Some of the slaves had nursed "Mars' Billy"; others had played with him when he was a child.

"Mars' Billy" had begged for mercy in the case of others when the overseer or master was thrashing them.

The sorrow in the slave quarter was only second to that in the "big house." When the two young masters were brought home wounded, the sympathy of the slaves was shown in many ways.

They were just as anxious to assist in the nursing as the family relatives of the wounded.

Some of the slaves would even beg for the privilege of sitting up at night to nurse their wounded masters.