The Opelousas courier., 1883-08-04
A COLORED COMMUNITY.
what Has Grown Ont of a Settlement of Ne
gro Fu9itives During the War..An In"
tersstiuK Lawsuit

When The United States troops tooB
possession of Newbern, n. c., in 1862,
they hadatrain of camp-followers, com
posed of negro men, women and chill
dren, who had left their homes to
siine de Yankees" and, as their num-
bers were, daily increased by others who
Aocked into the lines hoping to reach
the "happy hunting-grounds," where
rations were given out and no work
was required in return, it soon became
necessary for the officer in command
to provide not only food but shelter
for this following. Just opposite the
town. across the river Trent, at It's
junction with the Neuse, was a barren
sandhank belonging to the speight,
Donnel aud Shepherd families, on
which. as abandoned lands, these ne
groes were settled and material fur
nished them to build houses for them
selves. At first they paid a small rent
to the freedman's bureau; but when
that became extinct no further rent
was demanded OF them, and each lot
holder regarded his lot as his property
alb ,olutely. AS the population in
creased these lots were bought and
sold among themselves, and deels tor
them given and registered in due form.
Under the name, first of Hayti and
afterward of James City, from James
town in the isle of Hayti, a town grew
up composed entirely of negroes, the
first rude shanties being, in some in
stances, replaced 10y neat and COM
Portable dwellings. Two churches,
one Of large size, the other smaller.
were butt, and lately a neat school
house erected, where two white wo-
men. the only one in the place, are
teaching a mission school under the
auspices of some Northern society.
The town, subject of course to the laws
of the State, is governed entirely by
the inhabitants according to their own
ideas Of right. They elect their W
constable, and the sheriff of the county
of Craven appoints a deputy, who is
a negro and resides in the place.
Their rule is m silly patriarchal, the
older and more influential men form
ing a committee whose business it is
TO look after the interests of the town
and settle al yeXed questions. In local
matters the; Q isno appeal from their de-
scisions.
~ Until three years ago they lived I'M
molested, but suddenly a trouble arose
which their committee could not settle.
James A. Bryan, a resident of New
bern, having married one of the Shep-
herd heirs and bought out the interest
Of the others, commenced proceedings
against the whole popul ltion to eject
them from their housls or force them
to pay an enormous price for them.
AS yet he has not been able to recover
a dollar, and it is doubtful whether he
can aver do so, as the James City COM
mites have employed the best legal
ability of Newbern, and ther lawyers
are determined to fight through every
court having jurisdiction of the case,
which will probably be finally decided
in the supreme court Of the United
States. When Mr.. Bryan's first writ
of ejectment was served the sheriff of
the county sent the papers over by a
negro deputy who was met at the
landing by a deputation of the male
andfemale morale and physical strength
of the place, who coolly Informed him
that if.he would wait till they could
consult their lawyer, William E.
Clarke, who was then out of town, he
might serve those papers if MI. Clarke
saidsso; but that if he attempted to
do so then, or if Mr.. Clarke objected,
the men of the plaee would not per-
sonalIy resist the law, but the women
would Immediately put him in the
river and see that he did not get to
land again. The deputy attempted
argument, AMI proposed, as Mr.. Clarke
was cut of town, that they consult
some. other lawyer. No, they said,
William E. Clarke was their lawyer
and the only man they intended to con-
suit or to trust. AS there is no ap-
preach to the p ace from Newbern ex-
cept by boat or the railroad bridge,
over which a foot passenger only can
pass by stepping from tie to tie, the
deputy thought discretion the better
part of valor, and returned to tell the
sheriff that "if he wanted them papers
served he must do it himself, as he,
Jack Hussey, was not going to be torn
in pieces and then flung in the river by
the James City women,
Sc Once a month a town meeting is held
to collect money to pay the lawyers,
when the city fathers assess each
householder what they think proper
for him to pay. This assessment
varies with the %pecuniary situation of
the payer, who is at liberty to show
cause, if he can, why it should be
lowered, but there is no appeal from
the final decision of the committee.
The men of the place are either
fishermen, carriers, stevedores or farm
hands. Some hire themselves to white
farmers. and some work their own
land, while the women and children
pick peas and cotton. or live out as
house servants in NeAbern, returning,
as a general rule, every night to their
homes. Some of them have accumu-
lated considerable property. One of
their leading men, Jesse Brooks, has
since the war paid $4,000 in cash
for the CASTOR plantation, just below
James City, which he has stocked and
is now cultivating. 1t belonged
formerly to Judge William CASTOR, of
the North Carolina supreme court.
Not being a part of James City this
plantation is not included in tho con-
tested property. For a long time one
Jacob Grimes was almost King of the
place, but unfortunately Jacob, having