Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-01-27
g Daily J'ir9iniaa.
From Morris and WiIlis's Home journal.
The Night Funeral of a Slave

hour of my journey, had pursued my wny. My
tired companion pricked his ears. and with
low whinny indicated his pleasure, us | turned
up ;he broad avenue leading to tho house, Calling
to black boy in view, | badc him inquire of his
owner If / could be acconm odalod with lodgings
Tor the night.
My request brought thu proprietor himself to
the door, and from thence to the gatc, when after
II sctutinizirE glance atmy person aud equipments
he inquired my name business. and destination,
| promptly responded to his questions, and he in
vited me Ia aght and enter the house, in the true
spirit oi southern hospitality
He was apparently thirty years of nge.and cvi-
IDENTITY II man OF education and refinement. soon
observed an AIR of gloomy abstraction about him;
he said but htllc, and even that litto seemed the
result OF effort 10 obyia,c the seeming want oi
c.y,lity IT, Stranger. Al supper the mistress ot
the mansion appeared, aud did tho honors Of the
table. III her particular Department.; she was ex
ccedln,lv lady like and beautiful only 'oaftfra
uonen ARE, that il beyond comparison with those
uf any other portion OF tins republic have ever
seen. sac fciircl Immediately ntrr supper, nnd
n servant landing some splendid lnbannas on II
small sivcrtrav,w we hnd just seated ourselves com
fortahy before tho enormous fro OF onk wood when
II servant appeared IL, the end door my hest,
hat IN hand aud uttered in sublued but distinct
tones the, tn me, startling words
"Mnstcr de coffin hab come
.Ncrv well " VAS the only reply. and the ser
want DISAPPEARED.
Ny hos, remarked my 6nzo of inquislisc Won
der, aud cplic! To- it.
IL have reen very sad" said he, to-day. !
have had a greater misfortune hnn hayc cxpc-
riencel since NY fathers death. lostlhis morn
ing tho truest and most reliable friend ! had III
the worlu--ohe whom ha,o been accustomed t.
honor and respect since my earliest recollection,
he was the pln,m Of nay fathers youth, and
the mentor of mine faithful servant, an honest
mnn, and n sincere Christian | stood by his bod
side To- lay, and. with his hands clnSrcd III mine,
heard the last words no uttered. they wcrc,--
Master meet me III Heaven.
His voice iaitered IA moment. nul he CON
tnued, after a pause, with increased excite
mnni:--
Ills loss isn melancholy one to me- II | left
my home | snd to HIM. John. sec TINT all things
are taken care Of and know that my wife and
child, property and all. were IA safe NJ though
they wcrc guarded hy an hundred soldiers
! never .pnka harsh word To HIM IN NIL my lit'.
for lie never merel it. have bundled others,
mdny of them faithful and true, bu, his loss is lr-
rcparable."
/ come FROM n section of the Union where slave
nv docs not exist and rought with me all the
,reiudiccs whic!, generally prevail in the free
States in REGARD to this "iuS;.:uton.' Ind al
ready seen enough to soften these, bat the OBJ
scryntion Of years would have failed TO give
me- SO clear an insig ght into the relation be-
tween master aud servant ~ this simple Incl
dent II WAS not the naughty planter the lordly
tyrant tnlkin. of his dead slave, rs Of his dead
ll,rse; but tia kind hearted gentleman, lamcntng
the loss, and onloSzing the virtue, olhis good old
friend.
A rtcr an interval of silence, my host re umed-
'rhcrc are" sail he. ''many of'thc old mans
relatives and friends who would wish 10 attend hls
funeral II afford them opportunity. several
rlantatiuu~ hnFe been notified that he viii b" hu
rieA to N lht: sume, presume, have AREA y nrr
we'd: and de -irng to see that MI things nfe prop
crlv prepared fr his internent. tust ynu Will
excuse my absence fora few moments
Most certainly. sir; but" | ad tel, I'll there
is no improrrey | would be pleased to acc lm!a
ry YOU
There Is aeno ."hc teplicl and rl1gal him
TO one Ola aGs If cabins, situated NJ tic dIs.
tancn If some ,h'cc hundred yards from ihr man
sion. The house WIS crowded with ncgr,cs. who
oil arose rn our entrance. and many ut tltm c1-
changed ,rrrtiurs with my ho.t. in tncs That
convinced ne that HcH fH that hc wa- an object
# sympathy from Hcmi The corpse drro,
ilel in the cri6u, a'tircd IN shruul or te inct
ct IN ma ,yia,-, and the coffin Itself painted
Ink.
The master .torpcI at itS head; and laying his
hand upon 'ho cold brow of hi faithful londsrnan,
gazrd long AMI intcntly npon feature, with "hich
he had been 50 luug familiar and which he now
eyes nj length and gancing ut tho serious coun-
tcnance bent upon his. he said snlemnly and
with much feeling
.,IIc was faithful servant and a true Christian
if YOU follow his pie ,ani live as he lived none
If you nccl fear when the time comes Tor you to
lay here" :.
A patriarch. with the snow Of eighty winters on
his hend answered.
Master IL is true and we vii! try 10 live like
him
There was murmur Of general assent, and
after giving some instructions relative 10 the hu-
rial, we returned to the dwelling.
About nine O'clock servant APPEARED with the
notice that they were ready to move, and to know
if further ins'ruciions were necessary. My host
remarked to ME, that by stepping into the pinzza,
| would probably witness. to me, n novel scene.
The procession had moved, and it's route led with
in few wards ofthc mansion. There were Mt
least one hundred and fifty negroes, arranged
four deer. and following wagon in which was
placed the coffin: dewn the entire length Of tho
line, at intervals If a few feet on each side. were
cnrred torches of the resifous pine, and here
called light wood. About the centre was station
ell the black preacher, man of gigantic frame
and stentorian lungs who gave out from memory
the words of n HYMN suitable to the occasion---
The Southern negroes are proverbial for the mel
ody and compass Of their voices, and Thought
that hymn, melowed by distance, tho most solemn
upon my ear. The stiffness of the night and
strength of their voices enabled me to distinguish
the air Mt tho distance of half mile.
1t was 70 me strange and solemn scene, and
no incident of my life has impressed me with
more powerful emotions than tho night funeral of
the poor negro. For this reason | have hastily
and most mperiecty sketchcd its leading features.
Previous to retiring to my room, saw III the
hands of daughter Of the lady at whose house
stopt for the night, a number of The lloME jour
NAE, and it occurred to me to send this to your
paper, perfectly Indifferent whether it be publish
ed or not. ! am but brief soiourncr here.
shall return to my Northern home deeply impress