Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-12-06
TOWNS EX-SLAVE
IN NEED OF FUNDS
Efforts to Secure More Pension
for flake" Cartilage
Born In Slavery, Sold on the Block,
Beaten by Cruel Taskmasters-Served
In Pennsylvania Regiment.

Born In Slavery, Sold on the Block,
Beaten by Cruel Taskmasters-served
in Pennsylvania Regiment.
Efforts are being made in behalf Of
| Jake" Cartilage, Brattleboro's only
living ex-slave, that he may secure an
increase in pension under recent act
of Congress. AS Mr.. Cartilage does not
know his exact age the decision of the
authorities in Washington is doubtful
He claims to be about rs years old. He
has had an interesting life-story and
for the past 40 years has been familiar
figure in the town
According to "Jake's" own story, he
was born in Georgia, the son of a slave
When in a laxative mood he tells in
teresting stories of his early life and of
the beatings that he received at the
hands of cruel masters. He remembers
being sold on the block at one time and
his memory this point may go far
toward getting his pension increased
from $12 a month to $40. For some rea-
son not explained he was taken to a town
with a number of other slaves one day
and they were placed on the block. He
says with some degree of pride that he
was a "llkely" worker and when he
was placed on the block the auctioneer
of human flesh extollej his qualities in
that respect. A man in the crowd about
y
nigger|' The auctioneer answered
Thirty years old" AS that was shortly
before Cartilage enlisted in 1864 it places
his age around rs years, as he claims
After being sold he was taken to a
town in Georgia where he says he was
under the hand of a hard task-ma ster
Jake" says that many nights ne was
unable to sleep because of the whip
lash welts on his body and for lack Of
food. 1t was in the latter part of 1868
that he suffered these beatings and
harsh treatment, and as the slave hold
ers of the South were in Strengthened
circumstances because of the war it is
no wonder that the slaves felt the eff
fects.
For several months the slave was
| abused by his master and then, unable
to stand the treatment longer, he made
break for liberty He worked his way
north and trudged many weary miles,
and he can remember going many days
without food and of sleeping in the
fields ard woods at night. Finally he
| reached a point in what is thought to
have been Pennsylvania and obtained
work in a gang of coored men who
were cutting ties for a new railroad.
cartridge was at work one day when a
man on horseback approached and ask
| ed him a few questions and then said,
How would you like to be a soldier?'
odhS never udu Idu any experience
| with the soldiers ana said What do l
| have to do?' The man on horseback
| told him that all he would have to do
would be to carry a gun and wear a
handsome uniform. The latter argument
| was a strong one with the colored man
| and he agreed to become a soldier. The
| man on the horse directed him to the
| union camp and there Jake" was en-
| listed under the Stars and Stripes He
| n
| Pennsylvania regiment United States
| colored infantry, March 49, 1864, and re-
manned in service until Oct. 2s, 1866
| when he was mustered out in Browns
| vile, Texas
He does not remember any very Sc
| we're engagements with the soldiers OF
| the South, but he was in one of the
important coups of the war and which
| would have been effective had the Union
| soldiers done as was expected They
| We're before Petersburg and the Con.
federates were fortified on a hill Be.
tween the two lines there was a ravine
and under it the troops dug a tunnel
| mined it and exploded large quantity
| of powder. The southerners' fortified
| tions were blown up and the coloret
troops charged the enemy. They entered
| behind the fertilization and engaged
the Confederates, but the other Unior
| forces did not come to their assistance
| as hau been planned and the 43i Penn
| sylvania was forced to retreat. That wa.
the hottest fight in which Mr.. Cartldg,
was engaged.
After he was mustered out he tramp.
ed from Texas to Vermont and arrived
| in Rutland. He remained there probab
| not more than a year and then came tC
| this town. For about 40 years he ha.
lived here and made a living by doint
odd jobs and working on teams HI
| worked for several years for Lesli,
Yauvey, the coal dealer, but advancinf
| years have reduced his strength and h,
Is not able to perform much hard labor
| He Is under the care of a guardian
| Bert Thatcher of Chesterfield, ~ H.
who advises him what to do. He has q
small sum of money in the bank. but
| he can not earn much money and the
| pension he draws barely pays his board
and room in the old Putnam house or
| Prospect street. If he is not granted ar
| Increase in pension efforts may be made
to get him into the soldiers home in
| Bennington, but as that Institution is
FOR Vermont soldiers only he may not
| be admitted
AT one time Mr.. Cartilage lost a part
of one foot while working in a coal
| mine in Virginia.