The sun., 1888-01-05
AN AGED soJouRNER.

AN AGED sOJouRNER.
Catherine Dorsey, Of Providence,
claims 10 Bs III Years Old.
There resides at No 131 Lilac street,
in this city, says The Providence Jour-
nal. at the home Of Mrs. Celia Boon.
the latter's mother, wee bit of a
woman whose skin betrays the African
blood within her veins, but whose fea-
lures also assert mixture of the In
dian life current. There is much inter-
est sentering around this little woman.
for while she looks sprightly to cer-
tain degree and converscs quite fluent
II, she claims to be LII years of age.
II wrinkled skin whitened hair, and a
bent form can speak in support OF her
claim, then she has good advocates.
The little woman is Catherine Dorsey.
and she says she was born in Ann
Arundel county, Maryland, about twen-
ty miles from Baltimore. Her mother
and grandmother she knew were full
blooded Indians. and her father was
typical African. He never knew
his right name. as he was stolen
from beach in Africa and brought to
this country when he was years OF
age. Her mother was born on the
plantation of Margaret Hopkins, and
she remained there until she was the
mother Of ten children. Two of these
died when they were infants; the
~, c.
and John, and Rachel. Darkey, Nancy,
and Catherine. The old lady says she
was born free and had certificate to
that effect until quite recently, when
she lost it; her daughter. Mrs. Boon,
had one dated June %, 1854. which
certified to her birth and free person.
Her father. she says, was married be-
fore he became the husband of her
mother, and by his first wife had seven
teen children. making twenty-seven in
all born to him; he lived. she says, to
be 104 years of age. These facts, she
asserts, can be substaintiated by refer
ence to the books of record in Ann
Arudel county. Her children number
ed thirteen, four of whom are
now living. She first came north about
twenty-eig years ago. and since then
has made nine journeys to her former
home. She fixes her age at LII wears,
and In support of this saws that she was
10 years old on the clark day." which,
according to history, occurred on May
10, 1880. She remembers distinctly
that the birds and barnyard fowls went
to roost when darkness settled upon
the land, and that the colored people
II
phenomenon. They sank upon their
knees and began to cry and pray. while
she, not feeling scared. tried to thread
a needle to sew some dolls clothing.
She could not do so on account of the
darkness. and asked her mother to
help her accomplish that act. Her
mother reached forward seized her,
and made her kneel with the rest. tell
ing her that the Lord had set his seal
upon the land; that there would no
longer be any sunlight but that the
earth would thereafter be shrouded in
darkness. Her mother was the only
religious, preaching women in that
place, and she remembers that the
white people came over to the quarters
and joined in the worship which the
terrors of the hour induced Her fathers
name as given him by those who pur-
chased him was Isaac DeLand, and
after her brothers grew up they chang
ed their names because they were nick
named Lamb; one of them selected the
name of Dorsey, and very singularly
she afterwards married man named
Dorsey. She remembers some of the
incidents Of the war of the Revolution,
but does not recall ever having seen
Gen. Washington, although she
heard him spoken of very often.
She recalls visiting tho camps,
particularly of the regulars. as
she styled them, and of the militia.
the latter being scattered through
the woods. She rode on a cart to camp.
and sold corn pones to the soldiers.
She can remember three wars, but can
not recall dates The colored people
in her days were very ignorant and
hard-working, and to enjoy their re-
ligion were often compelled to 60 into
the woods, where, undlsturbed by wick
ed field-drivers or cruel overseers. and
simply supplications to Him who prom
ised to free all in His good time. Their
work was hard then, not only lasting
through the day. but sometimes run
ming through the night Corn bread
was the principal food taken to the
field. She had never been punished,
and no white persons hand had ever
been laid upon her in violence or anger
She had done everything in field that
strong man could do such as yoking up
the steers. plowing, sowing. hoeing,
reaping. driving to the woods. loading
up the firewood. returning home and un-
loading it. She now has her faculties,
can thread needle. does sewing for
pay. and stands up to the tub and
washes her own clothes. She rarely
slept after o'clock in the morning,
and il the weather is good she walks
about the streets near her daughters
residence before breakfast. Later in
the day she makes trips about tho
neighborhood and is frequently made
the recipient Of money and delicac;es
from ladies and gentlemen who are
acquainted with her history. Such is
the little woman's story. 1t is an
interesting narrative, and it may be
that someone in the south win peruse
it and compare it with tho records of
A.. II