New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-15
Death Of n Former Slave.

| The Albany Argus tells the following story
OF colored man who died in that city few
days since and was buried by the hand OF
| charity. He died friendless and alone-and
yet beneath his black skin there beat a pa-
triot's heart; he died unknown, and, yet he
rendered service to the Union army during
the late war which ought to have made his
name immortal:
"Old Uncle Jake" died in a back room
over stable in one of the alleys on the hill,
Some friends bought him plain coffin, and
had him buried quietly. No paper announced
his death, and the unfeeling neighbols said
they were glad the old niger was gomez
Beneath the dark exterior and repulsive form
of that old man was a heart as true in its
sympathy and conscience as pure in its
motives rs ever graced the human form. A
diamond OF the purest water, passing I'M
noticed through the earth, to hang resplend-
ent in the masters crown hereafter. One
dreary night in September, 1863, a company
OF the Fourteenth Vermont infantry was on
picket duty in pine swamp near Newbern,
North Carolina, when Uncle Jake came into
the lines at the risk of his life to tell that a
large force Of rebels would gobble them up
that night. On this information the company
were deployed as skirmishers, and about mid
night came i'll contact with the enemy and
drove them back in great establishment to
lind the Yankees ready to meet them. A
few weeks later the captain and the two SER
geantS of the Vermont company were taken
prisoners and put in a boat to cross the
bay. Uncle Jake, who was rowing, cut
the cords that bound them, and they with
a desperate struggle succeeded in overpow-
ering their captors and making them prison.
Il StIl T,l-o
get his wife and children and bring them
within the lines, when he was seized by tho
rebels and tortured to get some information
OF the Union forces. News was carried to
the Union pickets and squad Of cavalry
went out just in time to lind the rebels in the
act of stringing old Jake up to a tree, having
failed to get any satisfaction out of him. A
short fight, and Jake was free again. These
are only some of the incidents, which would
form volume il written. The war closed
and Uncle Jake was brought North. His
wife died at Boston, and his children scat
tered. Two years ago he came to Albany,
and with small boy, went around gather
inc ashes from day to day. Uncle Jake was
Christian if there ever was one in this
world. Three times q day he was seen to
kneel down in the camp among the soldiers
and pray fervently for the blessings of heaven
on 'Massa Linkum and his boys" A little
testament, worn and black with age, was b
constant companion. This he could rea |
with little difficulty. A rich foundryman Of
Troy said that the prayers of Uncle Jake
made more impression on his mind than
all the sermons together he ever heard. He
was an officer at that time at Newbern. We
cannot write an obituary of Uncle Jake, be-
cause we do not know his last name or his
tory. We only know that he was true
friend of the Union, willing at any time to lay
down his life for the cause, and that, through
his eXertions, many poor soldiers were saved
from death and Southern prisons. One man
in this city owes his life to him, and others
when they see this brief mention will remem-
Der similar deeds. Although his acts as
spy and scout may pass unnoticed in history,
yet his humble efforts helped to promote the
revolution which liberated and enfranchised
his race.