The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-13
OMcial Transfers Of Real Estate Yesterday.
TRANSFERS IN NEW YogK CITY
AN EXTRAORDINARY crNrEnASIAN.
The Oldest Man In Ohio md What He Re.
members.

From the Cincinnati Tlmesl
Through the kindness OF Mr.. J. II. Woodruff over
seer Of the poor In the Fourteenth ward, we were
recently introduced to a wonderful specimen Of lon
gevity In the person OF coiored man named Robert
Smith, who resides with his daughters the north
side OF Sixth street. between Plum ana Central av-
enue In going into the house we met very old.
gray headed ncgress who In response to our inquiry
II she the wife OF Mr.. Smith. satd:-'.0h, bless
your heart, massa. no. Use his child; and II you viii
Wis sit down mint Ill send for the old man. Com
plying with her request we only had TO wait few
moments. when the old man came In. After few
inquiries regarding his health, &C., We gained the
following facts connected with his history, which
give. as nearly as possible, In his own language
al was born In Virginia, between Richmond and
Fredericksburg. but In what year cannot say only
that know that was some thirteen years OF age
when my massa said that We would have to hide the
bosses In the swamps, as there was going TO be n
war with the Old country, and have often taken the
bosses into the swamps when massa supposed that
the Britishers were near. About the time the war
Kentucky. taking me along with him. I forgot TO
say that have been told that when was six weeks
old my mother was sold TO some planter beyond the
Blue Ridge Mountains. and that ] never saw her
afterward. cannot recollect my father, a. he was
sold South when was very young: For two or
three years before was taken from Virginia was
the properly of a slave trader named Craig. who
often took me away down South when he went to
trade In niggers; but for what purpose cannot
"General' Washington and his army in going to
Yorktown passed right In front OF the farm where
was born, and remember the white people going
to see him, although never saw him myself that
recollect. was living In old Kantuck when We
fought the Brshers In 1917, but was 700 OLD TO be
drafted as o soldier being as nearly a. can now
recollect about hty years old at that time. MY VIE
died In Lexington, ky some five years since At the
age of ninety-nine We had twenty-four children;
this one by my side, who Is now eighty odd, being
the Oldest and she has been the mother oil thirteen
children and SO many grand and great grand chill
dren that cannot tell them all. AZ myself and wife
were both slaves. most OF our children on becoming
old enough, were sold SOUTH and OF course i never
heard OF them again. MY old massa was very kind,
for when the old woman and became so old that
we could not work any more he set us free by giving
us our enunciation temancIpat0nl paper ana allow
ing US to shift for ourselves.
1.-THE three children that know anything about
were sot free by Massa Linkum, whose picture You
see hanging up on the wall ober the bed. MY ole
woman and me lib togedder In the bonds OF fetlocks,
as near "a can now gether. mighty nigh on to
eighty years; for our frs chile dis gal heah was not
born FOR three or four Years after my marriage.