"'Bout fifty, I reckon, sir. Dey was mostly poor Souf Carolina darkies,—poor heathen fellers, who didn't know no better."
"Would you have fought against the Yankees?"
"No, sir. Dey might have shot me through de body wid ninety thousand balls, before I would have fired a gun at my friends."
"Then you look upon us as your friends?"
"Yes, sir. I have prayed for you to come; and do you think that I would have prayed one way and fit de other?"
"I'll tell you, massa, what I would have done," said another, taking off his hat and bowing: "I would have taken de gun, and when I cotched a chance I'd a shooted it at de Rebs and den run for de Yankees."
This brought a general explosion from the crowd, and arrested the attention of some white men passing.
We were in the street west of the Capitol. I had but to raise my eyes to see the Stars and Stripes waving in the evening breeze. A few paces distant were the ruins of the Rebel War Department, from whence were issued the orders to starve our prisoners at Belle Isle, Salisbury, and Andersonville. Not far were the walls of Dr. Reed's church, where a specious Gospel had been preached, and near by was the church of Dr. Minnegerode. The street was full of people. I was a stranger to them all, but I ventured to make this inquiry,—
"Did you ever see an Abolitionist?"
"No, massa, I reckon I neber did," was the reply.