The Mineral argus., 1884-01-03
a Colored Messengers Career

y COiOred Messengers Career
Prom Correspondents of the Boston Tr.,
eller.
Washington is a city of quaint chsroo
tiers. They are everywhere, even i
the most unexpected places, and, as
matter of course, many of them 6nS
their way into official positions. Nv a,
tention has often been brought to tbs
colored messenger OF the attorney gen.
erals office, and the other day l o6es.
toned him about his history. He ha.
held the present position for mapv
years, and l doubt if there is a sings
member of congresses or a United Stat,
Judge in this section of the country VIII
does not know Coleman. ] will give m
history in his own words.
Said he: Il was born in Forkbn
county. Va, on the old plantation of tIs
Lee family, / don't know exactly hoS
old l am, but I think / will be sixt.
three some time in next March.
184S MI. Lee, my master, sent me
Richmond TO be sold, as he had to rails
some money, and ] was carried assV
from my wife, h~andcuffed, and
put in a freight car. That night
lodged In the Jail, and the men
morning | was led out to the block
Years before I had been kicked in the
head by a horse, VIII CHI let the upy
looking scar which you see on my fore.
head. That night in Jail / rubbed the
scar with my hands until it looked ver
sore, and on auction day. when tbe
traders came around, they asked rue iii
ever felt any effects of the wound.
told them that ii / had n good master
guessed that ] could get along wei
enough. but that l was subject to attacks l
Of fits. i was appraised at a high figure. :
but the fits story cut it down consider.
ably. The day when / was led out d
the auction block there were over 5N
other slaves sold. a Frenchman named
Brant bought me at a private sale for
500, and / was his valet NJ the old Ex-
change hotel in Richmond, now the Bul.
lard house, for seven years, and at the
end of that time ! had some $3.50, with
| bought freedom for myself and
/ used to make n great deal of
money at the Exchange, and / remem.
Der that some weeks / laid by as much
AS 500 in a single week, but this Of
course did not happen often.
Mr.. Brant, when he found that I was
4 married man, told me that he hada
lpA VI ydltSI SlIAb Ol Ills plAitdLtuH,
and that ! could easily find another
wife, but he liked me so well that be
bought my wife. In 1859 ] bought my
sister, and paid $3.50 for her, as
she was sickly. She hadn't been with
us long before she died, at an expense
If $50. / had three sisters somewhere
in Louisiana or Mississippi, and after
the war was over | sent letters to the w.
churches in that section to be read
the pulpits, with the hope that
could get some information as to wheth-
err they were dead or alive. One of my
was read in a little town in Miss
when a colored woman jumped
up and said that she was one of the sis
ters. / brought her here, and she is
with me now. My remaining two sis.
died during the war, or some time
previous. l was appointed messenger
by Attorney General Speed, who was in
Lincoln's cabinet, and / have
served at this door ever since, including
the terms of office of Messrs. Speed,
5 ansberry, Eyarts Hoar. Alderman,
Williams, Pierpont, Taft. Deyens, Me
Neagh and the present incumbent, Dir.
Brewster"