"MARIETTA, OHIO, June 29th, 1865.
"_Mr. James E. Yeatman, President Western Sanitary Commission, St. Louis_:
"MY DEAR SIR: I have learned, with the greatest satisfaction, through Brigadier-General T. C. H. Smith and the public press that you are devoting your n.o.ble energies in giving tone and direction to the collection and appropriation of a fund for the erection of the Freedmen"s National Monument, in honor and memory of the benefactor and savior of their race.
"The general also informs me that you desire, and have requested through him that the five dollars deposited with the Rev. C. H. Battelle, of this city, by Charlotte Scott, should be used as the _original and foundation subscription_ for this most praiseworthy purpose; and Mr. Battelle a.s.sures me that he will most cheerfully remit it to you this day. As a slave-holder by inheritance, and up to a period after the outbreak of the rebellion, and as an ardent admirer of our lamented president, the author of universal emanc.i.p.ation in America, I feel an enthusiastic interest in the success of the Freedmen"s National Monument. I hope it may stand unequalled and unrivalled in grandeur and magnificence. It should be built _essentially_ by _freedmen_, and should be _emphatically national_. Every dollar should come from the former slaves, every State should furnish a stone, and the monument should be erected at the capital of the nation.
Nothing could be better calculated to stimulate this downtrodden and abused race to renewed efforts for a moral and national status.
"Charlotte Scott, whose photograph General Smith will forward, was born a slave in Campbell County, Virginia. She is about sixty years old, but is very hale and active. Her reputation for industry, intelligence, and moral integrity, has always been appreciated by her friends and acquaintances, both white and colored. She was given, with other slaves, to my wife, by her father, Thomas H. Scott.
When we received the news of Mr. Lincoln"s a.s.sa.s.sination, the morning after its occurrence, she was deeply distressed.
In a conversation with Mrs. Rucker, she said: "_The colored people have lost their best friend on earth. Mr. Lincoln was our best friend, and I will give five dollars of my wages towards erecting a monument to his memory._" She asked me who would be the best person to raise money for the purpose.
I suggested Mr. Battelle, and she gave him the five dollars.
"I am, my dear sir, truly and respectfully,
"WILLIAM P. RUCKER."
"MARIETTA, OHIO, June 29th, 1865.
"_Mr. J. E. Yeatman._
"DEAR SIR: I was providentially called upon by Charlotte Scott, formerly a slave of Dr. W. P. Rucker, now living in this place, to receive the enclosed $5, as the commencement of a fund to be applied to rearing a monument to the memory of Hon. Abraham Lincoln.
"I received her offering, and gave notice through the press that I would receive other donations, and cheerfully do what I could to promote so n.o.ble an object. Other persons have signified their willingness to give when the measure is fully inaugurated.
"By the advice of General T. C. H. Smith I herewith forward you her contribution, and I hope to here from you upon its receipt, that I may show to Charlotte and others that the money has gone in the right direction. After hearing from you I hope to be able to stir up the other colored folks on this subject.
"I rejoice, dear sir, that I have some connection with this honorable movement in its incipiency. I shall not fail to watch its progress with thrilling interest, and hope to live until the top stone shall be laid amid the jubilant rejoicing of emanc.i.p.ated millions crying "Grace, grace unto it."
"Very respectfully yours,
"C. D. BATTELLE."
"The publication of the note of Mr. Yeatman, and the first communication received concerning the colored woman"s proposed offering, brought the following letters and contributions, showing how generously the proposition of Charlotte Scott was responded to by the colored troops stationed at Natchez, Miss. These contributions have been duly deposited for safe keeping towards the Freedmen"s National Monument to Mr.
Lincoln.
"HEADQUARTERS 6TH U. S. COLORED HEAVY ARTILLERY,
"FORT MCPHERSON, Natchez, May 19th, 1865.
"_James E. Yeatman, President Western Sanitary Commission, St. Louis_:
"DEAR SIR: I hereby transmit to you, to be appropriated to the monument to be erected to the late President Lincoln, the sum of four thousand two hundred and forty-two dollars, the gift from the soldiers and freedmen of this regiment.
Allow me to say that I feel proud of my regiment for their liberal contribution in honor of our lamented chief. Please acknowledge receipt.
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"JOHN P. COLEMAN,
"_Lieutenant-Colonel commanding 6th U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery._"
"Amounts as donated by their respective companies: Company A, $515; Company B, $594; Company C, $514; Company D, $464; Company E, $199; Company F, $409; Company G, $284; Company H, $202; Company I, $423; Company K, $231; Company L, $142; Company M, $354. Total, $4,242."
"HEADQUARTERS 70TH U. S. COLORED INFANTRY,
"RODNEY, MISS., May 30th, 1865.
"Brevet Major-General J. W. Davidson, commanding District of Natchez, Miss.:
"GENERAL: I have the honor to enclose the sum of two thousand nine hundred and forty-nine dollars and fifty cents as the amount collected, under your suggestion, for the purpose of erecting a monument to the memory of President Lincoln. Every dollar of this money has been subscribed by the black enlisted men of my regiment, which has only an aggregate of six hundred and eighty-three men. Much more might have been raised, but I cautioned the officers to check the n.o.ble generosity of my men rather than stimulate it. Allow me to add that the soldiers expect that the monument is to be built by black people"s money exclusively.
They feel deeply that the debt of grat.i.tude they owe is large, and any thing they can do to keep his "memory green"
will be done cheerfully and promptly.
"If there is a monument built proportionate to the veneration with which the black people hold his memory, then its summit will be among the clouds--the first to catch the gleam and herald the approach of coming day, even as President Lincoln himself first proclaimed the first gleam as well as glorious light of universal freedom.
"I am, general, most respectfully, your obedient servant,
"W. C. EARLES,
"_Colonel 70th United States Colored Infantry._"
"DISTRICT OF NATCHEZ, May 21st, 1865.
"_Hon. James E. Yeatman_:
"Upon seeing your suggestions in the _Democrat_ I wrote to my colonels of colored troops, and they are responding most n.o.bly to the call. Farrar"s regiment, 6th United States Heavy Artillery, sent some $4,700. The money here spoken of has been turned over to Major W. C. Lupton, Pay-master U. S.
A., for you. Please acknowledge receipt through the Missouri _Democrat_. The idea is, that the monument shall be raised to Mr. Lincoln"s memory at the national capital exclusively by the race he has set free.
"Very truly yours,
"J. W. DAVIDSON, _Brevet Major-General._"
"HEAD PAY DEPARTMENT, NATCHEZ, MISS., June 15th, 1865.
"_James E. Yeatman, Esq., President Western Sanitary Commission, St. Louis_:
"SIR: The colored soldiers of this district, Brevet Major-General Davidson commanding, feeling the great obligations they are under to our late president, Mr.
Lincoln, and desiring to perpetuate his memory, have contributed to the erection of a monument at the national capital, as follows:
73th. United States Colored Infantry, Colonel W. C. Earle $2,949.50 Three Companies 63d U. S. Colored Infantry--A, C, and E-- Lieutenant-Colonel Mitch.e.l.l 263.00 Freedmen of Natchez 312.38 --------- Total $3,529.85
"Added to this Major John P. Coleman, of the 6th United States Colored Heavy Artillery, (those that Forrest"s men did not murder at Fort Pillow), stationed here, has sent you nearly five thousand dollars for the same fund, and the 57th United States Colored Infantry desire me, at the next pay-day, to collect one dollar per man, which will swell the amount to nearly ten thousand dollars. This is a large contribution from not quite seventeen hundred men, and it could have been made larger--many of the men donating over half their pay, and in some instances the whole of it--but it was thought best to limit them.
"Will you please publish this, that the colored soldiers and their friends may know that their money has gone forward, and send me a copy of the paper.