Clayton herald. (Clayton, Del.) 1867-1870, 1869-06-26
An Aged Woman Redeemed From
&InVapV

The Cincinnati Chronicle tells the story, OF
Rebecca Whale, aged sixty eight years, VINO,
having passed all her days iii the bond SER
vice of another, even since the emancipa-
ton of her race, has still remained in bon
dage to her former master, ignorant OF her
freedom, until released one week ago by q
daughter whom she had not seen for a peril
cd of over twenty years. The mother and
daughter arrived in Chicago last week.
Upon plantation in the neighborhood of
LeXington,- KY, the old woman was porn
and raised, and upon the same plantation
she has lived and toiled for the Coleman FAM
lily, and was the chattle OF James Coleman
when the war burst upon the country.
In the year 1925 Rebecca was married to
George Whale, a tield-hand on the same
plantation, and in tho course OF time Two
sons and two daughters were born. Inc 10
nestle relation had to be sacrificed to the Gu
pidity of their master, and the child en- We're
separately'sold from time to time to purcha-
serS from below. The husband died, anu tne
only remaining solace and hope of the de-
spondent widow was the younger child AL
| ice, sprightly girl of twelve years, but sne
at length was sold to Louisiana planter III
the fail of 1917; since which time the poor
| widowed and chiidless slave knew nought OF
her offspring until sought out and restored
| to liberty by her younger daughter. The
poor slave grew old in servitude, and pinned
beneath her load of sorrows, but being skill
| full i'll the art of cooking she was ind1spensa-
BILE in the Coleman household.
When the storm of secession swept through
| the State the Colemans espOused the rebel
| cause and suffered the destruction and CON
| tScat1On OF their paUrlmOnl0l estate db Oile
hands of others. The family removed mum
Der of miles into the interior, remote from
the city, taking with them the old family
servant, who was taught to believe, even ar
ter the final emancipation, that the negroes
were still in bondage.
When the Union troops swept through the
State of Louisiana and announced freedom
TO the blacks, among the first who availet
themselves to enter the Union lines was AL
ice Whale, the daughter above referred to-
In the capacity of cook she became attached
| IN Rppimppt
the yicissitudes of that command until thu
close of the struggle, when she was induced
by some of the officers to come TO chicago
Shortly after arriving here she became &c
quainted with David Payne, who had ais
been slave and been liberated by the wal
who she married in the fall of 1866. i,
Ever since her arrival in this city, Tn
daughter, who is more than ordinarily in
| teligent, has correspondent i'll all direction
in hopes of ascertaining the whereabouts q
her mother, brother, and sister, whom sh
had not seen nor heard of for nearly twent
7 years. The brothers were found to be i
. business in Ohio and Kentucky. but tn
, mother and sister were nowhere to DC tount
! Persisting, however. in her efforts, sh
learned one day last week that her mothe
was still held in bondage in the interior c
t kentucky.
i fastening at once to the place designated
G near the city of Lexington, she found tn
? story to be too true. Glad in rags, an
> bowed beneath the weight of years and IL
t Dor, the poor old woman still did the drudt
= cry for the family, and lived alone an
@ neglected in a miserable hovel near by u
! | family mansion, and Il bundle of straw al
u swered for her bed, and the many yeas
! faithful service was rewarded with accom-
modations unfit for the yilest cur. The o.
: lady knew not of her freedom until inform
ed thereof by the daughter sold from h
: twenty years before. The meeting OF mot
:. er and child was happy indeed.
u 1t is only necessary to add that the indu
u try of Mr.. Payne has accumulated q comp
l. tence, and the now happy family reside
Is No. 423 West Polk street, Chicago.