Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-02-21
FIRST SLAVE SET FREE.

An interesting incident OF the ClVl'
War.
1t is stated as an undisputed fact
that Colonel Charles p. Lincoln OF
Washington was the first man to set
slave free after the breaking out
of the late civil war. Referring to the
incident, Colonel Lincoln, in a recent
conversation with a Washington Star
reporter, said;
1T is a matter of history that tho
first Michigan regiment of infantry
(three months mem under command
of Colonel (afterward generaD Orlan.
do b. Wilcox, who still later was gov.
CrnOr Of the soldiers home in this
city, was the first regiment to cross
the Potomac on the Long bridge at the
beginning of the war of Che rebellion
This was the night of the 23d of May
1861, the command reaching AleXan.
dria about daylight the morning of the
oath. The New York Fire zouaves,
undeTC Ommand of Colonel Ellsworth
reached Alexandria by steamer from
Washington at the same hour.
Company c of the first Michigan
regiment was from COldWater. 1t was
commanded by Captain Ebenezer But.
terWOrth, who was wounded and made
prisoner at the first battle of Bull Run
and died while prisoner at Char.
ottesville, Va. | was then a lad IS
years of age and was the orderly ser,
gcant Of the company.
AS the regiment filed into Fairfax
street what subsequently proved to be
Ellsworth's troops were seen to our
left and were supposed to be the
enemy, and company G was called up.
on to deploy as skirmishers upon cen.
ter to right and left. AS orderly ser.
gcant | was at the extreme right OF
the company, and as we were deploy.
ing double quick to the right along
Fairfax street we saw some forty
rebel soldiers rush out of a large
building a short distance down the
street and attempt to mount their
horses, with the view of escaping.
AT this moment two pieces of Rick.
etts' battery came by, their horses
under whip and spur, and, Immediately
at our right, numbered, and prepared
to fire upon the enemy. The battery
Occupied the street, and possibly, the
enemy so near at hand on our right
flank put a stop to our deploy. AT
once the rebel captain (BalD advanced
and handed his sword to Colonel
Wilcox, and the enemy was ours.
The building occupied by these
rebel troops as headquarters proved
to be a commodious structure, with a
large courtr or slave pen on each OF
which and across the entrance was a
sign which read, Price, Burch & Co,
dealers in slaves"
AS sort of recognition of company
C's valOr in so promptly responding to
the command to act as skirmishers,
it was assigned quarters in the build.
in gand placed in charge of the cap,
tured army. The slave pen on either
side of the main building consisted
merely of a large court formed of
high walls, near the top and on the
inner side of which there was mar.
row shed roof running around the en-
tire square or court. This served as a
protection from sunshine and storm to
the occupants, who, by standing close
to the wall, would be under this roof.
I'm one Of the Enclosures was a col.
ored boy about Is years of age, who
soon became known to us as George
Washington. We ascertained that he
had been sold aud was here held for
safe keeping, pending the arrival OF
his purchaser or new master. 1t was
not long, however, before we found
that he was rot at all averse to being
liberated.
Il had discovered in a desk drawer
in one of the office rooms a bunch of
keys, one of which proved to be the
key TO an immense paddock by which
the grated i'm door to the slave pen
was fastened. in the presence of sew.
eral of the boys among whom, as |
now recall, were William H. Bryan
now of Ravenswood H.; Smith w
Fisk of Minneapolis, Mimi; Benny
Archer, then OF Algansee, unlocked
the door, and we Dade our colored
brother to step out into the air OF
freedom and declare himself for the
old flag and the union. This he did
with many expressions Of pleasure
and gratitude, declaring that he would
stay with that company and go with 1t
through purgatory. if need be.
The ex-slaye became at once an