UNWRITTEN HISTORY L. J.COPPIN University of California Berkeley '*. ,y \ :* '. BISHOP L. J. COPPIN UNWRITTEN HISTORY BY BISHOP L. J. COPPIN Author: The Relation of Baptized Children to the Church Key to Scripture Interpretation; Observations of Persons and Things in South Africa; Fifty-two Suggestive Sermon Syllabi. Etc. A. M. E. BOOK CONCERN PHILADELPHIA, PA. < Copyright. 1919, by L. J. Coppin) PREFACE Intermingled with this "Unwritten History" is the story of my life. Being all from memory, except here and there the verifica- tion of a date, there may be some repetitions. Of course much f the "Story" is omitted, but, things that impressed me most, and facts that seem to me most important among the "Un- written" things, are noted. Those who are fond of reading novels about men who never lived, and things that never did and never will happen, may enjoy a change to something that is historic and real. If the example of some of the worthy ones mentioned inspires some- one else, the object of the author is accom- plished. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I BIRTH AND BOYHOOD 7 II SOCIAL, MORAL AND INTELLECT- UAL CONDITIONS 32 III THE CIVIL WAR '.. 63 IV AFTER THE CIVIL WAR Ill V FAREWELL TO CECILTON 172 VI MY CALL TO THE MINISTRY 211 VII ACROSS THE CONTINENT 267 VIII MY ELECTION TO THE BISHOPRIC.. 296 IX DOMESTIC BLISS: WITH SHADOW AND SUNSHINE.. 345 UNWRITTEN HISTORY CHAPTER I. Birth and Boyhood It was at Frederick Town, Maryland. Be sure and distinguish between Frederick in Western Maryland, and Frederick Town on the Eastern Shore. It makes all the difference in the world to an Eastern Shore man. You may call the difference only sentimental, but Frederick Douglass was born there. To be sure, Ben- jamin Banneker was born on the Western side of the famous Chesapeake Bay. Perhaps Bishop A. W. Wayman more than any one else, advertised the Eastern Shore as the "Garden Spot of the World." It is indented with rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay. These rivers are full of fish, ^oysters and crabs. At some points along the (7) 8 UNWRITTEN HISTORY Bay, the fishing and crabbing are perennial. Shad, and herring in the spring; crabs, hard and soft shell, in the summer; oysters in the winter, and fish of various kinds the year 'round. All of the "Eastern Shore" is not in Mary- land. Virginia claims a part of this modern "Promised Land." So, the expression goes ; "the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Eas- tern Shore of Virginia," with Maryland always first; for the collossal figure of Frederick Douglass in Maryland is bound to loom up. Frederick Town is on the Sassafras river, the boundary line between the counties of Kent and Cecil English names. This little stream, as clear as a crystal, forms the Southern boundary of Cecil, the northern- most county on the Eastern Shore. Frederick Town, once an active lumber and grain market, nestles on the banks of the Sas- safras, just five miles from its head, where is a town known as "Head of Sassafras," made more or less famous by the grist mill that stands, or stood at the falls, where the rush- ing waters tumble into the river, after turning the mill wheel day and night. Upper Cecil and Kent patronize this mill for miles around.. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 9 Some of my earliest and most pleasant recollections are, of going- with "Billy Canrian" to "Freemans Mill." We drove the big black horse, Jim, when we did as we were told. He was blind in one eye, "as big as a barrell" as round as an apple, and as fat as butter. A kind and safe driving horse for boys, and as fine a saddle horse as there ever was in "Sas- safras Neck." But if we boys could catch old man King "napping" we would hitch up Dandy, a fine looking spirited bay, and slip away to the mill. Opposite Frederick Town, Cecil County, is Georgetown, Kent County. These were rival grain markets. Sailing crafts plied the river from both sides with grain, principally wheat and corn, from early fall until the rivers became frozen over. In mid-summer, the Delaware and Chesapeake Canal steamers would come up for peaches. Besides these, a flat bottom side wheel steam- er ran every summer between Frederick Town and Baltimore, 'sixty miles away, carrying passengers and light freight to the merchants, country store keepers, of Galena and George- town of Kent, and Cecilton and Frederick Town of Cecil ; and passengers back and forth. 10 UNWRITTEN HISTORY These boats looked large to me. They were the first I ever saw. I went on one of them,. a sailing craft, to Baltimore when about seven years of age. Baltimore was the first city I ever saw. Our goodly ship (?) dropped anchor in the busy Patapsico river, amid scores and scores of steam and sailing crafts, river boats, coast wise and ocean steamers, and ships and brigs, and tugs. What a sight to a pair of young country eyes ! Three score years, as full as they have been of travel and sight see- ing, have not been sufficient to obliterate the scenes of the Patapsico harbor, nor to wipe out the impression made, upon my first visit there. My mother took me there. A wonderful mother ! Great men are not the only men who have great mothers. Some obscure men who have not been much more known in the world's great movements, than a match that starts a blaze and immediately perishes, have also had great mothers. The light of John the Baptist was cruelly blown out before he saw the fruit of his labor : but, the Kingdom he proclaimed is still march- ing on. St. Luke tells us about his mother. We know about the mother of Moses, and Timothy and Samuel, and John W'esley and UNWRITTEN HISTORY 11 others ; but, there are unknown mothers whose sons, breathing their spirit, inheriting their nobility of soul, and becoming the heirs and beneficiaries of their faith and prayers, have helped to make up "the salt of the earth," both upon the mountain top of fame, and in the vale of obscurity. There were seven of us children, four boys and three girls. The most of us were born "on the hill" in Frederick Town Abraham Lincoln gave character to the log cabin. When ex-Vice President Fairbanks died June, 1918, the Press referred to him as "the last of the famous Log .Cabin States- men." Since America's most famous could come from log cabins, it has become popular to re- fer to these primitive dwelling places of earth's lowly, as a birth place. All the same, this is not the way of the world's desire, preferably. We speak of a mother's love, but mothers have instinct also. Perhaps it is inspired vision. What is it that could make a mother per- sist in clandestinely having her child taught to read and write when there was no visible prospect whatever of it ever being of service 12 UNWRITTEN HISTORY to him; and, besides, when, it being in vio- lation of the law, it could only be done at a peril. My maternal grandmother was free born, while her husband, Perry Lilly, was a slave. Alas ! a slave ! A slave in a country whose citizenship was made up of those who fled from oppression, and fought, and bled, and died for liberty! Children took the condition of their mother. This was the surest way to perpetuate slavery where the masters were so plentifully the fathers. For this reason many a slave man married a free woman, that his children might be free. Many slave men. veritable heroes, purchased their freedom by working by day for their masters, and by night for themselves ; hiring their time. Many a free man married a slave woman because he loved her. and purchased her and her children. My grandmother being free, the Lilly chil- dren were free born, and John Coppin, also free born, married Jane, one of the Lilly girls. There was a large, family of them : all girls but one. They got the reputation of being the best girls in the neighborhood, and my UNWRITTEN HISTORY 13 Aunt Clara told me that they called them- selves "the Shoestring Breed." The girls all married free men, and grand- father Perry Lilly, was "set free" before the Emancipation, on account of meritorious serv- ice. But he was about through serving by that time anyway. His wife Amelia, had passed away, and he had a few years left to enjoy life with his children and grandchildren. I remember the visit he made to our home I do not remem- ber my grandmother. The parentage of my father is not so easily traced. I do not, even now, see many Coppins in the directories and 'phone books. In a visit to Covington. Kentucky, when Editor of the A. M. E. Review, I saw on a sign over a large store : "John Coppin." That was my father's name. I had never seen or heard of it outside of the. family. I imme- diately went in and asked for "Mr. Coppin," and purchased a souvenir from the store. In a rather lengthy conversation with him,, for we became interested in each other, on account of the name, he gave me some facts about the history of the name. He said it w r as of German origin, and was primarily Cop- penger. Coming to England the "ger" was 14 UNWRITTEN HISTORY dropped. Coming to America the "en" was changed to "in," or "pen" to "pin," thus Cop- pin. As soon as he told me that, I began to ac- count for the friendship, peculiar friendship that existed between our family and the only Coppins I ever knew outside of our family. James Coppin, a white man, was a bachelor, with one sister, Araminta. She married Robert Price. I think now that she and her brother Jim knew more about the origin of our father than they ever told us. "Miss Minty," as we children called her, would think nothing of taking us into her home and seating us at her table. This was contrary to the unwritten law of Maryland. Well, if we are of German origin, this is not the most auspicious time to look it up, while the Kaiser is in such disfavor. When I became old enough to really appre- ciate the greatness of my mother, who despite my lowly birth, planned for my future, on ~blind faith, I went to the site of the home- stead to get a souvenir from one of the logs of the house in which I was born. A new house stood on the spot. "Aunt Caroline" went behind the house in search of a log that UNWRITTEN HISTORY 15 might still remain, but, was doomed to disap- pointment. However, that is the spot. The pear tree has long since ceased to exist. The old well,, as dear to us as was Jacob's well, to his pos- terity, is filled up, but a sunken place in the ground, a few paces from what was the northeast corner of the dear old house, tells the story. My mother always referred to me as her "''Christmas gift." I was born between sun- down, December 24th and daybreak, December 25th. We had no clock in the house, and the people in those days did not go to bed at all on "Christmas Eve Night," and it may have been after midnight when I came. But the record in the old family Bible says : "Le.vi Jenkins Coppin, born December 24th,. 1848." The "Christmas gift" idea is all right,, for Santa Claus is always credited with com- ing at night and not in the morning. No one can ever know exactly just what a mother is thinking about her children, or why she does this thing or that. The sentiment that clustered about the time of my birth enabled mother to observe the day with a "birthday dinner" without seem- 16 UNWRITTEN HISTORY ing to show partiality. Neither did any of the other children ever show the least dis- satisfaction because the "fatted calf" was kill- ed only once a year. I discovered early in life that I was always the one called upon when company came to "speak a piece," and to tell what day of the month it was; and later on to get down the Farmers' Almanac, and tell about the "full and changes of the moon." Tell about the man standing there with "Pharaoh's plagues" all around him, punching him; and to read, to the admiration of the listening hosts, "con- jectures of the weather." With an eloquence that held all spellbound, I would cry out, "first and second, clear; third and fourth, cloudy; fifth and sixth, variable ; seventh and eighth, showers." Grandmother Lilly discovered an aptness about Jane,, that the other children did not possess, and slipped her off to Baltimore. Baltimore being in the State of Maryland, "free Negroes" from other parts of the State might go and come freely, so long as there was no suspicion of an ulterior motive. If such a person was suspected of whisper- ing to the slaves, or clandestinely conveying passes, an 'accusation was equivalent to con- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 17 viction, and for such a crime the offender could be sold to the highest bidder outside of the State and henceforth made a slave. It is no wonder that so few would under- take to "run the blockade." Runaway slaves, if captured, were entirely at the mercy of the master. The other slaves were made to form a cordon, while the culprit, in the midst, re- ceived such punishment as was thought best to terrify the other slaves. Sometimes it would be a terrible castigation from the overseer. Sometimes the wife, or husband, or child of the victim would be se- lected to apply the punishment. I heard of a case once, where the victim was cut up piece by piece and fed to the blood- hounds. And so it required a great deal of courage for a slave to run away, or, for a "free nigger" to be caught learning to read and write, for he would be accused of prepar- ing to write passes for slaves in the name of their masters. Amelia Lilly was willing to take so great a risk as this with her most likely child, and so, Jane was sent to Baltimore, ostensibly to live with her aunt, Lucy Harding, but, in fact, it was that her Aunt Lucy might find some one 18 UNWRITTEN HISTORY who would teach her to read and write; and so she did. When mother came home on a visit one time, father, a man of taste and good judg- ment, soon discovered that she was above the mark set by the custom of the place, and so, was bold and daring enough to seek her heart and hand, and not in vain. What gave him an idea that he was worthy of the foremost young woman in Cecil County, so granted by common consent, no one knows. Why not be wooed and won by a Baltimore lad, who could boast at least of having "city ways," a thing quite unknown to a "country clodhopper." Well, it is hard to tell just how far presumptuousness will go when once start- ed. It may even be inherited. Father had a habit of consulting mother on all important matters, and I think, generally took her advice. She was quick to reach a conclusion, and not easily changed from an opinion. There were two things upon which they did not entirely agree in the earlier days, at least of their married life. First, father could not see the wisdom of taking such risks as mother would take, to teach the children to read and UNWRITTEN HISTORY 19 write. Of what service could it ever be to them? The majority of the children held to the opinion of father, but the "Christmas baby" inclined to side with mother, and this fact made them early companions, much earlier than the average child is called into parental council. Another point on which father and mother differed somewhat was, father always regard- ed mother as being recklessly generous. Every old woman in the neighborhood form- ed a habit of visiting our home, frequently, especially about hog-killing time. When the winter set in, and the visitors could not make their customary itinerary, we boys knew where they lived, and knew how to go and hunt them up, carrying the practical compliments of mother ; and not make where we had been and for what purpose, a fireside talk upon our return. Those dear old women would call mother "Cousin Jane." Father would speak derisively of such relationships, and characterized it as "swap dog kin." I have often heard mother say: "I shall never want for bread," and she did not. 20 UNWRITTEN HISTORY The philosophy of father was different. He thought the best way to keep away want was to kill several fat hogs; bury a plenty of po- tatoes and cabbages ; dry and preserve much fruit; salt away a barrel of herrings and pile up cord after cord of wood at the "wood pile." and his theory was, let others do the same. My mother did not at all object to such a course, for she was hand in hand with him in providing. But she believed in sharing with others, especially the unfortunate and needy. I was sent to the store one cold day with orders to go by the little hut where "Aunt Ruthy" lived. This was not even "Swap dog" relation. The white people did not permit us to say "Mr." and "Mrs." to each other., so, the chil- dren, for "manner's sake," were taught to call the older people "aunt" and "uncle." Well, I called as I was directed, at the house of "Aunt Ruthy." She was shivering before a few not very live coals, for, the wood must not be burned extravagantly. When I got ready to go, she said, "Leevie , tell your mother, while the grass grows, the steed is starving." I had never heard of a "steed" before, and thought "Aunt Ruthy" had surely made a mis- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 21 take. And besides, I could not see how mother would make the application. So, to help mother out somewhat, I changed the phraseology a little, and said: "Aunt Ruthy says, while the grass grows the sheep are starving." I knew what a sheep was. A few minutes later I found myself on the way back to "Aunt Ruthy's" with a basket of meat and potatoes, from my father's smoke- house. That was the interpretation of the starving steed. In after years, father came to understand mother's philosophy better. When the oppor- tunity unexpectedly came for the children to go to school, mother was not more anxious than father that we should go, and he also learned at last, that, they who sow boun- tifully, reap also bountifully. Mother was a Christian as far back as I can remember. The fact is, she embraced religion when a girl. The children, one by one, so soon as they could pronounce words, said prayers before going to bed, and said, "thank the Lord" after each meal. 22 UNWRITTEN HISTORY Father was not a churchman, though I never heard him swear. And not a child up to his manhood was ever allowed to swear before him. In this particular thing I was always like my father and have my first oath yet to swear. In this, I differed from the other boys Father, as well as mother, despised lying, stealing and drunkenness, and the weight of their influence, both by precept and example, was always in favor of a pure moral atmos- phere in the home. But still, as my father made no profession of religion, and could not lead his household in family worship, it threw the burden of re- ligious duty on mother. To neglect early religious training is to leave out that which is most important in the formative period of life. And this is espe- cially true of those, who, by social ostracism, are deprived of coming in contact with uplift- ing infleuence outside of the home. When the father is the patriarch, leading the family in daily devotion, it is not difficult to establish in the home a respect for morals and religion. But when the head of the house is not responsible for such law and order, the mother, in order to bring it about, must be UNWRITTEN HISTORY 23 unusually strong in personality, and courage, and faith. Some of rny very earliest recollections are upon moral and religious subjects. My mother used to take me to church and have me sit in the "Amen corner" with her. I was too young to have any opinion about anything that took place. I remember that after preaching, class meeting would follow, and one after another would get up and speak. Mother would frequently sing between these speeches. She was the one who was really depended upon to sing at the "Meeting house." She had a clear, ringing voice, which could be detected above the other voices, no matter how large the chorus. She used to sing: "John carried his number over." "Moses led the children home." "We'll join the forty thousand, by and by." And "We Are the True Born Sons of Levi," and many other like songs. Also the good old Methodist hymns, such as : "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?" "When I Can Read My Title Clear" and "O, Joyful Sound of Gospel Grace," "My God, the Spring 24 UNWRITTEN HISTORY of All My Joy." But whether on the make-as- you-go hymns or the standards, mother was quite at home, and was always in great de- mand. If the meeting became a little dull, the leader would call out, "Sister Coppin, sing something." No sooner would the words fall from his lips than that familiar voice would ring out, and soon things would be going at a lively pace. The old church leaders, as a rule, did not know many hymns by heart. They used to call them "hymes." My mother had this ad- vantage of them, she could read, and would learn hymn after hymn, and sing them from memory. There was a Bible and hymn book in our home ever since I can remember anything. Once, when mother took me to church I must have been very small I remember there was a little fat yellow woman who got very happy while singing a "piece." The fact is, some of them would apparently get quite hap- py after the first or second verse, if that was all they knew ; then some one else would have to catch it up and go on with it, if it went any further. This was one of "Uncle" Abe Ken- iiard's tricks. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 25 But, on this particular occasion, the singer was "Aunt" Fanny Bayard. There were two- peculiarities about the song that so impressed me, that I still remember them vividly, name- ly: First, she sang so fast that no one could catch on and accompany her. Secondly, in her "Hallelujah" she repeated the "Halle," and would say : "We've found the rock, the traveler cried, Glory halle, hallelujah." As I remember now, she made only one double or single line and chorus, and that with such rapidity that no one got hold of the words or rhyme ; then suddenly she exclaimed, "Glory to God, Glory to God!" and all was over. She was short and fat, and had what people called, "poppy eyes." I never did lose sight of her; and when I grew older, I came to know her well. She was a free woman, a widow with one daughter, Henrietta "Henny" she called her and lived in her own little house at Crooktown, near Cecilton. Crooktown and Perrytown were two little clusters of houses huts that were behind 26 UNWRITTEN HISTORY the woods that separated Cecilton from where the free colored people lived. There were not many families in these little settlements, but the woods, i. e., the grove, spoken of in another chapter, afforded a meet- ing place for our people, bond and free. After I visited South Africa, and saw some of the original Hottentots, I was led to believe that "Aunt" Fanny Bayard was one of them. The Hottentot is exactly the color of the Chinese ; so was "Aunt" Fanny. They have little tufts of hair scattered about on their heads. I do not know what was on "Aunt" Fanny's head, except that kerchief, that I never saw her without. The Hottentot is said to live to a very old age. Well, "Aunt" Fanny and her daughter "Henny" lived to be very old. They were com- panions, and were nearly always togther. The boys used to say that "Henny" lived until she caught up with her mother." Henny got married late in life. I do not know whether this was her first husband or not. but one thing I do know, that she out- lived him: but "Aunt" Fanny outlived her. When the little old hut was about to fall down on her, she made over the place to 'Father Jones," and he built a little frame UNWRITTEN HISTORY 27 house on it, in which "Aunt" Fanny ended her days. Besides "Aunt" Fanny; Emory Sisco, John Hall and Benjamin Freeman lived in Crook- town. All of them free people. Living at Perrytown, which was but a few hundred yards from Crooktown, was a man named Perry Thompson. He was said to be a very wicked man. A man thus characterized by our people was one who would swear, drink whisky and per- haps gamble : one who never went to church. They were called hard-hearted sinners. Some of them were supposed to have "deal- ings" with the Devil. When such a person died, you could not get a neighborhood child to go any distance alone at night. The impression was, the devil had come for the wicked person, and was probably still sneaking about there in the darkness. This doctrine was quite generally believed by the older ones, and the children had no in- clination to go out into the darkness and in- vestigate it, in order to be convinced whether it was true or false. There was always a superstition that the death of such a person was accompanied by a 28 UNWRITTEN HISTORY storm, a terrible storm, preferably a snow storm. By some kind of coincidence, the biggest snow storm of the season often came at the time of the death of such persons. I remember the Perry Thompson snow storm. What a time they had getting him buried ! These wicked people would often die swearing and raving, crying, "drive out them dogs." Of course, the modern physician can easily account for his delirious condition. But, even now, I have a lingering thought, that this doc- trine of demoniacal visitation was so preva- lent that some of those old sinners felt doomed, and just became mentally unbalanced in expectation of meeting their just deserts. In those days, you would often hear hymns like this : "And must I be to judgment brought, To answer in that day For every vain and idle thought, And every word I say?" "Yes, every secret of my heart, Shall surely be made known; And I'll receive my just deserts, For all that I have done." German "higher criticism" was not much UNWRITTEN HISTORY 29 heard of then, neither was a world war ! I do not claim to believe the many supersti- tions that I heard in my childyhood, but I am glad that certain impressions were made upon me then, instead of some others that might have been made. I was well up in my teens before I found out that the devil did not come with a pitch- fork after boys who would lie and steal, and swear and get drunk. But I was so long in finding out that he did not come and literally catch them, that, having formed the habit of shunning these forbidden things, I just con- sidered that there were other good reasons why these practices should be avoided, and so went on avoiding them. When I was a child, they told me about "Kris Kringle," the country folks called him. I believed, with all my young, innocent heart, that such a person existed. Finally some "smarty" told me that there was no such person, and "let the cat out of the bag." But that is only half of the truth. The fact is that I am still afraid of the devil, whatever may be the reason for my fear. But since I have become grown, I have found that there is a Santa who fills the heart 30 UNWRITTEN HISTORY with love and sympathy, and especially, about the "Christmas season." No one shall ever again be able to convince me that no such spirit exists. Many other impressions made in boyhood, thanks to the simple faith of a pious mother, have saved me from the dashing currents of sin, by which I have seen others swept away. The history of the mothers of this period can never be known. The story of the Exodus from Egypt begins with the birth of Moses, and the mother who hid him until she could no longer do so with safety. Then the story of the basket of rushes, by which the babe of providence was floated on the water until found by the Princess. Then the mother nurse, according to the mother plan. When it was time to hand him over to the adopted mother at the royal court, his own mother had made such lasting impres- sions upon him, that they proved stronger than the very strong temptation to "enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season." The writer of the Pentateuch gives us this story of a mother's love and wisdom and suc- cessful training. In both religious and secular history, we have the maternal part played in the world's UNWRITTEN HISTORY 31 history, until it is accepted as true that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." The story of the mother of Moses is the old- est of such stories, and the scene was in Egypt, and Egypt is in Africa. But the bond woman brought from Africa had no one to write of her wisdom and hero- ism. Some things would be passed down by tradition from generation to generation and then be forgotten. With the unwritten history of the race is buried most of the best things that are really characteristic of the race originally. Two hundred and fifty years developed a new people, with new traditions, customs^ morals and religion, copied from the dominant people of their new environment. But whether written or unwritten, the his- tory of the African in America from 1619 to 1865, constitutes a most interesting chapter in the book of human events. CHAPTER II. Social, Moral and Intellectual Conditions (Maryland my Maryland is the northern- most .Southern State. Its northern boundary is the famous Mason and Dixon's Line. On account of its geographical location it is often erroneously referred to as a Northern State. But, not only did the earlier geogra- phies class it as Southern, but it stood pat as such when it became the fashion to sub-divide the sections ; as, for instance : "West and Mid- dle West." Maryland never was classified with Delaware 'as a "Middle State," Mason and Dixon settled that question once and for all, and the Marylanders, bond and free, have never tried to blot out the line, nor to claim to have been born "further up." Being a Southern State, Maryland was a Slave State, The institution prospered there, as it did in Georgia, though no cotton was grown there. (32) UNWRITTEN HISTORY 33- It may not be generally known that Mary- land laws and customs were more oppressive to the slave and "Free Negro" than were the laws and customs of States farther South. For instance, Negroes in South Carolina have owned slaves ; such a thing would never have been, and according to slave code philos- ophy could never have been permitted in Maryland. Upper Maryland is on the line of Pennsylvania, the Quaker State ; the hot-bed of abolition ; the first State to protest mildly, then vigorously, against slavery, and then to deal it a death blow by becoming the head- quarters and principal station of the Under- ground Railroad, and furnishing the principal officers of the line. When a few thousand were once offered for the head of "Thomie" Garrett, he said: "Five hundred slaves have passed through my hands, and never a one was captured." He was a Pennsylvania Quaker, conducting a sub-underground station in Wilmington, Del. The big barns of the Tatnals, just across the Brandywine, were often filled with fugitives, many of whom were of Thomie Garrett's "five hundred." The relation of Maryland, then, to free soil, and to the abolition propaganda, made it necessary for the slave owner, and the slave -34 UNWRITTEN HISTORY trader to keep a sharp watch on the border, .and to keep the lines taut on the slave and the "free nigger." Each must know his place and never forget it, and each must be kept in mor- tal fear of the master, the trader, and the spy. .A free Negro might not go out of the state and return under the penalty of being fined a sum that he would not be expected to be able to pay without the assistance of the Georgia trader, or the more humane (?) gentleman \ who would pay the fine, and give the victim a chance to work it out upon such terms as the benefactor dictated. Being so close to the line, a Maryland slave had to be constantly and closely watched lest he "run away." The farther one was re- moved from the North Star the more difficult it was to use it as a guide to freedom. The Underground Railroad could not operate freely in the far South, and so, the slaves .stood a far better chance of being "Trusties." Some of the border line slave owners es- tablished a custom of whipping the slaves once er of the Cruikshank family, was not mar- ried at the time, and feeling lonesome, invited me to spend as many evenings as I wished with him. It is more than likely that his sis- ter had spoken to him of my faithfulness, and aptness as a student, and he, being of her spirit .gave me a chance to divide the time with him. He was of like spirit of his sister as to kind- ness, but was not much on religious subjects. His mind ran toward law, and he had not cal- culated on spending many years as a farmer, but had his mind on Elkton, the county seat, UNWRITTEN HISTORY 99 and the practice of law. He finally went from Elkton to Baltimore, and edited a daily paper, called : "The Day." He took a different course with me as a student. He would read, and explain what he had read, and force me into discussions. I can see now that he was really practicing on. me, as a student minister does on a congre- gation. I was his audience, or jury, to whom he would speak, and explain. I would ask him questions. When in my course of read- ing, I came to words that I could not pro- nounce, or words and sentences that I did not understand, I would take them to him. He seemed to take the greatest delight in having me come with hard propositions. Hard in- deed to me, but not to him. I never heard him swear : he often used the word: "by George." When he was especially pleased with a nights work, he would some- times say: "by George, Levi, you are going to be a smart chap." After I was grown and in the ministry, and he, established in his chosen field of work, I met him on the train between Philadelphia and Baltimore. It was indeed a pleasant reunion. We discussed sure enough then. He wanted to draw me out on my theological ideas. Among the many things 100 UNWRITTEN HISTORY lie asked me was, what became of men who die without an opportunity to hear the Gos- pel. Of course I gave him the cut and dried answer about the heathen being a law unto liimself, and how 'he was provided for by the atonement. I dare say he anticipated me, and quickly replied: "Well, since the heathen can be saved without being civilized, why not let him alone? for many, after being civilized, will be lost." This he said too, to draw me out. I asked him if he would rather be a heathen, living in the blissfulness of ignor- ance, than a Baltimore editor, with the know- ledge of how to be saved. We called it even and quit. The war finally came to a close by the sur- render of Lee and the fall of Richmond. There was no longer any doubt then about the final issue. Slavery, the "sum of all villainy" was crushed. Its ghost has appeared in different and many forms since General Lee gave up the struggle on the field of battle; but, at most, it is but a ghost of the personality that lived and flourished so long, and caused so much sorrow and degradation. The results of slavery had become so mudi a part of our civ- ilization, both in Church and State., that there is no wonder that a written declaration could not UNWRITTEN HISTORY 101 wipe it out instanta. It required years for it to grow into the giant that it became, and its final and total obliteration will be by the growth of Christian sentiment, with other con- tributing causes. But let us thank God, that legalized servi- tude is dead and doomed. The Amendments to the Constitution that fixed its status, will not only remain, but other amendments will be added ; to emancipate women, to make im- possible legalized vice, and give our struggling humanity a better chance to reach its highest and best possibilities. The Small Pox broke out at our home. Its origin was never known. But, since it was coming, it had to begin some where. I had heard much about Small Pox, and knew that people dreaded it, as they dread mad dogs. Theoretically, I knew about the isolation caused by it, but I was never close to it. It came suddenly and unexpectedly, of course. No preparation had been made for a siege such as it would cause. As soon as it became known, no one would dare come near the place. But this is both law and custom, and nothing else is expected at such a time. My friend David Anderson 102 UNWRITTEN HISTORY big field beyond, and we would converse at a distance, and he would leave what we had arranged for him to bring. This was always at night. Uncle Jim Jones lived on an adja- cent lot on the Cruikshank property. This made us such close neighbors, that the public would be as much afraid of one from his fami- ly as from ours. So his place was also under quarantine. Our dear old family doctor who had been the only doctor in the family from the birth of the first child Doctor Roberts had pass- ed away, and we sent for Dr. Harry Cruik- shank. He had not been long out of school and was but: slowly building up a practice. A young doctor in the country, and especially at that time, certainly had to serve a proba- tion, before being fully trusted. While Dr. Roberts lived, we would not think of sending for any other physician in time of sickness. This was also the prevailing sentiment of the place, and of the times. This was an opportunity for Dr. Harry to try his skill, and also to make a reputation for himself: for I tell you, any Doctor who could cure Small Pox, would soon make a reputation in Cecil County. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 103 When Dr. Harry came and pronounced the case Small Pox, he proceeded to vaccinate all the other members of the family. I just happened to have been at the house and was caught in the quarantine. Some how I got an idea that my presence there was providential, and that God intended that I should minister to the rest of the family. With this thought in view, I decided not to attempt to assist the Almighty by keeping myself from catching the dreaded complaint, so I refused to be vaccinated. Every day when Dr. Harry would come he v/ouki ask if I were ready for the operation, and I would promptly answer in the negative. He could not do it alone by force, and no one or no number of persons would have volun- teered their assistance. I never told him why I refused, but, whether I acted wisely or unwisely, I made the matter a case of faith and prayer. I reasoned, that if God indeed wanted me to perform the ser- vice of nursing the others he would keep me well to do it. Father was just recovering from a spell of sickness : he didn't take it. But one after another of the family went down under it ; and it also spread to the next 104 UNWRITTEN HISTORY house where were four in family, who took it. I alone was left on my feet to cut wood and carry water, and cook for two families. Mother, who had but a light case of it, was soon able to assist me. When the Doctor saw that his vaccinated subjects went down and I did not, he called me a wonder. All the patients got well except dear old Uncle Jim Jones. He died, and, assisted by his son Jim, who had recovered, I buried him under the apple tree in the garden. I made a coffin out of some pieces of board, and, act- ing as a grave digger, and undertaker and par- son, I laid him to rest with simple ceremony. He died in the faith. Peace to his ashes ! Henry Jones, one of the three Jones boys was among those who enlisted under Lieuten- ant Brown, and was a color sergeant, in the 19th Maryland, U. S. Colored Troops. He was mustered out at the close of the war and re- turned home. The Jones family consisted of eight children : George, Martha, James, Hen- ry, Delia, Mary, Emma >and Frank. They all, taking the condition of their mother, were free born. "When the cruel war was over and the soldiers had returned," there was a gener- al readjustment of things. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 105 The colored people could have their meet- ings regularly, and go and come without ask- ing permission. They would invite the white people now and hold protracted meetings. The old people called them "pertracterble" meetings. In the fall of the year, good old Friend- ship would be a veritable battle ground for several weeks. Getting religion, was by way of the mourners' bench, and that was the only way we knew about. We had looked from the gallery in the "Old Brick Church," and witnessed how the white folks came forward to the mourners' bench while Sylvester Steph- ens led in 'singing: "Turn to the Lord and Seek Salvation,'' and how the mourners "came through." It would be quite a useless waste of time to try to convince the old people that you "had religion" if you had not been to the mourners' bench and prayed until you "got through." Some of them were quite adepts at the business. They would back slide and then have to come (back and get religion over again. Moses Cain, a brother to Rosebud, could be depended upon to furnish the meeting with at least one mourner, for he was sure to back- 106 UNWRITTEN HISTORY slide at some time during the year. Like the seed sown in stony ground, he could not stand the scorching sun of temptation. This was especially true about harvest time, when every body was jolly, and there was feasting at the kitchen and a whole barrel of whiskey in the harvest field. "Moses" would indulge too free- ly and fall by the way. But when the meetings would begin, and it would be noised abroad that they were "having great times at Friend- ship," Moses would "arise and go to his fa- ther." Those who had often seen him "come through" knew that it would not be altogether safe to be near him when he ended the final struggle. The first time that I witnessed it, I was standing close to Uncle Alfred Bacon, who said to me : "You had better move, for Mose is going to get up from there "terrectly." And he did. And so did the benches that were near him ; and so did the stove pipe, when the stove was so shaken that it nearly fell. When he had rolled quite the length of the building, sweeping everything before him, he would get up, return to the Band, and join in with the singing, hand clapping, and swaying of the body that was characteristic of "pertracter- ble" meetings. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 107 All this was due to slavery and all of its accompanying evils. A just judge took the will for the deed, and fixed the modicum of responsibility. At the great Judgment Bar, all will be judged impartially, the oppressed and the oppressor. Conditions and sentiment so changed dur- ing the war, and especially near the close, that it was thought safe to organize a Sunday* School ; ostensibly for the purpose of religious instruction, but principally for the purpose of giving to those who wished it, an opportunity to learn to read. Dear old Friendship was available for this purpose, and soon the little sanctuary that had been the scene of all kinds of religious meetings, and every degree of emotionalism, was now vocal with new and strange sounds. Behold, they spell! Behold, they read! Behold, they Study! Men and women as well as lads and lassies. Men past fifty, in a primary class with children not yet in their teens, learning the alphabet, and that which followed according to the Comly method. My mother felt that her special work was accomplished. She had been solitary and alone, the John the Baptist crying in the Wil- derness, and not crying too loudly for fear of 108 UNWRITTEN HISTORY being apprehended, but crying persistently,, and with hope. She had not only awakened a desire to learn, but had kept it alive, until with inconceivable suddenness the opportuni- ty to satisfy the desire came. But more, she had done what was farthest from her thought ; she had actually created a teacher for the emergency: for who was so well prepared to be first professor at "Friendship Institute," as the gift of Santa Clans, upon whom she had bestowed so much anxious care, with only the support of blind faith. Draw on your imagin- ation, reader, and see if you can comprehend a mother's joy, standing face to face with such an achievement. Mother showed no disposition to go to the new place of meeting and take part as a teacher. There were still a few of her old pupils who preferred the quiet and seclusion of the fireside to which they had gone when no one from without suspected the purpose. This feeling perhaps, was shared by those who felt that they were slow and backward ; or even a little fearful and afraid that the Union Arms might not be ultimately successful. In this new enrollment would be persons from every direction. Many who by various means had learned their letters, and even how UNWRITTEN HISTORY 109> to read, would be on the new register. It is rather surprising how many persons of this class turned up. Each was a surprise to the other. There were not any, to be sure, who had gone to any considerable extent. Each one who could at all spell and read constituted a sort of wonder, in view of the prohibitory laws that were in existence. At this time there came a man from Balti- more, Horace Brown by name, I know noth- ing of his pedigree, or how he came into pos- session of his book learning, but among us he was indeed a star of the first magnitude. He had a good English education. Was young strong and enthusiastic. He came just in the nick of time. Indeed, his coming could not have been better timed, had it been in answer to a call. Being facile princeps, no one questioned his right to take full charge as Principal. The school grew in numbers, until Friendship was too small to accommodate those who came. It was like a flock of thirsty cattle discover- ing a pond of water and making a mad rush to drink. There was a great demand for Com- ly's speller and Reader for those who had to begin at the beginning and these constituted an overwhelming majority. For those who- 110 UNWRITTEN HISTORY were prepared for higher studies, Prof. Brown provided suitable books. This was the first school in Cecil County in which colored people could openly learn to read and write, and being held on Sundays only, it afforded but one day in a week for study. But it was the harbinger of what was soon to follow. It was the big bright morning star ushering in the day. It was a clarion note to the intellectually blind, to come and ^receive sight. Hitherto, only the few, whose indomitable nature inspired a thirst for knowl- edge that was stronger than the fear of chains, or even death itself, could succeed in satis- fying his thirst in part : but now, the door is thrown open to all who care to come. To all, at least, who are within easy reach of the open door of opportunity. The decisive battle had not yet been fought at Appomattox, but the passing breezes whispered that the end was near, and only the faint-hearted and indifferent would wait for further evidence of the good time coming, or refuse to grasp the golden privileges already at hand. CHAPTER IV. After the Civil War. "All is well that ends well," says the old adage. Even war, I suppose: though it may be very much as the rugged old Ohio General described it as being. Without a doubt, war is terrible, viewed from any standpoint. Frederick Douglass spoke of it as filling the land with "widows and orphans, and the shadow of death." Young and innocent lives, not at all responsi- ble for it, must be destroyed by it. But so long as there is evil in the moral world, there will be strife among men. The war of the sixties did not differ from other wars as to cause. No one thing can be named as alone causing" such social upheavals, but there is always some principal thing. In this case, it was slavery. The seceding States claimed the right to buy, (in) 112 UNWRITTEN HISTORY- and sell and own, and work human beings as slaves, without any interference on the part of the other states forming the Union. The states that elected Abraham Lincoln, claimed that the majority of the States had a right to legislate for the minority when an evil threat- ened the wellbeing of the whole people. Slav- ery was regarded by the "Union" people as being such an evil. The slogan was not : "Shall slavery be de- stroyed," but "Shall the Union be preserved." It is generally thought, that Mr. Lincoln, partly from a lack of courage, and partly for policy sake, held out the "Union" theory. "I must save the Union," was his cry, "with or without the destruction of slavery." There was not another moral question on the surface that could not have been settled at the polls, without going to war ; or, that could not have been settled by arbitration after the bloody conflict began. Slavery was the real bone of contention. Its abolition was prophesied in the event of Lincoln's election, and the prophecy continued after his election, before he made any declaration concerning it. It was expected of him. He exepected it of himself, and so, gathered about him as an official family those w^ho held like views. It UNWRITTEN HISTORY 113 v^as in the air. The time was ripe to strike the bbw. It was God's time. Never did men shoulder arms for a more righteous cause, and never did men under arms feel more assured that their cause was righteous. The monster that had strutted, and thrived, and boasted so long was doomed. But, all were glad when it was over. Of course the Union people, like all victors, were glad that they won their cause. But, it was not long until the South realized that the de- struction of slavery was the destruction of their own greatest foe. Slavery enslaved and degraded every thing it touched. Many of the master class who were afflicted by it realized this fact : but how to get rid of it was the trying question. It is now as then: race prejudice, and all of its attendent evils, is as a canker on the body politic. It must be especially annoying to those professing Chris- tianity. To despise, or in any way harm a human being solely on account of his race affiliations, is cruel and unreasonable, and finds no sanction in Chrisian ethics. Let us hope that as American slavery was smothered in the baptism of blood, so may hateful, ungodly race and color prejudice be swept away by the death-dealing devices of the present war 114 UNWRITTEN HISTORY that destroys without discrimination. Since it has become necessary to make common cause, in order to establish democracy, may it ever hereafter be considered unmanly and unpa- triotic to return to those unrighteous prac- tices that more than anything else made our fair land and country undemocratic. When "the cruel war was over and the soldiers were discharged," the work of recon- structing and readjusting began in many ways. Father Jones, the old prophet, was prompt- ly on hand to instruct and guide the enthu- siastic masses, intoxicated with joy, and liable at any moment to bring on trouble by acts of indiscretion. The joy was unbounded among our people. There was not the slightest differ- ence in this respect between the slaves and the free people. Slavery saw to it that one code of laws governed slave and free alike, and kept those who were nominally free with- in the proscribed limits of the slaves. Besides the loud acclamations of joy ex- pressed in shouting and singing, and general hurrahs, the newly emancipated people gave vent to their feelings by going freely from place to place a delightful privilege and UNWRITTEN HISTORY 115 i feasting and dancing and making merry. "The dead was alive, and the lost was found." It is fair to suppose that everybody took some part in the general merry making, but, the religious ones sought the Church as being the proper place to go, and rejoice, by giving thanks to Him, toward whose throne above their prayers had been so long directed, and dear old Friendship soon became the centre of attraction. It is now genuinely the Eccle- sia, and must, for a time at least, be the forum for all matters of discussion, moral, religious, civil and intellectual. But here a grave question confronted the people which must be settled, and settled at once. It was a question of ownership. Uncle Perry Hinson had built Friendship on his ground, and for a time, perhaps during his life time, he was recognized "head of the Church" for peace sake. After he died, the people con- tinued to meet and worship there without any one particular exercising any special authority. But, as the "white" Church in the town was Methodist, and had really gone so far as t appoint class leaders for the colored people, it was just taken for granted that Friendship was a Methodist Church. And so, in the work of reconstruction, the minister from the "Brick 116 UNWRITTEN HISTORY Church" Methodist Episcopal came down, preached at an afternoon service to the people and began to instruct them as to their duties and privileges as Methodists. This raised another question. Father Jones, who had never actually joined Friendship, and come under the domination of the M. E. Church, in- structed the people to say, they did not want to belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Indeed! Upon what has this Caesar been feeding ? If you come not to us, to whom will you go? This brings us face to face with another important item of ecclesiastical history. The war closed in 1865 ; but the African Methodist Episcopal Church seceded from the M. E. organically in 1816. It had been a denomina- tion, full fledged for 49 years, when freedom was declared. Established in Philadelphia, it had stealthily made its way here and there into nearby slave territory. Maryland being right on the line of Pennsylvania, some Allen- ites had crept over, and quietly organized under the A. M. E. Discipline. Such was the case at a place nine miles from Cecilton, just beyond the Bohemia River, and called Bohe- mia Manor. Here Father Jones beld his mem- bership. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 117 George Mercer was the prominent man at the A. M. E. Church "On the Manor" as we said, much as was Christopher Jones at Cecil- ton. "We want to be African Methodists" was- the answer given to the minister from the M. E. Church. African Methodists ! What has not been going on in the darkness! "Have those rebellious Allenites been down here with their mischievous doctrine about equality, and brotherhood?" They had not been down there. The laws of the State forbade the coming and going of free Negroes in and out of the State. No one was telling the King's secrets to the Israelites, but there was "a prophet in Israel." "You may go to the Allenites but you cannot take that Church property." Shall we indeed be deprived of this our dearest possession? Here our fathers and mothers have prayed and hoped. Here we their children have sought and found the God of our fathers. Back here on the other side of the lot, steep our dear ones. Under the window here on the west side is the marble slab which marks the ptace that is sacred to the memory of "Aunt Susan Sisco" which is, perhaps, the only tombstone of the kind in the county; certainly the only one 118 UNWRITTEN HISTORY of its kind in the Sassafras Neck. Shall indeed this our "Ark of the Covenant" be taken by these uncircumsized Philistines who deny the brotherhood ? Alas ! Some would rather re- main in the camp of the Philistines than loose the Ark. When the M. E. Preacher's Committee went to Elkton, the county seat, to examine the title, and ascertain who indeed were the right- ful owners of Friendship and the acre of ground upon which it stands, it was found that there was no record of it at all, and the Court of Equity decided that peaceable pos- session for twenty years gave it to the con- gregation that worshipped there. This meant great rejoicing at Friendship: but it also meant a special sermon from the old prophet who had safely guided them in their first struggle under the banner of freedom. The text: "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest; where thou mak- est thy flock to rest at noon : for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flock of thy companion." When 'he had finished, describing the flock, the shepherd and the sheep, we were all will- ing to pronounce it an effort that was worthy UNWRITTEN HISTORY 119 the reputation of one of the greatest preach- ers of ante bellum times. The next step to be taken was to make Friendship, indeed and in truth, an African Methodist Church. Bishop Alexander Washington Wayman^ like Frederick Douglass both from the fa- mous Eastern Shore had already been before the public long enough to have gained con- siderable notoriety as a leading man of the race and a noted speaker. After Mr. Lincoln's Proclamation, and while those who might have otherwise given trouble were busy with the affairs of the war, quite a number of men came out of hiding and got about quite a good deal, preaching, lecturing,. and in a general way helping the abolition movement. Prominently among them were Frederick Douglass, Henry Highland Garnett and Alexander Wayman. All three of these "bright lights" were Marylanders. There were many others, not so widely known as these, because they did not travel as much, nor so far away from home. But they were active workers on the "Under Ground Rail Road/' and were the first to come forward with a helping hand to the freedman at a time when; he most needed suggestion and guidance. 120 UNWRITTEN HISTORY Robert Purvis, William Still, Bishops J. P. Campbell and John M. Brown, Henry Gordon, Isaiah C. Wears, Stephen Smith (who made quite a fortune as lumber merchant and found- ed the Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People in Philadelphia), giving the munificent sum of two hundred thousands dollars. These and many others are among the number wor- thy of special mention, who belong to the period under consideration. So soon as the way opened, Bishop Way- man started South, with the cry: "I seek my brethren." Genesis xxxvii : 16. Father Jones, who was on the alert, sent for him to come to Cecilton and receive Friendship and her members into the fold of African Methodism. What a day ! A summer day. Early summer. When harvest fields were just becoming gold- en, and fruit trees were rejoicing in antici- pation of crops that would soon be ready for the market. Birds were nesting and making the forest vocal with their sweet songs. The proud grove in front of Friendship was look- ing its best. All nature was ready for the great event. Grove Neck ; Veasey's Neck ; Hackspoint Neck; all the Necks united with Sassafras Neck to prove to the "Bushup" that it was well worth his while to place "Union UNWRITTEN HISTORY 121 Bethel" as the Church was afterwards called, in the calendar of African Methodism. They came, they came ; they were there. Of course, the church would not begin to hold the people. The old regulars were there early and on the inside. Jones', Bacons, Wil- sons, Piners, Kennards, Scotts, Wrights,. Youngs, Govens, Trustys, Freemans, Halls, Siscos, Crawfords, et al. My mother was there ! "Give me a chair," said the Bishop. And, placing it just inside the door, where, stand- ing on it 'he could maintain a commanding view of the multitudes in the grove, as well as those who were packed like sardines in a box on the inside. With sonorous voice he began to read his text: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly," etc. We heard that day about the Godly man, and how he prospered, and the ungodly, and how like chaff he was ultimately blown away. We heard how righteousness exalteth and siti debases. Of the door of opportunity newly opened. What of divine blessings we might expect if we walked uprightly and how surely failure would come if we did not. We looked and listened; we listened and looked. The "little fat man," as he termed himself in his 122 UNWRITTEN HISTORY lecture on the "Galaxy of Bishops," did not look like any of our own men. He wore his hair long and brushed it back without parting it. His skin was as smooth as that of a woman. His face beamed with intelligence. His features were prominent, with nothing of the depression characteristic of slave condi- tions. He was princely in appearance, and may have been a lineal descendant from a royal house in Africa, for he was of unmixed blood. As a speaker he was naturally elo- quent, with an easy style. He could preach three times a day without "soiling" his collar. Upon examination his diary showed that he averaged a sermon a day, year after year. He [was much sought by white 'congregations, especially on camp-meeting occasions. He was conservative in speech and action. Took no prominent part in anti-slavery agitation, nor in reconstruction work. Just worked along evangelistic lines, and at that he seemed never to tire. The vote was taken, the Friendship congre- gation became African Methodist, and subse- quently, with Bohamia Manor and Chesapeake City, became a circuit. It is now a station, with parsonage and hall on the church lot, and UNWRITTEN HISTORY 12J f is among the most pleasant appointments on "the Shore." It now being settled that we had a church which was our very own, a constituent of a. well-organized and growing denomination, en- titled to a "preacher in charge" like they had at the M. E. Church, where we had been sitting in. the gallery, having no part in the services or government, we must apply to the Annual Conference for a minister, and affect an in- ternal organization, with trustees, stewards,, and the whole machinery of a well-ordered church. We would now have our own class leaders, who in addressing us would say brother and sister, according to the prevail- ing custom in the Methodist family. Class leaders, who would visit our homes, and, in times of sorrow, give words of comfort. W 7 e would now have our children baptized, and give them names. Call them "John Wesley," and "Richard Allen," and "Abraham Lincoln" if we wished. Give our daughters and sons in marriage. Recognize the relation of par- ent and child, and grand child, and brother and sister. Hold revival meetings without having white intruders come in and throw packages of red pepper in the stove to set us all cough- ing. Have religious and business meetings 124 UNWRITTEN HISTORY without the presence of a town official to take an account of what was said and done. With such blessings, and privileges, it was now time to set the house in order morally, and spiritually. There were those among us who in morals and religion were absolutely above suspicion. But a good deal of drift wood had floated down from the old condi- tion just coming to a close ; this must be given attention. One of the most prevalent evils of Quarter life was the "Common Law Marriage" which was no marriage at all. All of the free people who cared to do so, could find some one authorized to perform the marriage cere- mony, and, in most cases, it was done. But, in the happy-go-lucky custom that was so prevalent, many just "took up" with each other. In the case of slaves, no marriage would be permissible without the consent of the master ; and as many masters would not object to their slaves living as man and wife without being married, it was not at all an unusual thing for them to do so. With refer- ence to the master giving consent, there was one exception to the rule. When a free man wished to marry a slave woman, it was good policy for the slave holding interests to cori- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 125 sent to it. Of such a union, 'the children would be slave. Besides, the father, being free, could help support the children, and the wife also. It often happened that when a free man chose a slave woman, for a wife, it was that he might either purchase her free- dom, or secure it by "running away" with her. I regret to say that there were some worth- less, heartless ones, who might select a slave woman, because he would not be responsible for the keep of his family. But such a one generally got what he so richly deserved. The wife's master would rope him in, make him work, and give him about what he chose : thus, he would be on a level with those of the other slaves. At all events, the close of the war found many living together without be- ing married. My mother became a self-con- stituted missionary to such, and so soon as our minister came, mother began gathering up all who were irregular in their connubial relations, and arranging with the minister for quiet weddings. The license did not cost much and contracting parties, even to this day, very seldom give the minister much. It was pa- thetic to see old people who had lived for years as man and wife : who had children and grand- children, going to have the marriage ceremony 126 UNWRITTEN HISTORY performed. So long as the neglect was from no fault of theirs, it made no difference to man; and a just God did not hold them mor- ally responsible. But now, according to my mother's theory it was a case of: "Arise and shine for thy light has come." Then again, there was Father Jones, who, even in the pres- ence of death, would not spare those who through carelessness and indifference refused to have the sacred and divine rite of marriage performed. Then there were other kinds of irregular living* by Church members when there was no one to prefer "charges and complaints," and bring the transgressor to book. A man might be a member of the Church, and yet be "stop- ping" with a woman to whom he was not married. Or, in the irregular union, the wo- man might be the Church member. These are cases where even Common law marriage was not claimed. Both parties going for sin- gle. The man just a "star boarder." But, in this general clean up at Friendship, under the new regime, such parties had to choose be- tween getting married, or facing charges for immoral conduct. Under the old condition of things, stealing was not considered a crime sufficient to: "exclude one from the Kingdom UNWRITTEN HISTORY 127 of grace and glory." Elsewhere I have call- ed attention to the fact, that in the moral code of the master, stealing was not a crime on the part of the slave, unless he stole from his master. Of course, it was not very difficult for the slave to add an amendment, and ex- tend the privilege to any barn yard, or hen roost whatsoever. Then, there was the whiskey drinking habit. No slave was taught that drunkenness was a crime, and, at harvest time, the beverage flowed freely, and every body drank, and, "when whiskey is in, wit is out," and vulgarity and profanity may be indulged in alike, by all, Church members and non-Church members There was also what may be called general loose living. A child is born, its father un- known. Another is born, its mother unmar- ried. The responsible man, or, the unfortu- nate mother, or both, might be Church mem- bers. All such things were considered under the new regime. Dear old Friendship now became the Ecclesiastical Court House, as well as the Church. For any of the above named lapses, hitherto unnoticed, a member was lia- ble at any "Quarterly Meeting" to be called to face charges and complaints. 128 UNWRITTEN HISTORY The general course of procedure was, by calling a church meeting. All the accused persons would be duly notified to be on hand. The meeting would be opened by singing and prayer, and then the minister, acting as the chairman, would begin at the head of the list and call case after /case, according to the number to be tried. The accusation would be stated; the accused asked to plead, and make any other statement he wished in his own in- terest. Call for witnesses pro and con ; ask the members of the Church present if they had anything to say, then, entertain a motion which would be put to the congregation. The motion might be: "not guilty"; or, "guilty of indiscretion" and reprimanded, or "set back for three months"; or, guilty, and suspended for six months, or a year, or expelled. If the culprit showed proper "contrition." he stood a good chance to get off with a mild sentence. But if he seemed to show no signs of sorrow and regret, but rather, to show a spirit of defiance, the disposition would be to give him the "full extent of the law," and sometimes it was "unwritten law," with no court of appeals. On one occasion a married man was accused of paying so much attention to a lady other UNWRITTEN HISTORY 129 than his wife, that it was creating a scandal. When the case was called the accused was asked to plead. He stated in a rather in- different manner, that he took the lady in question home one rainy night under his um- brella, but he saw no harm in that. This savored of a direct challenge of the judgment of the Court. "He may not be intentionally guilty of wrong doing" said Uncle Alfred Ba- con. "But he shows no signs of contrition." This exasperated the accused, who, with con- siderable feeling, and with his voice at a high pitch, shouted: "I suppose you want me to cry like Henry Jones did, but I can't cry." Such defiance at such a solemn and critical mo- ment, seemed to have nonplussed the jury; having the same effect as the "boldness of Peter and John." After a few moments of silence, the chairman, Elder Johnson, said: "Brer Chris, we'll let you off this time, but hereafter, you must be more sparing in the use of your umbrella." This was a most excellent example set by the unsophisticated, and really inexperienced members of Friendship. The example is wor- thy of being copied by more pretentious con- gregations : by Churches enjoying greater ad- vantages. So far as I have been able to keep 130 UNWRITTEN HISTORY track of the history of the Church in question since those early days, I have reason to believe that it has in a large measure been influenced by the example set by those who were first in control. As much cannot be said of all the Churches, which, like, Friendship, was emancipated from slavery conditions. Old habits have a way of holding on tenaciously. The aftermath of slavery appeared in many different forms. The lusts of the master class that had for so many years held undisputed sway, was not to be destroyed by the wave of the hand. It was sagacious enough to "stoop to conquer," and virile enough to return after a time with ""seven other spirits more wicked than him- self" and make "the last state of the man worse than the first." I have been advised of several cases where unmarried women were rearing families of mixed blood, whose fathers supported the illegitimate family, as they did their legitimate family at home : furnishing house, marketing and physician. Dr. drove me by such a home in the City of where I saw the innocent and well kept quadroons playing on the lawn. The father being a man of means and 'influence, defied public sentiment, and UNWRITTEN HISTORY 131 held family number one in servile submission. But his influence did not stop there : he would have it understood that his mistress must not be Churched, but rather must be regarded as a leading spirit at the Church to which she belonged, and which he gave her means to liberally support. If he had power enough to enslave his own legitimate family, forcing even the wife into unwilling silence, and be- sides, to so maintain himself in society as ta prevent a general protest, it is not to be won- dered at that the Colored Community, depend- ent, perilous, would also hold its peace. The preachers and teachers of such communities, especially in the rural districts, would be made to understand that their presence there as "ladies and gentlemen" would be tolerated up- on the condition that they knew how to "mind their own business." It is not difficult to see the degrading effect that such public senti- ment would have even upon the Church. With the Church question settled and a minister installed, we must now turn our at- tention to the lamentable educational needs of the freedmen of Cecil County. Cecilton had led off in moral reform, and must now be depended upon to take the lead in opening a public school, even before political matters 132 UNWRITTEN HISTORY were sufficiently readjusted to permit of a public school under the auspices of an Edu- cational Board. The Jane Coppin private school, and the Horace Brown Sunday School had answered their purpose, and had done well, but no time must be lost now in finding a teacher with a certificate, who can teach the grades. Father Jones had a nephew who was named for him, and was everywhere known as "Christopher Jones, Jr." His father died when Tie was but a child. I have often heard him say that the only recollection he had of his father was, that he once took him up in his arms, and sang: "Good news, good news, the Angels brought the tidings down." He must have been quite young when his father died, to have remembered only this one thing about "him. Fortunate it was for him to have come so completely as he did under the control of his wise and distinguished uncle. To this his mother readily and willingly consented, and in rearing the lad, and in every way directing "his course, the uncle was in the place of the father, iand took the same interest in his brother's child that he would have taken had he been his very own. Christopher, Jr., look- ed more like his uncle than he did like his UNWRITTEN HISTORY 133 father; tall and slender like him, though not as tall. In other respects too, he was like him, and principally with respect to his moral and religious character. There was no one to write him up as the "boy who never told a lie." The fact is no one who could write cared a whit whether he lied or told the truth, but all were bound to ac- knowledge in the end, that he was a model for the neighborhood. I once heard Alfred Hercy Price say of him : "There is no man in the county more respected than Christopher Jones. Alfred Hercy Price was a Cecilton merchant ; was about the age of Christopher, and knew him from his childhood. His lot was to knock around on the farms among the slaves and free boys of his day. He, taking the condition of his mother, was free. His widowed mother morally strong, industrious, economical, and herself under the guidance of her wonderful brother-in-law, kept a home, however humble, where the lad could come on Sundays, and holidays and re- ceive the impressions that were destined to counter act the impressions of the daily en- vironments and lay the foundation for his fu- ture life. He had to become a bread earner quite early in life, and was subject to the 134 UNWRITTEN HISTORY rough usage that is the common lot of the farm boy: or, that was in those days. His uncle impressed him with the idea of being honest, industrious and economical.. That he showed care for his health, his morals, and his mother. These instructions were not bestowed upon him in vain. He united with the Church when but a lad, and found an open door of useful activities for one of his bent, first as a class leader, and then as a local preacher. The older people were quick to see in him the unusual, and were not only anxious to encourage him in his aspirations, but were glad to have his services. He became the class leader of "Uncle" Abe Kennard, the hardest man in the church to please. Uncle Abe had such high opinion of him as a Christian, that he thought him quite incapable of moral de- linquency. Others shared the same opinion, and the beauty of the whole thing was, they were correct. He soon learned to save money like his uncle, though he was not destined to follow the same course in life. He was to live in a differ- ent day, when other paths would be open to him. He saved some money before the close of the war, and decided to go away from home and attend school. The Nation was so busily UNWRITTEN HISTORY 135 engaged in war between the North and South, that there was but little time to watch the Negroes and see that those in Maryland did not cross over the Delaware. And besides, it did not seem worth while to go to the trouble and expense to place the additional guards that would now be necessary for the events of the war early pointed to Emancipa- tion. So, with the course open, Young Jones found his way to Wilmington, Del., and enter- ed the private school of one Frisby John Cooper, who afterwards became a leading minister in the A. M. E. Church, preaching in the New Jersey and New England Confer- ences. Young Jones was the first lad of our neigh- borhood to attend school away from home. By the time the war closed, Cecilton, under reconstruction, was planning to actually open a day school in dear old Friendship. Christopher Jones, Jr., was "Charlie on the spot/' back from a few terms of study, and ready to take the lead in the new enterprise. The few hundred dollars saved at hard work had been spent in a way to bring compound interest in more ways than one. He was to be the immediate successor of his uncle, who liad guided the dependent multitudes through 136 UNWRITTEN HISTORY the darkness of the night, principally by faith,, but who with the new requirements of the opening day, must hand the work over to an- other. And what could have brought more joy to his heart than to see his nephew, bear- ing his name, and fresh from his fostering care, leading to higher heights the people who for years he had carried upon his soul, and had many a time said: "O Lord how long," as he earnestly prayed that a better and brighter day would dawn. When the time came, Father Jones was in full possession of all his faculties. He could sing and shout and pray and rejoice with others as the glory of the new freedom broke upon them : and what a time of rejoicing it was ! Events began to follow each other with great rapidity. 1865 The Horace Brown Sunday School,, with day-school studies ; the fall of Richmond ; the coming of Bishop Wayman ; the organiza- tion of an African Methodist Episcopal Church. 1866 The coming of a minister in charge ; the attempt of the M. E. Church to hold our property; the decision of the court in our favor; the coming of Miss Sarah Christmas,, UNWRITTEN HISTORY 137 our first teacher in a regular day school, and our first certificated teacher. Our new leader. Christopher Jones, Jr., was instrumental in bringing about this glorious accomplishment. The school was opened in January ; January and February were the months of comparative leisure among farmers. The first of March was the date when hired men for the most part began the season's work. Now, all were free and all would be hired men. There would be a general rush to school, not only by boys and girls, but men and women above school age ; of the latter, principally men. Such spelling, and reading, and writing, and ciphering ! ! The "First Class" was ready. The Jane Coppin private school, and the Horace Brown Sunday School had made this possible. This was a most interesting school. It was in- tensely "graded." From A, B, Cs to the first lessons in Smith's Grammar, and the advanced class in Green's Arithmetic. Those who came, came with hunger and thirst, and applied themselves. In many instances the advance- ment was most remarkable. The fact is, Miss Christmas, by her own confession, afterwards had to study day and night to keep ahead of 138 UNWRITTEN HISTORY her First Class, which, by the way, was sub- divided until it contained but two persons, Christopher Jones, Jr., and another one, both of whom succeeded Miss Christmas as teach- ers principal and assistant for she, after a few terms, found a position that paid her a better salary, and with pupils in higher grades. Let it be said to the credit of Maryland, with all her faults, and she has many, that she was among the first among states to establish a public-school system alike for colored and white, paying the teachers the same salaries according to grade. To-day, the City of Bal- timore, the Metropolitan City of the South, is, in her school work among the colored youth, abreast of the large cities of the North and West, except, the schools are not mixed even in the higher grades, and perhaps may not be for some time to come, unless the present World War succeeds in establishing true de- mocracy. The public school is the proper place for democracy to begin. Children play- ing on the streets and in the parks ; newsboys selling papers, lunching and hobnobbing to- gether think nothing and care nothing about "color" until it is injected by the satanic spirit of color prejudice by older persons. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 139 My conversion preceded the day school by a year, having occurred in the fall of 1865. It was conversion, genuinely so. A new birth, according to Scripture; according to nature, reason, necessity. "Ye must be born again." These words are true. As the world swings away from this truth, it swings to- ward rocks and breakers. "Hiding rocks and treacherous shoals." Perhaps the world is finding this out. In most sermons, and public speeches of a more serious kind, some men- tion is made of the fact that unrighteousness is the real cause of the bloody conflict in which the world is engaged. Our boasted civilization, with its magic, not to say miracu- lous advance in the arts and sciences, has reached its height by engaging in a competi- tive conflict among the nations stronger and higher up, as to which can invent the most deadly weapons, and use them most effectively in the destruction of human life. The con- tinuance of this could but result in the de- struction of the human race. It is already be- ing said that the war can only be won by man power. With the death-dealing weapons of gigantic killing power that all are using who are engaged in the conflict, it is easy to de- cide that those who can produce the largest 140 UNWRITTEN HISTORY number of men for slaughter, can remain longest on the field of battle. Is there anything higher and better than this in civilization? Yes, verily, in Christian civilization. The world has seen great revivals of re- ligion, and it has seen great wars. The one meant life, and more abundantly; the other meant death, with increasing barbarity. If the conflict is not sufficient to teach the folly of trusting in human wisdom and invention, to the exclusion of Divine wisdom and guidance, then may we wonder that further chastise- ment will be necessary to bring back to God His prodigal world. Saint Paul seemed never to tire referring to his conversion. "At mid-day, O, King, a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun." That is the brief record of what act- ually happened. That light "from heaven" blinded his natural eyes, but most unmistak- ably cleared his spiritual vision and under- standing, so that, he never again "conferred with flesh and blood." It is not given to all men who are converted, to have such a sud- den and marvelous physical demonstration of a spiritual change, but the "light from heaven" is quite real to every truly awakened soul; UNWRITTEN HISTORY 14! and they are legion who bear testimony, not alone in words, but more so in their lives, to- the reality of the spiritual birth. My conversion in the days of my youth was the first satisfying evidence to an anxious mother, that she had not hoped and prayed in vain: that "Santa Claus" had not mocked her. The fact that the Christmas baby, the very youngest member of the "first class" stood by odds, and without challenge at its head, was sufficient to cause a mother of prayer and faith to treasure in her heart, and regard with full value those intellectual signs of promise. But even precocity itself is not a sufficient evi- dence that the ruling passion will be spiritual.. My conversion made me available for serv- ice in the church as well as in the school room. So soon as I finished my "six months on probation" I was elected superintendent of the Sunday school, and with this responsibility began my study of the Scriptures in earnest. I always had a desire to do well whatever I undertook, even if it was ploughing a field or marking out corn rows. I had the reputation of running rows so straight that the most critical examination could not discover a crook in them. 142 UNWRITTEN HISTORY But at last there had come to me a responsi- bility that I was far from being equal to. But it was a blessing in disguise. It compelled study, research, prayer, and constant applica- tion to the things in the line of particular duty. "Where there is a will there is a way," says the old adage, which experience has more or less verified. The International system of lessons was not then in vogue. There were no topics, titles, outlines, golden texts, reference words and Scriptural references to guide and assist the student and teacher. There was no such thing as "Primary Department" and graded classes further along. It was just the cold, hard, "dry" study of the Bible. There were no les- son helps and teachers' meetings. Perhaps it was well enough for us to begin that way. We committed to memory a great deal of Scrip- ture, jand such a course is of inestimable value to the Bible student. The ability to quote the Scriptures correctly is of great ad- vantage to the preacher and Sunday-school teacher and it is to be feared that the easier methods of "lesson helps" and commentaries have "helped" to the detriment of individual growth. This is not to pronounce against helps to the study of the Scriptures, but care UNWRITTEN HISTORY 143 should be taken, that they do not largely take the place of the Scriptures. But, with all the handicap, and conscious inability, it was a great thing for a lad to actually be the accred- ited superintendent of Sunday school at Friendship, at this glorious period, when old things had passed away and all things had become new. At a period when leadership was decisive and unquestionable. When to have the confidence of the community was to have its unstinted support. Two ministers came to us as supplies, namely, I. J. Pindle and Stephen P. Bayard, but the first regular preacher to come and re- main was Willian H. Hopkins. He was a man of irreproachable character, and easily in the lead of his people intellectually. In fact, he was a most remarkable man for his day. He was born at Easton, on the famous Eastern Shore of Maryland, and is one of the many bright lights who is but little known in his- tory. He was of unmixed African blood, with hair perfectly white, and a face that would suggest a man much younger then he evident- ly was. His step was quick and firm, and he could make the round of his circuit on foot, a distance of fourteen miles, without showing signs of fatigue. He had a clear, ringing 144 UNWRITTEN HISTORY voice, and was above the average as a preach- er. He had a high opinion of himself as a man and a gentleman, and never showed the cring- ing spirit in any presence. He was evidently one of the free born men whose spirit had never been broken by the cruel lash of the slave driver. He had lofty ideals, and delight- ed to bring to his work the most represen- tative men of the day. This was very for- tunate for the church he served at the time of his administration. The people of Cecilton had never seen an educated colored man, technically speaking, nor had they ever seen white men who believed in their educational advancement. If there were any such per- sons around they did not in the face of pre- vailing public sentiment, express an opinion loud enough to be heard. Reverend Hopkins planned to bring in cer- tain men whom he hoped would convince the young people that a bright future was pos- sible for them, and that it was well worth while to strive for it. The first one to come upon the scene to in- struct and inspire, was the Rev. James F. Sis- son, a New England Yankee, of unmixed Cau- casion blood. He was a regularly ordained traveling preacher in the A. M. E. Church. A UNWRITTEN HISTORY 145 standing and outspoken protest against color prejudice and proscription in any and every form. He could say "brother" and "sister" and mean it. He was cultured, refined and an earnest, untiring worker. His field of operation had been entirely in the East, where the voice of the abolitionist was accustomed to ring out, even when there was a plenty of opposition to it. Where Gar- rison and Philips, and Greeley, and Thaddeus Stevens, Lucretia Mott, William H. Furness, Robert Purvis, Frederick Douglass and such immortal souls had made it safe for an honest man to honestly express an honest opinion. Reverend Hopkins wished that his parishion- ers might hear some of that free and whole- some speech that would incline them to straighten up, and feel like men. And so, upon a day appointed, Brother Sisson made his ap- pearance in Friendship. He preached at the morning service and was announced to ad- dress the children and young people especially in the afternoon. By some means, I know not how, it became known in town that a "white man was at the 'nigger' church calling the 'niggers' brother and sister." 146 UNWRITTEN HISTORY Promptly at the appointed afternoon hour Reverend Sisson was at his post; but, as promptly, stationed at one of the side win- dows, was a number of the lowest, meanest, and most ignorant whites that the town af- forded. They were there to hear for them- selves what was said, and to prove that though Richmond had fallen, and Lee had surrender- ed, every nook and corner of the United States had not been brought into immediate sub- jection, and that Cecilton was one of the places not subdued. Reverend Sisson, nothing daunted by their presence, began his address. He referred briefly to the origin of the A. M. E. Church, and stated that it was its purpose and mission to demonstrate to the world that the colored man was susceptible of the same development, morally, intellectually and otherwise, that any other race variety was. "That's a lie," promptly rang out from the leader of the mob. The speaker, paying no attention to the in- sult, and interruption, continued to speak of the Church, its progress under the most seri- ous difficulties. Its Book Concern in Phila- delphia ; its weekly periodical, the Christian Recorder ; its Wilberforce College in Ohio, re- cently acquired, and its eight full-fledged UNWRITTEN HISTORY 147 Bishops, namely, Bishops Allen, Morris, Brown, Waters, Quinn, Nazrey, Payne, Way- man and Campbell. This was indeed a flood of light thrown upon a question concerning which every one present knew but little or nothing except the speaker himself and the minister in charge; and it was more than the outside mob could consent to listen to longer. The disturbance that followed broke up the meeting complete- ly, and it was with much difficulty that Rev. erend Sisson was rushed to a place of safety, while the frightened congregation scattered in different directions. No one was seriously hurt thanks to good fortune, and poor leader- ship by the mob. In a round-about way, Reverend Sisson was piloted away from the place and sent to Chesapeake City, thence to Baltimore, where he made complaint at the Freedmen's Bureau. Nothing came of the case, however, except the mob never troubled any one else who came among us, and this was a warning to our peo- ple to prepare for self-protection, which some were quick to do, while others, fearful of a re- currence, absented themselves for a time from public gatherings. 148 UNWRITTEN HISTORY The next person of distinction to visit us was Mr. George C Cook, of Baltimore, a lec- turer, who represented a newspaper called The True Communicator. It was published at Douglass Institute, No. 11 Lexington Street, Baltimore, Md. His coming was heralded as the coming of an educated colored man, and the first of his class to visit Cecilton. We were all somewhat shy of him, but some one must come forward, shoulder the cross, and play the host for our distinguished visitor. He stopped at my father's house, and I was mother's "best man" to do the entertaining. I can remember but one idea advanced by him, and that was concerning the literature of Greece. But whether we understood him well or not, or remembered much or little of what he said, we felt pleased to have a Negro scholar among us, and many of us subscribed to his paper. It was something quite new to see us crowd into the little post office on Sat- urdays, after "Mr. Slaughter" had come with the mail, getting into line with others and march up to the window for our weekly paper. During all the years of the past but one paper came to that town for a colored man, namely Father Jones, and that came in the name of Samuel Hays, the school teacher. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 149 Another distinguished visitor to Cecilton was Rev. W. D. W. Schureman, the most popular preacher of his day and generation in our Church. Reverend Hopkins was deter- mined that we should from time to time get to see a fair sample of what the race and Church had produced, and thereby strengthen our confidence in the race, and increase our love for the Church. We had been shut up all our lives in our narrow little neck, and all else was measured by it. With us, the richest man was "the richest man in Sassafras Neck." The fastest horse was "the fastest horse in Sassa- fras Neck." When the "bully" could "lick any man," it was "any man in Sassafras Neck." What a wonderful Neck, ours ! The nearest railroad was nine miles away, at Middletown,. Del., and the nearest city was Wilmington,. Del., thirty miles away. It would be some time before we could pick ourselves up and visit the great world on the outside ; and so, the Hopkins plan was to, little by little, bring the world to us. A man, connected with a large family of aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., got married, left his home and settled down esle- where. News came one day that he had died and would be buried at his new home. All the relatives, near and distant, wished very much 150 UNWRITTEN HISTORY to look once more into his face. But it would cost considerable for any one to go, and much more for all to go. So some one suggested the idea of bringing the corpse back home, and let all get a look, then send it on for burial. All arrangements were made for .the preacher to come, and a stand was erected in front of the church, out in the grove. It was summer time, with nature at her best, and the weather man in his happiest mood. Through the tall oak trees of the grove a gentle wind passed; just enough to fan the leaves to sufficient motion to cause one to "hear the sound there- of." The sun might do his best at high noon, but those old sentinels stood as umbrellas to af- ford shade for the multitudes below. Sassa- fras Neck was again the proud host of all the Necks below. James Ferrel was early on hand, ready and willing to tell the time .to any one, for this gave him a chance to exhibit his last acquisi- tion in the way of a timekeeper, and explain what make it was. "Mose" Cain, "once in grace, and always out," could be depended upon to be present on such an occasion. Of course, all the old regulars were there, and on time, to witness all that took place, and take a real spiritual part in all the preliminary UNWRITTEN HISTORY 151 services, and to have a comfortable place from which to listen to the preaching. "And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass, mingled with fire," exclaimed the preacher. Revelation 15:2. "Look away to yonder mountain : a stream of water silently wends its way down the rug- ged slope until it reaches the vale below. Then taking its course through the valley, it widens and deepens as it goes rushing toward the sea." Then, with figurative language quite worthy of the book from which he took his text, the great preacher held his audience spellbound, having them as completely at his command as had the wind the leaves of the trees above us. For a long time after that, at any fireside could be heard some mention of "Schormon," and "the sea of glass all mingled with fire." It was not unusual to hear men take their text from the Revelation, and create an ex- pectation for something mysterious and un- usual. But, as a rule, the mystery did not go beyond the reading of the text, and one could often hear the remark: "He didn't do nothin* with it." Not so with "Schormon." It seemed that every one went away satisfied that he had abundantly sustained the reputation given him 152 UNWRITTEN HISTORY by Pastor Hopkins. It was "a day long to be remembered." There were many whites around, but they were as completely under the spell of the magic orator as were the simple- Tiearted colored auditors. "Where did he come from" was the prevalent question. To this Pastor Hopkins, with a twinkle of the eye, and a cunning smile all his own, would reply: "We have a plenty more like him." One of the things connected with the his- tory of our people, not generally known or considered, and what seems mysterious even to those who consider it is the fact that in 1866, one year after the Surrender, the A. M. E. Church was fifty years old in its organic form, and seventy-nine years old counting from the date, 1787, when the revolt against segregation at St. George took place. Just how this handful of people, without social, political and civil prestige ; poor and unlearn- ed, and hemmed in from every side by slavery, and the spirit and influence of slavery, could organize and maintain itself so long and so well, is, indeed, a mystery. One would not imagine, until his attention is called to the fact, that at the dawn of freedom, there was a regularly organized religious denomination; with Bishops, a Book Repository, a weekly UNWRITTEN HISTORY 153 newspaper, hymn book and discipline and a church school. With seven annual conferences operating in different states, as follows: the New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. The Twelfth General Conference met in Philadelphia birthplace of the Church in 1864, and the table of statistics, as printed in the minutes, shows the following: Members and probationers, 50,000; traveling preachers,. 500; local preachers, 2000; property valued at $2,000,000; number of churches, 1600; a num- ber of schoolhouses and one University, namely, Wilberforce, at near Xenia, Ohio. Another fact not generally known, and one that the Denomination should ever have full credit for, is, that from the very beginning, there was no discrimination in membership, on account of color: and, from the very be- ginning there were whi^e persons connected in some way with the Church members, min- isters, professors. This, I think, was largely due to Bishop D. A. Payne, whose influence had much to do with shaping the policy of the Church. He bitterly opposed any tendency to- re] ect, or make it unpleasant for persons of other race varieties who came among us. He denounced it as being unchristian, and just as. 154 UNWRITTEN HISTORY sinful for colored persons to discriminate against Whites, as for whites to discriminate against colored. Many of our people, feeling the sting of discrimination, stood icady to make it uncomfortable for any whue person attending our services. But this spirit would be promptly rebuked by the leaders, and in every way discouraged, as it deserved to have been. On account of the strong abolition spirit prevalent at the time the Church was organ- ized, there were many who had conscientious scruples about receiving the Holy Communion in a Church that rejected the Brotherhood. The sentiment against so-called "social equal- ity" kept many from taking an independent .stand, and also accounts for many who were skeptical, and avoided the church altogether. But there were some, who, in the face of os- tracism, satisfied their consciences and united with the Church, whose doors were open to -all. This accounts for James F. Sisson in our minisitry in the early sixties, and for a large number who followed his example. To be sure, the proportion is small compared with the en- tire membership ; it is only one here and there. But the principle remains the same. They can join if they wish, and it may be that when the UNWRITTEN HISTORY 155 Christian Church becomes Christianized, color will be relegated and Christ exalted. Following the Surrender, a number of cele- brations were held in the big grove. These were intended to celebrate the great event, the Emancipation. Our Sunday school super- intendent, now a recognized leader among the young people, was the promoter of these gath- erings. It was upon such an occasion that a brass band was first heard in Cecilton. The services of the Mount Vernon Cornet Band of Wilmington, Del., of which James A. Har- ding was leader, were secured. The author of "Sherman's March Through Georgia" sings of how the turkeys gobbled when they heard the music sound. I think such a characteri- zation would be quite applicable in describing the impression made upon man, and beast, and fowls, when, one morning, the quiet of Cecil- ton was disturbed for the first time by a real brass band, with uniformed men, playing upon the various pieces that compose a full band. Cecilton is but a cross-roads. So the band, starting at the grove, would approach the town from the south, and proceed north as far as the stately residence of "Dr. Roberts," our dear old Dr. Roberts! We thought we could 156 UNWRITTEN HISTORY not get well of a spell of sickness until we had taken a few of his big, brown, bitter pills. The procession would then counter-march to the center of the town, right at the cross- roads, and turning east, around the Cruik- shank store, proceed as far as Back Street gate. Returning, go west to Sanders Town, then, south on a bee-line to the stand in front of the church. No one among us could pass upon the merits or demerits of the music. No one could detect a discord if any were made. It sounded mighty good to us, and as far as the winds wafted it to distant fields, men, women and children would hasten to town to witness the great event. Peter S. Blake, afterwards one of my music teachers, played in the band. On one of these occasions the orator was Frisby John Cooper. Of course his services had been secured through the efforts of his pupil, Christopher Jones, Jr. He was anxious for Cecilton to see and hear the man who had first directed him in a literary pursuit, and the speaker was evidently as anxious to see the home of the tall young countryman who had, even while the war was yet in progress, come to him from the country of Frederick Douglass, seeking knowledge. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 157 Reverend Cooper was a precise, deliberate speaker. With ringing accent he would stand out every vowel, and never neglect the final consonant. He stood about five feet ten. Head bald and shining through the middle. Face ebony black. Teeth like rows of ivory. A piercing eye, and his face wearing a smile of confidence. He "knew his piece" and could speak it. He used only notes, and looking his auditors squarely in -the eye, would tf airly charm them. His magnetic face would se- cure for him attention, and his arguments were always convincing. Upon another celebration occasion we had, as orator of the day, exactly the counterpart of Frisby J. Cooper, namely, William Howard Day, the matchless orator, who never used a scrap of paper, not even to verify historical facts and dates ; he, himself, being a veritable cyclopaedia of facts. He was a mulatto ; tall, slender, agile. In style, very much like James G. Elaine. His hair, as black as a coal, fell in ringlets upon his shoulders. In grace of move- ment, a veritable Chesterfield. As I remem- ber it now, he was an Oberlin man. This was the first American college of note to accept colored students. Well, Howard Day "gained the day" that day. We had moved 158 UNWRITTEN HISTORY the speaker's stand from its accustomed place in front of Friendship, back of the grove, to a spot in front of the grove, not far from the "Brick Church." This, I think was partly a bid for the white population and partly a sug- gestion that we were no longer obliged to stay behind the wood, neither to hide our ig- norance, nor to avoid friction. The old Sis- son riot had become a thing of the past, and all the men who came to speak for and repre- sent the race were either unmistakably "Col- ored," like Wayman and Cooper, or who like Howard Day, were classed as such. Those celebrations accomplished two or three worthy objects; they brought to one of the dark corners of the earth men who repre- sented the higher and better element of our people, a much-needed lesson for both colored and white to learn. Then, it brought harmoniously together the "two races," and led to a better understanding. When Howard Day finished his speech, I went to Dr. Harry Cruikshank, who had been an attentive listener through the whole of the service, and said: "How do you like him." I was not quite prepared for the answer. Had not thought of it in that light. The doctor UNWRITTEN HISTORY 159 said : "He is very fine, but he is not a fair rep- resentative of the colored people." Another thing accomplished by those cele- brations was, we collected money with which to build our new church. Our people just from slavery, had not much to give, and must needs be trained to give liberally of what little they had. Christopher Jones, ST., led off with a subscription of twenty-five dollars, a "mon- strous" large sum to us. Christopher Jones, Jr., and James Martemore Chancy "Mart Chancy" followed with a like amount. But all the rest came in much smaller amounts. Wages were low. When James C. White, superintendent of the Reybold's Island for- merly Knight's Island peach farm, an- nounced that he would give "five levies a day" sixty-two and one-half cents, for pick- ing peaches, men and women alike rushed to the orchard farm "down the Island" to share the "big wages !" I am advised now that, Au- gust, 1918, Cecil County farmers are offering from two dollars to two-fifty per day for farm laborers, and that it is difficult to se- cure enough even at those figures. "Father Jones," about whom much has been said and about whom too much cannot be said, had quite a lot of wood corded up in "Price's 160 UNWRITTEN HISTORY Woods," near Cecilton, when the recruiting officers came there. He had always "worked the rabbit foot" on the white folks and got on with them. When some ignorant and jealous Negro would brand him as being an "ole dim- mecrat," he never took the trouble to explain. So, when the soldiers at the recruiting office, under Lieutenant Brown, got short of wood, they helped themselves from the cords of the "Negro Democrat." He made no protest, and no explanation. I imagine he rather rejoiced that he was for- tunate enough to have wood to keep the sol- diers warm, and cook the food of the men who had come to help open the door for freedom. On March 5, 1869, President U. S. Grant appointed John A. J. Creswell, of Port De- posit, Md., Postmaster General. This was Father Jones* opportunity. He had patiently waited for six years, saying nothing about the loss of his wood. Now, a Marylander is in the Cabinet, and through him Father Jones made an appeal for damages, which he recovered. I do not know the amount he recovered, but he doubtless "received his own with usury." It was to him a sore trial to go day by day and year by year under the implication, and sometimes under the definite charge that politi- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 161 cally he held with the slave-holding class, as against the best interests of his people, that he might himself be materially benefitted. He had stood for years as the very embodiment of hon- or, in all that an honorable life can stand for. No person, colored or white, had ever question- ed his right to this rare distinction. But this very fact now made his position among the people a peculiar one. His own people expect- ed him to feel and act in their interest to the fullest extent that it was possible for him to do so; while the master class felt that he could be depended upon to say nothing and do nothing that could be at all interpreted as being insur- rectional. He had actually refused to learn to write lest he might be accused of writing "passes" for slaves. On the other hand, the slaves, bearing their heavy burdens, expected him to sympathize with them, and stand ready, at any time to help them if it were possible to do so. But he could be of the greatest serv- ice to them by standing aloof from all matters of controversy between the abolitionists and the pro-slavery people. He had no vote, and therefore was not forced to show his hand at the polls. When the war broke out, however, much he was in sympathy with the Union forces and the cause of freedom, it was not the 162 UNWRITTEN HISTORY time to speak out. When the recruiting of- ficers came enlisting colored men for the serv- ice, it was thought by many that he should then declare himself; hob-nob about the re- cruiting office, and assist in getting men to en- list. But he felt differently and still stood aloof. It was then that some one whispered to Lieutenant Brown and his men that Cecil- ton enjoyed the novelty of having a Negro Democrat. That he could possess his soul in patience .under circumstances most trying was one of the best evidences of his ability to be a true leader among his people. But the time came at last when he could speak out, and speak out he did. He left no room for doubt -as to what had been his true attitude during all the long years of the past. He could then explain why he took the position of a neutral. Then every one could see the wisdom of his course. There was one man among the whites who ivas always regarded as being in sympathy with the abolition cause, namely, Thomas Jones, whose farm was adjoining the village of Cecilton, and strange to say, he was him- self a slave-holder on a small scale, the size of which made no difference in its moral as- pect. The first celebration and parade of the UNWRITTEN HISTORY 163 colored people after the surrender proceeded to his home. There were a few other Repub- licans in the village, but none of them were aggressive. Some of them secretly aided in Underground Railroad work: Isaac Slaughter, for instance, the mail-stage driver. The next minister appointed to Friendship was Rev. William M. Johnson. Bishop Way- man, who had a habit of nick-naming, called him "Greenland Johnson." He came to us from, the New York Conference. He was not the equal in scholarship of Pastor Hopkins, but, like him, he was progressive, and unlike him>. could gather about him the young people, in- spire them with confidence in themselves, and set them at work along new lines. I always had a natural gift for "pitching tunes," and singing; a sort of maternal in- heritance. After uniting with the church, the older people soon learned to depend upon me to direct the singing. They had much trouble with the metres, and with pitch. Once started,, off they could go on all right, but the trouble was getting started. To me it was quite nat- ural, even before I took any lessons in vocal music. I would pitch the common, long and short metres in familiar tunes, and actually originate tunes for some of the so-called par- 164 UNWRITTEN HISTORY ticular metres. But I was conscious all the time that these home-made tunes were but makeshifts, and I only awaited an opporunity to take up the study of vocal music, and pre- pare myself to do scientifically and correctly the work that I was forced to do by guess. The first music book that I remember ever to have seen with lines and spaces, and dots and stems, and sharps and flats, and naturals, and the usual distribution of musical terms, in- dicating movement, regulation of the voice, and the like, was indeed a mystery to me. The notes, scattered all about over the lines and spaces, and above and below, seemed unintel- ligible. But there came to Cecilton a music teacher, Quimby by name, and opened a sing- ing school for the white people. I stole along- side of the school house where I could see them, being in the light, and at the same time, being myself outside in the darkness, would not be observed. All I could hear was do, do ; re, re ; mi, mi ; fa, fa, etc. At the end of an exercise Professor Quimby came to some girls who sat near the window into which I was clandestinely peeping, and said they had not made certain notes correctly, and, first going over them himself he had them to follow. His explanation to them was magical to me. It UNWRITTEN HISTORY 165 seemed perfectly clear, then, that however they looked to me, those notes were methodi- cally placed on those lines and spaces and could be learned. I went away from that win- dow with an inspiration, and a resolve, act- ing upon which I never ceased my efforts until I stood Quimby like, directing a chorus made up of our young people, who, with books in hand, were singing by note. The old people were not anxious to see radi- cal innovations introduced in religious wor- ship. Some of them doubtless would not hesi- tate to adopt the sentiments expressed in the lines : ''They've got a chorister and choir Against my voice and vote; For it was never my desire To serve the Lord by note." But old Greenland was on hand to tell the young people to go ahead, and what was more, to go with them. He seemed to have hap- pened there for such a time. Uncle Abe Kennard would characterize as: "hifallutin grammer," anything interjected in worship that was outside of the ordinary, and Uncle James Sisco stood ready to lambaste any member of his class who was reported as 166 UNWRITTEN HISTORY becoming too worldly. But Pastor Johnson was on hand to. see to it that no reactionary threw any stumbling blocks in the way of his progressive young set, so long as "L. J." was leading them. After years had passed, and his "L. J." was pastor of Bethel Church, Bal- timore, he seemed to take especial pride in. saying: "I found that boy in the bushes, but look at him now." All credit and all honor to "Pap Johnson" as we boys called him, for giving the needed word of encouragement at the right time. All credit and all honor to Uncle James and Uncle Abe for timely coun- sel at the period of our religious career when it was most needed. All credit and all honor to Pastor Hopkins, who set himself the task of bringing among us men to create confidence and to inspire with hope. There were a few of the older people who were quite prepared for the new conditions. They were veritable progressives. They stood all right on the fundamentals. They believed in "sound con- version," and upright living, but they were not afraid to put "new wine in new bottles." They had been deprived of literary training, of which they were conscious, but they had a high degree' of intelligence and rejoiced that they had lived to see the day when their chil- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 167 a mother of a large family, UNWRITTEN HISTORY 183 she could be counted on to be present at vari- ous committee or club meetings, held in the interest of the general work. One of the things very much needed to make those meet- ings of sufficient interest and attraction to guarantee a good attendance of young people was to have singing, accompanied by the or- gan. But it happened so often there was no one present who could play, so Mrs. Gow de- termined to learn to play, that the difficulty might be removed. And she did. It required patience and severe application of the few hours that she could snatch each week from domestic duties, to practice on the organ. Bishop Daniel A. Payne tells of how he ac- quired French outside of the school house.. The fact is, the most he learned was outside of the school house. His biographer cites him as teaching a "High School" before he entered school at Gettysburg, the only regularly estab- lished school in which he ever studied. But men of recognized scholarship deemed it a privilege in after years to sit at his feet and learn wisdom, and the foremost educators of his day, men at the head of America's leading colleges and universities would refer to him as an "educator" on a plane with themselves, while Wilberforce University, the school that 184 UNWRITTEN HISTORY he established, and whose first president he was, has a name and a place among American institutions of learning. Ex-President William McKinley and Fred- erick Douglass stood on the same platform together and received the degree of LL.D. at Wilberforce, and both seemed to appreciate highly the honor bestowed. But the men whom I have named as illus- trations of self-made men, such as Lincoln, Douglass, Payne, are all historic characters, and rated as being among the most illustrious of their times and they were contemporary but there are many others, practically un- known and unheralded who. on account of their acquirements and accomplishments; who on account of their influence upon society, have been as great beneficiaries to mankind as those whose fame took on national propor- tions. Their names are legion, for they are many. They are women and they are men, self-made but, splendidly made. Their school was the wide world, their books were men and things, and everything. Hugh Miller, the noted Scotch geologist, in his "Schools and Schoolmasters" autobiog- raphy begins the narration with a story of a stout little boy in his sixth or seventh year, UNWRITTEN HISTORY 185 who was dispatched from an old-fashioned farm-house to drown a litter of puppies in an adjacent pond; who, after wasting some time in a paroxysm of indecision and sorrow, instead of committing the puppies to the water, tucked them up in his little kilt and set out by a blind pathway in a direction opposite to that of the farm-house. When he reached the home of his poor and widowed mother, she met him with raised hands, exclaiming: "What's this? What brings you here?" "The little doggies," was the prompt reply. "I couldna drown the little doggies." This is the index of character. The first examination in the big school. The boy made high marks, and began a career, with a bunch of puppies, which though an apparently trivial incident, "exercised a marked influence on the circum- stances and destiny of at least two genera- tions, higher in the scales than themselves." It it wonderful just how small things often entirely unnoticed, entering into one's life, contribute so much towards shaping one's destiny. "A little pebble in the river Has often turned its course forever.' I met Mr. Douglass toward the end of his. 186 UNWRITTEN HISTORY illustrious career. Heard him speak. What a speaker ! I printed in the A. M. E. Review, while editor of that periodical, several articles by Mr. Douglass. Got to know him person- ally. He would reply to my letters as prompt- ly and courteously, and give me a hearing as readily as he would a man of national fame- like himself. With tender voice, he had a word of encouragement for any young man, or woman, who seemed to hold the right ideas about life, and was striving to make some- thing of himself. He seemed entirely incap- able of manifesting a spirit of arrogance and pride so often found in persons of less ability, and with nothing of noble achievement to boast of. He was the first of his race variety in America to become a national and interna- tional character, and he completed a long and useful career "without the smell of fire on his garments." I knew Bishop Payne much better. Indeed, I knew him personally, and intimately, and owe him more, and reverence him more than any other man except my own dear father. But there are others who, entering into, in- fluenced my life for good to a very great extent. Not being widely known outside of their homes, they are not known to the UNWRITTEN HISTORY 187 world. But their lives and deeds constitute some of the brightest and most interesting pages of unwritten history. It is indeed a question whether men live longest and best in their own personal lives, or in the lives of those influenced by them. Perhaps it is in the lives of others, for, many may be started off on careers that are sure to accomplish more than any single life could. The period of 1869-1877 was full of inci- dents, and decided my future course. These years were spent in the city of Wilmigton,. Del. Wilmington, in New Castle County, is the chief city in the Diamond State, Delaware. Delaware is a border state. The famous Ma- son and Dixon's Line divides between Dela- ware and Maryland, and Pennsylvania and Maryland. Delaware was influenced by southern senti- ment, and like Maryland, held slaves before the war. Adjacent to Pennsylvania, and being a small state, with but three counties, it has been suggested that it would be a good thing,, politically, if Delaware State were a county in Pennsylvania. But the Claytons, Saulsburys, DuPonts and like celebrities would never agree to any such "demotion" for their proud little state, that even now, more than a half 188 UNWRITTEN HISTORY century after Emancipation, still retains the pillory and whipping post, though it is fair to say, that in this year of our Lord, 1919, a bill has been offered in the Legislature at Dover to have these relics of barbarism removed. I am advised that the bill failed to pass. Since 1865, the year of the "surrender," and the beginning of great revolutions and changes in American politics, Delaware has been a "close" state, falling now into the hands of the Republicans, and now back into the Dem- ocratic column. Wilmington had some colored men "of mark," who knew "Thomie Garrett," the Tat- nels and other "Quakers" who were active in Underground Railroad service. Men, who, like Paul, were "free born." They were ready when Emancipation came, and the amend- ments to the Constitution followed, to organ- ize the "freedman," instruct and coach him, and place him securely into the Republican fold. My adventure into Delaware was just at a time that offered the opportunity to meet and mingle with those men, in the prime and strength of their lives, and when there were burning questions both as to church and state to be considered.. UNWRITTEN HISTORY 189 Daniel P. Hamilton, Daniel B. Anderson. David Augustus, Abraham (Murray, William Grinnage and John Layton were among the leaders of thought among laymen in Wilming- ton. Frisby J. Cooper had entered the minis- try and gone elsewhere. William Howard Day, from Oberlin College, the brilliant ora- tor, handsome, well educated, a veritable Chesterfield in manners, came through occas- ionally while on speech-making tours. Later, he made Wilmington his home for a time, with his handsome wife, "Georgie," before they made Harrisburg their permanent home. He also became a minister and General Officer in the A. M. E. Zion Church. Ministers such as Dr. T. G. Steward and John F. Thomas, of the A. M. E. Church; Edward Chippey, of the A. U. M. P. Church ; Edward Williams, of the U. A. M. E. Church : Hooper Jolly, of the M. E. Church, were the leading churchmen. These were the four denominations among colored at that time. The men above-named, both lay- men and ministers, were above reproach in character and above the average in ability, and enjoyed the confidence of the community prerequisites for successful leadership. There were many others who deserve honorable 190 UNWRITTEN HISTORY mention, but, as all cannot be named, these are given as samples. It was my good fortune to know these men personally, to enjoy their confidence and re- spect ; to be encouraged by them as a "likely" young man; to be sought and brought for- ward to work with them in civic, religious and political activities. It was my better fortune to have been influenced by their lives. They were men of thought and vision as well as character. Solid men, who could be depended upon to advocate a cause because it was good and worthy, and not on account of what they selfishly hoped to get out of it. They were big men to me then, but much bigger now, as from this distance I look back upon them. Daniel P. Hamilton became my ideal in politics and religion. He was a "stand-pat" Republican, and a died-in-the-wool African Methodist. He could wake up in the night and give a reason for his faith both as to de- nomination and political party. He regarded the abolitionists, and especially those of an active, Underground Railroad type, as being worthy of the appellation "salt of the earth." These were all Republicans, of course. The Negro had his political birth in the cradle of the Republican party and derived all UNWRITTEN HISTORY 191 i of his political privileges from that source, and to Brother Hamilton, it was ingratitude to his friends, and suicidal to himself, to leave the party, or. to even be lukewarm toward it, though we were yet deprived of many privi- leges and rights guaranteed and granted with- out question to other citizens under the Con- stitution. He used to tell a story about how a woman changed her husband's politics. It was like this : Upon a certain election day, he, with certain others, were induced to vote the Democratic ticket. The reward was a plenty of whiskey and a barrel of flour. Early in the day the flour came, but the prodigal husband remained away from home all day where the liquid refreshment flowed freely so long as the polls were open. At last, much the worse for wear, the prodigal returned, penitent, perhaps, but too full for utterance. Well, wifey, as- sisted him in getting undressed and snugly tucked in bed, and soon he was wrapped so tightly in the arms of morpheus that he was not even interested in the latest returns. This was wife's opportunity to give him his first lesson in political science. So, with strong cords she lashed him fast to the bed, without either his knowledge or consent. Then, tak- ing a good-sized hickory club, she pounded 192 UNWRITTEN HISTORY him so furiously and long that he died from his injuries. Of course she was arrested, and tried for murder. On the day of her trial, not having an advocate, she was permitted to speak for herself. She briefly rehearsed the story of her bondage. Told how children had been snatched from her embrace and sold to parts unknown. How she rejoiced when emancipated. And now that her husband was taking steps to have her again enslaved, she thought it was time to change his politics. When the judge heard her story, he instructed the jury to render nor become a slave to the thoughts and con- clusions of others. This is especially true where conscience has or should have much to do with final decisions. I consider the Dic- tionary of the Bible, edited by James Has- tings, M.A., D.D., a valuable asset to a minis- ter's library. In spite of my care in selecting 'I find myself with several encyclopaedias, and cyclopaedias ; literary, historial, biographical. I prize Lord's "Beacon Lights" and "Stod- dardt's Lectures" and Charles Dickens' Works. There are many standard works that seem .necessary to a complete library. Beware of the "Who is Who?" Agents that come around occasionally to convince you that you are one of the who's. I once said to Bishop Arnett, after I had read a book entitled "Men of Mark," that I found some men in it who, so far as I knew, were not very remarkable. The Bishop replied : "The author of the book simply said men of mark, without indicating whether it was to be a big mark or a little one." I have a section in my library that I call "Black Boys." These are all books by colored 264 UNWRITTEN HISTORY authors. Of course the Paul Laurence Dun- bar library is among the collecton. I was greatly assisted by the late Carl Boliver, in making this collection of colored authors, as I was originally inspired to do so by the late Bishop B. W. Arnett, who is author of the name: "Black Boys." In this collection I have an old and rare vol- ume out of print of course called: "The Rise and Progress of the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness, or the Reign of Kings Alpha, and Abadon," by Lorenzo D. Blackson. Pub- lished in 1867. It is a counterpart of the "Pil- grims' Progress," and it is written in exactly the same style, poetry and all. The author was a minister in the U. A. M. E. Church, known also as the Peter Spencer Church, whose founder was present at the 1816 meeting at Philadelphia when the A. M.. E. Church was organized. History says that Spencer did not go with Allen in his move- ment, because he opposed the itineracy. His preachers would work in the field all the week and preach on Sunday, sometimes after walk- ing many miles, and only receive the few pen- nies that would be thrown into the collection-, basket. They were encouraged to be very "spiritual," with the idea that "the letter UNWRITTEN HISTORY 265 "Idlleth, but the spirit maketh alive." I often .heard them preach during my residence in Wilmington, Del, the original home of Father Spencer, and his Church. There were among them some very talented men, such as the father of Rev. Solomon Porter Hood, of the A. M. E. Church. The Senior Hood would be an able preacher in the present day. He was .a giant in statue. When he walked into the pulpit, and the steps creaked under his feet, some one in the audience would shout : '"Amen." He was intelligent and able; not learned, as is his son, who has had the advant- .age of freedom and the schools. Well, our subject, Lorenzo Dow Blackson, like Rever- end Hood, was above the average in intelli- gence, though, unlike Reverend Hood, he was not a great preacher. He finally sought a more congenial field and died in the A. M. E. Zion Church. He believed in "entire sanctifi- cation" and preached it. What is more, lived it. He could sustain himself in an argument upon the doctrine he preached. After preach- ing fifty years he was active ; still writing and preaching. I believe that if the book should be published, the scholars and church- men of the present day would discover its true value as the men of his day did not. 266 UNWRITTEN HISTORY I was invited to be the principal speaker at his funeral, which I considered an honor. We are beginning now to produce authors whose writings will go upon the shelves of public libraries, and in the homes of literary men and women regardless of race variety. When our authors and editors of marked ability get a hearing before the world, public opinion will undergo a change, because the merits and virtues of the "brother in black" will be set forth as well as his demerits and so-called backwardness. My library is my constant companion: men and women with whom I can converse, and with whom I cannot be lonesome. The Bible and the other books. CHAPTER VII. Across the Continent Many people who go abroad sight seeing, -are embarrassed when questioned about the Niagara Falls, Pikes Peake, and scenes in California, if obliged to confess that they have never seen them. A foreigner once said to such a person : "Why do you not go traveling in your own country, before going abroad?" As Editor of the A. M. E. Review I had an opportunity to travel quite a good deal. I had been to all of the New England States, the middle States, the Southern States, and as far West as Wisconsin, but had not crossed the Continent, from Ocean to Ocean. So I resolved to make the journey. Having done so, I wrote an editorial on the trip. Such journeys may happen once in a lifetime : but with most people they never happen. Again it may be that only a few r Review subscribers have preserved all the numbers. (267) 268 UNWRITTEN HISTORY With a view of putting it in permanent form I herewith submit the editorial, "ACROSS THE CONTINENT." During the first four years as editor of the REVIEW, we were unable to visit the coast of California, and thus make a circuit of our home fields. Only once in the history of our Church had a general officer visited the Far West. Believing that such a visit would be good, both for the work by encouraging the workman, and also for the editor, by broaden- ing his experience, we resolved to go. Accordingly, on Friday, July 21, 1893, we left the office work in the hands of our good friend, Rev. J. Albert Johnson, and boarding a train on the Pennsylvania Road ; started "West." Our always pleasant friend and. associate editor, Rev. H. T. Johnson of the Christian Recorder accompanied us as far as Chicago, where he was going to attend the meeting of "Educators." We spent several days in the "White City." The great Colum- bian Fair was in full blast. Great and mar- velous are the exhibits of art, science and natural products. Who can do more than faintly describe them? Perhaps no city in the Union is so eminent- ly prepared to hold such a big Fair as this- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 269 Queen City of the West. The Bureau of Pub- lic Comfort announced its ability to feed 60,000 persons per hour within the Exhibition grounds, and the hotels and boarding houses of the city were prepared to accommodate hundreds of thousands. Early in the season it became evident to the management that ex- orbitant prices would not pay. The railroads were a little stubborn, and insisted on keeping up rates, and in some cases they put on a "Fast Columbian Express" and charged extra. The traveling public was not long in deciding that between high rates of travel and of ac- commodation at the city, a trip there would be too expensive for the average pocketbook. As soon as the managers of the Fair and the rail- road managers began to reduce rates the at- tendance began to increase, and, at this writing there is hope that the affair will be a financial success. The Sunday opening question gave trouble from the very beginning, and although the managers insisted upon opening on Sun- day in defiance of the expressed conditions upon which they received national aid, they were unable to make it popular. Many Ex- hibits were closed on Sunday, thus making it impossible for those who visited only on Sun- days to see all that was to be seen. 270 UNWRITTEN HISTORY When we first entered the grounds via Midway Plaisance we decided that several -days would be required to simply walk through the grounds, to say nothing of anything like a critical inspection of all the buildings. The various attractions of the Plaisance were quite enough to occupy several days. Some of the attractions along the avenue were the Diamond Match Company ; Model Workman's Home ; International Costume Ex- hibit, with about fifty living representatives of different nationalities, races and types, each clad in native costume ; Nursery Exhibit ; Elec- tric Scenic Theatre ; Libby Glass Company ; Japanese Bazaar ; Japanese Village ; German Village ; Lecture Hall, illustrating the science of animal locomotion ; Persian Palace ; Eiffel Tower, Street in Cairo; Ferris Wheel, revolv- ing 250 feet in the air ; East India Bazaar ; Al- gernian and Tunisian Village ; Kilanea Pano- ramo, showing the noted Hawaiian Volcano ; Chinese Village; Brazil Concert Hall; Nation- al Hungarian Orpheum ; Lapland Village ; Dahomey Village; Old Vienna; St. Peter's Model ; Glass Spinning House ; Ice Railway ; Moorish Palace, Turkish Village; Cyclorama of Bernice Alps ; South Sea Islanders ; Hogen- beck's Animal Show ; Venice-Murano company UNWRITTEN HISTORY 271 glass exhibit ; Log Cabin ; Nursery ; Blarney Castle and Irish Village. The admission to those various attractions on Midway Plais- ance varies from 10 to 50 cents. It costs from $12 to $15 to visit them all, and would require nearly a week. Now, when one remembers that this is but the entrance to the Fair and not really the Fair proper, he can get an idea of its immense proportions. It would be use- less to attempt a description of the various exhibits, suffice it to name the general depart- ments, which are as follows : Agricultural,, Horticultural, Live Stock, Fish, Mining, Ma- chinery, Transportation ; Manufacturers, Elec- tricity, Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Ethnology. In those various General Departments^ twelve in number, are exhibited the various products of nature under cultivation, and of human genius and skill. Almost every civilized nation is represented with exhibits giving an idea of its wealth in natural resources and of inventive genius. There were two exhibits that we were especially anxious to see, and to which we hastened, and these were the exhibits of Wil- berforce University and the Haitian Building. The exhibit of Wilberforce was small, com- pared with some other institutions, and es- 272 UNWRITTEN HISTORY pecially some of the exhibits of the Roman Catholic Church ; and the Haitian building was humble compared with many of the massive structures that surrounded it and overshadow- ed it ; but Wilberf orce and Haiti represented a people, the genius, industry, and capability of whom, but for them, would have been with- out representation, or, as is frequently the case would have been misrepresented. The genius of the Negro is interwoven with the civilization of America, and indeed of the world, but in such a way as to leave him with- out credit. Hence the burning question, can the descendants of Ham do anything great? Or, must it be left alone to Shem and Japhet to show the trend of progress under a higher civilization? Wilberforce and Haiti answered at the World's Fair Wilberforce with her institutions of learning, organized and manag- ed from beginning to end by colored men, and Haiti with her Republic, whose independence was gained by her brave and noble Toussaint L'Ouverture, and maintained by his succes- sors. Our thanks are due to Bishop B. W. Arnett and the Hon. Frederick Douglass for getting the Negro before the assembled na- tions in other than a subordinate relation. We divided our time during the week of our UNWRITTEN HISTORY 273 stay between sightseeing at the Exposition grounds and the Educational Congress, which held its meetings at the Liberal Arts Building, foot of Adams Street. The meetings were really good, as could only have been the case, since they were participated in by some of the first educators of the world. The part contributed by colored educators was alto- gether creditable. Strong papers were read by many on various subjects, and stirring ad- dresses were made by others. A special point of interest brought to light by these meetings was the fact that a goodly number of colored teachers are teaching in public or mixed schools. Many of our people opposed mixed schools, because they feared that it would de- prive our teachers of their positions. Many of us believed that while this would be the case at first, that even this difficulty would be over- come as our teachers made themselves indis- pensible. Statistics upon the subject, given by delegates, show that colored teachers at work in public schools are as follows : Massa- chusetts, 14; Michigan, 5; Ohio, 11; Pennsyl- vania, 2; Minnesota, 3; New York, 2; Illinois, 2. Thirty-nine in all. This does not include those who are required to do normal work before leaving College. These statistics tell 274 UNWRITTEN HISTORY their own story of the progress that we are making. The Chicago Fair demonstrates in a high degree the capability of man. When he began to inhabit the earth it was in a very crude state, but he was commanded by his Creator to take possession of his territory and subdue it. The march of civilization, as it is exhibited by the Columbian Fair, shows how well man has been doing his work. The rivers and moun- tains are no longer barriers to his onward march, but are made his servants. By an en- lightened mind directing the skilled hand, he has invented all manner of machinery, by which the burdens of life are greatly lifted, labor is dignified and time is saved. The four quarters of the globe are brought together and all nations of the earth are made neigh- bors. But as the thoughtful man looks upon these wonderful achievements with admiration, he is forcibly reminded of two things first,, that these great accomplishments are the re- sult of years and centuries of study, toil, and sacrifice. We stand, looking upon a mass of machinery, with its thousand different parts curiously wrought, skillfully put together and set in motion, and we say great are the wisdom and skill of the inventor. But upon a sober UNWRITTEN HISTORY 275 second thought we remember that all those mighty works in art had humble beginnings. The tea-kettle is mother of the gigantic steam engine that is capable of running a mile in thirty seconds. The costly fabric in tapestry and fine linen sprang from the fig leaf apron. From the dirt-made hut has sprung the hall, the place of marvelous achievements in archi- tectural skill. The first plow to break the soil for the husbandman was a sharpened stick, but now the art of tilling the soil has risen to such dignity that the Department of Agriculture is the first to be named on the official guide at the World's Columbian Exposition. The les- son to be learned by these progressive steps in civilization is that any nation or any race variety that would rise to the degree of ex- cellence attained by those that are now on ex- hibition at the "White City" must be indus- trious and patient. There is a philosophy in progress, and this must be regarded by all who would compete with progressive nations. But, again, the thoughtful observer is re- minded that the great accomplishments before him are the results of Christian civilization. How many kingdoms have risen and fallen, and how many exalted nations have been brought low because they did not recognize the claim 276 UNWRITTEN HISTORY of Him whose right it is to rule. Most all the nations represented at the Columbian Expo- sition are Christian nations, and those that are not are perceptibly behind in the procession. China, the oldest civilization that is repre- sented here, is but an infant compared with England, France, Germany and America. These nations as representatives of Christian- ity, have their imperfections, and for these we neither praise nor excuse them; upon the face of the sun there are spots, yet he out- shines the moon. At the expiration of another century, when all the civilized nations assemble to take ac- count of their achievements, what nation will be first in the sisterhood? May we not give the answer of our Lord when He was asked who shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven ? Leaving Chicago, our next stop was Denver, Col. Some one has spoken thus eloquently of Denver : "Poets have poured forth their souls in the marvelous measures of rhythmic rhapsody; artists have felt their deft fingers tingle and thrill while they painted the never ending glories of peaks and plain; historians, statis- UNWRITTEN HISTORY 277 ticians and scientists have struggled together in vain effort to comprehend the possibilities of a region unlike anything ever before heard of in song or story or the cheerless realm of hard dry facts and figures. They had seen Colorado, they were wrestling with a stupen- dous problem the destiny of Denver. There is only one Denver. There never has been, there never can be another, for there is no influence which can create its equal." The writer was evidently speaking of the Denver of the past, and what we trust will also be the Denver of the future, for upon our arrival we found fourteen banks suspended,, and a city fairly wearing the badge of mourn- ing. Neither Denver as a city, nor Colorado as a State can prosper with closed mines. The depreciation of silver closed all the mines at Leadville, and shut went the banks of Denver.. Colorado's output of bullion gold, silver, lead and copper for the year 1892, aggregated in value $37,017,993. This enormous product came principally to the smelters of Denver. Agriculture, horticulture, manufacturing, and other interests Sand .-industries have helped Denver, but the mining interests made it chief- ly, and without this interest it must remain badly crippled. Since the great money panic 278 UNWRITTEN HISTORY began, real estate in Denver has depreciated more than 50 per cent. Our church work in this metropolitan city has for four years been in the hands of that king of financiers, Rev. P. A. Hubbard. The bonded debt when he took the church was $8,000. He went to work with a determina- tion to reduce the indebtedness by at least $2,000 each year. Though the membership is less than 300, he succeeded in carrying out his plans, and just before the panic came had paid the last dollar. During the years when he was constantly urging the necessity of paying the entire debt, many thought him too exacting, and saw no good reason why the entire debt should be paid, so long as the interest was kept up. But he could not be persuaded to relax 'his efforts, and now that they have made their escape from the great financial depression that is upon us, every one is loud in the praise of P. A. Hubbard. But this long and constant strain told on his health, and he was glad to join us and go out to the "Coast" seeking a renewal of health. Another thing that the good people of Den- ver, with their heroic pastor, must be given credit for, is that in managing the heavy work of their own church they were not forgetful UNWRITTEN HISTORY 279 of the needs of others ; so they planted two> missions, one in the western and the other in. the northern portions of the city. These missions are pastored by two faithful young men, Revs. James Smith and Robert Cason. The old church Shorter Chapel has nourish- ed them as a mother would a child. The pastors and people of these missions regret much that the time of Rev. Hubbard has expired. The disciplinary limit moves him. But we must trust in the goodness of God and the wisdom of the Bishop to send a faithful successor of him who has worked so faithfully and successfully at this post for four years. Of course he cannot be returned. We must keep our rules, "not for wrath, but for conscience sake." At Denver, Col., we met Mr. Leroy Hayes, who gave some very interesting statistics of our people who have left the South and gone West. Mr. Hayes lived at No. 2229 Arapaho Street. Through his efforts, and by the aid of the Union Pacific, 3,090 persons have been brought out during the last three years and located as follows : Idaho, 800 ; Washington, 900: California, 650; Colorado, 480; Utah, 260. These for the most part have been settled on farms; 110 families have been settled in Kehrn 280 UNWRITTEN HISTORY 'County, California ; 360 persons have been put to work in the Rouse Mines. The 800 that were left in Idaho were given free transpor- tation from Texas ; 800 of the 900 that were carried to Washington are operating mines. In San Joaquin County, California, a tract 'of 3,000 acres of land has been taken up by those who have come out in search of better homes. We have observed that colored set- tlers, especially in California, are being en- "couraged, while the Chinese are not in good favor. This is probably because the Chinese