"Well, what then?"
"Why, den de ole woman'll guv me heaps of sweet 'tater pies!"
When the Goldsboro expedition was about to start a requisition for thirty negroes was made upon Mr. Kimball. These, together with a like number from other camps, were to be used as auxiliaries to the pioneer corps. He called them together and stated that an expedition was going off, that Gen. Foster wanted thirty of them to go with it, and called for volunteers. Only six men stepped forward in answer to the call.
"What," said he, "only six! Is that all the men I have?"
When one of the delinquents stepped forward and asked—
"If we goes, Massa Kimball, will dey guv us guns?"
"Yes—you will have guns if you need them."
Upon this announcement they all came forward and offered to go, and he had no easy task to select the thirty men required from the eager crowd.
This was before Wild's brigade had an existence; but showed that the negroes had manhood enough to fight for their freedom—which they have since fully proved on many a bloody field.