober a bone?' 1 Yes, sah.' « You has?' • Yes, sah.' ' Well, now, honey, did you eber see de bone fight?'