Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-25

was knCwn rs Demock Charlton and served NOR
than forty yeurs the slave of various parties
while he claims TO have been British subject an
entitled to British protection.
Our subject is now, as as we can judge o.
or % years of age, native of Kissee, peopled b,
tribe OF the same name, settled one OF the grea
rivers in the interior Of Africa or, he express
es it, away up on the fresh water" His nam
was Tallen at that time. When about II years o
age, war was declared against his tribe by tn
Mandigoes, who captured Kissee and took it's in
nabtants prisoners of war. Tallen with six othe
boys OF the same age, were mile or so from towr
at the TINA OF the battle, but were pursued and
taken prisoners. Ths,as we'll as he ca calculate
was in 1911 or 1912. The prisonets, of which
there was large number were all sent down t
the coast, and sold to slave dealer Tn,
SLAYER was chased and captured by an English wal
brig,
4 The prize and her cargo we're taken to England
where the Africans generally were sent ashore
until they could.be properly disposed of. Tallen
however, who had in the meantime been christ
ened John Bull' on board the British vessel, was
sent to the British brig Peacock, to serve
cabin-boy. AT this time the war between the
United States and Great Britain in progress
and some time afterward the Peacock was engag
cd in action by the little American schooner, Ilor
net, commanded by the gallant Captain Lawrence
which, as will be remembered, speedily put her n
a sinking condition, and forced her crew tC
! surrender. This was on the Oath of February
! 1913.
Subsequently, our hero was sent to Savannah
Ca, in charge of Lieut.. VIM. Henry Harrison
from whence the latter was to take him to Wash
ington. Judge Charlton, of Savannah, proposed
to Harrison to leave Tallen, or "John Bull" with
him, promising that he would raise him for Uar.
rison. The latter declined relating the particu
lars of his history, and saying that he must take
the boy as prisoner of war to Washington, and
let Congress decide what should be done with
him. Judge Charleton then proposed to keep the
boy with him until he should be wanted at Wash
ington, promising Lieut.. Harrison that he
would send him on whenever he should write foi
him.
| With this understanding Harrison left the boy
with Judge Charlton. Two months afterwards,
Harrison sent for "John Bull" and Charlton re-
piled that the boy had dicd-which Of course end
ed the Lieutenant's interest in and for him
The authority for this statement was Judge Charl
toms waiting man body servant an old man
named Isaac. of whom John speaks in high terms
About the time this word sent to Washing
ton, Charlten called all his servants together and
forbade them strictly never to call Tallen John
BulP' again, but ordered them to call him Demock
Charlton, after himself--by which name he has
since been known.
! The next day after this occurrence, Charlton
sold him to a Faench tailor of Savannah, named
John p. Setz, who is still living at Augusta, Ca
Demock assorted that he FREQ and
could not be sold. Setz, in answer, said thai
3 Charlton bought clothes of him, and gave Dem
ock in payment, and again ordered him to sta,
where he was, and go to work.. The boy n,tcrn p'
Fl ed to run away but Setz caught and brought hin
r back.
AS the Frenchman had a store in Augusta, h
took Demock there. Thirteen months later h
sold him to Captain Dubois, who commando
of the Pulaski at the time of her wreck At tina
time he commanded the steamer Samuel Howard
but was building the General Washington to rur
between Savannah and Augusta and bought Dem
ock to 90 on board of her rs steward
! After living with Captain Dubois two years. the
latter sold him to Captain Davidson, of Savan
nah, who, in turn sold him to one VIM. Robinson
of the same city Democks superior nte
gence showed him that by hiring his time of his
master, and working for himself, be could save
money to purchase back the freedom Of which he
had been robbed. He formed his plans according
ly, and put them into execution, finding employ
ment as u experimenting stevedore, and earning
liberal wages in loading cotton for exportat which
! he seems to have been very successful. lie
arranged with Robinson to purchase himself Al
the price of $500. This he soon saved by hard
work and economy, paid the entire sum in cash
! and was then Immediately sent to Jail, and kept
there until his cruel master had found purchaser
to take him off his hands.
His next master proved to be James Carr, then
and now employed in the Planters Bank of Savan
nah. Demock ventured to express to Car the
hope he would not serve him as Robinson had
and related how vilainously he had been used by
him. Carr replied that Robinson was ID
scoundrel but that he would deal Justly with him
+ Thus encouraged, Demock again hired his time
and proceeded to toll once more fer liberty agree
ing with Carr that he should have the privilege
of purchasing himself at the price which was
Z paid to Robinson, which he supposed was 500
. At the time Of his purchase by Robinson, he car
ried the latter $500, and four months later gave
i him S400 more. Subsequently he ascortained
from Robinson that all Carr paid him was
! $3.50. Thus was the poor fellow again swindled
out Of the gold for which he had tOiled sc
faithfully.
In the meantime he had married slave woman
!. by whom he had two daughters. These al
u belonged to Mr.. Pratt, of Savannah, of whom
: Demock spePks very gratefully. Pratt finding
+ that he would be compelled to sell his servants
told Demock, and said he would sell them reason
} ably, to enable him to get some one to buy
them who would not send them off. Not having
| vet learned that his master had deceived him
Demock went to Carr, told him the case, and so
J. licted him to buy his wife and children, telling
s him that he had some little money-that it would
) probably cost $4,000 to make the purchase, anG
u that he would soon give him the balance. At thi'
time he had $780, earned in steyedoring, hid away
0 dollar by dollar, in tin buried in the earth
i This sym he carried to Carr, who purchased the
family.
When he met Mr.. Pratt afterwards, Democl
learned that he had sold the woman and children
= for 5000 only, and had received that sum from
Harr ana no more supposlng that he was giving
the difference between it and their actual value
j to the husband and father. Upon his asking Carr
what he had done with the 5000 balance, the lat
g ter laughed, told Demock that he had the money
, in Bank for him, and to say nothing to anybody
that he and his family were all free now, but t(
keep it to themselves, and live quietly with them
Thinking they were in reality free, and could
not be sent of again among strangers, at any
mans VIII, winch was what they most dreaded
lDemock and his wife remained under Carr
!. protection" quite contonted for many years
Finally, by representations made to his wife, Car
! caused a separation between the parties and her
p sold the father to Mr., Hudson, of Savannah thu
wife to Mr.. Cummings,and the children-of whom
there were now several--each to different pur
chaser, thus almost hopelessy breaking up tl
n family.
q To ihis time Demock had carefully concealed
from his masters his claims to liberty as a Brit
ish subject When Hudson bought him, Democ