The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-04-17
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
WlSeFIIANEOuS.

DlStFlIANEODS.
From the st. Louis News, Aprls
THE ORIGINAL DRED A SCOTT
RESIDENT OF ST. LOUIS-sKETCH
OF HIS HISTORY.
rhe distinguished colored individ
nal who has made such a noise in th,
world in the case Of Scott against San
ford, who has become SO tangled NJ
with the Missouri Compromise anc
other great subjects--Dred Scott, is .
resident, not citizen, of st. Louis
He is we'll known to many ofour citi
zens, and may frequently be seen pas,
ing along Third street. lie is an old
inhabitant, having come to this city
thirty years ago.
bred Scott was born in Virginia
where lie belonged to Capt Peter
Blow, the father OF Henry G. 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 ol
DIR. Emerson, surgeon in the army,
whom he accompanied on that trip to
Rock Island ..and Fort Smelling, on
Ill. ground OF which lie b,.sed hi.
claim to freedom. The wife Of DR.
Emerson was formerly Miss Sanford,
and is now Mrs. Chatiee, wife oil Hon
Mr.. Chaffee, OF Massachusetts. lie
has been married twice, his first wife,
by whom he had children, having
beer sold from him. He has had
four children by his present wife--twc
loys, both dead, and two girls, botll
livin &. bred was at Corpus Christie at
the breaking ont OF the Mexican war,
as the servant of Captain Bainbrilge,
whom he speaks Of as u good man
On his return from Mexico he ap-
piled to his mistress, Mrs. Emerson,
then living near st. Louis, for the pur-
chase ofhimselt and family, Offering
to pay part Of the money down, and
give an eminent citizen ofSt Louis,
an officer in the army, as security tor
the payment OF the remainder. His
mistress refused his proposition, and
bred being informed that he was en-
titled to his freedom by the operation
ofthe laws regulating the Northwest
Territory, forthwith, brought suit ior it
The suit was commenced about ten
years ago, and has cost Drsd $500 in
cash, besides labor to nearly equal
amount. | has given him heap OF
trouble he says, and fhe had known
that it was going to last so long he
would not have brought it. The suit
was defended Cy Mr. John Sanford, as
executor of DR.. Emerson's will.
Dred does not appear at all discour
aged by the issue Of the celebrated
case, although ii dooms him to slavery
lie talks about the affair with the ease
of a veteran litigant, though not ex-
actly in technical language, and is
hugely tickled at the idea Of finding
himself parsonage Of such impor.
tance. He does not take on airs,
however, but laughs heartily when
talking Of de fuss dey made 'dar in
Washington 'bsut de old niger
he is about fifty years old, we
should think, though he does not
know his own age. Heis Of unmixed
African blood, and as Hack as a pieco
Of charcoal. For two or three years
past he has been running at large, no
one exercising ownership over him,
orputting any restraint upon his move
ments. If he were disposed to make
the attempt, he could gain his free
dom at a much les cost than even
one.tenth of the expense Of the famous
suit. He viii not do SO, however, in
,isting on abiding by the principles
involved in the decision OF the suit
He declares that he will stick to his
mistre ess so long as no lives. His
daughters, Eliza and Lucy, less con-
seientitus about the matter, took ad-
vantage oiLthe absence ofrestraint on
their movements, year or two since
to disappear, and there whereabouts
remain mystery, - -....
Dred, though illiterate, is not ig-
norant. He has travelled consider
ably, and has improved his stock OF
strong common sense by much infor-
nation picked up in his journeyings.
He is a. .xious to know who owns him
beirg ignorant whether he is the pro,
pe:ty OF Mrs. Cbadee, or Mr.. Sanford
though we presnme, there no doubt
that the former is his real legal OWL
er 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
travelling over the country and tel,
ling who he is.