Connecticut western news., 1878-06-13
Fsas.-E- ". T- JOHN RANDOLPH'S SLAVES.
The Story of Their Manumiss1on and Hegira
 into Ohio.

I
 John Randolph owned broad estates on the Roanoke river, bordering North Carolina. There hepractiseda a splendid hospitality; horses, hounds, and a retinue of servants were at the command of his guests. On his plantation were employed, or kept, nearly thousand slaves. The number was not reduced by sales. Mir. Randolph never sold a slave, and by his will manumitted all that belonged to him at his death. Un- der the laws of Virginia freedmen could not reside on her soil, and in the deed of manumission provision was made for the settlement of the emancipated negroes on land to be acquired in free State. A sum of money was set apart for their maintenance in the meantime.
 Although MT. Randolph died in 1883, it was not until 1846 that Judge Leigh, the executor of his will, removed the negroes from their old home on the Roanoke to Cincinnati. Here transfer was made to boats on the Miami and Erie canal, and the journey continued to Mercer county, Ohio, about 40 miles north of Cincinnati, where 3,2OO acres of land had been purchased for the colonists
 They arrived at their destination, but they were not permitted to land. Some of the very men who had sold their land to Judge Leigh for the negroes joined their neighbors in hostile demonstra- tions. Neither the local nor the State authorities would interfere.
 The boats were turned about and a re- treat made to Piqua, fourishing city ninety-fve miles north of Cinclnnati. Here the freedmen landed and encamped in bend of the Great Miami river, on the evening of the 4th of July. 1846. 1t was sad Independence Day to them. Denied return to their native State, denied the homes which had been pur- chased for them, with no knowledge of and means of livelihood but the rude work of 8 Virginia plantation, these homeless and houseless freedmen were in a most pitiable condition. From the death of MT. Randolph until the exodus of the freedmen from Roanoke-thirteen years-their number had been greatly reduced. During his life there had been a steady natural increase, and no di- munitions, except by death. But the remnant encamped at Piqua numbered not over 45O souls, and many of them were old men and women, far advanced in helplessness. The proportion of able bodied, middle-aged men and women to the children and old people was notice- ably small. How to provide for this number of dependent people was the absorbing question with Judge Leigh and the humane people he met at Piqua, who rendered him not only their advice, but very efficient aid. With the ready money he had in his possession he bought small homesteads for the older members of the colony, In suburb of the city, and found situations as laborers for the young men, and places as house servants for the young women-in many cases securing homes for entire families on farms, and thus preventing, as far as possible, the separation of parents and children. The colony was broken into fragments, but was all settled in and around four towns-Sidney, Piqua, Troy and West Milton-the latter Quaker community.
 In all this company of 45O men, women and children, there was not mulatto. The African blood had been preserved in It's purity. A few of the children could read to very limited ex- tent, but this was all the education there was among them. They had everything to learn. Plantation methods of work would not answer on Ohio farms, and men and women had to be taught, like children, to perform the most simple operations. They were awkward and inapt, but fortunately they were among friends who possessed patience, and who were anxious to help them. The older members of the colony showed great anxiety for the education of their chil- dren. The public schools were shut against them. Thelr parents gladly used portion of the money bequeathed them by their late master for th1s purpose. A young man was found who agreed to take charge of their school. It required great moral courage for him to do this, as there was at that day strong preiu- dice against anything which looked like elevating the colored race.
 While they were encamped on the river bank at Piqua the Randolph negroes were almost as much an object of curi- osity as the same number of Neg Perces Indians would be now. Visitors took de- light in having the young people dance plantation jigs and sing their unintelligi- ble songs, while "hoe-down," when one could be set in motion, was more fascinating than the best organized minstrel troupe that ever appeared be- fore the footlights. have seen boys of from eight to fifteen years dance and sing by the hour for the occasional dimes and quarters tossed them. A refrain of one of the1r ive1iest songs ran thus, repeated hour after hour. very monot- ously, but without any apparent weari- ness:
 build my house in Baltimore;
 build my house in Baltimore
 build my house in Baltimore,
 Three stories high.
 There was prolonged stress on the word three," and one not quite so forcible on the word "high," that rang in the listeners ears slong after the sounds had ceased. The women's songs were of 3 melancholy kind. One, par ticularly doleful i1 utterancs, had A