Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-02-16
Death of Slave Ill Years Old.

"a
communicates TO the editor of the Nashville Medical
Journal the following incidents attending what he
terms the g natural death " of of his servants
at the advanced age of Ill years. DR.. Green is
known to many OF the commissioners of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South, in the settlement
of the late difficulty between the Church North and
South:
Il promised You that would furnish you with
some of the facts connected with the last days of
Aunt'Philis an old negro woman of NINE who died
last fall Aunt Fhilis was, at the time Of her DEATH
at the lowest estimate Ill years old, and the proba-
bility is that she several years older.
For fifty years she has enjoyed uninterrupted
health and far as have been able to learn, she
sick in her life except at the birth of her
children. For thirty years of her life, and down to
within three years of her DEATH she did seem to
undergo the slightest change in her appearance
time exercising but little power her. The first
sign Of decay that of sigh which took place a.
bout three years before her death; up TO that time
she in The full enj oyment Of all her Senses and
at 1O4 years would have married an old negro man
of seventy five if had not objected
Her sight failed not in the usual way, but she be-
came near sighted, not being able TO objects at
distance Soon after this her hearing declined, but
up to the time Of her death she could hear better
than old persons generally do. The first indication
of mental failure that of locality, she not being
able to find her way to a eighbors house; yet her
memory seemed perfect in all other respects She
recolected her friends and her old acquanances, but
could not tird her way to their houses
Il at first supposed that this owing to defective
sight but on examination found it was in the mind
Still her ocomotion good; she had the full OF
herself, md could walk strong and quick like young
person. and hold herself up so straight that, when
walking from me, often took her for some of the
younger servants about the premises he next and
to The most singular Sign Of decline was that she
lost the art of walkng-not that she had not strength
enough to walk, hut forgot how 10 walk.
The lldren would lead her forth and interest
her Tor while and she would get the idea, which
seemed to delight her very much, and she would
walk about the yard and porches until some person
would tell her she had walked enoug but she
would sooner take her seat, and sit for few
moments, before all idea of walking would be gone,
and she would have 10 be taught over again.
cat length she became unwilling to Try TO walk
unless She had hold of something take her by the
and she would walk, and walk we'll, but just
as soon as you would let her 90, she would stop,
and if further aid afforded her, she would
get down and crawl like child and at length be-
came fearful that she refused to walk altogether,
and continued 10 sit up during the day, bat had to
be put 10 bed and taken up like child After
while she became unwilling TO get up, altogether,
and continued to lie until she died.
All this time she seemed to he in good health,
took her regular meals and her stomach and bowels
were uniformly in good condition. | often exam
med her the best could, and she had pains,
no sickness no aches of any kind. and from her own
account, and from all that | was able to learn, she
was in good health, and all the while in fine spirits.
The intellect and the mind seemed to be perfectly
good only that she did not to know where
she was all the time.
AT length one of the children said to that
Aunt Phls getting cold and, on examining
her, found it So the extremities were cold
still she teok her regular meals and did not com
plain of any thing; and the only change that [
recolIect of was that she slept little more than
usual The GOODNESS increased for two days, when
she became as cold almost as dead peraon, Her
breathing began at length to shorten, and grew
shorter and shorter till she ceased to breathe.
Death closed in upon her like going into soft,
sweet Sleep and for two minutes it difficult to
tell whether she breathing not. There
no contortion, no struggle, no twisting of the
ces but after leath she might have still been taken,
on slight examinations TO have been in deep
sleep. So passed away Philis-the only natural
death ever wilnessed.''