| David Washington Pipes Diary (excerpts)- 1845 - 1939
The Historic New Orleans Collection manuscript section. (MSS UCC 771.)
"On the 20th of February, 1845 I first saw the light in the plantation
home at Beech Grove, a name given to the place on account of the beautiful
grove of beech trees which are found in abundance around the old home.
This plantation is situated in the 7th ward Parish of East Feliciana, State
of Louisiana and Clinton is the Parish Site, distant some seven miles south...
On the left of the front gate, the field help had their houses, they
were neat frame 4 room buildings with brick chimneys, front gallerys and
gardens in rear. In the center was a large two room house with hall between,
and fire places in each room; a nursery that was presided over by old Aunt
Miley who had an assistant. When the women went to the fields to work they
carried their children to the nursery where they had proper care and attention.
The quarters at night were under control of Ben Parker and Sam Brown and
they were responsible for good behavior. I cannot recall a time when any
disturbances occurred on the place, for the labor was kindly treated, well
fed and well cared for. If sick they had best medical attention and never
subjected to exposure and unkind treatment, the result was a very kindly
feeling between the slaves and their owners. True, there were exceptions,
for in that day there were cruel and brutal men as now, but I never came
in touch with them...
I was pressed into service at 16 to take charge as manager of that large
planting interest making over four hundred bales of cotton before the Civil
War with ample supply of corn and meat to supply the place. It was a big
job for an untrained boy, but Ben Parker and Sam Brown, the colored foremen,
were good farmers and loyal and the work went smoothly and without friction...
A great deal of abolition propaganda had been written by Mrs. Stowe
and others in regard to cruel unhuman treatment of the slaves, I never
owned a slave, but my father owned and had on his farms several hundred,
these I supervised for two years after I came from college and I say without
any reservation, the colored people under my supervision were well fed,
well clothed and kindly treated. When sick they had best of medical attention.
They were free from care and responsibility, the kindest of feelings existed
between them, myself and the family. It was very seldom punishment was
inflicted and this as a rule met with the approval of the families who
lived and worked on the place; There are rules for rising in the morning,
a signal given by the Ben Parker or Sam Brown. This signal was given at
good daylight when men were expected to get up, dress and leave for the
field for work. If plowmen, they went to stables cleaned the mules and
went to the field. The women also arose, cooked breakfast for their families,
and straightened up the houses and carried breakfast to their husbands
and sons. At twelve o'clock work ceased, the hands all returned to the
house, had dinner, fed and cleaned off mules and returned to work at 2
o'clock, and later in the year at 2:30 P.M. Work ceased in the evening
in time for all hands to complete watering, feeding and cleaning mules
and get to their homes by dark. Their were no restrictions of any kind
imposed beyond good behavior until 10 p.m. when everybody was expected
to retire for the night and these rules were well observed and when violated,
punishment inflicted without a reasonable excuse. This was a health precaution
and as evidence of benefits would say we never had a insane, weak minded
child, nor one case of consumption, nor was their a single mulatto on the
farm ( nor a double one). These facts should go a long way to disprove
the assertions of abolition writers but their propaganda has done its work,
let it, "rest in peace"...
I neglected to say that when I left home, being young and inexperienced,
my parents felt I should have a valet, and one of the young colored men
on the place, Henry Dunn volunteered to go to the war with me. He was about
10 years my senior and no one could have rendered more efficient service
than he did, always Jonnie on the spot, ready to go when the artillery
wheels began to turn. He was a good cook, always in good humor and never
got drunk, although he would always draw my and my nephews whiskey when
issued, but this did not occur often...
When we were passing through Chambersburg, my valet Henry was some distance
behind me and I heard him give a hearty laugh. He was talking to a woman
on front porch of a house and when he overtook me, I wanted to know what
made him laugh so heartily and he said that lady was persuading him to
leave me and go back to his home, she had offered him $100.00 in cash,
his ticket, and a new suit of clothes. He told her was going to stay with
his boss and if he was killed he was going to take his body home, but Henry
was not for sale...
(Battle of the Crater)*
July 30th at 5 a.m. while we were sleeping soundly a terrific explosion
occurred on our left. A tunnel had been dug from the enemies line to ours
from a ravine back of their line 35 feet under the earth, when our line
was reached, the tunneling paralleled our line to the right and left for
a distance of some 30 feet each way and in this tunnel nine hundred pounds
of powder had been placed and discharged, excavating a place large enough
to place an ordinary house. When the powder was set off it threw our men
along it in the air and brought great confusion. Our soldiers had anticipated
the work the enemy was doing and countersunk holes to thwart them but failed
to go deep enough - When the explosions occurred, we could see nothing
but a great cloud of smoke that hung like a pall over the place where the
mine was sprung to the left of our position. The batteries along the line
opened up and an assaulting column advanced with Negro troops in front
and occupied our line in the confusion thousands advanced and filled in
the crater formed by the explosion - Our infantry sent an enfilading fire
and Haskell's Mortar Battery poured shells upon the mass formations, the
mortality was frightful and so destructive the Federal troops became panic
stricken and refused to advance, General Mahone's and Wright's Brigades
re established our lines, capturing quite a number of prisoners
among whom was General Bartlett, who has lost a leg and his wooden leg
had been shattered, he passed by our guns in company with about 100
Negroes, most of whom had been wounded, and was riding a little mule,
that did not seem to understand what it all meant and required much persuasion
to stay with his load - The General cut quite a figure walsing ( sic? waltzing?)
around on the donkey."
*Note - There have been claims that Confederate troops singled
out Black Union troops for massacre and took none prisoner at the Battle
of the Crater.
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