Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-02-10

directed the letter to be published.
This same Gen. George w. Jones ex
u. S. Senator, ex Minister TO South Amer
ica and democratic lion of the West
rought the first colony of negroes to
Grant county, eight or ten of them; and
turned them loose; true, he afterwards
tried 10 re-ensla9e them but failed. He
brought them to Grant near 80 years ago.
jeff DAVIS, then Lieutenant in the
Regular service, and Gen. Jones, po,itis
clan, came to the West about the year 49,.
and brought several negroes along. Davis
came to drive off the miners from Dubuque
and protect the Indians. Dodge was
among them and the trio were a unit poit-
ically. They associated with no Others
bur their negroes, some of whom were
quadroon women.
ANOTHER DEMOCRATIC NEGRO COLONY.
The MitchelIs at PIatteville brought the
next family Of negroes to Grant county,
from Missouri. The old father was a
preacher end the young Mitchels were
preachers-all as pro-slayery and demo
cratic as the devil Rev Jim Mitchell went
!
to Missouri, some years ago and married
a plantation Of negroes and a wife; the
last heard be was a rebel Captain. Rev.
Frank Mitchell is also in The rebel army,
said to be Colonel in Arkansas.
MORE COLONIES OF THE SAME SORT.
The Oldhans next brought colony of
negroes to Potosi. These Odhams We're
great pro-slavery democrats. The papers
lately reported one Of them hung in Mis-
souri, for treason.
Next, the Woolfolks, pro-slayery wings,
brought small colony Of negroes from
Missouri.
In As or '46, Merritt and Henry Rice
brought another small colony Of negroes
from Missouri. They were pro-slayery
democrats, very hard ones
In 80 or 81, William Homer settled a
colony Of colored people several miles west
of Lancaster-the freed property of bis
aunt who entrusted them to him for settle
ment in the West, inasmuch as the laws Of
Virginia are intolerant toward freed people.
This William Horner is at present on
Gen. Wise Staff in the rebel army of Vir-
ginia. He was formerly Captain of reb-
ell cavalry, and, it is said, sold all his ne
groes and applied the money, $4,000, to
aid the confederacy. He was while citi-
zen of Grant County. powerful democrat,
and always argued that intelligence and
cap tai should own and control the labor
ing classes; also. that northern prejudice
against amalgamation was unfortunate, in
asmpch as the process insured that improve
ment of the races for strength and endur-
ance which seemed so essential for hard
service. Not that his democratic senti-
ments were obi ,cted to, but that he was
!coo enough to express them befQre the
public, were facts which made him nnpop-
uar SO that hecoud not get any Office.
The Horner colored people are fuiat-
tos, are noted for industry, upright con
duct, morality and bushes habits having
accumulated considerable property Ia
the school district where they reside, most
Of the inhabitants are Irish democrats, but
we learn there is not dissenting voice
against the colored children attending thC
public schools. There ss0ra.So Z oS
democratic leaders in the district to rouse
UP prejudice against them, and no poll
ticians since Homer left.
Just before the breaking out Of rebel
lion. a fine old Missouri gentlemen, Col
Ross, arrived at Potosi with near twenty
negroes, which he brought from that Stat
and freed after bis arrival. He brough
them to free Wisconsin to find them homes
and where each could be the owner o
himself and home. From what we leaFl
his motives have been philanthropic Will
the Dodges. Joneses, Mitchells, Odhams
Rices and Horners had different motives i
bringing their negroes north.
A coLoRED DEMOCRATIC CITIZEN.
In the year 50 thare came man fro1
Canada, and settled in Grant county, maj
ried an intelligent white lady, is sJ A JEesnffl
able ,eefr a Justice Of the peace AMI bel
several town Offices, has always voted th
democratic ticket-we think to evade sus
! picion Of bis blood, which is we think
, fourth African. In convention with hir
soma time ago, protested to be not certai
whether quarter breed or octoroon. Fl
escaped With his mother from their Virgin
ia mistress when he was but twelve year;
old; he was the son of bis master, and il
now a lawful slave-if he could be 90
hold of. The circumstances are known
but to ourself and one other person in til,
county, and the secret is as safe as it treas
ured with tho Aluiishty so far as we are
concerned.
GENERAL REMARKS.
These several colonies have each proved
a nucleus to attract colored people from
the south; there may be 100to $50 blacks
Of all shades in the county---shaded befor,
they came here, for we have never hearc
ola case of amalgamation among then
,ince their arrival. So far as we know
previous TO the war no coIored people were
ever brought to the county or encouraged
to come by republicans or abolitionists
Since the war the colored colonies have in.
eraaca1. inJaad e{rono.a IInaI.s ara coar