I heard it through the Grape-vine

In the reading chapter 1, "A slave Among Slaves" up from slavery, by Booker T. Washington , he discusses the communications between slaves , and how slaves recieved their information and news on the war. I think that this was very clever on the slaves behalf on how they were able to form this kind communication among themselves, when they were look at as being ignorant. This is to show you that people are people, and just like the slave owners of America needed newspaper, because they wanted to know what was happening around them, this were the same for slaves. Especially seeing how this war was being fought, and of high interest for them, they found ways to gather their information, which was through grape-vine telegraph. Also with this form of news they were even able to recieve information before some whites.

"I now recall the many late-at-night whispered discussions showed that they understood the situation, and that they kept themselves informed of the events by what was termed the "grape-vine" telegraph."

Especially seeing how this war was being fought in the best interest of the slaves, the slaves made it their dutie to gather information about the war, they wanted, and needed to know in what the direction the war was going, this were their lives at the stake.