The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1902-02-28
Mr.. DAVIS SLAVE.
LIFE ON THE CONFEDERATE
PRESIDENTS PLANTATION.

There recently visited Bnstnn Il man |
who once was u slave of jefferson |
Davis This man. Isaiah T. Mont
gnmery is the f,under Of a prosperous
colony of c"lnred peuplr In the valley
of the Yazm river in Mississippi, AMI
The Mavor 0f the village Of Mound
havnu. the center OF the colony. Mr..
Montgomery came to Boston to at
tend he meetings Of the National
Negro Business League He is u man
~ education and refinement. and
possessed uf unusual business ability.
There are few ex-slaves now who are
able tn describe Southern life before
the war sr intelligently as he IS.
Probably there Is nn one, moi even
Mrs. Davis herself, who knows so
much about the historic old Davis
plantation Of 1000 acres and the 300
slaves who lived upnn it.
On the Saturday which followed
the sessions OF the league IN Boston
the city government invited the dele
gates tn 20 upon an excursion down
the harhor. During this trip had
an opportunity to have a long cnnver-
satinn with Mr.. lhntgOmery, in the
course Ut which he told me many in
teresting things about his life and
about the famous family with which
he had been 81 intimately associated.
ITO really tell my story right" said
Mr. Montgomery, 'and to make plain
how came to know so much about
the Davis plantation. ] must begin
bpfnre l was horn. When my father
was hoy he had a young masier
about his own aye, to whom he was
assigned as constant attendant
They played together on the beach
great deal The white boy had lessons
every day, re gularly. with a teacher
| My father wanted to learn. too, ant
so. afternoons when they were at pla,
out on the beach he would yet hi,
young master to teach over TO hin
what he had learned in the forenoon
tracing the letters In the sand with
stick. In this way he learned to rcat
and write When he came to have
!, children Of his own be taught then
what he knew. and as a result learn
ed To read and write, too. When
was nine years old was taken to th'
'hig house t0 b. trained for a hous'
servant. Because ! already knew hov
to read and write. l suppose, Mr.. Jo
took ne to be his office boy, and
t stayed at that work until the wa
> broke out. Ave years after wards.
! Mr.. joe was Mr.. JEFF Davis olde
brother. Mr.. Joseph E. Davis. II
, was the onc who really managed tn
Q whole estate. as Mr. JEFF was IN pol
9 ties 81 much that he was home hu
:. little. The Davis plantation con
n plisrd 1000 acres, $500 Of which wer
D in tillage land and 1900 In wood
. There were twu mansion houses. tt
: me where Mr.. Joe lived was calle
'Hurricane,' because once a hnrrican
. had swept over the place and done
y great deal III damage Hurricane ";
!, destroyed during the war. with niue
i nf It's contents. lnrludinv a III
library. Mr.. Jrf's place was call.
ID 'Brlardelds.'
ID The plantation lay In big bend
10 the Mississippi. and The river ran
q, most around Il. The place was rall'
70 Davis Bend. 1t was thirty miles ,
Y low vickshurQ. We had a landi'
which the smaller h0 0ats could max
y and mall At ce rtaIn times there, n
! ! the regular mall came three times
= week u o land inu three miles d"~
\. \ tie river. and when paSseoRrrs wei
q 10 tuke inc II the hiR river ''0ats TN
lad 10 be rnwed 70 that landing. n
i. morning Nj Je6 WIS TO start u y
q q 1nn,lvuratlun W were late IN RettlE
9 9 away from ths houss. Before We y
= i al out sin the river Nc heard q
oflstciinss bliiw ~ the landlnK. y
WI sa': q. W nat II, the INndjl