Evening star., 1897-04-03
AFTER FORTY YEARS
A Reunion of Mother and Son Who
We're Slaves.
FROM A CHANCE CONVERSATION
The VoIuble Waiter Talks Himself
Into Luck.
WANDERINGS OF A SLAVE
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
This is the story of old Uncle Turner
Montgomery. sold into slavery I'm 1886. with
never a word from his family for forty
years until the other day. when he walked
in upon his aged mother. now resident in
Washington. The reuniting OF these two
reads like a romance, but it is all true. AS
the old woman will tell you with tears of
gratitude In her eyes as she thanks the
Lord that she has been able TO see her hoy
again. The boy" is now a man past fifty.
but he holds the same place in the mothers
heart that he did the day she parted from
him as a little lad. not knee high to the
| slave trader who drove of with him
During all the long stretch of years. when
he was working in the cotton fields Of Mis-
sissippi or the uplands OF Tennessee, his
heart went back to the old Virginia home
stead where he was born and his old moth
er's eyes were turned toward the great
south and wondered what spot held her
picaninny. Neither gave up hope OF seeing
the other again, and with the childish faith
of their race felt they would some day he
reunited, though by what means they never
ventured to think.
TidiHss After Forty Years.
1t was when the Presbyterian general as
sembly met at Memphis, Tenn, some time
| ago. that it came TO pass. Turner Mont
| gomery was then a waiter in the Gayoso
Hotel. where many of the delegates were
| stopping. At the table over which Turner
| presided sat a pleasant-looking old gentle
| man from st. Louis, whom Turner had
sized up as being good for a liberal tip. So
/ he piled his guest with the choicest pieces
| OF fried chicken, with the brownest waf-
| fies and the hottest biscuits. keeping up the
\ while moderate discourse after the FASH
ion of the privileged old colored walter IN
| the south.
| 1t was while thus engaged that the st.
| Louis gentleman, who had become inter
| ested In the old fellow. asked him II he was
a native Memphian.
"a VahEinin Nfggnh."
| mo, sah.' he replied. drawing himself
| up with pride. Use Vahginia Niger.
| sab; / was raised by de quality folks"
| This has been TEri er Montgomery's boast
| ever since he was ''sold down the river"
| Ii was the one bright spot in his lfe. The
| consciousness that ne Virglnian and
| had been born among the quality"
| Many a time had he withered the ham
| footed field hands of Mississippi with this
| declaration of his superior social extraction
! ard position, and dazzled them with the
| changed masters with the changing for
| tunes of the time he took front rank among
his less illustrious compeers by reason of
his Virginia birth and his former assoc.a-
! ton with de real quality"
| Whereabouts in Virginia did you live?"
| continued the ST. Louis man, having a
| wide acquaintance in the old dominion.
| and thinking that perhaps Turner mad be-
longed to some family that he knew.
| Il wuz bawn in Fauquier county," said
| Turner, "and 1 belonged to old Cap'n Lewis
EdmunGs You is sho'ly hear tell oh de
| Edmunds fam'ly?'. be continued conf
IDENTIFY. The idea that any one who had
been to Virginia could not have heard of
the Edmunds family seemed out of the
question to Turner.
Knew the Family.
"Oh. yes. 1 know the Edmunds family
very well. One of them has been in Con-
gress recently"
lob course" said Turner, "dats natural.
I specs two free have been President
since 1 lef'."
THE member Of the family know best"
continued the st. Louis man. lis Mr.. Ben
| Edmunds-"
Bless de Lawd.'' broke In Turner. he
was my young master. ole Mars Lewis
he give me TO young Mars Ben for his
body servant. Good Lawd Almighty. man.
| does you know my young Mars Benz"
"Oh. yes. and he had sister"
| "Yaas. indeedy. Miss May Edmunds de
sweetest gyurl in Fauquier county. ey body
| used TO say. De Lawd bless my SOUL you
knows 'em all
This conversation had taken place at the
dinner table, and old Turner was so over
come with emotion that he had to retire TO
shuttle and cut a pigeon wing to let OF
his exuberance. In the cool of the evening
Turner met the St Louis man out on the
| river bank ill front OF the GayoSo Hotel,
and told him further about himself. He
was very anxious to hear from his family.
not having had word since he said good
bye TO his weeping old nanny a. the auc-
ton block. The ST. Louis man. who was a
Mr.. Black. said that young Mars Ben
/ was now living near St. Louis, and he
would communicate with him.
Traces of the Old Mother.
This led to a correspondence with his
sister. de sweetest gyurl in Fauquier
! county, now Mrs. Payne Of warrenton.
Va. which town is not far from Washing
, ton. Mrs. Payne had kept track OF all the
l old family servants. and she Immediately
. wrote to Turner's mother. who was living
in Washington. In a short time Turner
) was overjoyed to get letter from his old
r nanny. in which she said: Il am getting
old, and hope you will come to see me. Ii
will be a blessing 1 have long wished for.
' / have my Bible still. with your age writ
ten in it, all that l had left to remember
| YOU"
So the other day Turner walke1 in on
e the old woman. 1t is not the writer's in
a tention to attempt to describe that meeting.
D Just let il pass.
E The history of Turner's wandering. az
related by competent authority, is as
n Slaves Wanderinss.
when Capt. Lewis Edmunds OF fauqulef
lost his property and was broken up the
I | slaves were sold by the sheriff. Turner
: Montgomery was bought by a slave dealer
q and carried from the Edmunds homestead
= to Winchester, where he was placed In The
D town jail. according to custom, until
| purchaser for him could be found. The
I boy was sold and resold as an article OF
n speculation, and carried In turn to
| Harper's Ferry. Baltimore and Richmond
u and was finally disposed OF to a trader who
e shipped him to Mobile. There he was
bought and sent to the plantation OF John
Robinson who lived some miles from Ma
: con, Miss. Later he was sold to DIR. Girls
9 | son. who lived fifteen miles out OF Macon
a Here he remained until he was made free
| by the proclamation of emancipation and
even afterward stayed with the family OF
| lis former master during the trouolous
| times that followed the war. After he
left this neighborhocd Turner went TO Ten.
nessee living in different places until 1852
when he settled down in Memphis.
Since his arrival in Washington and
: meeting his aged mother. Turner says ht
I feels like boy again, and lis good te
4 | sling dishes for another twenty years yet.
He is carrying out this intention. and is a
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