The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-01-12

came on board 10 sisit him, and John
vas borne 20 the shore n tbeir kind
arms across several Yqssels lying At tha
d ,ck. ior his cranpss position 50 many
days ri his place oi concealm NJ had
deprived him of she asa q lais limbs
The cook : hcrae sheltered hif- tai be
could walk, and be vas advised 10 call
on the Rev Mr. rs. who found him
boarding placo ior fortnight and
thcn sent him up tho Hudson river,
paying bis passage - the steamboat.
and also gave him hitter Of .ntrodae-
ton to Rev. III, S., Of Troy. formor
|ly known in this vicinity Dir $ soon
forwarded him 70 Mr. c., Of Hoos-
lex Fails, and Mr. @ directed him TO
Mr. l. B., Of SALISBURY, After an
interval Of two weeks Mr.. Is. sent let
ter TO our venerable Judge Pettibone
by bis hands Gaal Deacon Hawkins,
some time since gone TO his rest, gave
him employment at his trade in this
village, and from thai time lie took up
his abode here.
When the climax of the war ca
the day on which The telegraphic wires
announced the Surrender Of Lee, The
intense joy of the land uttered iteslf,now
in paise, and now ia shouts Our bells
rang out their londest peals, banners
were held up amid professions formed
10 haste, and the echoes and re-eehoes
OF the cannons roar from our stable
mountains, was as voice proelaiming
the fulfillment of our hopes, the end Of
our fears. John had leave to ring his
bell all day, and his ordinary days wa
ges trebled by patriot friends TO permit
him to continue an exertion in which he
then truly delighted.
Last spring John learned that Mr..
7. Of our town was desiring to visit yir.
ginia and would probably go to Peters
burg.
Said John to him, / will tell you my
former name, and would you please to
make some inquiries, if possible, about
my formerly dear family, my wife and
the four children that | left there in
bondage. My Oldest daughter was sold
before / came away from them all, 80
years ago. The ready and sympathetic
respose was given by Mr.. r., and the
life burden Of a wronged heart was sud
denly lifted, as glimmer OF the long
desired tidings dawned on the weary
soul
Mr.. p, after many fruitless enquir-
les, in the neighborhood Of Petersburg
for some one remembering Cyrus
Branch, met at length an elderly color
cd couple at work in a field, who said
they belonged to the GaildGeld Baptist
/ church. John hal told him that he was
formerly a member Of this church, and
Mr., Z. deemed it his best course to send
a note to its Pastor by their hands.
On the following Sabbath, towards
the close of the services i'll the Guild
field church, Rev Mr. Williams, the
! pastor, said; / have information con-
cerning one, Cyrus Branch, formerly q
member OF this church his name be-
4 ing on the records. He was at that
time slave. Escaping from his mas
ter, after while lie made his way to
the Northern States nearly thirty years
since. Is there any one present who
owns relationship to him, or can give
any account Of the family he left be-
hind?
As he ceased to speak there was a pro-
found silence in the congregation Of 300
/ or 400 deyout worshippers. The elderly
+ people were gathering up their recol-
lections of the past, which included 30
years, ,dimned as they were by priyation,
afiiction and various sorrows. One
looked at another, when there arose
woman in the prime OF life, Who answer
ed audibly but tenderly, Cyrus Branch
was my father. He went away from us
when ! was five years old, as my moth
er told me, and we have not heard Of
him since What is your age now,
Mrs, Smith ?" asked the good man Il
ain 81 years old she replied. "Many
here knew my mother, who died last
summer. praised be the Lord" ex-
claimed the feeling pastor, "who deliy-
cred him from bondage. and has now
released him from al fear Of being re-
turned to it again, SO that he dares to
send Us word about himself, and look
for the kindred Of his earlier years. -
To which was responded hearty
I amen.
Many were the congratulations this
long -fatherless daughter received, as
friends and ne.gbbors gathered about
her; With hope renewed in some desc.
lated hearts, that they also might yet
Lear something Of their own dear ones,
hong separated freu themselves.
Mrs. Smith Immediately obtained o.
Ir. Williams, the address of Aer faith
q, and wrote to him letter under date
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