Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-10-12
ID comnlexion gen,eeI apptaEance, and prspOssessn

Mississippi; that he had recently owned one hundred
and sixty men, women and children, having INHERITED
all OF them except FIVE six, whom he had purchased
That his father Hon Amos Edwards, native o.
Loudoun county, or Prince William county, Va, tina
he had emsra,ed TO Kentucky when young, and i'vee
ut Paris, Bourbon county, and afterwards fesiaeo u
Russellsle Logan county; that ms aiher was n'e,
chant and speculator; that he went TO LOUISIANA ~
1912 and had been Senator in the Legislature %
that State that his father owned upwards OF 'oo save
whom he distributed by will 10 his WIDOW anu .''
dren He said his mother had slaves IN iet own I'm
and was pious () but none OF them peosssu " 10,
rel;yous nrincpes; that his father deceased IN loo-
in Texas where ne owned immense estates oe'hi'
grants from the Mexican Government, together WIN
purchases. &C o, be
o,e into ,ossession Of l42 slaves with plantation
and other property the whole OF which was assessor
two hundred and twelve thousand dollars. he salu
that the slaves that time would have averaged one
Thousand dollars each Some OF them, he sad, were
.,cpent mechanics and he could have sold them al
five thousand dollars head. He considered ms slaves
the principal part of his property, as ahd wou'u ho'
bring much without slaves
E5w,rds stated that he had large number OF slaves,
mattress of Africa in Texas and he used every exeflon
10 get then out of that country but the sesdent oil
Texas had issued Proclamation tor5ldding such re-
moyals He then went to Eng land in May, 1888, ana
returned in the following Autumn One ooect OF ms
going was to solicit the interference OF the BRUSH uo-
yernment with the Government Of Texas, 80 that the
Africans could be restored to freedom
lie said he supposed there thousand Africans IN
Texas who had been brought from Havana and INTRO
duced into that country by smuggling
Edwards stated, that in Eng land he sought an "uo'
ducton 10 some meinhers of the British ministry,
THROUGH the agency of General Henderson, the teXla
Ambassador; but this gentleman had refused 70 mr.
duce him. for the reason Edwards Supposed INA. ne
wished obtain their aid in the accomplishment VI 81
mr., that was contrary to the policy of his Government
Edwards relying upon the COED offices oil henderson,
had neglected TO take letters OF ntroanctnf anu 'ce
FIRE returned TO the United States lie hao, however,
been in ministerial pares, and had formed some 'n'ina
~ with The Russion AMBASSADOR who took particular
fancy TO him. and had assured him that he could GEL
Inc appointment of Minister from Texas to RUSSIA, lie
would be very iavoraby received at that Court, &c
Edwards stated that the grief he endured on account
of the suterings of these Africans, who had been So
improperly deprived of their liberty, affected him
that he had to the resolution 10 do all he could tc
effect their liberation and sympathy tor the slaves he
held in Louisiana had also brought hum To the deteriu
nation emancpete the whole OF them, although b,
the act he should be almost Pennies. Since the yea
1888 he had been arranging his affairs with view Il
their emancipation, and then to visit England on beha!
OF the Africans cnsaved in Texas He said that on ths
33d May he left lDverylie with between one and i've
hundred OF his slaves for Cincinnati and had there
emancipated the whole number, after distributing
among them the proceeds OF the last year CROP
amounting to thirty dollars each
lie exhibited deed OF emancipation Of t'co S'ases'
drawn by Wright s. Walker, Esqs, of Cincinnati, one
al them DelNp U3lIeu IleHfyi dHo oa'u 49,
days he expected 10 receive BY mail The decd OF ie re-
sdur He soon after received the deed referred 20
and Gov Simmons name was aiixec 10 II ~ co"se
quence OF the death Of the proper recording olcer tie
said seventytwo Of the ancpatcd slaves hau e.ut
I'd to Iberve, they had relations there, twenty OF
them had remained in Cincinnati, some had gone 10
Kentucky, and some to Illinois
Rcsoec,,ng Henry, the lad who attended Edwards
rs servant his said that he was IN ''s seven
t.eo,h YEAR was a native African, having been pur-
nd that ha had Great regard
for tic boy who had saved his life from assassination
in Texas about two years before, BY communicating
tie conversation he had heard vi some person who me
di,ated the murder Of his master.
Tie conduct of the lad Henry made deep impres-
sion On Edwards mind, and wasa prime cause he said
OF his resolving about ten months ago, to einancpate
all his slaves Louisiana and Texas, contrary to Inc
urgent remonstrances Of his family connexions. Id
wards stated that Henry had twin sister, the very m
age him, whom he had sent from New Orleans direct
10 England TO be educated there and that Henrys
ARRIVAL lac should put him to school also
Such vas substantially the statement made by "Col
Monroe Edwards, taken down from his lips, 5u, have
never been at the trouble whether Ii agrees with
itself, with facts Ear mg ht be ascertaned-
Tnere were several things III the narrative rather
strange and unaccountablc. | therefore mmeciae!,
addressed letter to Or Bai!y, editor o. the Phan,hro
pist at Cincinnati, inquire INTO aad report 10 me the
facts Has reply dated June 9th, 1910. The story
Of Edwards generally believed IN Cincinnati, eu
the attorneys in The knew OF only two slaves TIA
-
we're recorded in tie and free papers procured :o
them Dr. Baily believed tina. Of his slave:
had been at Cincinnati, although general deed o
emanci patton had been made out, authenticated BY he
Governor bat not recorded, and forwarded to Edward
in New York, &c. AS Edwards had positively assured
me that he took all the slaves TO CINCINNATI, natural
~ on the receipt Of this information supposed hun t.
be an mpostor.
Edwards after applied 10 me, by letter, to ef
feet loan for him 10 the amount Of five thousand dol
lars 10 de!ray his expenses 10 England, Tor which, IN
raid, he could give good security, on real property II
Mobile lie SAID he had drafts the Departments a
Washington, NC, TO the amount Of eighteen THOUSAND
dollars but advice had arrived appropriations ha
not been made &c. and he could not wat as he va
desirous of proceeding England without delay. ii
thought the friends Of the ens!aved in this city might
willing to advance the money until ms return Feeling
unwilling to give him decided answer unit; reply L
my letter should be received treE Dr. Baly, and hay
ing received ntima,on from Mr.. Robinson, that tn
letter of introduction mailed 10 hun by Col. Edwards
was rather guardedy expressed, | suggested I, ID
wards that perhaps of his friends IN the city wnul
lie wiling To advance part OF the money. lie sad Ii
had friends here and would ask Of then
To INV enquiry why il was necessary to take so lars
a.un to England, merely for expenses, he replied thi
i, was necessary that he should make good appear
amce there keep carriage, servants, &c, IN order
make right impression.
On .cce.ving a reply from Dr.. Ra;ly, called upo
Edwards ut his lodging and informed him o the cor
tents in part; lie after sent me a note OF rathe
an abusive style, 10 which replied, and he then re
ques,ed the return Of his previous notes, winch
thought proper to decline
Here my acquaintance With Mr. Edwards ceased
No recognition took place when met. ! saw hit
about town for one or more weeks and at length sa
il announced that he had taken passage the BIRTHS
Steamer from Boston had previously written
friends in England to be on their guard should he :nas
his appearance there The very day, think, Of he
departure, person called me, whom hid know
some twenty years before in Boston, and made som
inquiries abou, this Monroe Edwards. lie SAID Il
knew Edwards in rexas-that the pretended BIO!
Henry, grl-tha, Edwards efhad purchase
the cnaaneipados in Havana and introduced them int
Texas-tEat he had been indicted there for forgery
having, BY chemical process taken out the content
of written paper with the exception o! the signature
and then written note contract the signatur
which he demanded payment, &c, &c. On rccci,
ing this wrote to Joseph Surge, Engicnd, with In
additional! information received. 1t SO happened tha
he received my letter in season 10 send il Ia Sir
FJwell Buxton, who communicated its contents 10
member of the British Government the very dav tina