The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-02-02
Aunt Sophy's Slave Husband.
A MEETING AFTER TWENTY YEARS sEPAR'
ATION-wHAT AUNTY REMEMBERED.

An interesting dramma was enacted
at noon the other day in the baggage
room in the Union depot. Old Aunt
Sophia, the stout, good-natured colored
woman who sweeps out the Union depot
and waits upon the female passengers
in the waiting room, was standing up
with her hands behind her against a post
in the baggage room. Two colored men
entered. One was we'll known ex-
press wagon driver; the other was we'll
dressed colored man about forty or for
ty-five years of age. Police officer Han
Ion followed them into the room and
pointed out Aunt Sophia.
"Aunt Sophy. does you know this
man?" inquired the express wagon
driver.
The we'll dressed stranger peered curl
ously beneath the old sun-bonnet and
waited anxiously for the expected recog-
milton. But the old colored woman af-
ter hasty glance at the face of the
stranger, responded shortly and gruffly.
''No, sar;I don't know the gem man. :"
"What! Sophy, don't we know George
Duncan what was married to We down
dar in Cole county long afore de WARP"
said the well-dressed stranger, adj
vancing toward the old woman, who
stood defiantly backed up. against
post.
Eyes" responded the old aunty gruf-
fly, II members dat ar George Dun
can"
can don't we member how 1 was
sold Souf when 1 got cotched dat timer"
Eyes, I remembers all bout dat ar;
members how dat same George Duncan
run off wild worthless white woman an
left me and my baby, an dat he got
cotched afore he got to de free State out
yeah in Kansas, and his master sold
him Souf. Oh, yes, 1 members all bout
it."
cts dat al man; rs George Duncan,
come all de way from Orleans to find
you, Sophy, and my boy. Whar am dat
boy?"
''Dat boy am man bigger dan you;
he am good boy, too, an 'spects his
nanny, he do. He's at wuk in de elum-
vator."
"Is ye married again, Sophy?" queri-
ed the stranger; anxiously.
emo; isn't" said the old woman; i'm
patiently, almost angrily, "and dosen't
tend to be again"
After brief pause the man asked in
q sort of broken voice:
"Whar am dat boy oh mine?"
"He am down in de elumvator at de
State line
Don't We know me Sophy, no NOR?
in We down at NIassa Shelby Martins
place, down dar in Cole county? Don't
we members how we got married, an !,
an, Oh! Sophy, don't We know yer hus-
band, George Duncan?"
Tears began to gather in the old depot
woman's eyes, but she held them back n
moment, when nature gave way, and she
gave her old slave husband her hand and
babe him "go see dat ar boy"
After the old slave had left the bag
gage-room n Times reporter took old
Aunt Sophy in hand. and from her
learned the following interesting facts
in the case:
About twenty years ago she was a
slave, belonging to Col. Shelby Mar
tin, wealthy farmer of Cole county,
not far from Jefferson City. Not far
from her old home there resided fami-
ly by the name of Duncan, who owned
a colored boy named George. After a
brief courtship George and Sophia were
married. But George, in his visits to
Jefferson City, got acquainted with a
worthless, degraded woman, and with
ner started off on the underground
railroad" for Kansas. Sophia lived with
her master till the war set her free. Her
husband was recaptured, brought back
to Jefferson, and sold by his master, and
was sent to the cotton fields of the
South.
George Duncan says he has always
regretted bitterly his runaway scrape
with the worthless white woman, but
when he was betrayed by her when near
the Kansas line, and was taken back and
"sold South" he gave up all hope OF
ever seeing his wife and child again.
He was taken to the cotton fields of
Mississippi, and finally transferred to
Louisiana, where he has lived for the
past eleven years. He says he has been
saving money all the time with view
of coming North to seek his family, and
this year he says he raised several bales
of cotton, the proceeds of which have
enabled him to prosecute his search for
his long lost wife and child. He went
first to Jefferson City, but found that
his wife disappeared from there during
the war.
He searched every town along the
line OF the Missouri river from Kansas
City to Jefferson City, and felt confident
he would find his family somewhere.
He got track Of his wife accidentally in
conversation with a colored express
driver. who took him to the depot and