usiasm over Emancipation was put in practice when he
entered Winchester. Without seeing the Proclamation of the President,
and without knowing certainly it was issued and made applicable to
the Shenandoah Valley district, Milroy issued a proclamation headed,
"Freedom to Slaves." This had the effect of causing those within
the lines of his command at once to leave their masters. Though
the slaves could not read, not one failed during the succeeding
night to hear that liberty had been proclaimed, and all, even to
the most trusted and faithful personal or house servant, regardless
of age, sex, or previous kind treatment, so far as known, asserted
their freedom. In some way it had been inculcated into the minds
of these people that if they, by word or act, however simple or
unimportant it might be, after the Proclamation acquiesced in their
previous condition they would again for life become slaves. They
probably derived this notion from the Bible story of Hebrew slavery,
wherein it is said that after six years' service the slave should
become free, save when, preferring slavery, he voluntarily permitted
his former master to bore his ears with an awl at the door-post
and thus consecrate himself to slavery forever.( 3)

So it turned out that many aristocratic matrons and maidens, reared
in luxury and accustomed to the personal service of servants, had
to cook their own breakfasts or go hungry, as no amount of persuasion,
kind treatment, or promises would induce the former slave to do
the least act that by possibility could be construed to be an
acquiescence in a previous condition of servitude. Even the
assurance of a Union officer could not shake their position. The
"Year of Jubilee," of which they had sung in their hearts, had been
long coming for them, and there was no use for awls and door-posts
for their ears, nor were they going to take chances. Many of them,
though offered food for their own use by their masters, would not
cook it, lest it might be construed as a recognition of a master's
continuing authority over them. Most of them gathered up their
little property with marvellous dispatch and presented themselves
ready to emigrate. General Milroy used the otherwise empty trains
going north for supplies to carry these freed people from the land
of their birth to where a slave condition could not overtake them.
Most of the knew the story of John Brown, and many of them had, in
some way, been supplied with c