Omaha daily bee., 1885-07-18
A MOORISH PRINCE,

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A STORY WRITTEN BY GEN. JoHN NJ.
THAYRR.
Daring the siege tf Vieksburg a con-
traband came to my quarters one day,
and ssid no desired to obtain some infor.
nation and advice as to what course TO
he should take to get to Missouri Or
Kansas. He added: "Gene1al, l cant
tell you how anxious l am to get there,
for l believe my wife and two children
are In st. Louis or Kansas City. l was
separated from them two years ago this
month, and l have mover ceased day or
night to raise my poor heart in prayer
to our Heavenly Father to bring us to-
gether again before l die. Within a few
weeks l have providentisliy heard from
them, and now, thanks to the good Lord,
1t appears to me my prayers will be an.
swered In due time" And then the
poor old mans heart gave way, and
he completely broke down with the
intensity of his emotions, awakened
by the illusions to hls wife
and children. His whole appearance and
manners and his langusge-for he spoke
good English, entirely free from the
broken idiom of the Ignorant colored
people-impressed me at once that he was
a person of far more intelligence and
education than would be expected In one
who had rassed his whole life In bondage.
n lzAz - Ii. 49,. .---A-1
him to give me a sketch of his life, as
there was o little leisure that afternoon,
the contending forces on each aide being
quiet for a few hours. Said he: 81 will,
general; but tell me first, can you give
me any hope of getting up the river to
st. LouIs2' l replied that | would en-
deavor to secure transportation for him,
and thought there would not be much
doubt about 1t. Then he broke forth In
profuse expressions of gratitude, and
began
HIS STORY:
'tMy name is Jacob Rshmsn, and / am
| the son of Abdel Rahman. l was born
ffty.seven years ago last May, neer Boil
var, Tenn. But before | proceed further
| with my own narrative | must tell you
something of my fathers history. He
was a native of Morocco, from which he
was stolen away by a slave ship when he
was 1G years old. He always claimed he
was a Moorish prince in that country.
He had been thoroughly educated for
of his years, according TO the eduction
and customs Of that semi-barbarous land,
and was raised in luxury, for his family
u-ara Tho Dnuunuunra Of nranF wonlrh on
well as Of rank. He and q companion
went down the harbor of Tapglers one
summer afternoon for a ss!l, when a
squat coming up suddenly, their boat
cspsized andthe~ companion WAS drowned.
Father chung to the keel till a boat put
out from a ship lying at anchor close
By and rescued him. On being taken
aboard, he was informed thai, as it
was 30 near evening, he would have to
remain on the ship till the next day,
when he would bs tent back to the city.
He suspected nothing wrong, and was
satisfied to remain. When he got up the
next morning he WAS amazed to find the
ship out In the ocean with no land in
view. As he often expressed It., he was
overwhelmed with despair. He begged
the officers of the ship to send him back
by the first vessel they should meet, but
his entreatles were of no avail. The Of
ticers and crew were hard hearted and
cruel men, and they only laughed at his
~pleadings. He soon learned from one of
the sailors that he was on a slave ship
bound to the west coast of Africa for a
cargo of slaves. He then realized that
he was to be sold into slavery. He often
told ms of the terrible agony he endured
In thus being torn away from his family
and country, with nothing to look for
ward to but hopeless bondage.
Once, in his despair, be attempted to
jump overheard, but was caught by
one of the sailors m the attempt frus-
trated. He WAS then Ike t In confns-
ment. The vessel reached her destiua-
nation on the African coast, and after
securing her cargo of slaves sat sail for
Savannah, Ga. On her arrival at that
port the Africans were sold at a~uctIan,
he among the number. AS he had the
dark skin of the Spsnish Moor he readily
passed for a mulsttc, and as he could not
spssk q word of English, he could not
make known who he was or where he was
from, and IF he had been able to tell bis
story no attention would have been paid
to 1t. He was bid off to a planter by the
name of johnson, In the northw estern
portion of Georgia, near the Tennessee
line. Here ho remained a few years,
working in the cotton field, subjected to
hard treatment of slaves, but never for.
getting his kindred and country, or its
Language. He was in the habit of talking
with himself In his native tongue when
slone, go az to retain it In memory. He
remained here a few years, when he was
sold to John Western, and moved to
Bolivar, Tenn. He had now fallen into
kind hands. Mr.. Western, observing
hls unusurl intelligence and capacity,
treated him with marked kindneFs and
permitted the governels of bis
children to teach him also. He
married a mu'atto girl belonging
to his master, who was maid to Mrg.
Western. Here, as | told you, 1 was
born and was one of Eeven brothers. As
We grew up u lives passed pleasantly,
for tho family were oil together, and we
were happy and contented. Our master
allowed US the same privileges for obtain
ing some degree of education that he had
given to father, which was q most
unusual thing for q slave to possess.
Father was able to teach us all the com-