St. Landry democrat., 1880-09-04
A Very Strange Story.
Washington (Miss.) Gazette.


In 1863, General Pemberton com
manded at this point. Col. Heming-
way owned a faithful slave-Peyton
by name, a noted negro fiddler
known for miles around, and highly
respected by both black and white.
When his young master, w. Lynn
Hemingway, at present State treas
urer of Mississippi, joined the old
"Carrol Rifles" he took Peyton
along as a trusted servant. He went
with him into Virginia, and returned
home in 1868.
In February or March Of that year
q faithful spy was needed to visit
the Federal gunboats then coming
down the river OH Fort Pemberton.
Peyton at once undertook the mis-
sion, and representing himself as a
fugitive slave to the commanders OF
the boats, was well received. Being
bright far beyond ordinary, he man
aged to secrete their official papers,
maps, etc, and escaped with these
documents to TT. Pemberton. After
the fall Of Vicksburg, in July fol
lowing, Peyton went with his young
master again to Virginia, where he
remained until the surrender of Gen.
Lee. The former being compelled
to remain number of days there
after, in order to comply with the
formalities Of the surrender, sent
Peyton ahead of him to his home,
near Carrollton, Miss. On his way,
however, he was betrayed to the
enemy by some Confederate as the
spy who had deceived them above
Fort Pemberton was captured and
carried in irons to New York, thence
to Cuba, and sold as a slave, to-
gether with many others. The YES
sci Oh which he was taken was a
Federal gunboat. In Cuba he work
ed as Il slave in factories tor nearly
| fifteen years, being entirely cut off
from any communication with home
and fliedns. He made seven at
tempts to escape from bondage, all
but the last, of course, being llnsuc-
cessful. Finally he found all Amer
lean vessel, commanded by a South
erner, to whom he related the listO-
ny of his capture, enslavement and
forced exile, and begged to be re-
turned to his home and family. The
captain secreted him in the hold OF
his vessel, carried him to Costa Ri
ca, thence to New York.
| Peyton then worked his way to
Virginia, where a number OF ladies
raised the means to return him to
his home after all absence of seven
teen years. He reached Winona,
Miss, on the 10Th of April, 1880.
Peyton says that numbers Of mulat-
to women are being constantly sold
III Cuba as slaves. Northern men
marry them, take them to Cuba ''on
a bridal tour" and there sell them
as cooks and fancy house servants.
He saw one sold last fall, by the
man who married her, for $500 (; and
further, that as he came through
Cincinnati on his way home he saw
the man, and recognized him, who
sold her in Cuba. The facts above
given are from one of the most reli-
able and responsible gentlemen in
Mississippi, written to a distin-
guished member Of Congress from
that State. Closing his letter, he
saws Of PeytOn:
"He was delighted to again meet
his wife, who had married in his
long absence; though her second
husband was drowned several
months ago. Hence he found her a
widow. With both husband and
wife it was like a return to life from
death. Peyton is an exceedingly
intelligent negro, and says he can
hardly realize the changes that have
taken place. He lett his children
babies, and finds them married and
with children of their own"
| If any one doubts the truth of this
story, he or she can write to Capt
3. T. Jones, Winona, Miss, or to G.
| Y. T. Merriwether, Oakland, Yalla.
busha county, same State.