Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-09-12
SLAVE, SERVANT FRIEND.

81. H. t." Of Fort Mill, sends the
following to the Columbia State under
date Of September g.:
I wish that all the readers of "Uncle
Toms Cabin" could have. been with
me Monday afternoon at the funeral
services Of Charlotte Stewart, colored.
Tney were conducted by the Rev. DR..
Thornwell, pastor Of the Presbyterian
church at Fort Mill, at the residence Of
the late Capt. B. H. Massey, in the
presence Of the Massey connection.
When a child Of 5 years Of age, Char
lotte was purchased by Capt. B. H.
Massey and put in charge Of his first
child, now Mrs. J. W. Ardrey. For
something over half a century she
grew up In the household, nursing chill
dren and grandchildren until she be-
came recognized as one Of the family
circle. The call Of freedom had no en-
chantment for her, and to all oveftures
for enjoying the privileges Of the free
she could answer, II dwell among mine
own people," And It was only in 1879,
under the positive orders Of her hus-
band. backed by the entreaties Of her.
children, that she removed to Arkansas.
A few weeks ago, becoming homesick
for the old plantation" and the "old
cabin home" she wrote to the family,
asking them to send money for her re-
turn. To the entreaties Of her children,
who were well-to-do and offered her a
home for life, she turned a deaf ear,
and like BLACK Joe," could only hear
the voices Of long ago calling to her.
The reception she met on her return
would seem incredulous to the. genera
tion now living: Soon after her return
she was taken with typhoid dysentery
and was removed to one Of the back
rooms in the Massey homestead, where
every attention was given her, and
when the. end came her eyes were clos
ed by her former mistress and her own
white playmates.
The pallbearers at her funeral were
Capt. j. w. Ardrey, J. M. Spratt, and
the grandsons Of the late Capt. B. II.
Massey. .
1t was at first decided to bury he's in
the Massey enclosure in the cemetery
at Fort Mill; but she was finally buried
at Pleasant valley among her kindred
and her own race. It was very touch
ing to see Mrs. Massey, now past three
score years and ten, getting up from
intensely hot weather to see her old
family servant laid away to rest. And
as the little grandchildren passed along
with flowers in their hands for Mau-
ma Charlotte's grave" the writer wish
ed for a kodak that the picture might
be published in the Northern papers.
A few years ago a monument was
erected to the memory Of the faithful
slaves at Fort Mill, s. C. Today the
writer had a personal experience Of
what relationship meant. The ties of
blood were no stronger than the ties Of
friendship between the worthy slave
oyo fIna fvrra anfav All Ia <nf vJa'
there were abuses Of the system, the
loving care and anxiety Of the master
was proverbial. There was much philos-
ophy in the anguish Of the old darkey
who when told that he was free re-
gretted so much that his old .Massa
had died before freedom came, for I
reckon" continued the darkey, "'Massa
would have been free too, for he done
bin the slave all his life; but this here
thing they call freedom brings me the
first care Of my life."