Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-07-03
An Aged EX-Slave Tells an Interest
ing Love Story Of His
Former Owner.
Tramping from Southern Virginia to
Boston to Seek His Masters
Grandchild.

of good nature, as he stood, hat in hand,
making from time to time respectful obeis-
ances to the reporter.
He was strangely and typlcally attired,
and his feet were enormous in size. His
face was kindly and full of honest pur-
pose His long bushy wool was snow
white.
''Surely, Uncle interposed the report
er, you are not going to walk all the way
to Boston,"
deed is, master" was the answer.
"Where are you from?'
cole Virginny."
"What part?''
Else had a little place in Fauquier
county since surrender, till l done heerd
from Miss En- 'ly's gran chile Den | done
give up, an hyar | is, 70 years ole mex
December, 18th day, trabbling cross de
country like de patriarchs did in Bible
times when dey was out on a mission O.
kindness or to smite an enemy
The old negro soon became communi-
cative, and in neighboring restaurant,
where he could rest and refresh himself,
he told his story which, robbed of the
homely dialect impossible to reproduce, is
as follcws:
OLD AARoN's STORY.
Long before the war there settled in
Thomas Bostwick, who came from Geor-
gia with his young wife and purchased a
large plantation near Jennings ordinary
Among the woods and chattels purchased
by the Georgian was Aaron, warranted by
his late master as Sound in limb, of coed
temper, faithful, honest and industrious. 5"
A +bo
tramping across the country to Boston
When Master Tom" bought him Aaron
was young man and for years he held
the confidence of his owner, was his friend
and counselor in health and nurse and doc
tor in sickness.
Miss Emily quoth Aaron, "dat was
gentle as dove an as fair as lily. She
had two chilluns-young master Willie
and young Miss Emily. Lord bless you
master, | nursed dem pefor' fun de time
dey fust cried to de day WIN dey wuz
lowed to run round de ole plantation in
shot dresses. An | dubbed dem chulIen.
Shuah, did, master"
When the war broke out young Mas
ter Willie had grown to a man s estate
and young Miss Emily was the belle of
Nottoway county.
When Virginia called upon his sons to
defend the soil of the old Dominion from
the invading hosts that swarmed down
from the Northeast, young Master Willie"
was among the first to volunteer, mad I'M
til the battle of Balls Bluff he passed
through the ordeal of shot and shell, I'M
scathed In this hotly contested fight he
was badly wounded, and when the confed-
crates retreated he was left upon the field
of battle and became prisoner. He fell
into good hands, for Captain Charles
Dalrymple, of a Massachusetts regiment,
was his captor.
ENEMIES BECOME FRIENDS.
Captain Dairymple was wounded also
and after the battle secured leave Of ab-
sence. He had formed an attachment for
his rebel acquaintance, and reaching home
on furlough wrote to him at the Federal
prison in Elmira, N. Y. The Wirginian
pinned In captivity and wrote doleful letters.
The Yankee Captain, with a heart full of
sympathy, applied to Massachusetts, war
! Governor, John A Andrews, and Master
Willie" was paroled. Out of gratitude to
his Yankee friend the released prisoner
accepted the latter's invitation to spend a
few weeks with him at his Boston home.
| The bond of friendship between the two
was firmly cenlented before the Yankee
| Captain s leave of absence ended, and he
went back to his regiment with bright Wis
ions of certain Emily, whose praises had
| been sounded in his ears for days, and
towards whose home the armies of the
North were marching. Young Master
| Willie, furnished with pass, went through
the lines and finally reached his old home.
He had sworn not to take up arms against
| the Mortimer, but when, one October
night, Burnside's army made a sudden
march upon the enemy's lines, and a
scouting party dashed down upon Jen-
! ning's ordinary, he buekled on sword and
pistol loaded up his fowling piece and
started out at the head of hastily organ
lied home guard to repel the invaders. By
| his side rode black Aaron, and his stout
heart never quailed when bullets whistled
about him like shower of hail.
SEARCHING FOR HIS MASTER.
The opposing forces rushed toward each
other nearer and nearer. From their rifles
and guns belched lurid flame. At last
there was crash, fierce commingling of
gray and blue, shouts aud curses, groans
of agony and screams of pain. At last a
triumphant yell and the scouting party
were driven back with half their number
| dead.
Aaron was sorely wounded. He bears
the scars of that conflict yet on his
black body, but weak though he was,
from loss of blood, he began to search for
Master Willie, whom he had seen go
down in the thick of the fray He found
him at last. dead, with his white face up
turned to the dew. AS he tent over him,
| taarS Strean,inu down his faca q croan
awoke the stiffness of the night, and leav-
to the living so sorely in in need of it. Not
ten feet from where his young master lay
tossed another form in the blue uniform
wounded man, and the latter lips formed
the single word:
"Water!'
1t vas brought to him and he drank
eagerly In the meantime several of the
| the woods to the late scene of carnage, and
now questioned Aaron with chattering
teeth and quaking limbs. He ordered
| them all back to the plantation for mules
and a wagon and sent verbal message
of preparation for the coming of the dead
to young Miss Emily.
NURsED BACK TO LIFE.
Just as the pale light of the stars was
| giving way to the stronger light of the
coming day Miss Emily, with tears in her
eyes, stood upon the porch of the planta-
| ton house and received two parties-one
was that of her dead brother, the other
that of his wounded Yankee friend, Cap
/ tain Charles Dalrymple, who had led the