Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-02-06

and was almost astounded to hear the col
ored veteran lay strong claim to being one
hundred and nineteen years old. Though
his general appearance would go very far to
shake ones belief in his statement yet his
recollection of events that happened in rev.
olutionary days is SO lively and his state
ments, though subjected to the test of close
cross-questioning are so exactly correspond
ing with each other that one is forced to as
sumo that the old man tells a straight story.
Within the last two or three years old Shad-
rack has made several brief written state
ments Of the facts that form the substance
of this article, and they all agree with the
tale he told our reporter, except in so far as
there seems to be in one or two instances a
difference of one or two years, but it is GER
tain that Shadrack Nugent is not less than
116, and perhaps l19 years old, as he claims,
There is one point, however, greater than
all in his favor, and that is he does not claim
to have been body servant to George Wash
ington.
By white-washng the old man managed
to secure small property for himself, but
taxes and such expenses long ago swallowed
it up, and now he is very poor and worthy
of every assistance. Shadrack Nugent was
born about the year 1859, near Rockville,
Montgomery county, Md, and from this his
claim of 50 advanced an age seems to be
very near correct. He says that year or
50 after the war for independence he was
told by his master that he was 81 years Old
His father was brought to this country from
Guinea, and was called Bob. "Mr. Cramp-
toms Bob" His mother was an Irish wom-
an, named Mary Nugent who had been
brought to this country as convict at the
expense Of man with whom she served
for 10, tAatr IN of han
transportation. Besides Shadrack, there
were three other children from this MARI
age, Eli, Millie and Nellie, all of whom, the
old man says, were of much brighter com
plexion than he, case they didn't drink so
much whiskey; OATS what make me SO
black, sab J"
When quite small Shadrack was bound
out by his mother to Mr.. George Croft,
who was then living near Rockville. With
him Shadrack remained, and when the Rev
olutionary war began he went as body serv-
ant with Mr. Croft, who was lieutenant in
an independent artillery company, in which
a Mr.. Mcpherson was second lieutenant and
a silversmth Of Frederick, named Stiner,
was captain. The company came out in
full uniform, and the entire outfit, cannons
included, was bought by members of the
company. When the Government ordered
draft the company entered the service as
regulars and were ordered to Baltimore,
whittier Shadrack went with his MASTER
General Smith was in command at Balti-
more at that time, and old Shad. says that
the whole town was in confusion, because
the rumor went that the Britishers war
gwine to burn us up" One day, while there,
Lieutenant Croft sent for Shadrack to come
down to the marquee, or officers quarters
He tole me- says Shad., -" if dem English
come to fill my canteen wild water and his'n
wild whiskey and hang bofe around my
shoulders. When dey got flghtin wild dem
Britishers he wanted me to stand right squar
behind him and hand him whiskey to drink,
and he said if | didn't do dat, as how he'd
haul out his pistol and shoot me dead
Well, you just believe me, honey, | was
scared, was |, and | had made up my mind
if dem Britishers had come, to jump down
gully, canteen and all, and git, caus
warn't gwine to be killed by de Britishers
nor Massa George neider, and he would
have killed me suah. Dem Dutch allus
keeps dere words |"
At great expense we have procured pic
ture of the Captain, of Shadrack as he APP
peared in the fight, and of the house where
he was born.