The Portland daily press., 1896-01-04
THE DRIED SCOTT CASE.
Owner Of the Famous Slave Still Liy.
ing in Massachusetts.
The Fa nous Decision that Startled the
Country.

Country.
There is still living in Springfield,
Mass. Gays the New York Times. a
woman who, forty years ago, had a most
intimate concern in what was perhans
the most celebrated legal contest that
this country ever knew This is Mrs. G.
G. Chaffee, who was the owner of the
slave, bred Scott. the outcome of whose
suit for freedom aroused so mu oh excite
ment throughout the country, and, with
out doubt, FASTENED the opening of the
civil war, Mrs. Chaffee, then Mrs. DR..
John Emerson, did not take an autive
and, indeed, the ownership of the slave
| is rec orded in almost every history of the
| trial as being another PERSONS, but both
| in this and in several other points Mrs.
Chaffee's "reminiscences bring out cor
rections to the generally accepted ac-
counts. That her story is true is shown
by the fact that it's details are corroborat-
ed by many of the older citizens of this
place who are familiar with the matter
at the time it occurred, and also by the
historical accounts themselves, which
are very apparently confused by an in
complete understanding of Mrs. Chaffee's
| family relations
| Mrs. Chaffee is of an old Virginia
family, being born in September. 1915 in
the Shenandoah Valley, where her father,
Alexander Sanford, was large iron
manufacturer. In her family there were
two brothers and five sisters, all of whom
became prominent and prosperous in
later life. OF the bothers, John Il. A.
Sanford built up a fortune in the
American Fur Company, and later in the
iron business, and Capt. Joseph Sand
ford, who went into the navy, Is now liv.
ing in retirement at Stamford, CT. Be-
sides Mr.. Chaffee, he is the only one Of
the family now alive The five sisters
we're exceptionally handsome women, and
all but one married army officers, being
thrown into their companionship at
Washington, where their father at one
time held good position. One marie d
Gen. James Barnes. of this city, who be-
came prominent in the civil war as sec
ond, Major John Clark, who died during
the Mexican war from yellow fever; a
third, Col. Henry Bainbridge; and a
fourth, Sam Ransom, of Albany. Mrs.
Chaffee was first married in 1888 to
DR.. John Emerson. a surgeon in the
regular army, whom she met while visit
ing her sister, Mrs. Clark, whose hus-
band was then stationed at Fort Wichita,
on the Red River. DR.. Emerson was the
owner of bred Scott, and when he died,
in 1S43, he left him and his family, with
all the rest of his property to his widow.
There was one child by the marriage, a
daughter, now Mrs. King, of Albany,
and with her Mrs. Chaffee went to the
home of her father, who was then living
in st. Louis, and lived there until his
death, about five years after that of DR..
Emerson. She then came on to live with
her sister. Mrs. Barnes, in this city.
Here in 1850, she married DR.. C. C.
Chaffee and has lived here with him ever
since.
Though generally quite strong, consid-
ering her age. Mrs. Chaffee has been con-
fined pretty closely to the house in recent
years on account of trouble with her eyes,
which at one time rendered her nearly
blind. She is a large woman, and in
appearance carries her age very we'll, her
hair in particular being still comparative
ly dark. She does not like, however, to
go over that part Of her history which.
has to do with the famous trial, because
at the time it caused her considerable
trouble and annoyance. Although not,
strictly speaking an abolitionist, her
sympathies were largely with the slaves
in their efforts to be free, and her fight
against bred Scott, which was really
caused by an entirely different reason
than q wish to deprive him of his free
dom, put her in an unfortunate position.
especially as her second husband, DR..
Chaffee, was at the time of the final de-
cision of the case Republican member
of Congress, and the fact that his wife
was owner of the slave attl acted unfavor-
able notice. Immediately after the case
had been decided in her favor Mrs.
Chaffee showed her true attitude in the
matter by freeing both bred Scott and
his family. In fact, the detailed history
of the case is fully as creditable, to say
the least, to Mrs. Chaffee as to Scott,
who was far from worthy of the National
sympathy he received either as person
or as regards his motive for bringing the
suit, according to Mrs. Chaffee's story.
bred Scott, as Mrs. Chaffee remem-
bers him, was a smallEa and rather insig-
nificant looking darby of middle age at
the time of the trial, having been born
in 1910. He had no particular trade,
but was good personal servant and a
very fair cook, and able to do the odds
and ends of work which were expected of
every negro. For the rest, he was appar
emily just what is known by the express
ion can ordinary Niger" He was shift
less and careless to the last degree, and
in addition he was fond of drink and
had passion for gambling, the last be-
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