Reading Old Abe’s Proclamation to the Rebels

A correspondent with General Sherman’s army narrates the following:

“Brigadier General Morgan informs me of an incident that occurred on his line of operations, that is too good to be lost: While his brigade occupied the gap between Oak Knob and Rocky Face, recently a corporal of company I, 60th Illinois, broke from the line and under cover of projecting ledges got up within twenty feet of a squad of rebels on the summit. Taking shelter from the sharpshooters he called out:

“I say, rebs, don’t you want to hear Old Abe’s amnesty proclamation?”

“Yes!” was the unanimous cry “give us the ape’s proclamation.”

“Attention!” commanded the corporal, and in a clear and resonant voice he read the amnesty proclamation to the rebels, beneath the cannon planted by the rebels to destroy the fabric of government established by our fathers. When he arrived at those passages of the proclamation where the negro was referred to he was interrupted by the cries of “none of your d—d Abolition. Look out for rocks! And down over his hiding placed descended a shower of stones and rocks. – Having finished the reading the corporal asked,

“Well, rebs, how do you like the terms? Will you hear it again?

“Not to-day, you bloody Yank. Now crawl down in a hurry and we won’t fire,’ was the response, and the daring corporal descended and rejoined his command, which had distinctly heard all that passed. I regret I could not learn the name of the corporal, for he must get promotion at the hand of Father Abraham and Governor Dick Yates.”

– Published in The Union Sentinel, June 18, 1864