Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-09
KEPT SLAVES AFTER 1875

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KEPT SLAVES AFTER 1875
Former Surgeon of Navy Lived Like a
King on Tropic Isle.
Augustus HemenwGy was by no
means the only citizen in the United
States to hold slaves as late as 1876.
Indeed, former surgeon in the United
States navy was an extensive slave
holder and the administrator Of vast
slave worked plantation some years
after Mr.. Hemenway's death. The story
of the fashion in which United States
man-of war visited the former officers
tropical retreat on a strange errand, is
one Of the most picturesque told by
older officers in the wardrooms today.
News reached the navy department
something more than thirty years ago
that an American schooner, seized by
mutineers, had been purchased by one
Wilson, Of the Comoro Islands, and was
employed in the African slave trade.
The ComorJs, group Of four consider
able and many small islands, lie in Mo-
zambique channel, midway between the
east coast of Africa and the island Of
Madagascar, between ATTITUDES IL de-
grees and 13 degrees south, and longi-
tude 43 degrees and As degrees so min
utes east. They have a perpetual sum-
mer climate, a rich soil and a popula
~ narflu and
partly mixed, with an autocratic sui
tan as ruler. Their total area is about
so square miles, and their population
something like $4,000. A range Of
mountains, rising at one point to a
peak $500 feet high, gives relief from
the extreme heat Of the region for
those who can leave the lowiands,
though life in the latter is far from in
tolerable for the wealthy planters. In
1912 France acquired one Of the group,
and in 1886, shortly after our expedi-
ton to the Comoros, all came under her
control, through the native sultan con-
tinued to exercise local jurisdiction.
Having reason to suppose that the
contraband vessel was at one Of the
smaller of the Comoro group, where
Wilson had a plantation, the navy de-
partment gave orders that a man-of-
war should call at the island seize the
vessel, her tackle and apparel and
bring all away, using force If need be.
There must have been an intimation
that Wilson would resist and that he
ohn In, Rcyht
the an-of war proceeded with great
caution. Having reached the island,
she landed a party to reconnoitre.
The party Of reconnaissance saw
naught of the missing vessel, but easi-
ly discovered Wilson's plantation, and
Wilson himself So far from being
warlike, he was most amiable and hos
pitable. AS to the vessel, he declared
that it had not been engaged in the
slave trade and that it was no longer
in his possession.
What the naval officers found at the
Wilson plantation was a sort Of tropi-
cal paradise, says the Boston Tran
script. Wilson had some thousands Of
=" ophSiouo
comfortable house. and the luxuries Of
all climes He was an extensive grower
of sugar cane and his other large crops
of various kinds were large and valu-
able. Under the protection Of his
friend, the dark sultan of Comoro, he
exercised pretty near absolute sway in
his own domain. on his table were
American and English magazines and
newspapers. He sent a steam launch
many miles across bit of the sea once
month to fetch his mail. He had
baths and pleasure grounds and horses
and dogs. Scores Of slaves worked the
plantation, while others, in scant cos
tune, served the master in the great,
comfortable house. He had even an
ice-making machine and he served his
guests with juleps and cocktails. Will
sons hospitality is remembered with
interest to this day by the officers who
were privileged to taste his food and
wines.
In spite of the agreeable reception
given by the nabob of this Oriental
domain, it became necessary for the
captain of the man. of war to carry out
instructions as far as he was able. He
could not take the vessel, because it
was elsewhere and under the protec-
ton Of foreign flag, while those who
had committed barratry in seiZing her
at sea were out OF reach. She had been
a whaler, however, and Wilson owned
that her trying out kettles were in his
possession in fact were used on the
plantation for boiling sugar cane. l.
was an ungracious task after drinking
a mans cocktails and eating his salt
to despoil him Of what he had bought
with his own money, but the captain
informed him that the kettles would
be seized and carried to the United
States. Wilson made no objection, and
accordingly Il landing party was again
sent ashore and the kettles were loos-
ed from their seats and carried aboard
sailed away, leaving the former sur
geon still lord Of his plantation and his
slaves.
Wilson revisited the United States
and perhaps saw some Of those who
had despoiled him. Naturally, nobody
asked how he reconcled it with his
conscience to own and work slaves in
Africa twenty years after Lincolns
emancipation proclamation.