The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-01-28
NOTED COLORED WOMAN.
Death Of Charlotte Scott, Who
Started the Movement
TO BUILD A MONUMENT
To Lincoln, Erected by the Colored
People of the oountry.-.Her First
Earnings in Freedom Contrib
uted.-.Her History.

WASHINGTON, D. O., Jan. 2.-At 73t
Tenth street northwest, in frame tene'
ment house of not very pretentious ap.
pearance, lives colored family, the
members of which, representing three
generations, are to-day mourning the
death OF Mrs. Charlotte Scott, a colored
woman, whose name at one time was
doubtless on the lips Of every man and
woman in the United State, and is now
read by the thousands who visit the Lin
coin statue in Lincoln Park.
Inscribed upon one Of the bronze
tablets resting upon the base is the fol-
lowing:
FREEDoNs MEMORIAL.
In grateful memory Of
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
This monument was erected
by the Western sanitary Commission
VI st. Louis, No,
With funds contrbu ed solely by
EmRucip tied citizens pt the United states
Declared free by his proclamation
January j, A D., 1865.
The Afst contribution Of Ave dollars was made
by Charlotte scott, freed woman Of
Virginia, being her fist earnings
10 freedom and consecrHted
By her suggestion and request
On the day she heard OF fresident Lincoln's
death u build monument to his memory.
The woman whose name is thus hon.
ored died Saturday night, the 24th in.
slant, at her home, Reuseus, a little rail.
road station about four miles from
Lynchburg, in the one hundred and
ninth year Of her age. AS stated in the
inscription, she was the first to contrib.
ute to tho erection of monument to
Abraham Lincoln and at that tune lived
In Marietta, Ohio. 1t is said that when
she heard OF the assassination OF the
President she exclaimed: "Lord, have
Massa Lincoln is killed He
ought TO have monument and am
going to give the last cent have for it,
aud Immediately contributed-perhaps
Prof J. NJ. Langston, who wss
living in Marietta at the time and knew
her intimately-the sum Of S. The "St.
Louis commission" as it is known, was
soon afterward formed, and, taking this
s. as a nucleus, collected the fund for
the erection Of the famous emancipation |
group that now adorns Lincoln Park.
THE UNWILLING OF THE sTATUE.
took place April IA, 1876, and in order TO |
honor the name and person who had
made the first contribution, Miss Scott,
the fundamentally of Prof. ].
NJ. Langston, who by authority OF Con.
gress was chairman Of the committe, and
Frederick Douglass, who was orator Of
the day, was brought on and given
prominent place in the procession and
exercises. Her picture was taken and
many thousands OF them soid, from
which large revenue was derived and
which was devoted to paying for the
monument. While here she was the re.
cipient Of many attentions and met all
the leading promoters Of the scheme
aud many Of the prominent men OF the
day.
A SKETCH OF HER LIFE.
Charlotte Scott was born slave on
what is still known as the Scott planta.
lion, near Lynchburg, and took and re.
tanned the name OF her owners. Some
years before the war she went to Mari.
etta, Ohio, as the maid OF Mrs. DR..
Rucker, nee Margaret Scott, and there
abe was set free some two years prior to
the emancipation proclamation OF Presi.
dent Lincoln, January ], 1868. Not
her freedom she returned
to her old friends on the farm OF her
nativity shortly after the cessation OF
hostilities, and from the "old folks"
readily obtained four acres OF land, upon
which she built INQUEST but comfort.
able home, in order, as she said, to be |
near "her chillun," as she called the |
members OF the Scott family to the day
OF her DEATH. Her confidence in her
"old folks" never tagged and 1t was not
In this city lives her daughter, Mrs.
China Brice; her granddaughter, Mrs
Alice Anderson Lewis, and her great
granddaughter, Mary Anderson, all at
1856 10Th street northwest Mrs. Brice
left last evening for Lynchburg, thence
to Rsusens 10 attend the funeral and
burial ceremonies, which will take place
tomorrow or Wednesday.
Mrs. Scott had twelve children, six
sons, all Of whom are dead, and six
some Of whom are well
known among their race. Besides Mrs.
China Brice Of this city there are Mrs.
Celia Scott OF Philadelphia, Mrs. Emma
Turner OF Baltimore, Mrs. Maria Will
llams Of Lynchburg, Mrs Mary Cole,
who lives with her mother, and Mrs.
Rachel Scott, who lives in the same
neighborhood.
Historian BauorOf,'s VIII.