Historical Romance of the American Negro

ada-Letters From Richmond Hill-Great War Interest in Canada-The Girl's Letter to Pa

has been the very joy of my life, and is with me still. I would have missed my gallant and devoted Tom in no small degree when he went away to the war among so many others of the brave and true, only he was so attentive abo

and Mrs. John B. Sutherland, and a few select friends who came round the house seemed never to tire of reading his letters. He

his plain soldier's dress, and also in his officer's dress, after his promotion. Poor Tom! My eyes often filled with tears when his letters came, and I sat down with an anxious heart to read their contents. I knew, of course, that

T NIAGAR

usiasm of their souls, and in their excitement over "Doubting Castle," "Vanity Fair," and a hundred other wonders, they even wrote letters to their father about that wonderful book and its author-the tinker and preacher of Bedford. Their youthful enthusiasm amused their father very muc

Church on Vine street-attended them on the Sabbath and during the week. The

that we might stand on Table Rock and see the great "Horseshoe Fall." Well, really, the Falls of Niagara are a wonderful sight. Even our own smaller American Fall is a splendid sight, though rather di

hom I became acquainted in Buffalo. The weather was most delightful, and we enjoyed ourselves very much indeed during the month w

Oxford Co., Cana

in Thomas

fect freedom overhead in the branches, and we could hear the woodman's axe ringing both far and near and bringing down the tall trees. After we had come about ten miles, we saw 'Richmond Hill' high up on the rising ground on the far side of a very narrow valley, that ran down to the cypress swamp away on our right hand. So we issued out of the woods on the top of the hill we were now descending, made our way along the creek at the bottom for a little distance to the right, and then we opened a big country gate and made our way up through the fields to the farm house door. While the girls and I were looking around at the grand view presented on all hands to our astonished eyes, the front house door opened, and out came Mrs. Gibson and her two daughters, and as many of the sons as were at home at the time of our arrival. They helped us out of the buggy, ki

he girls to pay them a visit as soon as ever we were able to do so. Indeed, had I known of the beauty

polished, and there is so much beauty all around us, that life itself seems to be one long day of joy. It is so delightful to climb the hill behind the house, and look across the deep and narrow valley below us to the prim?val forests through which we rode; then we can see the

ey are mostly Unionists, but some few would rather see the South win,-just the very same as they are in England and France. But we need not blame these few Canadians, nor go all the way across the North Atlantic to England, and Germany, and France, for all the Northern States are honeycombed with Democrats an

draft after another draft, to fill up the depleted ranks of our armies, there are thousands and tens of thousands of men who have crossed over here into British America, and I have seen plenty of them with my own eyes. One day I met quite a fine young doctor from Maine,-quite a fine medical man, and a good looking fellow to boot, who addressed me in these words, "I was at home in Maine with my newly married wife when the draft came, and I was taken. I have no hatred against Southern men who never did me any harm, and considered I had no right to throw

o had come over from the Northern States, and all over the length and breadth of

he rest of the army battling away for freedom and union in the Fair South! We get the papers here every day. They are brought from the nearest post town which is three miles away, and then we all have such a scramble to hear the latest news from the seat of war, as they call it on their great headlines. It does not surprise me so much that we at home should make such an ado over the war news, but that these Canadians should also take so much interest as ourselves seems to me most astonishing indeed. It is just three miles from here to the post town, and one day we three went to spend the day with some r

n armies on the march with flags flying, or else they were encamped on the edge of a wood among the lofty trees. There were also scenes of war and a battle which looked really too dreadful, even to behold the pictures of them. At such times I felt quite inclined to shut my eyes on such awful scenes. 'If such is the mere picture,' I said to myself, 'what must the reality of

olition campaign in the North made me quite an adept at speaking and singing in public, I have been able to entertain these good Gibsons and oth

ou again before we leave Richmond Hill, will send you another Canadian letter be

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ing day, the girls had a great desire to write their papa. So I furnished them with the writing m

HILL, Octo

Dear

ers and other things that you sent us to Buffalo were forwarded to us to Richmond Hill, in Canada. We have read your letters over and over again with great interest, and the friends

look as people do when they come from the bathing places on the sea shore. We also feel right good, all three of us, for we have had a grand time, and been so very kindly used. Thu

s, and so we went to the Presbyterian church, and indeed it is very beautiful. We stood up to pra

, mamma rode both ways and we walked,

k days by our two selves, and bring the mail from the postoffice; and then we learned how to drive and manage a horse.

potatoes, cabbage, turnips, pears, peaches, apples, and whatever else we may need. We have been very busy paring apples; and

py of the Pilgrim's Progress,-as big as a family Bible, published in London, and all the pictures

he War in the South' in the 'Daily Toronto Globe.' How

ll railway station. We have now seen the whole family,-all the Gibsons. We never knew that there were

h love from everybody, and we are, our

d -- L

have attempted to place a few sketches of it before my kind and indulgent reader, but Oh, dear me! if I were to write dow

and pleasant home in Buffalo, I rec

S, La., Oct

eulah L

can think, and talk, and even write all they please; but I am firmly convinced that had Abraham Lincoln not issued his famous emancipation proclamation on the 1st of January, 1863, the war would go on for twenty years, and perhaps we would have to compromise with the rebels even then. And then they are such fighters! Why, they are worse than tigers! However that may be, I know one thing,-since the issuing of that proclamation the rebellion has been cut down in territory on all sides; and, as we have got hold of the re

s in the field, many of whom used to raise the crops for 'old Massa.' Now white men must stay at home and raise the

eir pride left, and that is something!-I don't think we will ever conquer them; but we will just wear them away, one by one, till there is not another rebel left. The armies of the nations of history have usually laid down their arms when they saw that the

representation of a terrible fight that the First South Carolina Colored Regiment had with bloodhounds at Pocataligo Bridge, on the 23rd of October, 1862. The rebels came streaming on through the woods, with horse, foot and dragoons, and also the bloodhounds. Our own brave men advanced boldly through among the trees, and attacked dog, horse and man in a terrible hurry. The hou

bloodhounds

ith all th

onths cried

gloriou

yonets throug

them wit

over with

most glo

ays those br

the flyi

em through thei

le quart

ey tried th

d them on

quick, and ra

ry hound

ed those bad

them hig

m on our ba

shed the

flitting e

shall bar

the flyin

olina'

there has l

bloodhound

d women no

olina'

n now will l

her men

bloodhounds

s that cr

ly interested, indeed, in your glorious visit to Canada. I would like to go there myself. Perhaps we will all v

st lovin

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