The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-23
Omeroh.

ears ago. on opposite BANKS OF Nape
Fear river, in Bladen county, North Caro-
ina, were two elegant country seats. Owen
ALL and Milton. The first was the proper
" of Governor Owen the second was owned
by his brother. General Owen. The pur
pose of this paper is not to commemorate
the genial hospitality, the high social posi-
ton, and varied virtues Of the deservedly
distinguished gentlemen. Nor shall | des- +,
cribe those beautiful old homesteads, with
their wealth of flowers, their surrounding
groves. draped with hanging grey moss.
their broad lawns, fragrant with odors OF
magnolia and jessamIne their far-stretct-
ing and fertile fields, watered BY the swift
current Of Caroiina's most historic river,
and bounded by belts of aromatic and health
bearing pine. 4 true history of a slave
purchased by these gentlemen will be more
unique and more Interesting. To the
readers OF Uncle Toms Cabin and to the
adherents of John Brown, our narrative will
sound like an extravaganza OF Munchausen.
But proofs of its truthfulness are before me
as | write, and many an evening | have
pushed aside harp or guitar to hear the mis-
tress of this slave relate romantic incidents
of dear old Uncle Moro's' life.
"Uncle Moro" was the family name for
| Omeroh, an Arabian prince OF the Foulah
tribe, who was taken prisoner by negroes on
the coast of Africa, and sold into slavery to
white traders.
We copy "a sketch of Uncle Moro which
appeared in the North Carolina Presbyterian,
July 23, 1859. 1t was written by the Rev.
Mr.. Grier: Uncle Moro Is now well strick-
en- in wears OF age. He was born in Wes-
tern Africa, upon the banks Of the Senegal
river. He belonged to the tribe of Foulahs,
out from which of the various nations in
habited by this people he came 1t is difficult
to ascertain. There is no doubt, however,
that he is the most remarkable of his tribe
ever brought to this country, and is now
perhaps the only one of his nation living in
the United States. One of the same was
sent back to Africa as early as 1913 by Og-
lethrOpe another was ransOmed and sent
| Liberia is 1898; besides these, not more
than two Foulahs were known IN 1855 with
in the limits Of Southern States. Omeroh
was brought to this country in 1907, just be-
fore the final abolition of the slave trade.
He was landed at Charleston, South Caro-
lima. Some time after he reached this coun
try he fell into the hands of a cruel master,
from whom he escaped. After being ares
ted as ii runaway and confined IN jail in
Fayetteville, North Carolina, he was pur-
chased by General Owen, to whom he be
longed at the time of his death
/ take the liberty of quoting from a pri-
vate letter to me, showing how he regarded
by his owners:
Il will send you all the letters | can find
which contain information about the dear
old saint. now gone to his rest. K < |
have often heard my mother say that he
would nail paper to the pine trees on which
he had written ia Arabic that nobody must
take him away because be belonged to Gen
eral Owen, so strongly attached did he be-
come to my father. The writer adds, ''Of
course, the neighbors were no wiser for
what he had written"
| continue the quotation from the North
Carolina Presbyterian
When Uncle Moro became the property
of General Owen, he was a devout Moham-
medan, but was soon taught a more excel
lent way. He was baptized by the pastor of
the Presbyterian Church In Fayetteville and
became a member of the church. His mem
bership was afterwards transferred to the
First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington,
North Carolina, of which he died a commu-
cant. * \ y Calling to see him on one
occasion we found him reading his Arabic
Bible, which was his constant companion.
He gave us a specimen of his composition in
Arabic, which, though not equal to others
we have seen written earlier in life, does
credit his knowledge of that ancient Ian
guage.
Uncle Moro was about forty years old
when General and Governor Owen first
heard Of him in the Fayetteville jail. Their
curiosity was aroused by the rumor that a
tall, fine looking runaway slave employed
his time by writing In strange, unknown
known characters on the walls of the prison.
The appearance and bearing of Omeroh con-
vinced them that he was no ordinary person.
An investigation brought out the facts we
have recorded. General Owen sent to New
y ork and found, after considerable trouble
and expense, an Arabic Bible for Uncle
Moro. After his death this Bible was pre-
scented to Davidson College, North Carolina,
where it can now be seen.
l A letter from a devOut missionary to Rev.
4 Thomas Owen. the only surviving son of
General Owen, contains the follow:
4 Did | ever tell you how the Lord carried
r out the desire of good old Uncle Moro's
heart, anu made him the means of sending
the Bible to his tribe in Africa? If not,
here 1t is: The interest taken in the good
i, man led to a desire to reach bis people with
the gospel. The American Bible Society
therefore left orders at Liberia and along the
coast that whenever traders appeared from
this people at the coast they should be told
to carry the message home that the words
of Moses and of Jesus would be sent to
them If they wished it. For many years
this message was sent, with no answer. Du-
ring the sixteen or eighteen previous to Is64
the information was frequently repeated,
with the same want of result. At this time
Messrs. Smith Il Nandykc, at Beirut, were
preparing a new translation of the Bible
In Arabic. All former versions were imper-
feet, and SO were rejected by Mohammedans,
as no book containing bad grammar or inele-
giant forms ofspeech could, in their estima-
ton, be from the perfect God. This new
translation is pronounced by the their best
scholars to be as perfect in language as the
| Koran. inst as If was ready tn he ualivarad
to the public, comes the answer from the
Foulahs, tMoro's tribe We want that
Book you promised us.
81 have before me a letter of thanks for
the gift from an old Moulah of the tribe.
If sent before, in the former imperfect
translation, it would have been rejected.
But when it was ready, then the way was
opened, Uncle Moro's long prayer had been
answered, and the Bible is in the hands of
/ tha pan.t irtalE.oat al Loot naun - 81