The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-24
FORMER SLAVE
SEES EARLY WAR
Says That Nation Will Be
Crippled By Russia
This Year
Bv GERTRUDE CARRAWAY
Staff Correspondent

Stdll AO1
. NEW BERN, Aug. 23- Having
lived through five wars, Charles
. McClees, Negro, of 872 Howard
street, New Bern, who will be 104
wears old September 81, says that
anther World War worse than all
others will break out in atomic,
bomb fury when he is 1o5 years
. old.
The aged darky, born a slave
in Tyrrell county, predicts that
the United States will become IN
. volved in another disastrous wal
D.. before the end of 1913, unless ev-
erv possible means is exerted 10
prevent it. Indeed, he Goes not
see how it can be avoided. He
says nothing was really settled by
World War II. Fighting is still 60
ing on in Europe. Russia and the
United States still have too many
differences. of opinion and policy.
'Those Russians have been
planning while we have been
asleep" McClees says. They
NAV bomb Us. SO suddenly next
wear that we won't be able to win
: the war as we have been doing IN
the past. We better wake up and
get busy, so u country won't be
= ruined"
= McClees was never educated
and he can neither read nor write,
but he says he was educated by
the Holy Ghost and is familiar
with world affairs and problems.
He quotes the Bible to show there
will be wars and rumors OF
war"
Born Sept. 81, 1843, as a slave
owned by John McClees near Co
lumbia. he did not participate in
the fighting of the War Between
the States. He spent most Of those
war years in a Tyrrell county
cave taking care of his masters
horses and protecting them from
Northern troops.
One day, he recalls, his master
called him and told him that Pres
ident Lincoln's Emancipation
Proclamation had order freedom
for all slaves. He was asked what
he wanted to do Or where he pre-
ferred to go. He replied that he
would like to go search for the
mother that he had not e since
he was a baby. eight months old.
Learning that the mother had
been sold on Roanoke Island but
that many Negroes had been NOV
ed from there by the Union SOL
diers to James City near New
Bern, he came to this area in his
quest. From house to house he
went inquiring about a woman
named Adeline McClees. At one
hut he was told that the person
he was questioning had a sister
nearby named Adeline McClees, a
former slave from Roanoke Island
and Tyrrell county. This turned
out to be his mother.
For a time he remained at
James City, then moved to Pam
lico county and bought a farm in
the Wild Cat tract. He lost this
property because of a faulty title,
and came back to New Bern,
where for years he drove a hack.
When automobiles turned hack
men out of business, he drove a
dray for many years.
His long life and good health he
attributes to good behavior and
Christian character. He has fol-
lowed the command of the fifth
commandment, he says, which
promises: Honor thy father and
mother that thy days may be long
in the land which the Lord thy
God hath given thee" This means
he points out, not only ones own
father and mother but all older
persons.
McClees is one of the oldest, if
not the oldest, residents of New
Bern. He is alert and active, with
a remarkable memory, and is
able to recall many of the older
citizens of the area and numer-
Gus incidents that happened here
three-quarters- of a century ago.