ather than that of which you make enquiry, to
wit: by issuing requisitions for the slaves as authorized by
the State of Virginia.

"I have the honor to be, with much respect,

"Your obedient servant,
JEFFERSON DAVIS."

[Illustration: UNION SOLDIERS BEFORE YORKTOWN BRINGING DOWN A SOUTHERN
ALLY.

This negro being a good marksman was induced by the confederates to
become a sharpshooter for them, and greatly annoyed the Union pickets
before Yorktown by firing upon them from trees, in the branches of which
he would perch himself at early morning and remain there through the
day, shooting at such Union soldiers as happened come within his range.
His hiding place was finally discovered however, and after refusing to
surrender, thinking himself safe, he was brought down by a bullet
through his head.]

The appointed time came, but instead of the draft, amid blazing roofs
and falling walls, smoke and ashes, deafening reports of explosions, the
frenzy of women and children, left alone not only by the negro
conscripting officers and President Davis and his Cabinet, but by the
army and navy; in the midst of such scenes, almost beyond description,
the Black Phalanx of the Union army entered the burning city, the
capitol of rebeldom, scattering President Lincoln's Proclamation of
Emancipation to the intended confederate black army. For twelve squares
they chanted their war songs, "The Colored Volunteers" and "John Brown,"
in the chorus of which thousands of welcoming freed men and freed women
joined, making the welkin ring with the refrain,

"Glory, glory hallelujah,
Glory, glory hallelujah,
Glory, glory hallelujah,
We is free to-day!"

The decisive events of the next few days, following in rapid succession,
culminating with Lee's surrender, on the 9th of April, at Appomattox,
left no time for further action, and when the war was over, with the
important and radical changes that took place, it was almost forgotten
that such projects as arming and freeing the negro had ever been
entertained in the South by the Confederate Government.

FOOTNOTES:

[41] General William C. Wickham led the opponents of the project in a
very bitter pro-slavery speech.

[42] It was upon the discussion of this bill that Mr. Hunter, of
Virginia, made these significant statements and admissions:

"When we left the old government we thought we had got rid forever of
the slavery agitation; but,