National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-04
ADVENTURES or 4 SLAVE BOY
FROM a NORTH CAROLINA PLANTA.
TON To THE NEW YORK POST OF.
FOE


TON To THE NEW YORK POST Of
FOE.
from the Graphic.l
One warm afternoon In the summer Of 1862
half dozen little slave boys were playing care
! lessly about q cotton press about sixteen miles
from Newbern, N. O., 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 conversation
between two adult slaves he learned that all OF
them were to be taken, IN q few days, back to 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 fellows.
Then was mado 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 mischieyous and head
strong boy among his playmates, but now they
listened 10 him with kind Of wonder With boy
ish enthusiasm no rapidly sketched plot for an
escape to the Yankee lines. The time was fixed
They were TO start the next afternoon. But about
O'Clock next morning he heard the booming Of the
guns at the battle OF Newbern. He knew precisely
what they meant. Rising steaIthIly he reused
his companions In the plot but at the last moment
their hearts failed them. Nothing dsantsd, the
little fellow not yet twelve years Of age with such
clothes as he had on him, and with g, supreme
trust in himself and in "Masso Lincoln" started
of in the direction Of the cannonadlng. He took
circuit around the town, and came in at the rear
Of the Union lines about three O'Clock In the after
noon. 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 q
magnificent scheme Of going back stealthily to
organize company Of boys on the old plantation,
with which he proposed to Join the Union forces.
He wa, taken on RSsId The gu, gunepat oh1n;seur
officers mess boy 70 the more honorsb pie one Of
powder boy. untIl 1854 he was engaged in various
Then he came north. and obtained the position Of
ONCE boy for the late Henry J. Raymond. While
he was 80 employed In the Times ONCE be revisited
his relatives TeSe dead, but an asction for the
old place carried him back. He was heartily well
coined, and By none more 50 than the widow Of his
present Of Us. The family was still wealthy in
land but at that time sadly in need Of ready cash
Colonel streets was killed in the war.
This was the first Of several yisita 70 HIS old
home; During his residence at the North he had
come IN eSIi Ss WITH many public men, and had
the minds Of his old ffionds. On Sis yist n ISL
nOnats him for sheriff. and Il was t dSy s SSIId
ability to qualify on account OF age that enabled
MIN % silence Their sn emit he
In his native county, TO whom he Is not personally
known, ever comes to New York without q letter
called. He has secured positions Of one kind and
another for over nifty Of his people from the old
The above Is the life story, briefly told Of David
F. Nelson, who yesterday received q notification
that he had passed very successfully an examins-
tion for A. 900 cierkship in the New York post
ONCE He fs little over twenty years old, and
has held the post Of doorkeeper for the postmaster
since 1870 when Il was secured for him oy MI
Thurlow Weed. He Is entirely selfeducated. a
scrap book In his possession contains, besides
mass Of valuable statistics concerning his race,
large selection of miscellaneous literature eulled
from the writings Of Whittier. Alice Cary and
other writer's OF equal merit. This morning ne
was overwhelmed with congratulations BY his
fellow employees Of the post ONCE on the success
be ha0 attained