Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-05
WOULD NOT BE PARTED.
INCIDENT or THE FLOOD m THE
ALABAMA RIVER m 1855

...r,oeNr re Yne &, ono ~ TIVE
ALABAMA niSeh W iooo
-
WHA.ss nes oessa-S
old sshussrgs1 CHA l1saas CsssseA
u~ w..aA :. ~ n,w
Negroes frcquently exhihis wouHerfu -
gres of heroasEn In tins q danger An u
stAncs d thb l visnssd In Ne sT,ng o.
issA vhen . frsshse u " AanAmA ns~
caused ths country on each ads 70 % osse-
6swsd BY water for many mileA
Tbs negroes On The river plantations vsrs
tns greatest sunefn thsll c.%ns ~H
b under wafer almost before tney knsS tnas
danger threatened thsm. ana hundrsos OF
them we're sofnetimss found nuddsea soestnM
upon some knoll suf1acaentiy eevafsd 70 %
above the water There tney often remained
Two o. three Gays ann M&no "snoo' iour
and exposed to a soaking rain Fortunately.
the weather. wes not COLI
Many reiief exp*ditions sese ssn' oot Lun
the r,eaghbofinx towns 70 rescue them Iness
consisted OF one or more DoAuA mAnneu y
expert oarsmen and s.fmmerA' ano n.s'o
with cooked PROVISIONS blankets. etc ons
day the news came That me negroes on . cor
tam plantation nAa sought seiose upon .
corn crio' AROUND ~nicn inc v.se' "ss iap'T
~ rising, ahd 70 renoeftnS tnei' eono"ao1
sxcsedingy peecanooA i"o ooats sls1'ea
out a. once " tnetr as.astance An one :"
these ! went accompanied oy ano'n0 "n''s
man asad . negro.
THEY CALLED aiA hosA
An amusing occurrence took paacs not ooS
AFTER our startin&' IN 'ns MINUS " w
msrged nead. ahout ic ya!0 70 ooI n9nt
We nav httis wooliJ osacA nean' WIN .
frightened black lace oeneatn II, Protesting
from the waser nseny 'o"os
u and drew Out Oh tne muoay "a'er neRro
BOY aoon years oad' peftscsiy nakeo' ano
held him up among us
Here. HOSES cr'sa one no'a,ng un cup
WIN wnisky ID " 70 NE "'ou'"' "e' s~sos
drink
rake nite oI tnis osean' AoSss, SHu
announcer uy'hg 10 cro~u 'ne 'oa" "''' M
mouth
NO; ies MOSES nave Some N 'ns '''eo -
con IL" 10 "l' wy u'o - $780, '"'o ''0
negro oafShan'
but MOSS snook us ne''n anu 'u'ns'a as'''e
from AL tne o"ereo 'ou
ero'eeseo =" =" UNI no snu'
WINE ms "h''e 'oo'u sooue ""o =" ~
rolled wiidiy i~ eroieeee" W yer OUT
nam ~. INV" ~ Two oass O. uyn 70 A0ep
my ue"u ou' ue ""-"' :" g
ye, p-e"' W
ne vas P"lpsy ""p o... n..". nv
Se' oo~n' "ne:o w an .ou' 40 ~ s ..
moving ENJOYING tue pe'iec. iee' .. nn ne"
posi'ion- AZ tno e"u u VIC" -, '''''o ue oes.n
10 eat. l ara" ven ose' ns te1tor ll.nce
from "atery RraSe W .iA MN Win corn
ores'i uiiu o"eoi' 1..nous" '.o nss'o oai1
"a" 'i,s'sesi 'n a "e n". nos@ 49,, ne.Iu u
nsean oe',' "ul Wv "'uen W cut.
meeting re'urniis ooa' s'oi A''er' we put
Moses III IL ana sen. MN 70 'o"n- never
hearu OF hin' asa,"' ou' presume ne Sur'''eo
ootn us UNUSUAL oa'n anu oahquee
"eIesu"eu our journey Anu just oeAorS
dark s'enten tne corn cr'o' upon which "as.
OF o'aek "uiiiani'y eiuS'eiou nAe swarm ..
nees A heaVy ram was no" taihhg, anu
aayiight oeghhihs 70 linus away their con
dition become host distressing Is they sat IN
perfect silence "atchihg our approach
But we did not appreciate their extreme
peru "ht', az .',e o'a. s'Iuck aeAlls' .ne iran
log HOUSE, "hich was IN the water 10 the edges
OF the rooi' IL V's'oiy snook ana tottered. Inc
poor creatures oegan 70 clamoer nurr'ediy
down 10 tne boat
stop" cried Ihe women and children
hrst.
The men obediently resumed their seats.
We took IN hrst the children ana then the
women, getting them all IN safely, and were
about to push OIL telling tile men we would
hurry back Tor then as quickly as possiole
or send the hrst hoat we met, when very
old woman II noticed she was the last to get
in the boat anu mad done 50 reluctantly
seized the corner OF tine house, and looking
anxio'i,iy into my lace said:
"Marster. amt you gwine take my ole
manF
NO, auntle, answered, tine ooat Is TOO
fun now he must wait Till we come back
"CLiNGIN' TO DE ARK"
The words were hardly out Of my mouth
when with sudden spring she was up and
nm the rts.f arnin Il shook as che scrnmhlad
~, ali fohrs mon II and tool nor COO, no .
,;,.,o ,,;,h.r.d ria hloct mar ,vho.s go
n''ie' '"o' % - ' uAnu
sno se'13' anu "e'" % sue ""s "''"'" w
would tear ner away from nim
"Come, auntie," l cried, this won't do.
We can't leave you here and we can't wait
any longer on you"
60 on, marster," she answered. II thanks
yer, en- pray de good Lawd to fetch you all
safe home; but gwine stay hyah wild my ole
man. Ell Simon got TO git drownded, Lyddy
gwine git drowuded, too. We dun bin to-
gedder too long to part now"
And we had to leave her. after throwing
them some blankets and lot of prov isiona
As we rowed OF in the rain and night high
falsetto voice. tremulous with age, came
across the waters from the crib where we left
the almost certainly doomed group in the
blackness of darkness They dared not have
a light FOR fear Of setting hre to their frail
support. We stopped our oars TO listen to the
song. 1t came clear and distinct First
Lyddy's trembling voice and then a chorus
Of dozen or more of the deep bass voices Of
the men:
We're a clngfn' to de ark,
Take US In. take " In.
Take us in. take US in.
Do de nesn po en- weak'
VII. ~. Jus. Us H. T.. 90. '.,. :. u"
I tsus IN ~ ~ n
Den I.vd hole ont DIV han,
Take US In, take us in.
Draw de sinnahs to de Ian.
Take US in, take us In.
We could wait and listen to the weird
sounds no longer, but struck our oars into the
water and hurried away.
Most fortunately We came upon q boat,
bent upon the same errand As ourselves,
which went Immediately to the crib and
saved all Of its living freight. The crib bad
apparently been held down by their weight,
for as the last one left It il turned over and
hoated away To the gulf.