The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-11
A STORY OF SLAVE DAYS.
A Romantic Bit OF History Evolved from the
Files of the Claims Department..

Washington Special to Louisville Courier Journal.
About half a century ago a slave dealer
named Shooters took lot of slaves from
| Virginia to Mississippi for sale. In the lot
was fine motherly-looking mulatto woman,
who had with her a little two-year-old girl
The child was so pretty as to attract univer-
sal attention, and the mulatto woman was
frequently questioned as to its paternity. The
woman persisted that she was the mother of
the child but declined saying nything about
the child's father.
The mother and child were sold to young
planter in Kinds county, Mississippi, named
Kit Morris. Morris was immensely wealthy.
He owned plantations in Kinds, Madison and
1aZoo counties, and all of them were well
supplied with slaves
The home place was in Kinds county, and
on this the n,rlatto woman and the little
girl, named Louisa, were located. For the
first few years after reaching Mississippi the
glrl Louisa lived at the negro quarters. As
she grew toward womanhood, however she
gave evidence of unusual Intelligence and
promised to develop into a remarkably beau
tiful woman.
She was taken into the Mansion House and
given to Kit Morris's eldest daughter as a
maid. She was keen observer and an apt
imltator. The Morris mansion was a sort of
social center in the county, and great deal
OF company was entertained there. Louisa
saw much to observe and much to initiate in
the fine ladies who frequented her masters
house, and being great favorite on account
OF her intelligence, amability and beauty
she was allowed many privileges Although
slave, she was treated almost as a member
OF the family. Such good use did she make
OF her opportunities that at the age of six
f1O acl,x
as charming in manners as anybody in the
country. She regarded herself as slave
and had no other thought but she was a
negro. The old, old story now comes in
The planter, of course, became very fond Of
her, and she became the mother of an lille
gitimate child. The mulatto woman then
came forward and disclosed the truth about
the birth of Louisa. She gave the names of
the parents, but for obvious reasons they are
withheld. 1t is sufficient to say that ac-
cording to the mulatto's story, Louisa came
of the hluest blood of Virginia. Her
mother was the sister of a statesman who
occupied one OF the highest offices in the gift
of the people, and her reputed father was
one OF the most brilliant and remarkable
men who ever occupied seat in the United
States Senate. The trusted mUlatto woman
had been induced to adopt this child of
shame to save the reputation of mistress
that she loved better than her own life The
disclosure of the parentage was made only to
Kit Morris, and he kept the secret locked Sc
Scurely in his breast for several years. As the
story goes, he repented of his folly, and
while he loved the girl dearly, all improper
relations With each other ceased. The boy
child she bore him took his name and was
educated by him in the best schools of Vir-
ginia. This son entered the Confederate SER
vice and fell fighting calamity at the head
OF his company at Leesburg Va. The girl
Louisa continued to live at the Norris plan
tation, becoming the mistress of the head
GverSeer Two children were born them a
boy and girl. They were both acSnowl-
edged by the overseer somewhere between
1910 and 1850. \ short time after thisa Young
man named German. from Virginia, located
i'll Kinds county. He saw Louisa and adj
mired her Kit Morris, who always had a
warm place in his heart for the girl wanted
to see her happily married and settled in
life, and ne offered to give Louisa her free
papers and a plantation ON Silver Creek in
Yazoo county, if German would marry her
This German refused to do, because he
thought she had negro blood in her veins.
Morris then for the first time disclosed to
Louisa the secret of her birth, and also made
known the facts to German. Being satisfied
that Louisa was white woman, and
that she came of the best
Virginia stock, German accepted
Morris's proposition and married her. The
couple moved to the Siver-creek plantation.
where they lived and prospered for many
years. Not long since German died, and it
is not improbable that Louisa is still living
on the Silver-creek plantation or in that
neighborhood.
The two illegitimate children of the over
seer were well educated, and are now we'll
todo people of Mississippi.
This little scrap of domestic history was
unearthed by the department in a search for
the antecedents OF Thomas German, whose
wife was claimant for bounty. One cannot
help specializing how different in life would
the path of Louisa have been had she been
the child OF lawful instead of illicit love.
DAN RICE ON TEMPERANCE.