Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-01
A VERY STRANGE STORY.
Washington, Miss, Gazette,

washington, MISS, tazettc,i
In 1868, Gen. Pembcrton commanded
at this point. Col. Hemingway owned
q faithful slayo-Peyton by name, a
noted fiddler, known for miles around,
and highly respected by both black and
white. When his young master, w.
Lynn Hemingway, at present State
treasure of Mississippi, joined tho old
Carol Rifles hc took Peyton along as
a trusted servant. He went with him
into Virginia, aud returned bono in
1869.
In February or March Of that year y
faithful spy was needed TO visit the
Federal gunboats then coming down the
river on Fort Pemberton. Pcyton at
once undertook the mission, aud repre-.
senting himself as a fugitive slave to
the commanders of tho bonts was well
received. Being bright far beyond
ordinary, he managed TO sccrcte their
official papers, maps, otc., and escaped
with these documents to Fort Penn
berton. After The fall of Vicks-.
burg, in July following, Pcyton went
with his young master again to Virgi-
MIA, where he remained until after the
surrender Of Gen. Lee. The former be.
ing compelled to remain a number Of
days thereafter, in order to comply with
tho formalities of the surrender, sent
Poyton ahead of him to his home, near
CMrolton, Miss. On his way, however,
he was betrayed to the enemy by some
Confederate as the spy who had dcceiy-
cd them above Fort pembertop, was
captured and carried in irons to New
York, thence TO Cuba, and sold as a
slave, together with many others. Tho
vessel on which he was taken was q
Federal gunboat. In Cuba, he worked
as slave in factories for nearly fifteen
years, being entirely cut eff from any
communication with home and friends,
lie made seven attempts to escape from
bondage, all but the last, of coutse, be-
ing unsuccessful. Finally he found on
American vessel commanded by South
orncr, to whom he related the history
of his capture, cnslaycmcnt aud forced
exile, and begged TO be returned to bis
home and family. The captain secreted
linn in the hold Of his vessel, carried
him to Costa Rica, thence to New York
Poyton then worked his way to vir.
ginia, where q number of ladies raised
the means to return him to his home
after an absence of II years. He reached
Winona, Miss, on the 18th of April,
1850. Peyton says that numbers of mu-
latto women are being constantly sold,
in Cuba as slaves. Northern men marry
them, take them to Cuba con bridal
tour and there sell them as cooks and
fancy house servants. IIc saw ono sold
last fall, by the man who married her
for 500; and further, that as he came
through Cincinnati on bis way home,
lie saw the man and recognized him,
who sold her In Cuba. The facts abo!e
given are from one of tho most reliable
and responsible gentlemen in Mississippi
written to distinguished member of
Congress from that State. Closing bis
letter, he says Of Peyton:
"lIe was delighted to again meet bis
wife, who had married in his long alb
scncc though her second husband WAS
drowned several months ago. Hence,
he found her q widow. With both hus-
band and wife, it was like u return to
life from death. pcyton is an exceed
ingly intelligent negro, and says he can
hardly realize the changes that have
taken place. Ho left his children babies,
and finds them parried and with chill
drcn of their 0wn."
If any ono doubts the truth of this
story, ho or she can write to Capt. b.
+. Jones, Wnona, Miss, or to G. Y. +.
Morriwether, Oakland, Yallabusha coun-
ty, same State.
A foreign scientific journal remarks,
US a curious physiological fact, that
although open air life is so favorable to
health, yet it has the apparent effect
of stunting the growth in carly
youth. Thus, while the children
of well-to-do parents, carefully
! housed and tended. arc found TO be