Letter from freed slave to former master draws attention

Letter from freed slave to former master draws attention

news.yahoo.com

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. I

(visit the link for the full news article)

just thought this would be worth a read. i was honestly a bit surprised by how well jourdane expressed himself.
many questions come to mind, for instance, what percentage of slaves could even read or write at the time?


"As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire."



news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

hmmmm, interesting.
i was just googling a few quotes from the letter and came up with a link that shows yahoo has edited it.
here is a missing final paragraph.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

source

Originally posted by Patchman
Already posted. C'mon greenhorns learn to not double post please!

where?
i searched both headlines.
i searched the entire first paragraph along with a few other quotes.
the only thing showing up is this post.

eta, can a mod or somebody help me with this.
i still can't find the post patchman mentioned.
what am i doing worng?

...they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable.

Mr. Slave Owner sounds like a real cretin. Smart of this former slave to test his former owner's honor by asking him to forward 32 years of back pay to himself before he would consider returning to his 'employ'. I rather doubt he ever saw a dime of that money...

That former slave seems to be better educated than lots of kids today. What a well written letter.

reply to post by rubbertramp


The search feature needs to come with better instructions. It NEVER works for me.

How racism is terrible. Even Africa is now invaded by Chinese, they are deciding by planning to bring 500 million Chinese to Africa to reduce pullution /population problems. There are now gated community's in Africa with Chinese food that disallows blacks to eat at, black community's have even been killed over the takeover.

You have to wonder...if he'd gotten the money, would he have actually gone back?
$10,000 went a long, long way back then.

I know I wouldn't.

Originally posted by anthonygillespie2012
How racism is terrible. Even Africa is now invaded by Chinese, they are deciding by planning to bring 500 million Chinese to Africa to reduce pullution /population problems. There are now gated community's in Africa with Chinese food that disallows blacks to eat at, black community's have even been killed over the takeover.

edit on 1-2-2012 by anthonygillespie2012 because: (no reason given)

have you a link for this plan to move half the Chinese population, seems odd, given their population is now stable and they are advancing economically

500,000 Chinese employees maybe, but 500 million? That is a game changer

Originally posted by groingrinder
That former slave seems to be better educated than lots of kids today. What a well written letter.

He may have had someone help him write it. Most slaves did not receive much of an education. Some however were quite literate. Either way this is a very interesting letter. I wonder if the continuing desire for reparations has anything to do with it's making recent headlines.

Star from me.

I think a comment from the source sums it up quite nicley:
7

I believe that is the most eloquent "F-you" I have ever heard. Good for Jourdan.

Class, I sometimes do not understand the tolerance and forgivness of some people, especially when been so wronged for 30 years.

I would have been a lot ruder to a customer service rep who has had me waitng for 30 mins let alone slavery and labour for 30 years - a lot of respect to this man.

Originally posted by subject x
You have to wonder...if he'd gotten the money, would he have actually gone back?
$10,000 went a long, long way back then.

I know I wouldn't.

Incase you failed to read history, anyone that was a southern plantation owner that could afford slaves went bankrupt and their homes and land burned to the ground. Those land owners didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of after the yanks were done with them, many of their wives were raped and murdered to add further injury to the insult and unjury they already sustained.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


That's called "comeuppance".

What an interesting read. Where is the original letter?

The atrocities that have been committed in the name of god make me sick. How do you justify having your fellowman for a slave? I am rather surprised that there is little or no info as to the enslavement of the native population: the native Indians.

Were Africans the only slaves?

Should the colonizers apologize for the heinous crimes they committed? oh that's right, they are dead. we are different. Hold on a bit, the idea they upheld is still holding the world in captivity right?

Shouldn't we get rid of this god idea and philosophy because history has shown us that no good can ever come out of it?

Originally posted by blueorder

Originally posted by anthonygillespie2012
How racism is terrible. Even Africa is now invaded by Chinese, they are deciding by planning to bring 500 million Chinese to Africa to reduce pullution /population problems. There are now gated community's in Africa with Chinese food that disallows blacks to eat at, black community's have even been killed over the takeover.

edit on 1-2-2012 by anthonygillespie2012 because: (no reason given)

have you a link for this plan to move half the Chinese population, seems odd, given their population is now stable and they are advancing economically

This could be a huge problem for animals in the future if they decide to do a real move on this. Sorry about the 500 million Chinese people sent to in Africa for the future, it's 300 million.

Here's one starter..
www.africafederation.net...

Chinese population history,
afe.easia.columbia.edu...

Germany Accuses China Of Causing 'Catastrophic' Starvation In Africa

articles.businessinsider.com...

Edit double post

The topic at hand is...

"Letter from freed slave to former master draws attention"

Let's please stay on topic.