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Slave Writes Letter to Master Rubbing In His Freedom and Demanding Reparations
A letter from a freed slave to his master has gotten a great deal of attention as of late. Â In August of 1865, Colonel P.H. Anderson out of Big Spring, Tennssee wrote a letter to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson. Â The colonel requested that Jourdan consider coming back to work for him, this time for actual wages.
Anderson had moved to Ohio after being emancipated, and had found work supporting his family. Â While entertaining the idea of returning to his former master, Jourdan didn’t seem to keen on the idea of coming back.
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 ehe ever got a chance.
He then expresses his appreciation for the master’s offer:
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.
Jourdan then goes in and tells the master what his asking price would be for a return to the plantation:
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.
Jourdan ends the letter with this:
Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.
You can read the entire letter here.
Robert Williams
February 1, 2012 at 2:47 am
sho’ u rite!
MoniqueJ.
February 3, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Fake! Most people were illiterate and could not write at this level. I don’t know why this is getting so much attention. Sounds like people are getting creative about the slave experience.
ilovenaturalhair
February 3, 2012 at 1:57 pm
I’m beyond amazed upon reading this letter. Surely there are other letters like this demanding reparations for slavery by ex-slaves. Or people survived the most horrific system of human bondage, and still had the faith to survive. I’m proud to come from strong people.
Grapejuice
February 3, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Haaaaaaa Haaaaaaaaaaaaa. …. That ex-slave was talented. No wonder the slavemaster shot at him. Free labour from an elloquent, talented man.
chattygirl
February 3, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Amazing!! Today they have the nerve to say we don’t won’t to work! Really..We have always been under paid and over worked! I’m going to print this letter to show to my children. Good one! good one!
ladyofwealth
February 3, 2012 at 5:28 pm
So profound……..
Chris
February 3, 2012 at 7:47 pm
I truly must admire the patience and nature of ancestors long before my time as it would’ve likely taken a strong person in order to reply to a person that shot at me and wouldn’t let me leave.
This is a definite profound look into the lives of those that were mistreated in many ways only to have been regarded less than human. It truly is not only profound, but confusing especially when some of the same things go on in the minds of similar descendants as well.
John Aldrich
February 3, 2012 at 8:41 pm
The letter is written very well. However, I am inclined to believe that it was written recently and not in 1865 because of the language used. I say this because slaves were not taught how to read nor write and nor count. I am certain that some slave owners were just as ignorant. Words like harboring, earnings, balance, for instance, make me suspiscious that this letter was not written by a slave.
Yvonnie Brown
February 6, 2012 at 8:21 am
I don’t believe the letter is authentic, simply because of the wording. There were probably some cleaver slaves I’m sure, but writing and reading of that caliber was not prevalent amongst slaves during that era, except maybe for Fredrick Douglas, or others on his level.
Y.B.
Terry
February 7, 2012 at 2:43 am
Your last statement is of paramount importance. What makes you think he was not on the same level as Douglass? Do not forget that we came from kings and queens. Africana people are still among the most brilliant people on earth (just look at President Barack Obama). Of course, those who miseducate this nation/world would never have admitted that then or now.
rb
February 6, 2012 at 11:56 pm
Ok, people. You forgot that Fredrick Douglas was a very intelligent man. Just because we were not allowed to read and write did not mean we did not know how. Give the slaves a little credit since they gave their lives for us.
Shawty
April 23, 2012 at 12:30 am
I agree. Frederick Douglass was immediately thought of, too.
NARDYNE CANTRELL
February 7, 2012 at 6:39 pm
The letter is real. He had someone to write it for him. He said what was on his mind. The other person put it in that form for him. How dumb are you. It says so in the paper. It was DICTATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tosh
February 11, 2012 at 10:12 pm
The inherent racism is almost overwhelming. I am more than willing to entertain and question the veracity of the corrospondance, as a matter of academia, but to conclude the letter is a willful forgery based on limited personal experience is way beneath a learned mind. There were well literarte exslave, and as stated above, a dictated letter via counsel is also a definite possiblity.
D
April 17, 2012 at 12:58 pm
The history of slavery speaks for itself and parading this piece as a legitamate document is a disgrace. I’m appalled.
Tre
April 22, 2012 at 4:18 pm
To all those who don’t believe this letter is real because of how eloquent (which I don’t see it as the best grammar ever) it is. Consider this.. well I considered this… these are the same people who are astounded when they hear Colin Powell or Obama deliver a speech and say “OH HE SPEAKS SO WELL” come on people…is that such a big deal that a Slave COULD actually Write? UMMM if the slaves had followed the rules…we’d still be slaves.. Uh another thought remember when WE used to get lynched when they found out many of US could IN FACT read?? come on… Not saying I know if its authentic but to base on the fact that “Massa ain’t teach dem niggas how to read” is ridiculous!
Ken
April 22, 2012 at 8:27 pm
I know some of them walking around now! Can’t wait to get back to there masters house. Snitches everywhere.
War Dog
April 23, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Whit People are Savages and Pschopaths, why keep messing with them they do appreciate nothing, there low down, Black People need to seperate ourselves from them, let them destroy themselves without taking us down with them! Black People we need to love ourselves and let God deal eith satan! White People really do warship the Devil you know!