Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-02
4 Silver Pitcher with n History.

Mr. y. Il. Hamilton, late proprietor Q
the II. Charles Hotel in this city, has .
silver pitcher which was bequeathed him by
his father, which pitcher has rather singu.
lar history.
1t is valued at $50. and is an exquisite
piece Of workmanship, being finished in
the highest style Of art, and has upon it The
| following inscription: .'ln cOmmemOra-
ton Of the DISTINGUISHED spirited and benev-
! olent eXer:ions OF j.. W. Hamilton, of Mis-
! sissippi, in rnscuing from unlawful bondage
| certain persons Of color who had, by force
| or fraud, been taken from their homes in
| the States Of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
| this piece OF plate is respectfully presented
! 10y number of citizens of Philadelphia,
| March 1921
The Circumstances under which the
pitcher was presented Mr.. Hamilton (who
is the father of Mr.. Hamilton OfthiS city.)
are substantially rs follows:
ii the time the plate was presented, Mr..
Hamilton was a resident Of SUMMER cOun-
y. Tenn, but owned plantation in Clai-
borne county, Mississippi, together with 4
number Of slaves. 1t was his custom TO
spend 4 portion Of the year on this planla-
ton, and While there. in 1927, slave
trader came through that section with
party Of six or seven coloFed people. He
had sold one boy in an adjoining county,
AID the man who bought the boy sent him
t. mill and while waiting for his griSt, at
;rIcted the attention Ofthe miller by writ
ing on the sacks with a bit charcoal. Up
on being questioned 10y the miller, the boy
said thai he had leen raised in Philadel-
phia and that he and the remainder of the
party in the haUds of the trader We're free
and that they had been stolen by the trader
In consequence of the inquiries made after
this disclosure mnle 10y the boy, the trader
moved on with the rest of the party, and
stopped At Mr.. Hamilton's plantation for
the purpose of bUrying one of the colOred
men who had died the day before.
Early the next morning. he called upon
Mr.. Hamilton To assist him in securing one
of the men who had escaped from him,
taking refuge in a corn house. Mr.. Hamil-
ton ordered him out of his place of con-
cealment. which order was obeved, but the
hoy refused to 90 with the trader, and, tax
ing off his shirt. showed his back. which
had been feaTfully cut up by saw in the
hands of the trader. few pays before. The
negro then said he and the rest of the party
hal been stolen from Philadelphia, and, in
order to prove the trIthfulness of his story.
gave The names of a number of prominent
men in that city together with those of the
principal streets.
There happened to be couple of Phila-
delphianS on Mr. HamiltOn's plantation at
the time and they were sent for at once for
the purpose of testing the accuracy of the
ncgro'S knowledge of Philadelphia. The |
result was. Mr.. Hamilton kept the negroes, !
wrote to parties in Philadelphia, and at |
once received a reply to the effect that GER |
tain colCred men were missing from that |
city. and that 10 knowledge of their where |
aboutS had been obtained.
The trader brought suit at Port Gibson, |
the county seat of Claiborne county, |
TO recover the negroes, but the |
fact being established that they |
had been kidnapped from free State. they /
We're sent home, money being sent from
bv prominent citizens Of that |
place. to detray their expenses. \ short
line afterwards, the piece Of plate in qUes-
ion was sent TO Mr.. Hamilton by the
Mayor of Philadelphia.
As may readily be supposed, the present
owner of the pitcher values il highly, and
was very much concerned during the war.
or fear il should be stolen. He was living
II Gallatin. Tenn, at that time, and he
imally became so uneasy that he buried It I
n the yard back Of his house, but found
hat lac became still more uneasy aud anX-
Gus when it was out of his sight, and dug
up after it lad been buried two weeks.
1t Oae time his house was searched by Fed
raj soldiers. but one room was not entered,
nd in that room the pitcher was concealed.
lie thinks now that he will be able to keep
{ as long as he lives.