Washington County, MS Slavery News Items

Washington County, MS
Slavery News Items

A White Child Kidnapped from New York and Sold into Slavery—A Curious Story.
The Natchez (Miss.) Free Trader, of Dec. 12 contains the following statement:

"One day last week a gentleman of this city hailed an up country boat, the Cora Anderson, as she was passing Greenville, Miss., whither he had gone on business, to return home.— Shortly after being under way, our Natchez friend observed a pensive looking little girl, aged about nine or ten years, whose black hair and yellowish brown skin would indicate that she was a mulatto. There was something about her that interested him, and he inquired of the captain concerning her. He was informed that she was a slave belonging to a man on board, whom the captain pointed out, who said he was taking her to New Orleans to sell her, he having bought her for $160 in northwestern Missouri, on the borders. Our Natchez friend eyed the little girl and the border man so closely as to attract the attention of the latter, with whom he was soon engaged in conversation concerning the child, interrogating him in such manner as to elicit answers not always agreeing with previous statements, and evidently alarming him. This was suspicious. The little girl was taken aside and examined. She said "she was an orphan, and had been taken from an asylum in New York by this man;" that her hair was light and her complexion brunette; that this man told her he was going to the South with her, where, as his adopted child, she would have a good home; that black hair was preferred in the South, and prettier than hers, and that he had her taken to a barber and had her hair dyed black. He also told her that if she would allow him to put some yellow dye on her skin, her complexion would become much whiter in a few days, and that he had put the stain on. On hearing these statements the girl was taken charge of by the captain, and potash, soap and water being applied the dyes were taken off, and the light hair and light complexion brought to light. The pretended master was seized by the excited passengers who were about to deal with him summarily, but it was finally arranged to lock him up in a stateroom until the boat should land. In the meantime, the boat had passed St. Joseph, and when a few miles below that town, rounded to take on wood. At this point, how or in what manner is not known, the ruffian escaped from the boat, leaving his baggage behind. The girl was taken by the captain of the boat to New Orleans, and placed in one of the Orphan Asylums of that city.' [Douglas Monthly, Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 1861 - Submitted by Candi H.]

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