The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-08-17
NO. 81.
An ex-Slaye's Career.

The Rock Island Qll.) Union prints the fol-
lowing simple and touching story: "When we
saw our colored fellow-ctizen, Rev. Jackson
Blackburn, speaking from the stand in the
Courthouse square on the Fourth of July,
with his former owner, P. L. Mitchell, Esq,
intently listening to him and evidently pleased
with his remarks, Mr.. Lincoln's language
seemed to repeat itself-'We cannot fail to
note that the world moves Mr.. Mitchell in
forms us that Mr. Blackburn was a plantation
hand near Georgetown, Ky. About 1910 his
owner died, and in order to settle the estate all
the slaves had to be sold. Between the death
and the sale some of them scattered about the
country and into town hunting odd Jobs for
themselves. Mr.. Mitchell was then keeping
store in Georgetown. One day "a likely-look-
ing niger of some twenty years came
in and asked him for work. He gave him q
load of wood to saw, and the man worked so
much to his satisfaction that he gave him other
little jobs about his premises. AS the dreaded
day OF sale approached the man one day begged
Mr.. Mitchell to buy him and save him from be-
ing sent down the river and being separated
forever from his wife and children, who were
owned by neghboring planter. Mr.. Mitchell
is a New.Englander, and had scrupes against
holding slaves, but the man pleaded so piteous-
ly that Mr.. Mitchell finally agreed to keep him
from going down the river. On the day of the
sale Mr.. Mitchell was as good as his word, and
when Jack was mounted on the auction box he
was on hand. "A likely niger was worth
about seven hundred dollars at that time, but
there was sharp competition between several
slave traders who wanted a good gang of
'down-river' hands, and Jack was finally
knocked off to Mr.. Mitchell at 500. He after
ward bought his wife and children, built them
little house on his own premises, and kept
them in his service. In the meantime Jack
somehow managed to learn to read and write
without the aid of school-house or schoolteach-
er. Then he picked up the paint-brush, and
soon handled it so well that he could make 50
or So day working for others, half of which
Mr.. Mitchell allowed him to retain for his own
use. Jack also 'ined the Methodists' and be-
gan to exhort a little. Then he changed his
views on baptism and joined the Christian
Church, and it wasn't long before he developed
from an eXhorter into full-fedged preacher.
Then Mr.. Mitchell concluded to leave George
town and removed to Rock Island. It being
slave, Mr.. Mitchell told Jack to choose his new
master, and whatever he was willing to pay
for him he would take. The selection was
soon made, the entire Blackburn family passed
over to new owner, and at a very much low
er figure than they had cost Mr.. Mitchell. The
war brought emancipation; the shackles were
broken, and Jack was free to 90 where he
pleased. Mr. Mitchell sent him money to
bring his family to Rock Island all of which
has been honestly repaid Jack has worked
at his trade, and has done WE'LL
He has reared and educated his children, has
been the means Of securing little church for
his people, and to-day there is no man in this
city who stands higher in the estimation of all
who know him than Jackson Blackb urn. As
Mr.. Mitchell expressed it: L would take his
word for anything as soon as that of any other
man | ever saw; the only thing that isn't
"white" about him is his skim. And there
stood the master listening to his old slave ma
king Fourth of July address in Courthouse
square. Can history pay grander tribute to
Abraham Lincoln than the simple story of
jackson Blackburn and his old mas'r?"