The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1864-09-22
family 9purnx, 9motta gots gitatar sgnus and 8ws


Read, Levers of slavery.
The following letter Illustrating the
cruel.ies Of slavery was written BY w.
Penn Clarke, Of Iowa CITY, pay master
in the army. 2 .
A CITIZEN FoHIo IN SLAVERY
Louisville, KY, Sept. 8, 1864.
Eos. Gov When il vicksburg,
Miss, some weeks since, engaged in
my cfacial da,ics, observed colored
| man about the house 1t which l board
ed, engsgcd in carpentering. One
evening while he was making some re.
pairs about my room, he handled his
tools an well and did 'he work so neatly
that was tempted to make some in
qniries about him. put the question
to him whether he was slave, and he
answered me that he had been slave
sixteen or eighteen years. As he was
apparently about forty years Of age.
this answer somewhat surprised me,
and inquired how came that to be SO !:
In response, he gave me the following
history Of himself THAT his name is
Fleming Davis. born in Cincinnati and
the son Of Benjamin Davis, who, abou,
twenty years ago, lived on Main street
near large warehouse occupied by N.
p. Iglcl.art. His father kept . store
either in the hnuse in which he resided
Or near by. He went on to describe
the location Of the store aud warehouse,
which Was familiar to me, az about that
Il ne resided in Cincinnati myself, and
knew Mr.. Iglehart. Hc had learned
the trade Of cabinetmakcr, with a man
named Henry Tune, who kept q shop
on the canal near the warehouse above
referred 10. He further stated tha,
sixteen or eighteen years ago, he and
an older brother, named Coving Davis.
-thcy being then young mcn-went
one Sunday over to Cov,ngton KY, and
attended Baptist Association about
three miles back Of lat town. In the
evening, after the services, the two
went home with SOME colored girls
about Eve miles down the Ohio, and
while there, they were kidnapped and
taken to Warsaw-from there TO New
Liberty, and there sold to q negro
trader named Sam Carson, who took
them to Vicksburg. They were ironed
and whipped for insisting they were
treemen. At Vicksburg they were sold
in front of "Gcnella's Store"-a place
we'll known to all who have been in
Vicksburg-snd bought BY man nam
ed N. Bachelor, now captain in the
rebel army. The two brothers con.
timed in the service of Bachelor till
after the rebellion broke ont. The
Batchellor then resided on Black river,
in the rear Of Vicksburg. about three
miles from Bovine Station, on the Char
lesion Railroad, where he owns about
5000 acres Of land, and before the wsr
kept about l25 slaves. When Fleming
was taken 10 the home Of Ills new
master, he found that he could rot live
- the other slaves did. He had been
used to better quarters, 40 he went to
work as,d made ledstead for himself
When he was about putting il togesher,
Ba,chellor happened to ride up and
seeing it, inquired who made that
Fleming answered that he did, and then
told Bachelor that he was . freeman,
and had learned his trade in Ohio.
Upon this BAschellos threatened him
with ,panishment If hs talked to people
about being . freeman. or endcavored
to escape, aud asked him II b could
huilA a house. He then told Fleming
that It he would boss the Job OF building
new house. As wonla furnish him all
the hands he needed, and give him s25
per month for his own use. Fleming
built the house keeping his brother with
him as one of his hands. and after that
was compieted, his master hired him
on', al osev tho country. As = carpenter,
realizing from e75 te tlo0 per month
feom lin labor. Fleming states that in
the hope ofsomc day making his escape
and being able 10 return to his family,
he rremaised siagle tin year or 90 be
fore the rebellion, when he married, and
hcIhas nov I wifs and two children.
llis brcthec Cosing is now in the Union
army, hut Fleming could not state II
what regiment. When our troops
marched in this rear Of Vioksburg the
Two brDlhera. left BAtchellob and ~
mained With rho army. workieg for our
officers until our troops entered Vicks-
burg. Since 16at iiue he has been
following his trade in Vicksburg. He
| is nov very anxious to iscestsin whstAss
- $50 Is aa4E y " sa sf-af aHE