The Washington herald., 1909-04-25
JACOB NJ DICKINSON.

berry trees in front. STAYED over al the
old Maj. Blewett place ] am sorry YOU
have forgotten how TO spell ny name. -
Secretary Dickinson wrote. in closing
i see you spell it Dixo1.
The letter Inside and or, was addressed
ir plain tvpeD rttinz TO Harper Bass
Dickinson. and so. more than forty years
after leaving the home OF his childhood.
the slave Vas given the right name Of
MS master. which. in his ignorance and
vicissiJGdes. he had fsil=d accurately 20
remember
Where. 7 ASKED Secretary Dickinson.
+aave sou had your best hunting
I'm Arkansas. whea 7 was a boy 7
UOlid hear ducks fyiaC all night. going
Soulh from their breeding places IL
Canada There were a thousand dicks
then 70 where there is one Gow. Indeed.
ther filed the sky as far as the eye
could reach. and farmers even feared
they would come 10 the ground and swai-
low their corn fields a. q single gulp-
''1Yss your father a planter.
Yes. and a lawyer Our home was in
Columbus. Miss We bad some land IN
that vicinity and d tfC-arre plantation
in Arkansas
You l50k.- I said. as Il ys1 had
done considerable farming Yourself
7 lived out Of doors in my bcyAood--
Secretary Dickinson answered. and when
7 wasn't fishing or hunting I VS. 6oi1E
something else equally Is useful ard
healthfuL / learned 10 plOw- and I oc-
casionauy volunteered 10 pick cotton.
Every large plantation had a number OF
mechanics, and our blacksmith Jauelt me
70 shoe horses. point plows. and mend
wagons. I learned cobblinS from cur
shoemaker, and during the cirl WAY J
actually made some SHOES. However. well
as was pleased with them III the
time. I think I should hesitate 10 Vsar
then now
The Dickinsons." I said. were origi-
naIly English
Yes. the founder Of our family n
America emigrated % Virginia ir lS5i
Since then practically all Of the Dickin-
sons have lived in the south NJ father
was a chancellor in Mississippi fer many
years. and went as a commissioner 10 tne
conference IN Delaware that met 20 dis
cuss the question Of secession
Where were you during the civil war2''
At my home in Columbus most of Tire
time. I saw many soldiers and helped 10
take wounded men of the train after th--
battle O. Shiloh Toward the close Of tire
Var when the South WAS calling for every
boy and man between the AGES Of sixteen
and sixty 7 enlisted as a private 1
couldn't have been anything but a nTj-
vate. let me add. and Judge Dickinson
smiled. because I WAS only fourteen
years cd. ! Went out with mv. company.
under Gen. Rursies. but saw no fighting
or other active service. For many years
I have been a member Of Isnam Harrison
Camp Of United Confederate Veterans, at
Columbus. and was pleased the othe- Gay
the receive resolutions Of congratulations
from that organization.
Where did YOU 90 after peace had
beer. restored?
TO Nashville. in Tennessee, The home
OF my maternal grandparents. Ny
mother had not seen her relatives for
several years and Immediately follow
ing Lees surrender we left FOR the North.
think We were the first refugees 10 gel
out Of Columbus. Federal soldiers were
thea occupying the country \ dozen
ladies. whom We knew. accompanied Us.
and / look charge Of the party We went
as far as Iuka on q railway train. which
ran of the crooked and broken track a
dozen times. From luka We trave;ed 10
Nashville. principally By water. getting
Passage on Federal gunboat I re-
manned in Nashville and atjen5ed school
living meanwhile with Tny grandparents
who were thev?"
Ny grandfather, Jacob sfcGavock. was
one of An5rcw Jackson's bodrguards
during the var OF 1d2. and. afterwari.
2 prominent man. by grandmother vas
I.ouisa Grundy before her marriage Her
father sad my great-gTspdfather was
Felix Grundy. Senator IN Congress. At
torney General IN Van BUren's Cabinet.