News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-28
THE STORY OF AN EX.SLAyE.
A "Reminiscences of Forty Years Ago and the
Changes Since Then.
From the Hawkinsville (Ga.) Dispatch.

From the Hawkinsville (Ga.) Dispatch.
Last Saturday morning while we
were seated in the shade discussing
some trivial matter,a citizen we'll posted
in the affairs OF Hawkinsville for the
last forty years said:
DO YOU see that old Colored man in
the buggy driving around the corner2
Well, that is old Dempsey Clark. About
forty years ago he and his brother Bris-
tow were as likely young negro men as
could be found among the slaves any
plantation. They were put on the block
and sold at public outcry to the highest
| bidder before the Court House door in
| HaWkinsviile.
Among the, bidders for Dempsey and
| Bristow was old Jonathan Coley, who
was rich in lands and slaves. Dempsey
and Bristow said to 1Er. Coley:
.s' You needn't bay rs, Mr.. Coley,
| case we amt agoing to live wld ye.'
"'Oh well, replied Mr.. Coley, I've
got plenty of dogs which meant that if
they should run away he could capture
them with the keen-scented hounds used
in those days.
'Sure enough the old man Coley
bought Dempsey and Bristow, and, as
good as their word, they took to the
woods as soon as they could escape from
his plantation. They were captured
once or twice but made their escape
again, and Immediately took up their
life in the woods.
81 remember that on one occasion a
party OF hunters with their negro dogs
struck the trail of Bristow and Dempsey
and chased them INTO the cypress Jungle
| and among the lagoons just below Big
Creek, four miles from Hawkinsyille,
where the creek empties into the
Ocmugee. The swamp was almost i'm
penetrahle, but the hunters followed
! their dogs, and approached within fifty
or a hundred yards of the runaway
niggers," as they were called They
proved to be Dempsey and Bristow, who
by some means had obtained a gun or
pistol, and defied their persuers Demp-
sev and Bristow were stout men and
they swore they would die before they
would be arrested.
Among the hunters was Tobe Me-
Gritf, brother of the present ordinary
of this county. Nj. McGriff fired one
shot at the fugitive slaves and they re-
turned the shot. 1t then became evil
dent that they were armed, and had
determined not to be captured alive.
"Ihe hunters withdrew and left
Dempsey and Bristow in the swamp,
and they remained in the woods three
years. At last old man Coiey, despair
ing of ever getting any service out of
them, sold them III the woods to Bryant
w. Brown, of Houston county. Mr.
Brown told his slaves that he had bought
Dempsey and Bristow, and they at once
left the woods and went to his planta-
tion, where they remained faithful slaves
until the close of the war.
~ don't know where Bristow is,
whether living or dead, but that is old
Dempsey out there In that buggy, and
he is now known as Dempsey Clark. He
owns a plantation of four or i've hun
dred acres in Houston county, and has
several good mules and horses. He is a
good farmer, is very industrious, and
manages well. He has a good credit
among the merchants of sHawkinsville
and Perry,-and he has two daughters
attending college in Atlanta
We have only bit of advice to offer
old Dempsey: If he is out of debt and
owns farm, just keep out of debt. A
good credit has ruined many good
man.