Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-08-22
Jeff Davis SlnYe.

According to Washington CORE"
spondent, tho wealthiest colored man
in the south since the war, who was
born a slave and set free by the eman-
cipation proclamation, was Ben Mont
gomery, of Mississi ppi. He belonged
to Mr.. Joseph Davis first, and then to
Mr.. Jefferson Davis. For years before
the war he was the secretary of Hon.
Joseph Davis, Jefferson Davis elder
brother. The Daviscs were large
planters and owned the Hurricanes"
estate, consisting of three great cotton
plantations at the extreme lower end
of Warren county, Miss, and about
eighteen or twenty miles below Vicks-
burg. There were between 10000 and
10, 900 acres Of the finest land on tn
Mississippi river in these plantation
and $50 slaves. All the letters respect
ing the business OF these places for
thirty years were written by Ben Mont
gomery. He frequently went to New
Orleans on business cor the Davises,
and carried with him once ninety thou
sand dollars in money. He travelled
could have run away fifty times had
he wished. But he remained faithful
and loyal to the last. The Davises
were noted for their kindness
to their slaves. They had
finer quarters" on their plantation
probably than any planter in the south,
excepting the Hamptons. They kept
physician always on their places,
and in every way cared for their ''col-
ored people," as slaves were frequently
called. When Mr.. jefferson Davis
and his brother Joseph left their
homes, one as the President OF the
Southern Confederacy and the other as
a gadier-General, they put every
thing under Ben Montgomery's charge.
He made the crops of 1S6l-62 and
1929, about 5000 bales of cotton,
and shipped it to New Orleans and sold
it to foreign buyers for gold. This
money he carefully sent to Mr.. Davis.
In 1868, when the slaves were emauci-
pated, Mr.. Davis sold the "Hurri-
canes" to Ben Montgomery for $780,
600 in gold. 1t has been said that
this sale was only ruse to save these
splendid estates from confiscation.
Whether this was true or not, when
the Federal "agents for the protection
of abandoned property and lands"
came to take possession Of the Hurri-
canes they found Ben Montgomery
with title so strong and valid that 1t
could not be upset, and they left him
alone in peaceable possession.
After the war he continued to plant
these places with great success, MAX
ing every year from l, 100 TO 1920
bales of cotton, besides an abundance
OF corn and hay. In 1874 or 1875, there
still being balance due on the pay
ments. Mr. Davis took the property
back. but left Ben Montgomery in full
charge. These places yield a very
handsome annual income now to Mr..
Davis. who. though he prefers to live
on the Mississippi seashore at Beauvoir
yet visits his old home once year and
spends few weeks with his friends Of
fifty years ago. As have said, he was
very kind master, and. therefore,
whenever he goes back to his former
residence all the old-time Davis negroes
within fifty miles around come to see
"Old Marse Jeff'' and have great
time. When Ben Montgomery died,
in 1881, Mr. Davis went up TO his fun
eral, and there was no sincerer mourner
than he who once had the fate of a
people upon his shoulders at the grave
OF his old and lifelong friend, though
his slava