Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-12
From the Alton Courier, Jan. 4.
GRANNY BUCK.

oTEs OF THE LIFE OF WOMAN WHO DIED AT
THE AGE OF 1875 YEARS.
On the 18th of last month there died, within
short distance of this city, negro woman
probably the Oldest person in the state, and
perhaps in the country. Her real name was
Clara Wilson, but she has always been known
here as Granny Wilson or Granny Buck Her
exact age is not known, but it could not have
been much less than l25 years, and we incline
to the opinion, founded upon all the informa-
ton that can be obtained, that it was between
l24 and l26. In person she was tall and mus
cular, quite as stoutly built as most men, of
unusually strong and vigorous MUD with
great stock of practical common sense, and an
undercurrent Of quaint poetical feeling. She
retained nearly full possession of all her facul-
ties up to within four or five years.
Lately her memory was somewhat defective,
particularly in reference to matters of recent
occurrence; still, however, giving her COM
mand OF most facts Of twenty to seventy years
ago. She came to this neighborhood in 1910
or 4l--then over 100 years old-and from the
first, until three or four years ago. has had her
little garden, which she kept in as good condi-
ton as most people could at 70 years of age.
She has long used staff in walking yet to
the last when standing, was very little bent,
and OF somewhat commanding appearance
She was born and raised in South Carolina.
and her earliest recollections were of Charles
ton, in that state which she remembers as a
smart village, instead Of the great city it now
is. She grew up on the plantation, not in the
house, field work being her task so long as she
was slave.
We have but fragments of her long life,
leaving many a gap which cannot be filed
An old historian says that in 1871, few years
anterior to her birth, Charleston was a place
OF about 700 houses. 1t was chartered as a
city lii 1888. Granny Wilson related that a
short time after she became the mother of her
fourth child, the town was attacked by party
OF French and Indians, and that quite num-
Der of the inhabitants were killed or wounded,
and number of houses burned. During the
progress of the conflict her master was shot
and died in her arms. She, with others,
fell into the hands of the attacking par-
ty. The date of this foray cannot be
definitely fixed. We have not been able
to find mention of it in any history at our
command; but the best information at hand
induces us to place it between the years 1856
and 1853. How long she was retained by her
captors, whether for years, or only for months,
cannot be learned. Certain it is that she
again lived in or near Charleston, for number
OF years, doing regular service as a common
field hand.
She was, during her life, the mother of
All were born during her plantation life in
Carolina; and nothing is known of any of them
except the youngest, Buck, who now lives
near here, and is known as Uncle Buck The
story of his life is indissolubly connected with
that Of his mother. He is generally acknowl-
edged to be about 80 years of age but was
designated as "The Boy" by her till the day
of her death. When he was a mere lad, per-
haps six or eight years of age, the then owner
of his mother and himself, with his family,
consisting of his wife and several married
children, with their wives and husbands, and
quite number of slaves or servants, migrated
from Carolina, bound for the country now
comprised in Western Tennessee. 1t appears
that the party took the Tennessee river some
distance above what is known as the "Cumber-
land Shoals" While descending, their boats
grounded in passing over the shoals, and they
were attacked by party of the Indians at that
time intestng the neghborhood. All the
whites of the company were killed, and those
of the blacks who did not share the same fate
were borne off by the Indians. Among those
in the latter class were Granny Wilson and
her boy Buck. Their captivity was of such
length that the boy grew to the full stature of
b manhood. They were traded from tribe to
tribe, and appear to have reached a point
many hundred miles west of the Mississippi
The woman's heart was never at rest; con.
tinually she onged to return to the regions
of the whites. AS the boy grew up she filled
his mind with accounts Of her former life,
which appeared very desirable to her as
compared with Indian servitude, gradually
preparing him for the day which she firmly
believed must come. And come it did. He
had been of mans stature for some years,
when she learned that they were then living
but about forty miles from the Mississippi
In direction nearly west of the present site
of Memphis. There was thena French fort
on the western side of the river, and on the
eastern side, a few miles below, an American
station, which had been recently estab-
lished. Buck had need of but little urging
to attempt an escape from the Indians. With
his mother, at night he started They struck
the river short distance below the French
garrison: when the old woman hid herself
near the bank, and Buck made circuit rounl
SO as to reach the river above the fort This
ne uid unobserved. He took to the water,
noated down close along by the shore, and
succeeded i'll cutting loose, from almost under
the eyes OF the sentines patrolling up and
uowh, canoe. He drew this 90 or 100 yards
peloIe ne was discovered Being fred at, he
sprung i'ilo IL ana pulled for dear life, steering
Tor The eastern bank Mt a point about n mile
above the station Of the American garrison
lie was vigorously pursued, but succeeded IN
reaching the shore some distance ahoad of h;s
pursuers. Leaping out he sunk the canoe. and
hid himself. They searched for some time me-,
but not finding him, rowed back. When thew
were all of, he raised the canoe, and proceed.
ed down to the American Fort. To this ha
gained admission, and from it he went for his
mother, a I'd was successful in bringing her
over. They were now again with the whites.
Shortly afterwards a treaty was formed with
the Indians, in accordance with the provisions
OF which the old woman and her boy were
sold. For period of twenty five or thirty
years succeeding, her life appears to have been