Maj John Devereux, Jr
New
Bern-native Edward Stanly was living in California at the outbreak of
war and was appointed military governor of North Carolina by Lincoln in
May, 1862, though his reign comprised only that portion of the
northeastern part of the State under military occupation. Below he is
lectured to by his father’s slave, Uncle Abram, who was ashamed his
betrayal of his own people; Edmondston also comments on the question of
slaves being liberated versus stolen for military service, and their
being counted toward northern troop quotas. Major John Devereux served
as Quartermaster General for North Carolina.
Catherine Ann Edmondston’s Diary Entry – July 24, 1864:
“Brother
[Major John Devereux] gave us a most interesting account given him by
an eye witness of an interview between Edward Stanley [sic] and an old
Negro of his [father’s] when he came to N.C. as her Military Governor.
The Negro it seems was sick & in consequence Mr. Stanley went to see
him. Abram, for such was his name, turned his face to the wall as his
young master entered the cabin. When Stanley, holding out his hand,
addressed him thus, “Well Uncle Abram I am sorry to see you laid up
thus. I know you must have been sick or you would have been to see me.”
To
which the Negro replied, “God knows, Marse Ned, that I never thought to
live to see the day when I should have to say I was sorry to see you.
But what are you doing here? Go over, Marse Ned, go over and stand long
side of your own folks. Take a glass of water & a crust of bread
with them, but stand by them, & if you wont do that [,] go back,
Marse Ned, where you came from! Go back! & never let it be said
that your father’s son turned against his own folks.”
July
27, 1864: Sue said at breakfast that “old Lincoln had demoralized her
sense of numbers; that he had so often called for 500,000 men that she
had got to view it as a small affair, a mere drop in the bucket.” Posts
have been opened in all of the Southern States in Yankee power for the
recruiting of Negroes in order to fill up the quota of the different
northern States. State agents are sent out & the stolen Negroes
accredited to the State who steals them, by authority of the Yankee Sec
of War. This is raising an army with a vengeance – poor Cuffee!
(Diary
of a Secesh Lady, The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereux Edmondston,
1860-1866, Crabtree and Patton, editors, NCDAH, 1979, pp. 596-597)
