Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-07
A HERO.
The Rendition of the Negro Sims-An
Unpublished Speculation as well
as Military Hero

- Wv
Lydia Maria Child writes the New York
Independent an interesting sequel to the
famous rendition case of the negro Sims,
at Boston, some years since, which reveals
at least one of the actors ihsthat disgrace
full occurrence in a new light, and shows
him to be u moral as well as political
hero:
Some months before the war broke out.
a friend showed me letters from Thomas
Sims, expressing ain earnest desire to OBJ
tain his freedom. His master had pro
missed TO let him buy himself for 81, 500.
1t was a large sum but l tried to raise it
by writing many letters, most of them to
persons more or less implicated in the
rendition of Sims. Many of the letters
were never answered others brought in
contributions. The Hon. John P. Bigelow,
who was Mayor of Boston at the time the
city was so deeply disgraced by that inhu-
man transaction, sent me $50, with ex-
pressions of regret that the law had COM
PEELED him to take such a course. A short
time after L commenced these operations,
| was astonished by the following note
from Worcester, Mass.
MRS. CHILD-I have heard that YOU
are trying to raise money to redeem
Thomas Sims from slavery. If YOU have
received any contributions, please return
them to the donors, as l wishto contribute
the entire sum myself.
Yours, respectfully,
CHARLES DEyENs, JR."
In making my applications, l had
lance to overlook Mr.. Devens, though
l knew he had acted as U. S. Marshal at
the time of the rendition of Sims. Ac-
cording to his request, 1 returned the con-
l had received and, in writing
to thank him, Informed him of the high
price demanded. He replied that the sum {
was subject to my order whenever l chose
to call for it, The feeling of indignation
which l formerly had against him was c
changed to respect and admiration but 1
when l wrote to him 1 could not refrain
from giving him a Little DsaSeo do OeSotIS-A
merely saying that he reminded me of the
in "Uncle Tom 20
There were impediments in the way of
communicating with Thomas Sims, and ]
before the affair could be safely arranged -
outbreak of civil war rendered 4
negotiations with SOutherners impractica- \
Die. Mr.. Devens, though well established -
Is a lawyer, Immediately volunteered his (
iervices for the defence of the country, and y
a Majors commission from Gov. =
Andrew. He is still in the army having Z
bravely through the war. He was L
everely wounded at Fair Oaks, and again
It Charlottesville, and IN numerous bat
les has fairly earned his present rank of L;
3revet Major General. L;
In a recent letter 10 me, he writes: at ri
S a satisfaction to me that l have had a =,
.easonably active part in 1.-THE great struggle vi
which has resulted in the emancipation of
II the slaves. L agree with you that suf- q
rage ought to be given to the negroes,
hough with certain restrictions as to edu- :
alton; the same restrictions being applied \
all white men who shall vote hereafter. I
he liberty of no race can be safe if de- lie
of this right as a race. Injustice,
'nowed by civil commotion, will be the q
levitable result of such a DEPRIVATION ~
Thomas Sims married after he was re-
lrned to slavery, and when the United
.ates army arrived in his vicinity he
'ntrived to convey himself, wife and
lid into their camp. When he again
rived in Massachusetts, General Devens
him, through me, a present of SlOO,
assist him till he could get into business.
call that man a true hero, in the highest
ID best sense of the term and think all
ur readers will agree with me.