New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-01-23
Some Notes of the Life of n Woman who
Died ut the Age Of 125 Yenrs.

Some Notes of the Life of a Woman who
Died ut the Age OF 125 Years.
From the Alton QiL) Courier, January 4,i,l
On the 18th of last month there died within
short distance of this city negro woman, prob
ably 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
LIS years, and We incline to the opinion, founded
upon all the information that can be obtained, that
it was between 125 and 1876. In person she was
tall and muscular, quite as stoutly built as most
men, OF unusually strong and vigorous mind, with
great stock of practical common sense and an
undercurrent Of quaint, poetical feeling. She re-
tanned nearly full possession Of all her faculties up
to within four or five years.
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 earli-
est recoections were of Charleston, in that State
which she remembers as a smart village, instead of
the great city it is. She grew up on the plan
tation, not in the house-feld work being her task
so long as she was slave.
An old historian says that in 1871, a few years
anterior to her birth, Charleston was place of
700 houses. 1t was chartered as city in 1855
Granny Wilson related that short time after she
became the mother of her fourth child, the town
was attacked by party of French and Indians,
and that quite number of the inhabitants were
killed or wounded, add number of houses burned.
She was, during her life, the mother of twelve or
thirteen children-by two husbands 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 called Uncle
Buck. The story of his life indsselubly connect
ed with that of his mother. He is generally ac-
knowledged to be about so years ofage, but was
designated as 1.-THE Boy" by her till the day of
her death. When he was mere lad, perhaps six
or eight years of age the then owner of his mother
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 Cumberland Shoals. y
While descending, their boats grounded in passing
over the shoals, and they were attacked by party
of the Indians at that time infesng the neighbor-
hood. 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 manhood. They
were traded from tribe to tribe, and appearto have
reached point many hundred miles west OF the
Mississippi.
There was then French fort on the western
side of the river, and on the eastern side, q few
miles below, an American station, which had been
recently established. 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 gar
rison; when the old woman hid herself near the
bank, and Buck made circuit round SO as to reach
the river above the fort This he did unobserYed.
He took to the water, fioated down close along BY
the Shore and succeeded in cutting loose, from
almost under the eyes of the sentnels patroling up
and down, a canoe. He drew this 90 or 100 yards
before he was discovered Being fired at, he
sprang into il and pulled for dear life, steering for
the eastern bank at point about mile above the
station of the American garrison. He was vigor-
ously pursued, but succeeded in reaching the shore
some distance ahead of his pursuers Leapng out,
he sank the canoe, and hid himself. They searched
some time for him, but not finding him, rowed
back When they were all oft, he raised the canoe,
and proceeded down to the American fort. To
this he gained admission, and from it he went for
his mother and was successful IN bringing her
over. They were now again with the whites.
Shortly afterward treaty was formed with the
Indians. in accordance with the provisions of which
the old woman and her boy were sold. For pc
Rod of twenty-five or thirty years succeeding her
life appears to have been that of the generality OF
slave women in old age-her masters home beng
in or near Memphis.
Buck, "the boy seems to have been employed
considerably as a river hand. He was in service
on boat which was lying at New Orleans about
the time of the famous battle at that city IN the
last war with Great Britain, and was sent by his
master to serve on that eyentfnl occasion, and yet
bears marks of the wounds received in the con-
flict. Later he was in demand at memphis ana
other places as an MISUNDERSTANDING acquired
the Indians He also often had occasion to act as
guide to parties exploring or hunting in the country
west of the Mississippi. He gained ms IS. freedom
about the wear 1886 or 1881. Having built CABIN
on the Arkansas side of the river, nearly opposite
Memphis, the owner of his mother gave her to
him and he took her home. She was then some
thing over ninety years ofage and he had also pc
come what might be called an old man. Uncle
Buck was, at this time, as he had been for some
years, quite an important parsonage IN ana around
Memphis His personal presence was such as TO
command respect and even awe from al the
Younger blacks, and his services as guide and in
}ernrefer, combined with his known spirit, gave
him a standing with the whites not usually ae=
corded to persons of his race.
Granny Wilson was almost universally known,
and was an especial favofte among the river men.
Dnrno the years of her residence with her boy
on the Arkansas SIDE it was her custom TO be often
taken across the river that she might sit On the
wharf and receive the notice and small charities OF
the steamboat captains and others. Uncle Buck 8
cabin was not far from lake much resorted to for
fishing purposes and many were the people VINO
called to pay their respects to the Old woman then
reputed to be about hundred years ola. IN lss9
this home was left, and Uncle Buck came 70 TINS
city. In the latter part oil lSao OF carry Ill ioaI Gnu
Granny followed. ,,...,
Since coming here, the old negress has lived with
Uncle Buck and his family, ahd has received no
small degree of consideration at the hands of a
number Of our citizens. She was baptized, and
united with the African Church OF this CITY, some
tffeen mr. sixteen years ago. She has never known
mncb sickness, and died at length OF old age
going ont to the unknowniaad quietly and gently
as the day fades away into night.
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