There are
plenty of excellent clean old black women that would make tip-top
nurses.
SOUTHERN ESCAPEES
_Feb. 23, '65_.--I saw a large procession of young men from the rebel
army, (deserters they are call'd, but the usual meaning of the word
does not apply to them,) passing the Avenue to-day. There were nearly
200, come up yesterday by boat from James river. I stood and watch'd
them as they shuffled along, in a slow, tired, worn sort of way; a
large proportion of light-hair'd, blonde, light gray-eyed young men
among them. Their costumes had a dirt-stain'd uniformity; most had
been originally gray; some had articles of our uniform, pants on one,
vest or coat on another; I think they were mostly Georgia and North
Carolina boys. They excited little or no attention. As I stood quite
close to them, several good looking enough youths, (but O what a tale
of misery their appearance told,) nodded or just spoke to me, without
doubt divining pity and fatherliness out of my face, for my heart was
full enough of it. Several of the couples trudg'd along with their
arms about each other, some probably brothers, as if they were afraid
they might somehow get separated. They nearly all look'd what one
might call simple, yet intelligent, too. Some had pieces of old
carpet, some blankets, and others old bags around their shoulders.
Some of them here and there had fine faces, still it was a procession
of misery. The two hundred had with them about half a dozen arm'd
guards.
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