Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-04-10
Romantic Adventures OF a Slave Boy.

One warm afternoon in the summer of
1862 q halfdozen little slave boys were
playing carelessly about a cotton.press
about sixteen miles from Newbern, N. g.,
when one of the smallest and youngest of
them overheard something that attracted
his attention and which soon had the
effect to stop the play. From the con-
versation between two adult slaves he
learned that all of them were to be taken,
in few days, back into the interior part
of the State, out of the way of the Yankee
invaders. This set him to thinking. A
council of war was held by the little fell
lows. Then was made one of the most
fervent speeches in favor of liberty that
was ever uttered by Southern slave.
The possessOr of the sharp ears had the
reputation of q mischievous and head
strong boy among his playmates, but now
they listened TO him with kind of won
der. With boyish enthusiasm he rapidly
sketched plot for an escape to the Yam
kee lines. The time was fixed. They
were to start the next afternoon. But
about three o'clock the next morning he
heard the booming Of the guns at the bat
tie of Newbern. He knew precisely what
they meant Rising stealthily he reused
his companions in the plot but st
the last moment their hearts failed
low, not yet twelve years of age,
with such clothes as he had on him
and with supreme trust in himself and
in "Massa Lincoln" started off in the
direction of the canonading. He took a
circuit around the town, and came in at
the rear of the Union lines about three
o'clock in the afternoon. The distance
was about twenty miles. He says now he
don't remember that he was tired. On
the journey he was revolving in his mind
a magnificent scheme of going back
stealthily to organize company of boys
on the old plantation, with which he pro-
posed to join the Union forces. He was
taken on board of the gunboat Chasseur,
where he was soon advanced from the
position of officers mess-boy to the more
honorable one of powder boy. Until 1854
he was engaged in various capacities as a
boy in the Union army and navy. Then
he came North, and obtained the position
of office-boy for the late Henry j: Ray.
mond. While he was so employed in the
Times office he revisited the old plantation
His father, mother, and all his relatives
were dead, but an affection for the old
place carried him back. He was heartily
welcomed, and by none more so than the
widow of his former master, Col. Streets
to whom he made present of $25. The
family was still wealthy in land, but al
that time sadly in need of ready cash
Col. Streets was killed in the war.
This was the first of several visits tC
his old home. During his residence at
the North he had come in contact will
many public men, and had cultivated the
art of public speaking. This accomplish
the minds of his old friends. On his visi
in naxr I'M Of for innr n
they would nominate him for Sheriff, anC
it was only his inability to qualify on &C
count of age that enabled him to silenc,
their entreaties. He is regarded by then
as a patron, and scarcely colored MAJ
in his native county, to whom he is no
personally known, ever comes to New
York without letter of recommendation
to David, as he is Familiarity called. H
has secured positions of one kind ant
another for over fifty of his people from
the old North State.
The above is the life-story, briefly told
of David F. Nelson, who yesterday re
ceived notification that he had passe,
very successfully an examination for
$1,000 clerkship in the New York Post
Office. He is little over twenty year
old, and has held the post of doorkeepe
for the Postmaster since 1870, when
was secured for him by Mr.. ThurloN
Weed. He is entirely selfeducated.
scrap-book in his possession contains, bt
sides mass of valuable statistics cor
corning his race, large selection of mis-
cellaneous literature culled from tn
writings of Whittier, Alice Cary, an
other writers of equal merit. This morI
ing he was overwhelmed with congratl
lations by his fellow.employes of th
Postoffice on the success he had attained
N. Y. Daily Grdphic