FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD.--Ran away from the owner in
Alexandria, Va., on the night of the 13th inst., two young negro
men, from twenty to twenty-five years of age. MONTGOMERY is a
very bright mulatto, about five feet, six inches in height, of
polite manners, and smiles much when speaking or spoken to.
OSCAR is of a tawny complexion, about six feet high, sluggish in
his appearance and movements, and of awkward manners. One
hundred dollars each will be paid for the delivery of the above
slaves if taken in a slave state, or two hundred dollars each if
taken in a free state. One or more slaves belonging to other
owners, it is supposed, went in their company.
Address: JOHN T. GORDON,
Alexandria, Va.
[Illustration: ]
Although the name of John T. Gordon appears signed to the above
advertisement, he was not the owner of Montgomery and Oscar. According
to their own testimony they belonged to a maiden lady, by the name of
Miss Elizabeth Gordon, who probably thought that the business of
advertising for runaway negroes was rather beneath her.
While both these passengers manifested great satisfaction in leaving
their mistress they did not give her a bad name. On the contrary they
gave her just such a character as the lady might have been pleased with
in the main. They described her thus: "Mistress was a spare woman,
tolerably tall, and very kind, except when sick, she would not pay much
attention then. She was a member of the Southern Methodist Church, and
was strict in her religion."
Having a good degree of faith in his mistress, Oscar made bold one day
to ask her how much she would take for him. She agreed to take eight
hundred dollars. Oscar wishing to drive a pretty close bargain offered
her seven hundred dollars, hoping that she would view the matter in a
religious light, and would come down one hundred dollars. After
reflection instead of making a reduction, she raised the amount to one
thousand dollars, which Oscar concluded was too much for himself. It was
not, however, as much as he was worth according to his mistress'
estimate, for she declared that she had often been offered fifteen
hundred dollars for him. Miss Gordon raised Oscar from a child and had
treated him as a pet. When he was a little "shaver" seven or eight years
of age, she made it a practice to have him sleep with her, showing that
she had no prejudice.
Being rather of a rare type of slave-holders she is entitled to special
credit. Montgomery the companion of Oscar could scarcely be
distinguished from the white folks. In speaking of his mistress,
however, he did not express himself in terms quite so complimentary as
Oscar. With regard to giving "passes," he considered her narrow, to say
the least. But he was in such perfectly good humor with everybody, owing
to the fact that he had succeeded in getting his neck out of the yoke,
that he evidently had no desire to say hard things about her.
Judging from his story he had been for a long time desiring his freedom
and looking diligently for the Underground Rail Road, but he had had
many things to contend with when looking the matter of escape in the
face. Arriving in Philadelphia, and finding himself breathing free air,
receiving aid and encouragement in a manner that he had never known
before, he was one of the happiest of creatures.
Oscar left his wife and one child, one brother and two sisters.
Montgomery left one sister, but no other near kin.
Instead of going to Canada, Oscar and his comrade pitched their tents in
Oswego, N.Y., where they changed their names, and instead of returning
themselves to their kind mistress they were wicked enough to be plotting
as to how some of their friends might get off on the Underground Rail
Road, as may be seen from the appended letters from Oscar, who was
thought to be sluggish, etc.
OSWEGO, Oct 25th, 1857.
DEAR SIR:--I take this opportunity of writing you these few
lines to inform you that I am well and hope these few lines will
find you the same (and your family you must excuse me for not
writing to you before. I would have written to you before this
but I put away the card you gave me and could not find it until
a few days sins). I did not go to Canada for I got work in
Oswego, but times are very dull here at present. I have been out
of employ about five weeks I would like to go to Australia. Do
you know of any gentleman that is going there or any other
place, except south that wants a servant to go there with him to
wait on him or do any other work, I have a brother that wants to
come north. I received a letter from him a few days ago. Can you
tell me of any plan that I can fix to get him give my respects
to Mrs. Still and all you family. Please let me know if you hear
of any berth of that kind. Nothing more at present I remain your
obedient servant,