Slave's Sarcastic Letter to his old Master

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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Ottawa
Came across this and found it hilarious. Nothing like a sarcastic passive aggressive f*ck you to someone who screwed you.


Dayton, Ohio,

August 7, 1865

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson.


Letters of Note: To My Old Master
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
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Speechless I imagine. Though if he did reply I imagine it would also be interesting.


Seems that the source of this letter is from a book The Freedmen's Book by Lydia Maria Child. She was a famous abolitionist who lived from 1802 - 1880. What a remarkable woman!

Think I might need to visit Chapters and see if I can find some more info on her and her books.
 

skookumchuck

Council Member
Jan 19, 2012
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In the Library of Congress? I doubt it.



Speechless I imagine. Though if he did reply I imagine it would also be interesting.

No idiots in the library of congress? Yeah sure. We need a link. In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdon Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdon — who, since being emancipated, had moved to Ohio, found paid work, and was now supporting his family — responded spectacularly by way of the letter seen below (a letter which, according to newspapers at the time, he dictated).
 

skookumchuck

Council Member
Jan 19, 2012
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I gave you one. And its sourced in there further.

I just added the questionable part, no link to gov't.

BTW, did you know that the "Library of Congress" has numerous works of fiction? Do you think newspapers were honest even back then? That they never made up anything? Do you really believe that?
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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BTW, did you know that the "Library of Congress" has numerous works of fiction? Do you think newspapers were honest even back then? That they never made up anything? Do you really believe that?

Well the guy existed, he was a former slave and the letter was published at the time. Maybe he didnt dictate it as they say but the sentiment was no doubt genuine. Is it possible its fake? Sure. Given the people were real, the situation was real and it was published at the time thats good enough for me. Its just a letter either way.
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
73
48
I think this part may have been missed or misread

(Source: The Freedmen's Book; Image: A group of escaped slaves in Virginia in 1862, courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

the image is from the library of congress. The letter is from a book written by Lydia Maria Child.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Satelitte Radio Addict
May 28, 2007
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Well the guy existed, he was a former slave and the letter was published at the time. Maybe he didnt dictate it as they say but the sentiment was no doubt genuine. Is it possible its fake? Sure. Given the people were real, the situation was real and it was published at the time thats good enough for me. Its just a letter either way.

He was just trying to get as many like and retweets as possible. It was a common motive for most letter writers back in 1865 particularly freed slaves living in Ohio.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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awesome letter
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
30,245
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Alberta
I just added the questionable part, no link to gov't.


BTW, did you know that the "Library of Congress" has numerous works of fiction? Do you think newspapers were honest even back then? That they never made up anything? Do you really believe that?

Why does this bother you so much. You have a problem with uppity ******s?
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
73
48
He wouldnt be the first. Seems to be part of human nature.

It's an interesting trait to be upset, annoyed, or angry that another person is seeking attention. Why do we associate seeking attention as negative when we dislike the thing the person is using for attention?

Musicians seek attention and we're ok with that.
Companies seek attention and we're ok with that.

But not an invididual unless we approve of their message. so strange.
 

Cliffy

Standing Member
Nov 19, 2008
44,850
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If my memory serves me, Skookumchuck is of aboriginal heritage and as suck, his ancestors may have been slaves. Indians were used as slaves in Canada on the prairies into the 1900s, including children. So were children from the British Ilse. I'm wondering if ol' Skook is in denial or if it was so close to home that he had a knee jerk reaction. Or, maybe he is just a jerk.
 

darkbeaver

the universe is electric
Jan 26, 2006
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RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia
If my memory serves me, Skookumchuck is of aboriginal heritage and as suck, his ancestors may have been slaves. Indians were used as slaves in Canada on the prairies into the 1900s, including children. So were children from the British Ilse. I'm wondering if ol' Skook is in denial or if it was so close to home that he had a knee jerk reaction. Or, maybe he is just a jerk.

The Irish were shipped to north America by the hunderd thousands before the Africans. There isn't a race on earth that hasn'r been slaves.
At one time one African slave was worth 30 Irish on this continent. You have to remember that the Irish were the victims of genocide for hundreds of years and it was reflected in their overall health and stature.