Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1869 — A Former Slave.—His Eventual History. [ARTICLE]

A Former Slave.—His Eventual History.

Many of our villagers know a colored man who has lived some three years in this village, of the name of Lloyd Johnson ; and know him to be a man of rare mechanical genius, and a very Uncle Tom of honesty. Yet, there are few who would guess his age within twenty years; and his life has been, under our great “ free ” country’s former damnable system of slavery, as eventfal In manv respects as that of the Moor Othello. We recently became much interested in the tale of his life, though no more remarkable than that of hundreds of other poor old slaves. Lloyd relates that he was born near Annapolis, Md., in 1803. His parents were owned by a kind mistress, who married a man who proved to be a pirate captain, who departed (and never returned) a few weeks after their marriage; the fruit whereof was one daughter. After Lloyd’s parents had eight children their mistress freed them, and executed papers emancipating all the children as fast as they should become of age. The daughter soon after married a Dr. Leo Fenwick, who inherited the services of the eight slave children, until they should become free. The Fenwick preferred to inherit them for all time; and so one fine morning loaded all eight Into a covered wagon and started for his new-found home in the then new conntry of Missouri. Lloyd sayß that the last time he saw his father and mother, the Legreeish Fenwick had a rifle in his hand ana threatened to shoot them if they attempted to come to the wagon to bid;thefr children good-bye. Lloyd peeked through a small hole in the canvas, and Dr. F. smote him a heavy blow on the face with the butt of a heavy whip, and then come into the wagonand nigh flayed him with it This barbarity so enraged the beholders that the doctor was pursued by the Sheriff and required to give heavy bonds fer tbe faithful carrying ont of the emancipation they were entitled to under the law, before he would be allowed to proceed. This was fifty-five years ago, when Lloyd was fourteen years old. Well, since then he has outlived seven masters; seen his brothers sold “ down river,” and his kin scattered as slavery was wont to do it; passed through miraculous dangers and hardships on land and water; his children are he knows not where; and in 1863 he breathed free air for the first time by escaping with Yankee troops from Arkansas. Soon after he became a recruiting officer of colored troops at Cape Girardeau ; enlisted all the force massacred at Fort Pillow—all of which is well proven; and was during the remainder of the war a faithful and efficient worker for the government under whose laws he had so fang been a slave. Strange as it may appear, he has recently received a letter from a brother, born free, from whom he had not heard for long, long yean, informing him that his mother is still living but a few miles from where he was kidnapped from her into perpetual slavery fifty-five years ago. Lloyd, being the fifth child, thinks she must be one Hundred years old or more. She sends him word that she would like very much to see him, and in a few days he will go to'meet her and his other kin in Maryland.— Baraboo (TPIs.) Republic.