The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-28


 with the name ard residence of hii
 former master. These escaped slaves
 provided with certificates, were sent
 away in transports to Nova Scotia ant
 New Brunswick The addition to theil
 number of many liberated slaves from
 the South gave Nova Scotia a fairly
 large negro population after the war
 In connection with the settling of the
 black pioneers in Nova Scotia, rather
 pathetic letter may be quoted, whict
 the writer recently came across in the
 archives at Halifax. It is dated An
 napolis Royal August 21, 1784, and was
 addressed to "Wm. Parr, Esq, Capt
 tain-General and Governor of his Maj
 esty's Province. Nova Scotia"
 Sir: The Humble Petition of the Black Pioneers beg your Honours would be 90 good as to look into the following
 description. Sir. we first enlisted in the year 1776, and was promised when We was sworn by Alderman Wada by order of Sir Henry Clinton to serve faithfully and truly during the Ameri- can rebellion, which, when it was over, we was to be at our own Liberty to do and provide for ourselves
 l Which when We came to this place I look upon it the order of government, we have not received, which we would be very much obliged to your excelency l if you would be so good as to grant the articles allowed by government to us the same as the rest of the Disbanded Soldiers of His Majesty's army. Which when we first enlisted and served and swore, we was promised that We should have land and provisions the same as the rest of the disbanded sol diers, and which we have not received, but would be ever bound to pray for your Exceency if you would be so good as to order us what was all ours by Government the same as the rest of the new core, which our provtion is now stopped and we would be much obliged to and bound to pray for your eXcellency, if you would be so good as to order us to receive it. As we have behaved ourselves according to our promise at the first swaring in, which for myself have my careter along with me to show, which I believe than any Gentleman that knows the Pioneers give them the same, which we would be ever bound to pray for your Excel lecy if you would grant us what is all lowed by Government
 In behalf of the Black Pioneers,
 Thomas Murphy Peters
 Murphy Still.
 Sergeants of the Company of Pio- neers
 This letter in spite of peculiarities of spelling, evidently had some weight, for 1t is indorsed: If his excellency will be pleased to grant a warrant of jury for the quantity each man is to have, MT. Norris will write to his dputy to lay out the same" It is gratifying also to know that each of the corps did re- ceive the land to which he was entitl- ed
 The number of negroes in Nova Sco- tia after the war might have proved but for arrangements made by the Sierra Leone company to transfer at the expense of the British government all who wished to remove to Africa. In January, 1792, 11S0 of | of these freedmen sailed for Africa from parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
 The loyalists, especially those from New York, took many slaves with them to Nova Scotia. In the neighborhood of Annapolis men like Col, De Lancey. I Col, Davoue, Captain DeMolitor and I Captain De St, Croix had from three to six slaves each in their families In other counties of Nova Scotia and in New Brunswick there were many slave holding loyalists. Indeed. in all the British North American provinces there was but one avowed anti-slavery set dement,, that of the Quaker loyalists at Beaver Harbor N F.
 Gradually in both sections of Canada slavery began to die an natural death. Nevertheless slaves continued to be bought and sold in Nova Scotia through he first decade of the present century, while the last offer of a reward for runaway slave was made through the Royal Gazette of New Brunswick in S16 With few exceptions slavery in Can Ida was of the mildest type. Dr. smith quotes from Rev. John Winsali. oyalfst refugee at Wimot, who in a etter from Boston mentions his slave )inah Remember me to Dinah; al- ow her to live with you or where she 'leaSes until she hears from me I am determined not to sell her to anybody. Nhls you can assure her from me" { Occasionally some Canadian owners reated the slave according to the sout th- Tn fashion. tree in Upper Canada ' vas pointed out as one to which a lave had been tied to be thrashed. The { vife of a prominent loyalist in Anna ols was by tradition held responsible , or the death of slave whom she had ' lhipped severely. Lieutenant Clarkson arrates several cases of cruelty, but { hose who know can bring forward lore numerous instances of sincere at achment between master and slave After the act of 1797 in upper Canada lavery certainly declined; from time } time there were legal conflicts, with ecisions more often in favor of the lave than the master. Iii the mar- me provinces, too, very strong proof ad to be given before an escaped 1 ave would be returned to bondage. In the war of 1872 many slaves took efuge from southern plantations on oard British ships. Of these the ma- 'rity were taken to Nova Scotia and CIV Brunswick, where they were treat as freemen, later enfranchised, and nally permitted to sit on juries. This came after the act of lillian ", in 1883. had freed all clavee