Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-04-17
The Original Dred Scott n Resident of st.
LOuls--Sketch of His History.
From The St. Louis News, April s.


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 subjects-Dred
Scott case-is, a resident not citizen, of
st. Louis He is well known to many of
our citizens, and may frequently be seen
passing along Third street. He is an old
iuhabitant, having come to this city thirty
years ago.
Dred Scott was born in Virginia, where
he belonged to Captain Peter Blow, the
father of Henry G. Blow and Taylor Blow
of this city. He was brought by his mas
ter 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 Smelling, on the
ground of which he based his claim to free
dom. The wife of DR.. Emerson was form
erly Miss Sanford, 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
by his present wifc-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 Captain
Bainbridge whom he speaks of as ''good
man."
On his return from Mexico, he applied 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 give an eminent citizen of st.
Louis, an officer in the army, as security for
the payment of the remainder. His mis-
tress refused his proposition, and Dred be-
ing Informed that he was entitled to his
freedom by the operation of the laws regu-
lating the North West Territory, forthwith
brought suit for it. The suit was commonc-
ed about ten years ago, and has cost Dred
$500 in cash, besides labor to nearly equal
amount. 1t has given him cheap o troub-
To-" he says, and if he had known that sit
was gwne to last so long" he would not
have brought it. The suit was defended by
Mr. John Sanford, as executor of DR.. EN-
ersons will.
Dred does not appear at all discouraged
by the issue of the celebrated case, although
it dooms him to slavery. He talks about
the affair with the case of a veteran litgant
though not exactly in technical language
and is hugely tickled at the idea of finding
himself a parsonage of such Importance
He does not take on airs, however, but
laughs heartily when talking of ode fuss
dey mako dar in Washington bout do OLE
niger"
He is about ifty-fye years old, we should
think, though he does not know his owr
age. He is of unmixed African blood, and
as black as piece Of charcoal. For two
or three years past he has been running a
large, no ono exercising ownership owe
him, or putting any restraints upon hi
movements. If be were disposed to maxi
the attempt, he could gain bis freedom at
much less cost than even one-tenth of tn,
expense Of the famous suit. He declare
that he will stick to his mistress as long a
he lives. His daughters, Eliza and Lucy
less conscientious about the matter, took ad
vantage Of the absence of restraint on thei
movements, year or two since, to disaE
pear, and their whereabouts remains mys
Z terry.
Dred thought iIliteratc, is not ignorant
} He has Travelled considerable, and has i'm
proved his stock Of strong common sens
by much information picked up in his jour
neyings. He is anxious to know who own
) him, being ignorant whether he is the proI
erty Of Mrs. Chaffee or Mr.. SanforC
, thorgh, we persumc, there is no doubt thi
the former is his legal owner He seen
tired of running about with no one to loo
after him, while at tho same time he is
slave. He says grinningly, that he coul
make thousands Of dollars, If allowed, /
: travelling over the country and telling wi
Q be is.
5 The Dubuque and Pacific Railroad G