The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-09-03
MY BOYHOOD DAYS IN ELKTON.

think WAS not born in E.thtun; but l
have no means now of knowing. never
asked my parents, and no one having knowl-
edge 81 the fact now lives. was horn on
\"v. /, 800, and it viii soon he eight N-onc
wears since that event ! run back III mem
DRY i good many years. can remember
going To school at the academy when very
small. know very we'll that We lived al
several places in Elzton at different times
previous to this and before the war we lived
at the Landing, think, for a year or more.
We lived there when my father was build
ing l;udolph's brick house on the corner
near where the old market house stood.
Part of the time of the war we lived in a
red house on the road leading to Gilpin's
mill, and then i'll a double white frame
house which stood on the bank opposite the
old Rudolph house. Here, think, We lived
for the last two or three years of the war.
Ny father was away the most of the time
we lived there He was captain of a com
pany of infantry in camp PatapSco, at Bal
timore: and as my brother Samuel was in
camp ut Elk Landing, | had to he III home,
! know that several times we-fhat is, my
mother and brothers and sSterS-had to ice
to the country. We always went to our
friend John Thompson'S, i'll Delaware, about
five miles. We fled up that north road lead
ing to the Forge, and then when At Mr..
Vim. Howard :, called Prospect Hill" we
went to the right and sought and found
shelter and protection. A pleasant place it
was. don't remember how many times
during the war We found that shelter, but
several.
| h,y u,,l t,.,lir,, TN. EptrliSl
nation and never can have, for remember
with feelings, amounting almost 10 wrath,
how we suffered from the depredationS of
the English, and cannot 10 this Gay deter
mine why they We're warning with us. l
wish ! could, at this distant day. under
stand why. We are commanded 10 love
our enemies; Int fear have no. grace
enough to love the English nation. God is
Just, and | think he will blot the English
nation from the earth But God, in an
Swer to prayer, delivered us ont of their
hands. THAT people will | punish, saith
the Lord; | hold that nation in wrath: that
people will | judge, saith the Lord" 1t
will surely and certainly come, for the
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
All the schooling | ever had was obtained
in the same old academy and school house
which stand there now. The old court house
and Jail and whipping-poSt used 10 he there
whipped there. / came very near it, though.
One morning | stopped in the yard and saw
Il poor colorei woman sitting there by the
whipping pot, with her hands tied and her
back made bare to her waist 10 he publicly
whipped, as | learned, for running away:
aud rs they prepared to tie her up, | slid Oft
to school, and was thus saved the barbar-
Gus sight. All the old barbarous arrange
mcnts for scandaiZing the human race were
I bar -h..,, | hny- lint fbDnk (,nl I
was in some way saved the cruel eXhihi- !
tons. The gibbet stood beside the whip
ping-post il the back yard. Such things
are yet found in many States, to the dis
grace Of human nature. | did see two men
a white and Il colored man-hung in New
Orleans. in 1922. and thank God ] never
have seen repetition of the barbarouS scene |
The world moves. and it is moving to a bet !
ter time y person who has lived through !
the slavery age has had opportunities OF see
ing much. Dne who has seen the barbara !
ties of the Whipping-post has seen enough
In the wear 1892 it was my fortune, good
or bad. To witness the following: In going
down Il street in New Orleans one Sunday
morning. | went down one which led to the /
river. and on that street was ii canal some I,
fifteen feet wide 1t led in the direction l
was going. 1t was full of water. My at !
tcntion was called toa screaming colored |
girl who ran toward me, hut the canal was
between MS. She ran for life, screaming ut
every jump. She did not see the canal. !
She was on the ed &c of il. She had no alter /
native but to take the water. She plunged I
in and sank at the shore near me. Her pur- q
SuerS got Il pole and iished the water for her. |
The impetus of her leap forced her over to !
near where | was. They had 4 long pole. /
called to them 10 throw it to me, which /!
they did | felt for her, and getting the :
pole wound up in her garments drew her /
up and landed the corpse near my feet, | +,
laid her out on the bank of the canal and
Went ON my way, As | returned i'll the
evening the bloafod cnrIse was still lying
there. And this was in i Christian land,
but a land Of slavery. God help lis. This
was one of the attendants of human slavery. I
And can it be that such scenes We're tnler- /
ated in this land 1t undoubtedly was Let .
us thank God thai it is past.
!. i. SAMrLE.