The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-07-22
SLAVE PIRATES
Who Stole Negroes from Their
Owners and Sold Them.
A STORY OF ANTE BELLUM DAYS.
Many Slaves Were Stolen from Our
Coast Country and Carried
to the West and
Gn?f
The following interesting story we
cliF3 from the Columbia State:

cl;D from the Columbia State:
Some years prior to the Civil war
there was a considerable amount OF
emigration from the southern coast
States, most of such emigrantS going
to the then unsettled country OF the
Mississippi and its tributary valleys.
In most instances these migrants had
some means, and they carried their
slaves along with them. Consequently
they were in a position to accumulate
wealth from the rich, alluvial soils OF
the river bottoms more rapidly than
their less fortunate neighbors who had
no slave labor to help them. This led
to much jealousy and discomfort on
part of the large class OF self-worAng
whites, who after some years spent in
seeing their better equipped neighbors
getting richer and they poorer, banded
themselves together in certain dis
trict in the lower section OF Louisiana
for the purpose of running OF slaves
from the CarolinaS and Virginia and
selling them or keeping them for their
own uses, as needed. preferably dis
tributing them among themselves, as
this avoided inquiry. They had as
their leader a man who became prom
inent in the political affairs Of Louis
lana in the days of Reconstruction af-
ter the Civil war.
This man went TO Virginia, where
be bought a small coast trading
schooner. She was taken to Mobile,
where false skin was built in her:
leaving space between her sides and
this skin of about two feet, room
enough for negro to stand sideways
therein. 1t was so cunningly devised
that the most careful search Of the
vessel never divulged its existence. 1t
was divided into compartments, each
holding four or FIVE negroes. and IN
these compartments many an unac-
counted for slave supposed tC have
escaped to the north) was conveyed to
a much warmer climate (of course l
mean Louisiana). For six years this
trade went on and no one ever suS-
pected it's existence, as the slave pi-
rates were careful to take only one or
two slaves from any one owner, and
then only from those having large
numbers. Occasionally they ran of a
large block Of city negroes. but the
plantation hands, which they pre-
ferre6, were more carefully selected
from large area.
It was only on the deathbed Of the
mate Of the vessel that the facts be-
came known, although this boat, al
one time and onther. ran cargoes OF
negroes from every Atlantic and Cult
State. A description OF one Of the
voyages will explain the methods en-
ployed to capture their cargoes:
One afternoon just before tue sun
set on one Of the most perfect days
that had ever been seen in South Car
olina a small schooner was seen to
crC 5 the bar at the entrance O: the
Stono river, some II miles below the
city OF Charleston, brisk Sou'eaS-
ter filing her swelling sails (Which
showed clearly against the background
Of trees on the island at the mouth o.
the river brought her quickly up the
river to a point opposite the little
summer village known as Legareville,
where just at dusk she dropped an
chor. The next morning Two or
three Of the crew came ashore. osten-
si5ly for the purpose of buying wood
from the planters on Johns island.
which lay to the southwest of the
river, and succeeded in making ar
rangemencs for a cargo. This gave
them an opportunity to visit The dit
ferent plantations and to estimate
the number OF negroes on each.
Having thoroughly posted them
selves and picked out the negroes
they liked best they formed means OF
talking to them and persuaded them
to sneak off during the night, appoint
ing a place Of meeting and promising
a jug of whiskey, which in those days
was 6, rather rare treat to negroes.
The unsuspecting negro Of course
showed up. Instead Of whiskey. gags
and the rope was his portion He
was then conveyed aboard the vessel
and hidden in one OF the compart-
nents. OF course a hue and cry"
was raised tor the missing negroes.
but the boat. although searched. was
found to be empty. and OF course no
suspicion entertained that she vas
Other than as represented. The ne
erces were, OF course. supposed to have
taken to the swamp, trick OF which
frorIo,1t1y- CrnIiTy