The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-30
Preston Garland, the Oldest
Resident Of Morris County
Passes Over the Border
WAS ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN
UP TO THE END THE OLD NEGRO
KEPT POSSESSION OF HIS
SENSES AND REMAINED ACT
I'VE
Especial to "The Jersey city News.'D

aTORRISTOWN, March %, 1906
Preston Garland, negro. 10T years old,
is dead. He was the Oldest resident of
Morris County. Garland was born on
the plantation of Paul Calvary at Lynch
burg, Va, and spent the first nineteen
years of his life there Then lie was sent
to the slave market in New Orleans and
there was bought by a negro Of the name
of Bob Lewis. for whom he worked until
the latter's death in 1856. Garland was
then given the privilege of working fer
wages, and he worked as a cook in one
of the principal hotels until the begin
ming of the Civil War; when he shoulder
ed a musket on the call of General But
ler for colored troops and became a Fed
eral soldier under Colonel KyIes, the
commander of his division being General
Banks. He was in the army 1or five
and a half years. and after heing mus
tered out went to Cuba, whore he re-
manned for three years. His next move
was to this place, and he liTed here ever
since in the same house all the time.
Garland was very spry and active. 1t
was his custom for many years to NOW
lawn sin the summer time by way Of
making a few extra pennies. 1t was not
necessary for him to do so, as he had
pension of $12 a month from the Gov
ernment, and that, he said. was ample
TO meet his wants, but he always felt
that as long as he could work it was his
duty to do so, and that is the reason he
never failed, summer or winter, to be
around with his moving machine or snow
shovel. looking for odd jobs. In Decem-
Der, 1904, he had fall on the ice and
he realized that few more jars of the
same kind would put an end to his use
fulness, so he reached the conclusion
that he would not work any more, and
resigned his position as janitor of the
African Baptist Church, which place ne
had held eighteen Years.
Garland always claimed there was no
doubt of his age, because his master Paul
Calvary, kept record Of the birth and
sJoa4l, If ai1 tbo sla,.ast Wba,, a chihd
was born on the plantation the fact was
recorded in the book After the child had
been named that name was put opposite
the date Of birth. and that is the way,
he declared, he came to know his age to
a fraction. When he was born his moth
er, Fannie Garland. had thirteen living
sons and daughters.
Garland was OF happy disposition
and to that attributed his advanced age.
He Used to say he never had had cross
word with any man. black or white, nor
with woman, either. although he was
twice married. He was first married
when a slave and had two sons. but they
were sold away from him when they
were young men, and he had never seen
Or heard Of Them again. During the war
his first wife died, and when he came to
Morristown he married again He had
no children by his second wife and she
died many years ago.
He used to say that young black men
are not as good as they were in his time.
He thought freedom great blessing to
the black man. but also thought if the
black man does not appreciate the free
dom he had been given he sould be put
in slavery where he will learn to behave
himself. He thought than on whole
slavery was not 50 bad and that in many
cases it was a real benefit.
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