The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-06-07
SOLD SLAVES FOR TROSSEAU
HOW MARRIAGE OF PRESIDENTS
MOTHER WAS PROVIDED FOR.
Interesting HeirloOms Will BE Pre-
scented to Mr.. Roosevelt on
His Visit TO Georgia.

His Visit TO Georgia.
When President Roosevelt visits
Georgia to view the birthplace of his
mother and meet the people of Geor-
gia. in keeping with his promise to
Senator Clay, he will be presented
with two heirlooms of rare value, 81
lent reminders of the days before the
war.
Colonel George H. Jones, of Cobb
county. where his mother was born
and reared. will give him two receipts
and bills of sale for four negro slaves
whom his maternal grandmother sold
that she might obtain money with
which to purchase the rousseau for
the wedding of her daughter, Martha
Bullock. to Theodore Roosevelt of
New York, father Of the president.
One of the documents reads:
Received December 9th, 1858, from
Mr.. John F. Martin $500, said sum
being in full payment for one negro
woman named Bess and her child
John. MARTHA BULLOCK.
Roswell, December y, 1898,
The Other Document.
The other document shows that Mrs.
Bullock warranted the health OF the
negroes. 1t follows;
8Received of John F. Martin 81, 500
in full for my four negroes, to wit:
Brister and his wife Sylvia, and their
two grandchildren, Albert and Sylvia,
the boy Albert about years old and
the other in September next. And l
will hereby warrant the health and
title to him and his heirs, &c.
''Witness my hand and seal this
first day of February, 1884.
MARTHA BULLOCK"
Thus after receiving money sufficient
to defrav the expenses of her daugh-
ter's wedding with Theodore ROose-
welt, even at that time a wealthy New
Yorker. Mrs Martha Bullock, grand
mother of the president, drew up and
signed with her own hand the fOregO-
ing documents.
Colonel Jones is at present citizen
of Cobb county, in which is Roswell,
the home of Mrs Martha Bullock and
her daughter, Martha, before the lat
ter's marriage to Theodore Roosevelt
of New York.
The documents, Colonel Jones
said, "came into my possession in
1866. John F. Martin, a wealthy farm
er, died in my county in 1857, leaving
over 100 negro slaves.
Mrs. Martha Bullock, grandmother
of the president, lived at the village
of Roswell. about ii miles from the
home of Mr. Martin, to whom she sold
her slaves not a great while before
her daughter, Martha, married TheO-
dOre Roosevelt.
To Buy the Slaves.
Mr.. Martin was induced to by Mrs.
BullOck's slaves because one of his
negro men married one of Mrs. Bull
locks negro women, and when the
presidents grandmother decided to
dispose of some of her negroes that
she might defray the expenses OF her
daughters wedding she offered to sell
to Mr.. Martin the woman, who subse-
uuent to her marriage had given
birth to the boy named John referr-
ed to in the receipt of December y,
1853.
The Bullocks, of Georgia, were very
wealthy before the war, but most of
their money was invested in negroes
and ready cash was scarce. The fami-
ly. regularly visited New York. 1t
was upon one of these visits that Miss
Martha Bullock. mother Of the presi-
dent. met Theodore Roosevelt. The
courtship extended over several years.
and it is related about Roswell that
the negroes on the Bullock plantation
served to entertain and amuse the
New Yorker with dancing and melO-
dies while he was at Roswell visiting
4L, I,,l1naly foy mi "