is arms extending upward, and
he seemed incapable of either getting out of or into the shirt. It was one
of those heavy white flannel shirts such as we all took with us at the
commencement of the service, which would shrink in washing to about
one-half their original size.

As I entered the room there was a look of discouragement upon his face,
which from a liberal use of commissary and natural swarthiness, was always
somewhat flushed, and now looked like a boiled lobster, which gave it a
frightful appearance. The first sentence I heard sounded like a prayer; he
said, "Oh! may the Lord take particular pains to damn the nagur that
washed this shurret." Taking in the situation at a glance, I discreetly
withdrew and allowed him to conclude his devotions.

Making Yankees out of the Contrabands, was a pleasing pastime for our boys
after the war had ended; and hundreds of these dusky "innocent causes"
flocked into Tarboro, N. C., after we occupied that Secesh town, to be
transformed into "Lincum Yankees." Instead of going to headquarters, they
would generally go directly to the company quarters, where the boys would
heartily welcome them. To the question, "well boy, do you want to be made
a Yankee?" They would say "yes massa, I spects I does." A good strong
blanket would be brought out and six stalwart fellows would hold it on
either side and the candidate would be gently placed upon it.

The question would then be asked, "Do you promise to support the
Constitution of the United States?" to which they would usually respond,
"I 'spects I does, massa." The order would then be given, attention! one,
two, three, go; and he would go. At first they would toss him gently, but
at every successive toss he would go higher and higher, until he could
almost, as one expressed it, see the "gates ajar;" some would almost turn
white when they were tossed up to such a fearful height, but as soon as
one was pronounced reconstructed and entitled as such to all the rights
and privileges of an American citizen, another would step forward and
signify his desire to become a Yankee. There was very seldom any accident
in these initiating exercises, but I remember of one, in which some of the
boys became too weak, from excessive laughter, to hold onto the blanket,
and a strapping young negro came near being killed; as I think he surely
would have been, had he not fortunately struck the ground head first.

CONCLUSION.

Reader, while I do no