Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-11-18
Slaves In Morgan
County
(By Stanbery Alderman

In an article in The Democrat
| giving an account of the organiza
ton of the anti slavery society o.
Deerfield township, published a few
weeks ago, the attitude of the peo
pie of our county towards slavery
was very definitely shown. The ques
Il ton has been asked the writer il
there ever were any negroes held il
slavery in this county. l have Civ
en- the past few months to an inves
tigation of the matter and am able
ROW to present for your conSidera
tion all the data I have found
available. Should anyone who reads
this article have any other infor
nation, or should there be any
set them forth, / would very muct
appreciate hearing from you, giving
me all details you may have or cit
ing me to where l may find any fur
| ther information. 1t is the sincere
desire of the writer and the pub
Usher of these articles to have them
correct in every detail and to have
all the known facts incorporated In
them as q matter of record for flu,
ture generations. Those who may
have information bearing on this
or any other article prepared by the
writer, are getting fewer as the
/ years pass, and before it is too late
it is desired to get the information
and arrange it for publication that
| those who come after us may be
able to have a full and correct story
of our county and the people who
made it and the events that were of
interest both from historical and
personal standpoint.
| The ordinance for the govern
ment of the Northwest Territory
| prohibited the holding Of slaves in
the territory Therefore, servitude,
| under such conditions, should not
| have existed legally Yet, practi-
| cally. under circumstances, which
will be related, it did. Many of the
settlers of Morgan county came
from Maryland and Virginia as well
as a few other southern states.
More came from Virginia than from
| any other state, as up to the time
OF the organization of the northwest
territory, that part of the country
was claimed as a part of Virginia.
Many of the settlers who came into
the Ohio country had held slaves in
their own states, prior to removing
here. Theoretically all their slaves
We're either sold before they came
here: or were given their freedom
At that time it was, in many states,
easy to free slaves and it was not
an uncommon occurrence for mas
ter to provide for the freeing Of
some or all of his slaves, in his will.
after his death. In some instances,
and these are well authenticated
the masters brought slaves with
them when crossing the Ohio river
to enter the Ohio country.
In several of the histories of
counties bordering on the Ohio riv-
er, reference is made to the fact
that slaves had been held in those
counties. And, in few instances.
the same appears in the histories of
river. If you have followed the ser
les of articles SO far published in
this paper, you will have noted that
the question of slavery comes to
the fore every now and then. So,
we should not think it unreasonable
that, in a few instances, slaves were
brought into the northwest terri
tory along with the other personal
effects of the emigrant., Sometimes
manumission was attended with
difficulties A specific instance will
be related
1t is possible that some of the
older inhabitants of Manchester
township may recall Daniel Wads
worth, who lived at Woodgrove. At
least some knowledge of him will
have been preserved by the older
people through hearing of him The
father of Daniel came from Mary
land and he brought with him his
family. 1 have not been able to find
the exact date of his coming to that
neighborhood. No doubt there are
some of his descendants living to-
day, but so far / have been able to
see, none to talk with them. The
father was cOnscientiously opposed
to selling his slaves and he could
not free them without a certain
legal procedure. requiring a bond,
that they would not become pub
lie charge. He was SO situated that
he could adopt neither of these
modes of disposing of them and SO
he just left and came away without
Maryland very long until some of
the slaves got into some trouble and
a bill for damages and costs was as
sessed against their owner. which
was Mr.. Wadsworth. Knowing
where he had gone the bill was sent
here for collection, and Daniel, the
son, was sent back to Maryland to
settle the matter. However, before
Daniel went back, he had his faith
slaves, thus transferring the own
ership. Daniel went to Maryland |
settled the case, and reported, on
his return, that he was no longer
owner of any slaves. Just what dis |
position he made of them | have |
been unable to find out. This in
stance shows you that, in some
ter for a master to dispossess him |
self of his slaves, however anxious
he might be to do SO. And it was |
because Of such laws in some of the |
states. that some slaves were |
brought into the territory.
1 will now cite you to a specific |
instance of slaves having been held |
in Morgan county In 1929 a GER
tain James Craig came from Brooks
land and settled near the mouth of
Meigs creek. Later this land was /
owned by the Dearths. / do not
know who owns it today. Craig |
brought with him two slaves. One,
a woman, named Ibbie. and a little
girl named Maria. Ibbie lived with
the family for many years, and as
During this time this house was a
stopping place for the stage coach |
One of the drivers, nam
ed John Donaldson, was an aboli-
ZIONIST and noting the presence OF
the negro woman, asked her one day
how much she was paid as wages
for her service. She did not seem
to understand, at first, Just what he
meant, but finally she understood
and told him that she did not get
anything. While not pious man.
Donaldson was against slavery, and
It is related he said. with perhaps
some trimmings, what! Slavery
here in Morgan county," Donald
son, like many others of his type,
having but little business of his own,
1ad to stick his nose into the bust
ness of others. The matter ended
)y Donaldson securing a position
'or Ibbie with family in Zanes-
wille and his taking her there to