Smyrna times., 1889-06-12
OLD CHANCE CARTER.
THE LIFELONG DEVOTION OF A
BLACK MAN IN GEORGIA.

Life-FOr Many Long Years Ho Guarde,
His Old Masters Grave-No Legal Till,
to His Home. but He Held It Till Death
Chance Carter lived seventv-five wear,
a slave and twenty-five free man.
That is, from the best anybody can tel
about it,
lie was so old that he had outlived
everybody who might have told anvth;nn
about his real age, which spanned the
average life of three or four generations.
Away back in the days when Decatur
was stage road station and Atlanta was
a cross roads village, Mr. William Carter
and his wife came to this section, child.
less but wealthy, and the possessors of
many slaves.
Among these slaves was Chance, who
was more than half free, a good business
man; but lover of cock fights and
rough, country sports.
Chance was man of middle ace, and
had a large family when the railroad
reached Atlanta. He was practically in
charge OF the plantation affairs, his mas
ter relying implicitly on his fidelity and
good judgment in all the affairs con-
nected with his estate. His faith was
never shaken by single dishonest act
on the part of the old negro.
THE HAND OF DEATH.
Along in the '4Os Mr.. Carter died. and
his wife had his body laid to rest on a lot
in the plantation, where she might re-
pose beside him when the time came for
her to depart. The gaod old lady had no
one left but Chance, and on the honest
negro she relied still more than ever.
The sons and daughters Of the slave
grew to manhood and womanhood. and
the plantation prospered. The grave of
the old master was kept green.
In 1857 Mrs Carter felt the approach
Of death. She felt that the two lonely
graves would be left unprotected. and
that the stranger would desecrate them.
and that possibly the plowshare might
rudely break away the messy mounds
above their last resting place.
So she called Chance and to him mado
a deed OF gift to thirteen acres of land.
asking him to remain there and look
after the graves of the master and mis-
tress as long as he lived. The negro
promised to do SO, and he kept his word.
Nobody thought of molesting Uncle
Chance
Of course, under the laws existing
prior to the war, slave could not be
freed, nor could he become a freeholder.
But this old man was freedman and a
landholder, by virtue of the common re-
spect for the sacredness Of his charge.
and that public sentiment and sympathy
that was not uncommon among the DeO-
pie OF the south In such cases.
The rest of the property went to dis
tant relatives, and the inevitable separa-
tlon. which was one Of the most painful
Incidents of slavery, occurred between |
the father and his children.
A LONG VIGIL.
Uncle Chance remained on the littIa
farm left him by the old mistress. Amid
the shock and commotion of war he
never wavered in his devotion, and Lin
coins proclamation fell unheeded ON his
ears.
1t could do nothing for a man vino
vas only slave so far as his affections
pound him. And they were as fetters of
1rass binding him to the memory of
hose whom he had loved and served in
life, and from whom, in death. he chose
lot to be disunited.
After the war some of the lands passed
nto alien hands, and included in the
ract was the home of the old slave. The
lew owner set up claim that the thir-
cen acres were held by the old NEGRO
any legal title, and instituted
ult IN the courts for the recovery of the
title farm.
This aroused the old man, who had
ept his vigil SO long and well, and he
onsulted a lawyer. The LAWYER was
udge w. L. Calhoun, who had eaten
lrs. Carriers ginger cakes and listened
, Uncle Chances quaint stories when a
tile boy. N'-
Although there was really not tho =
ladow Of a title to Chances boldino,
le lawyer determined to stand bv him
nd help to preserve the little legacy and
1able the old man to die by the graves
those who had loved and trusted him
And tie lawyer won his case bv
1eech Of such mastery eloquence that
le crowd in the court room was moved t
} tears.
There was something peculiar about
nance Carter. His mind was of a biober 3
der than was common among unedu.
'ted slaves. He was a shrewd trader
Id scarcely ever made a mistake in n
lrgain.
His fidelity in life and in death TO tba c
terests OF his master and mistress ,vas [
mething remarkable, and there are
W parallel instances Of this sort Of de. d
'tlon between man and man. o.
He lay down and died Of sheer old ooa !.
e preserved his faculties up to the verv It
st moment, and among his dvino in Q
notions to his children were to see tbo+ y
e graves Of the old folks at home were I.
t left desolate. 81
It was extremely appropriate that they ~ !,
ould have laid him to rest in the same u :,
let spot, which he had guarded so I.
llousiy through all these long years. -
And out there, on the old plantation p
long the budding trees and TRAILING ~ ~
les, after a hundred years of smell ~
as seldom fall to the LOT of d q
n, sleeps in undisturbed re2ose. tbe o
lies OF the master, the mistress and the =, Ci
thful Uncle Chance. Consti. ~ ~
ion. ~