The weekly Columbian., 1857-05-23
bred Scott..-His History

UTe0 ScOtksssf1ES H1EIOfy.
The St. Louis Neus Of the Sth of April
informs us that the original Dred Scott
the famous darkey whose case has
created such an excitement among. our
Woolly friends-is resident of st. Louis,
and gives the following interesting ac-
count of him:
The distinguished colored individual
who has made such noise in the world
in the case of Scott against Sanford, and
who has become SO tangled up with the
Missouri Compromise and other great
subjeess-Dred Scott-is resident, not
a citizen of St. Louis. Heis well known
to many four citizens, and may frequent
ly be seen passing along Third street,
He IS an old inhabilant, having come to
this city shirty years ago.
Dred Scott was born in Virginia, where
he belonged to Capt. Peter Blow, theta
ther of Henry C. Blow and Taylor Blow,
of this city. He was brought by his
master to st. Louis about thirty years
ago, and in the course of time became
the property of DR.. Emerson, surgeon
in the army, whom he accompanied on
that trip to Rock Island and Fort Smell
ling, on the ground Of which he based
his claim to freedom The wife Of DR..
Emerson was formerly Miss Sanford, and
and is now Mrs. Chaffee, wife of Hon.
Mr.. Chafee, of Massachusetts,. He has
been married twice, his first wife, by
whom he had no children, having been
sold from him. He has had four children
by his present wife-two boys, both dead,
and two girls, both living. Dred was at
Corpus Christi at the breaking out of the
Mexican war, as the servant of Capt
Bainbridge, whom he speaks ofasa "good
man."
On his return from Mexico, he ap-
piled to his mistress, Mrs. Emerson, then
living near St. Louis, for the purchase of
himself and family. offering to pay part
of the money down, and gave an immi-
nent citizen of St. Louis, an officer of
the army, as security for the payment of
the remainder. His mistress refused his
proposition, and Dred being informed
that he was entitled to his freedom by
the operation of the laws regulating the
Northwest Territory, forthwith brought
suit for it. The salt was commenced
about ten years ago, and has cost Dred
$500 in cash, besides labor to a nearly
equal amount 1t has given him "heap
O. trouble" he says, and if he had known
that ''is was gwine to last SO long," he
would not have brought it. The suit
was defended by Mr.. John Sanford, as
executor of DIR. Emerson's will.
Dred does not appear at all discouraged
by the issue of the celebrated case, altho'
it dooms him to slavery. He talks about
the affair with the ease of veteran liti-
giant, though not exactly in technical Ian
guage, and is hugely tickled at the idea
of finding himself parsonage of such
Importance. He does not take on airs,
however, but laughs heartily when talk
ing of ''de fuss dey made dar in Wash
ington bout de ole nigger."
He is about fifty-fve years old, we
should think, though he does not know
his own age. He is of unmixed African
blood, and as black as piece of charcoal.
For two or three years past he has been
running at large, no one exercising own
ership over him, or putting any restraint
upon his movements. If he were dis
posed to make the attempt, he could gain
his freedom at much less cost than even
one-tenth of the expense OF the famous
suit. He will not do so however, insist
ing on abiding by the principles involved
in the decision of the suit. He declares
that he will stick to his mistress as long
as he lives. His daughters, Eliza and
Lucy, less conscientious about the mat
ter, took advantage of the absence of re-
stralnt on their movements, a year or two
since, to disappear, and their wherea-
bouts remain mystery.
Dred, though ilhterate, is not ignorant.
He has travelled considerably, and has
improved his stock of strong common
sense by much information picked up in
his journeyings. He is anxious to know
who owns him, being ignorant whether
he is the property Of Mrs. Chaffee. or
Mr.. Sanford, though we presume, there
is no doubt that the former is his real le-
gal owner. He seems tired of running
about, with no one to look after him,
while at the same time he is slave. He
says, grinningly, that he could make
thousands of dollars, if allowed, by trav-
cling over the country and telling who
he is.
MAPLE SuGAR-An enormous amount
of maple sugar is being made In the East