Identifier: autobiographyofj00smit (find matches)
Title: Autobiography of James L. Smith : including also, reminiscences of slave life, recollections of the war, education of freedmen, causes of the exodus, etc
Year: 1881 (1880s)
Authors: Smith, James Lindsay
Subjects: Smith, James Lindsay Slavery -- Virginia Slaves -- Virginia African American soldiers Freedmen -- United States United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Participation, African American
Publisher: Norwich (Conn) : Press of the Bulletin Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ropped off. WhileI was meditating under this tree, many scenes of myboyhood came vividly to my recollection. I thensearched for my mothers cabin home, but no humblecabin, like the one in my memory, met my eye; it hadgiven place to a dense pine forest. The logs of thecabin had either been burned, or rotted with the dustof the earth. All was desolate in the extreme. I call-ed, but there was no response; no voice (Tf a kindmother greeted my ear; no welcome of the elevenbrothers and sisters greeted my approach; all wasspeecliless as the grave. Nothing occupied that sacredspot but the reptile and the owl As I gazed andthought, I became faint and sorrowful. I turned fromhere in pursuit of the spring from which I had carriedso many buckets of water. After much search andlabor, crawling through the bushes and fallen trees, Ifound the old spring and drank therefrom. The oldgum tree that was near this spring in my childhooddays, I found there still, being bent with age; its s o
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AFTER THE WAR. \J\J branches hung over this spring. It was once notedfor its healing properties, the berries of which wereused for medicinal purposes. These three springs that I have mentioned, haveserved to quench the thirst of many a weary soldier ashe stooped to drink, at the time of the great rebellion,I knelt, and offered my heart in prayer and thanksgiv-ing to God, who doeth all things well. I thought howoften my brothers and sisters with myself, came to andfrom that spring; but now we were separated, nearlyall of us, never more to meet, till we meet in thatheavenly land where father, mother and children shallnever part, where the wicked cease from troubling,and the weary are at rest. From there, with a heavyheart, I went in search of our neighbors ; they, too, likethe cabin, were gone; they had been committed to thedust, and their spirits had returned to God, who gavethem. Their houses were occupied by others; witha sad heart I retraced my steps to the home of Mrs.Winsted, and

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