The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-17
MANY NEGROES
OWNED SLAVES
An Interesting Chapter Of Ante
Bellum History Which Would
Make Good Reading.
5 GENERALLY OVERLOOKED
Rich Field for Writers Of Historic
Novels Which Yet Remains
to Be Worked.

| I
1t sometimes happens that history
sklps the most interesting incidents In
giving an account of the customs and
habits OF a people at certain periods.
| When writer's OF historical novels
neglect the negro sltsve-owner, who
before the Civil War they miss a
! chapter capable OF most entertaining
treatment.
For negroes actually owned men and
women OF their race, bought and sold
them as the white people did. Some
or these owners were accounted we'll
to-do In their dav because OF the unrn-
Der of their slaves.
In the official list of taxpayers pub
lished In Charleston. s. c.. in 1860. tho
who owned and paid taxes on 800
slnves in that CITY.
The tax on slaves was SO per capita.
and the amount paid on the negroes
owned by the more fortunate Of the
race In Charleston was $1,17O at the
beginning OF the war.
One negro owned fourteen slaves,
another thirteen. three owned twelve
and many owned from one to seven
each.
These negro slave-owners came into
the possesuior OF their slaves exactly
as did the white people. and managed
them In very much the same way, often
hiring them out to other employers
and taking all the wages the workers
carncd.
Pope. OF Columbus, Ga. who owned her
own husband.
She hired him out to work for other
people until he offended her in some
way. when she sold him. to al neighbor.
Another negro Of Columbus. Ca;
worked negroes whom he had pur-
oh apI x !.
Bob Parker. another slave-owner
of Columbus, operate line OF drays,
owning both the drivers and the draGs,
and also owning number OF negro
women and children.
The largest owners Of slaves amon6
the co'ored people In Charleston was
r. E. Dereef. an Indian. and Maria
Weston, each Of whom possessed four
teen.
The first colored people Of Charles
folk. and always composed the colored
aristocracy Of the town. The negro,
when possessed OF the means and OPP
portunity. was not wholly averse TOT
dealing In his own kind.
Dick" Hunter OF Laurens county.
S. was the slave of his wife, and did
not finish paying for his freedom until
long after the close of the war.
"Dick' was at first the slave Of
James Hunter who entered into an ar
arrangement with the boy by which the
latter was permitted to work for 9TH
ers for wage and to receive part OF
his earnings the latter to be applied
to the purpose of his freedom, $l,lOO
being the price stipulated.
Dick married a free woman of col
or, and had paid $500 OF his purchase
to his master when the latter died In
testale leaving no record OF his private
arrangement With the slave boy.
The youth was sold to a DdCnelOTl
named Nugent Meantime Dicks"
wife had died and he had married
another free woman of color This
woman then purchased her husband
from Nugent agreeing to pay FOR MN
on the installment plan.
Before all the instruments had been
paid the War between the States broke
out. and In little while Nugent died,
and Ills estate was claimed by rela-
tives in the West.
Dick" was sold on the block for
$500, his wife being the purchaser.
dorsed the wife's note. or in some way
provided the money. and when the war
closed the debt was still due the Tenn
pletor estate.
This debt Dick" did not repudiate.
though nc probably could lave done so,
but continued to work and save. anG
several years after emancipation paid
tho last dollar with interest.
George Slewsberry. Charleston me-
gro. owned twelve slaves He was a
quiet exemplary citizen. and was cleo
ted to the CITY Council without solicit
tude on his part
Snewsberry died in 1875. at which,
time he was still an Alderman and an
.Almshouse Commissioned. His funeral
was attended by the, members of the
city Council In a body.
These slave-owning negroes had no
political privileges. but they We're amp.
ly protected in tneir civil rights, and
were free to buy and sell and to en-
gage in whatever legitimate COM
mercal enterprise or undertaking they
pleased.
The story Of. the negro slave-owners
OF the South before the war is an in
teresting one. The defendants of these
negroes stand nigh In the South, and
are usually well-behaved and quiet
and enjoy the respect of their white
acquaintances.-Det News Tribune.
The Motto for Him. "a.
us there not asked the rison yis-