Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-10-30
AtiattHattenus.
From the Journal and Messenger.
THAT DROP OF BLOOD.

THAT DROP OF BLOOD.
Nh EDrToR:-I have read with much
interest the extract from Belle Scott, pub
lshed in the Journal and Messenger of
Oct. Sd. The case of poor Patsy so en-
listed my feelings as TO lead me to procure
copy Of the book, and learn more Of her
history. This is SO intensely Interesting
and touching that hope you will favor your
readers with another extract, SO 'hat ',iose
who have not vet read the book may LOOK
upon picture which is not only true OF
life but deeply affecting: -.
In June in the year -, Traveller IN
the western part of Virginia was slowly
descending a steep hill. At a turn in the
road he stopped almost inyoluntarily to
gaze upon lhe beautiful landscape before
him. AT the bottom of the hill ran a
deep, wide creek. the banks Of which Were
shaded on both sides by great sycamore
trees and wild rose bushes and other shrubs
and flowers in full bloom; which were mir
rored in the slewly-moving green water be-
low. A flock of pa-roquets were wheeling
in the air, and showing at each turn their
brilliant plumage of green and gold.
A road rough with loose stones and
huge rocks, lay on the west bank Of the
creek, and followed its windings.
At turn in this road which brought
those who passed along it into view of the
traveller, he saw first buggy driven by a
young man neatly dressed, and behind chat
a row of seven or eight wagons, each
drawn by two horses, and filed with ne
gro and mulatto women and children
Behind these wagons followed cofie of
eight slaves. They were in CHAINS. The
iron ring around the right rist of one was
attached by chain TO like ring on the
left wrist Of another, and in the middle of
these chains were rings that attached the
whole party to leading chain that extend
ed along the whole line.
They moved slowly along the uneven,
winding road, and at distance lookd like
some great monster undulating and twin
ing with the inequalities of the ground
over which it passed. -
Upon riding nearer, the traveller saw an
old man of sixty years chained to a bright
mulatto boy of sixteen. The old mans
face was thoughtful and full of care; the
boy walked bravely on, but in spite of his
efforts to restrain them, tears would start
to ozhis eyes and steal down his cheeks.
Some, of the men were talking -composedly,
and all were. serious; the men were vari-
ously dressed, some of them in the course
clothing of field laborers, others in well fit
ting garments of good quality. y. -
Behind the cofHe were five one horse
carriages, each driven by well dressed
white man, with a colored woman seated
at his side. ,,-sl ---,--.
In the last of these carriages sat wo-
man so nearly white, but for her position, it
would have been difficult TO discover the
traces of intermixture with the African
race. Her soft black hair hung uncared
for, shading her large lustrous black eyes !;
her features were as finely and delicately
cut as statue by the hands of an accom-
plished artist. She moved not, spoke not,
looked not either to the right or left, and
seemed to be wholly unconscious of objects
around her; on her face sat not sorrow,
nor traces of mental anguish, nor grief, nor
anguish, nor misery-but despair.
If you have stood by the gallows when
the doomed man took his last look at the
scenes before him, and at the sunshine; if
you have stood by the side of the gay
young man, when his warm blood was
gushing from wound inflicted by the as
sassin IN the street, and he had Just been
informed that he had but a minute TO live !;
if you have been at the death-bed Of the
hardened sinner, whose eye is now too dim
to see the brazen serpent that Moses placed
on pole for the healing Of Israel, and
heard him whisper with his last breath,
at is too late-I am lost;' if you have
seen the widow, standing by the grave of
her only son, if you have seen the young
mother frantic, as her babe has just fallen,
quickly as the flower of the meadow be-
fore the scythe of the mower-then you
may imagine the despair that spread its
raven wings over the face of that poor wo-
man. III IT
The procession halted.s A man dressed
in gray clothing, burly and big, mounted
on fat and clumsy horse, rode up, and in
auired for the owners or agent of the own
ers of the coffle of servants He was
told that the owners were a few miles in
the rear, but that the agent was the young
man who rode in front. He pricked his
steel into the fatside of his horse, trotted
to the young man, and stated that he wish
ed to buy negro woman. He was told
that the woman in the rear was for. sale,
and would be sold at low price; but af
ter close inspection he refused to pur-
chase her. Another woman was then
shown to him. He examined her careful
ly, and the purchase was made. The price
was paid, and the company were starting,
when white boy ran up and said, address
ing himself 10 the agent:
"Mr. Tibbs wants you to come right
quick to him; something's the matter with
the gal he has to take care Of"
The agent went quickly to the rear, and
there, seated upright in the buggy, by the
side of Tibbs, sat Patsy, the woman al
ready described. A single drop of blood
rested Just below one corner of her mouth;
her facewas sad, even in death, for she was
: dead: her heart had broken.
Poor Patsy! In her position as house
maid, in family in Washington city, she
had observed the department of cultivated
persons, and her own manners were as quiet |
and refined as the best culture could make
them. The same dreams of love and bap-
piness passed through her girlish imagiI-
alton, and warmed her heart. that cheer