The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-10-11
.DAVY JACKSON DEAD.
HE is AT LAST IN THE "PROMIsE
LAND"


ways Jealous, Patient, and Striving to
Please.
David Jackson died at st. Mary's
hospital, Detroit, Mich, Monday, Sept,
oath, 1890, aged SO years.
For nearly twenty years after the civil
war, Davy Jackson's black face was IA
miliar to most people Of Wellington.
There was that quality about him and
that touch of the dramatic" in his
life that made him of more than ordi-
nary interest. Among one thousand
or more of contrabands that joined
Sheridan's last raid across Virginia
from Winchester and who we're put to
work shoveling wagon-ways on broken
mountain roads, one stout, short boy,
in butternut suit, was conspicuous by
his vigorous zeal, his patience, endur-
ance and intelligent comprehension OF
what was to be done, and how to do it,.
Qualities like these we're rare in the
contraband, whose head was set for
the "promise land" and whose mind
had only visions Of it.
So we called him-he said his name
was "Davy," and we Immediately at
tached him to our staff of followers
He had known but one master in slav-
cry, virginia gentleman, whose per-
sonal servant he had been.
That service had given opportunities
above those common to the slave, and
they we're not lost on him. The vicis-
itudes of army life did not appall him,
and he had but one fear-that OF fall
ing into confederate hands-a doom he
had been taught to believe would be
terrible to all recaptured contrabands.
His loyalty and devotion to his new
service, and to the captain, whose par
ticular servant he became, were great
and constant. After the battle OF Din
widdie Court House, in which Francis
Finch, Of Wellington, was mortally
wounded, the troops lay in line all
night without food since the morning,
without fire, blankets or coats, though
cold for the season, waiting for coming
day to renew the battle. Davy made
his way alone from the far rear, among
the led horses and mules and searched
the army lines, until at 2 o'clock in the
morning he found his captain, bringing
with him crackers and coffee.
The battle of Five Forks followed
next day, and when, at its close, his
captain, wounded, was taken to City
Point Hospital, Davy went with him. In
two or three days inflammation set in, the
arm became greatly swollen. The at
tending physician decided he could not
recover, and ordered the nurses to
feed him morphine while he lasted, to
lessen the pain.
Davy got some ice-then scarce at
City Point-and night and day, for AZ
hours he sat by his captains side lay
ing and shifting Jumps Of ice along the
captains arm from knuckles to
shoulder and the Inflammation was
beaten back and life saved, but the
ends of Davy's fingers were so badly
frozen that tae flesh dropped off.
When the war ended, and the captain.
still sick and feeble, was carried in
Davy's arms to the train which brought
them both to Wellington, and out at
the old red house on the hill-the
Houghton farm-there he remained
for ten years, capable, trustworthy
help. The peculiar idiom Of his
speech was like strange language, al
most unintelligible to born Buckeyes,
who had never been south. While he
had much wisdom in his way, he had
no book education. Little Edith de-
termined to teach him letters, explain
ing to him that it would be helpful to
be able to read the newspapers and
books, but he said "Miss Edith, does
want to read dat where it tells'bout de
mansions in de Skies" and he ex-
planned that she need not mind about
the little words, "des de 'portant
words"
He went one winter to District No. 4
school, but none of his acquired learn
ing remained with him, so old he was
then and with none OF the student
habits, except the 14th chapter OF St.
John about the mansions" staid in his
mind. He had learned it by heart, but
always read aloud with his bible open
before him, though it was quite as apt
to be wrong side up as right
He took great pride and dignity in
"'spounding the scriptures" to the few
colored boys in the village who had
come from slavery land with their her.
itage ot Ignorance.
Davy was very religious, and the few
times in revival meetings in the vii.
lage, in which he volunteed in public
prayer, will never be forgotten by any
who heard him, and feel assured that
the Lord was among the number. AZ
ter about the second sentence he would
strike the hard-shell, southern baptist,
sing-song, and on the high key univer-
sal among the colored people. Every
one in the church was inclined to laugh