University of Virginia Library

18. Chapter Eighteenth
Special Characters among the Freedmen

If any teacher who went from the North at
the close of the Civil War to work among the Freedmen
expected to find a class of people closely
resembling each other in person, manners,
character and intellect, she would have
been a much surprised woman after a few
weeks experience among them. There was
one idea common to all in those early days
and that was the desire for an education.
As this had been denied them by law, they
naturally considered it the key to the success
of their white superiors. They were shrewd
enough to see that the class of whites who
lacked an education — the poor whites, as
they were called — were not their superiors except
as their color gave them greater privileges.
But the educated man was a power in the
community, and they realized it and

thirsted for a little of the knowledge that
made so wide a difference between persons
of the same race. But aside from the
common desire to learn from books, their
tastes and characters were as varied as
those of any other race, or mixture of races.
I have already given a brief description of
Mrs. Isabella Gibbons and Paul Lewis in the
chapter on "Our Teachers" and it may
not be wholly uninteresting to have a few
others appear upon the stage for a brief
inspection, so I will introduce to you
the oldest person we knew among these people

Aunt Jenny Pickett

How or where she lived I did not know but I
fancy she existed upon the meagre alms of
the kindly disposed among the people
both white and colored. I wish I knew her age
for it seemed as if Death must have made
many failures in trying to gather her in
with his yearly harvests. According to
her own story she had attained to an almost

fabulous age. She did not know the date
of her birth but she claimed that she had
long since passed the century mark. She
could remember when the country around
Charlottesville was a wilderness, and there
were many Indians about. Asked if she
remembered Thomas Jefferson she replied
"O, yes! I 'member old Tom Jefferson. He
was at the head of making we all slaves!"
How she got the idea that Jefferson was
responsible for the fact of slavery I never
knew but she always spoke of him irreverently
as "Old Tom." There could be but little
doubt that she was, as she claimed "morn
a hunderd"
She paid us occasional
visits, knowing that she would not go away
empty handed. She usually spent a good
part of the day in the kitchen with
Margaret when she came — She would sit
by the fire and smoke a pipe, nodding
in a kind of sleepy stupor. Among
the articles sent to Miss Gardner one year
for distribution among the very poor, was
a bonnet of very ancient date. I judge it
might have been in fashion sometime
between 1820 and 1830 Miss Gardner gave
it to Aunt Jenny who could not have been
more pleased with the most modern creation
of the milliners art. The next time she
came to our place with a handkerchief tied
on her head, Margaret asked, "Why Aunt
Jenny wheres your new bonnet?" "Why chile
dats my gold bunnit."
She told us that she
had been the mother of twenty children all
of whom had been sold away from her years
ago. In spite of her years and poverty, she
was as happy as a child to think she had
lived to be free. I think a year or so later
one of her long lost children, or a granchild
came from some other part of the south
in search of her and took her away to
a new home. So she passed out of our lives
leaving a unique picture on the pages of our
memory.

See "Left Overs" page 104

Thomas Farrar, or, as he was usually
styled, Tom Farrar, was free born and at the
time I knew him I should judge that he was
some sixty years old. He was a well digger
by trade and very skillful and reliable
in this business. The blood of his African
ancestors was in an insignificant minority
in his system. He was very arbitrary in
his own family — exacting the most implicit
obedience from every member, being known
even to have inflicted corporeal punishment
upon his married daughters upon occasions
when they had presumed to act in open
opposition to his wishes. He never had
a doubt that to "spare the rod" meant to
"spoil the child." and I am quite sure
that if any of his offspring failed to walk
in the paths of righteousness, it was not
because the rod had been allowed to rust
in idleness. He was very religious according
to his idea of religion, sure in his own
mind that the King James version of

the Bible was handed directly down from
Heaven neatly bound and printed as it
came from the bookstore. To doubt any
statement found between the two covers
was to his mind the rankest blasphemy,
consequently he was very scrupulous as to
the letter of the text but somewhat hazy
in regard to its spirit. He stood ready
to demolish every scientific advance
the world had made with thunderbolts
in the shape of Scripture quotations

Soon after our school had been organized and
properly graded, the Society in Boston sent
us among other necessary articles for our school
work a nice magnetic globe with all the
various images of men houses, beasts trees etc
to illustrate the power of gravitation and
every arrangement for explaining the
movements of the earth in its relations
to the sun and other celestial bodies
Farrar, who believed that the sun travelled
around the earth once in twenty four

hours (did he not have the evidence of his
own eyes to prove it?) was interested when
he heard of the new instrument and
and came up to see it one Saturday
afternoon. I placed an object at a little
distance to represent the sun, and put
the figures of men, animals, ships etc on
the globe in the positions where they would
naturally belong, and turned the sphere
about, answering his questions and
explaining everything to him as clearly
as I could for about half an hour. When
I had finished he sat and looked at it
thoughtfully for a few minutes, and then
said. "That is the best explanation I have
heard about the earth's movements, but
if that is true how could Joshua command
the sun to stand still for hours?" This was
a poser, for I was wholly unable to explain
how Joshua could arrest the motion of the
earth, so he went away with his old faith
unshaken. In all matters that concerned
his religious belief, what he thought he knew
he was sure of, so his creed was a very simple
one. He believed in God and Tom Farrar, and
he was reverent enough to put his belief in
God first, which was certainly modest in him

Farrar had accumulated quite a little
property by hard work and close saving.
He told us that his father was a drinking
man, and when the craving for liquor
was on him, he would take the small
earnings of his children to get the means
to satisfy his appetite, so Tom made a
box for himself in which he kept various
articles he called his own. This box was made
with a double bottom, one part of which
was removable and in the secret compartment
thus provided Tom concealed such odd bits of
money as he managed to earn without his
fathers knowledge. When the old mans
drunken fit was on him, he would search
through the box and finding no money
would throw it out doors, or kick it about in

his anger, Tom would let it lie where it
was thrown until his fathers condition was
again normal, when he would quietly
restore it to its former condition. All
the time the bits of money accumulated
in this queer bank, and when he was grown
to man's estate he had quite a little nest
egg to help him start in life. He soon
acquired enough to purchase himself a
comfortable little home and I think when
I knew him he had enough to supply the
modest needs of himself and his wife in
their old age. Notwithstanding his saving,
economical ideas he would be very liberal
at times. He gave to his church, of course,
for that was "treasure laid up in Heaven"
and he expected a return in celestial
dividends sometime: and he would readily
put his hand in his pocket for the needs of
the school. Neither was he heedless of the
suffering of the very poor. One day he met a
friend who told him a pitiful story of the
poverty of a poor widow whom they both
knew, and how badly he felt in view
of her distressing circumstances. "How
much do you feel for her?" said Farrar.
"I feel about five dollars worth. How much
do you feel?" Whether the friend felt
bad to the same amount as Farrar, I do
not know. I hope he did and that the
widow benefitted accordingly.

Although Farrars views of life were
sometimes sadly distorted, yet he was
a shrewd observer of men and things, and
something of a philosopher in his way,
and it can truly be said of him that
he dutifully lived up to the light that had
been given him.

Robert Sellars was one of the pupils
in our school — a bright, good-looking lad
in his teens, of an amiable, pleasant
disposition, always ready to perform a
service for another. He certainly never

lacked opportunities of this nature. Was
there some necessary duty to be performed
about the school building, and the question
was asked "Who will do it?" Robert's hand
went up first and highest always. I
remember one time hearing Miss Gardner
say that she was actually afraid she should
impose upon him because he was always
so ready and willing to do, that it made
it easy to ask him.
He was the oldest
son in a large family of brothers and
sisters, and I imagine he found ample
opportunity at home to exercise this
benevolent faculty of lightening the
burdens of others. I do not now recall
a single instance when I saw him
sulky or out of temper, neither do I
remember an instance of any one
being out of temper with him. It is not
easy to quarrel with one of his disposition.
He was sometimes careless, and forgetful
of his duties — enough so to severely try
ones patience, but only a very surly person
could retain his anger, in the face of
Roberts penitence for his fault. He was
a fairly good scholar although he was
not intellectually the equal of his two
younger brothers, Tilly and Joseph who
were in school at the same time. From
the very fact of his amiability he was
naturally the object of many good-natured
jokes, perpetrated by his friends and
schoolmates, all of which he bore with the
utmost serenity. There is an old
saying, "Beware the wrath of the peaceful man."
I have often wondered if Roberts wrath would
have been terrible to the extent of the injury
that would have been required to rouse it.

Sometime in the '70s I found him a position
with Dr. Hare of Westboro Mass. where I think
he remained for two or more years. Whether
he ever returned to his friends in Virginia I
do not know.

The Rev. William Gibbons was the husband
of Mrs. Isabella Gibbons of whom I have given a brief
sketch in Chapter 8.th William Gibbons was a
man of rare natural abilities. He was born in
slavery, his master being Prof. Howard of the
University of Virginia. He was a fine
looking man, with a rich, sonorous
voice and a wonderfully magnetic
manner. Armed with such qualities
it was easy for him to rouse his hearers to
the highest pitch of religious enthusiasm.
When I went to Charlottesville in 1866 he
was acting as pastor of the 1st colored
Baptist church in that place. He was
ordained some time during that year,
and in 1867 went to Washington, where,
a year later he was installed as pastor of
the Zion Baptist church in that city.
His rare eloquence, exceptional character,
and kindly disposition rendered him
popular with all classes of people, and
when he died after several years of service

every tribute of respect was paid to his
memory, by the members of his own
church, and his old friends in Charlottesville.

When I think of what an influence
this man exerted in his the narrow sphere
in which his destiny had placed him,
I try to figure what his power would have
been, if Fortune had bestowed upon
him the advantages she so lavishes
upon many who discredit their
opportunities. According to all
standards he was an ignorant
man. He had picked up such meagre
bits of book-learning as he could
with his meagre opportunities, but he
made the most of what he had
gathered in this way, and with
this slight aid to his natural abilities
he became a power among his people.
His manner was that of a cultivated
gentleman, courteous and dignified,
but never pompous, gentle but never

servile. He was a good husband and
father, and a kindly neighbor.

His preaching while in Charlottesville
was of the type in vogue at that time,
not only among the negroes, but to a
great extent among the white people
as well — the vociferous and excitable
kind, with its terrible denunciations
of sinners (meaning those outside the
church fold) its arraignment of all
wickedness (such as dancing, card
playing and similar evils) its word
painting of the joys of heaven, and
its vivid description of the torments
of hell. I have reason to think however,
that after he had lived for a time in
Washington his style of address became
somewhat modified, for in that city he
naturally came in contact with those
who, although of the same religious faith
were in the habit of presenting its tenets
to their congregations in a less lurid manner

and Gibbons was quick to learn and
could readily adapt himself to what he
saw were the real needs of his parish.

At first glance it seems unfortunate that
so much native talent, should have been
wasted in so narrow a field of labor, but
but upon reflection we must admit that
he was exactly the kind of man needed
at that time. He could meet the people
of his race understandingly, and upon
their own level, and yet they recognized
and yet they recognized his superiority
to the extent that they were gradually
led to a higher level of thought and action
by his example

It is to be lamented
that a larger proportion of those who
professed to feel a call to preach the
gospel to these people had not done so
from motives as conscientious as I
sincerely believe impelled William
Gibbons in his choice of a profession.

In introducing Jesse Kelley I bring
upon the stage the most extreme specimen
I ever knew, of a type I did not find very
common in the part of Virginia where I
was located — I mean the Jim Crow
type of negro. Jesse was a caricature
upon his race; with the blackest and
coarsest of skins, the thickest and reddest
of lips, the whitest of teeth, and the
kinkiest of hair; as mischievous as
a monkey, though in a harmless way,
and quite as imitative. He kept his
schoolmates amused in their play
time, with his impersonations. His
favorite game was the holding of a
mock slave auction, and with his
chattel on the block beside him, he
would expatiate eloquently upon the
sterling qualities of the human
article he was selling.

Jesse had a sister Betty, also a pupil
in our school, who was of the same

though a somewhat modified type. A
real black full blooded negro was not
very common with us there, but surely
there could not have been the fraction
of a drop of white blood in the veins of
these children. I do not remember of
having ever seen their parents, but they
must have been of pure African blood.
Jesse and his sister were not with us after
my first year in Charlottesville. I think
the family moved to some other place
but before they left school Jesse had
experienced religion, and given
up his game of selling slaves, and
all the other "sinful" amusements
to which he had been addicted. I
never heard what became of the family

Margaret Lewis was the wife of one
of the teachers in the Primary department
of our school — Paul Lewis — and as unlike
her husband as it was possible for two persons
to be. While he was slow and ponderous, both
in intellect and manner, she was quick
bright, alert, and humorous.

She was a
handsome woman, slightly dark for a
quadroon, tall, straight and lithe, with
good regular features and a pair of clear
brown eyes that took note of everything
within their range of vision. She was our
servant for several years, and was most faithful
and devoted to us. She was of great assistance
to us in ways outside her domestic duties,
on account of her knowledge of the characters
and needs of the people with whom we
had to deal.

Every year there were
boxes and barrels of clothing sent to us
from the north, for us to distribute among
the most needy colored people, and we
always took counsel with Margaret who

seemed nearly always to know just where
any certain article was most needed.
We felt we could trust both her judgment
and conscience in this matter, for she
carefully avoided asking favors for those
of her own kin until others had been
provided for. I remember the first time
she assisted me in this way. Article
after article had been looked over, assigned
to some one, and marked with the name
she had given, until most of the contents
of the box had been exhausted, when,
picking up a childs garment of very
small value, she modestly said, "If there
is no one else you want to give this to
I would like to have it for my sisters
little girl." This was the first intimation
we had that there was a needy sister with
little children to provide for. Although she
and Paul had several children of their
own for whom they were struggling to
give a fair start in life, Margaret was
also helping to bear the burdens of this
more needy sister, and never asked favors
of us for herself or her own children, although
it would have been the most natural thing
in the world under the circumstances
However, she lost nothing on account of
her modest lack of selfseeking

Margaret had been trained for a
housemaid, and knew very little about
cooking so I cooked a good part of
my own food with such conveniences
as I could arrange for the purpose and
one Saturday I managed to fry some
doughnuts. Margaret watched the
process eagerly and absorbed the idea,
for a few days later she proudly brought
me a small plate of doughnuts of her
own manufacture which were quite
a success
But perhaps nothing
endeared her more to Miss Gardner and
myself than the fact that she always
had some amusing story or anecdote

to relate, which, told in her own
inimitable manner never failed
to provoke our laughter. She never
gave herself up to malicious gossip, but
the queer speech, and actions of the many
queer people with whom she came in contact
furnished her with an inexhaustible
supply of material to feed her sense of
humor. Her life was far from being an
easy one, with her husband, and four or
five little children to care for, besides
doing a good deal of work for us, but she
made light of ordinary troubles, and
performed her duties cheerfully in spite
of them. Her gift for seeing the comical
side of things in general, probably
helped her over many rough places.
After we left Charlottesville some very
tragic circumstances shadowed her
life, and I have often wondered if the
cheerful spirit that had upborne her
through so many minor troubles, was
sufficient to carry her serenely through those
that must have been so much harder to
bear. I hope and trust it proved to be so.
She was only one more example of a
bright spirit forced to grovel in the mire
of unkind circumstance. If living
now she must be quite old — more than
seventy five, and her children are middle aged
men and women. They have had very good
educational advantages some of them having
been to the Hampton School for a longer
or shorter period of time. None of them
could compare with her in looks, when they
were little children, and I doubt if any of
them are as observing and quick witted as
she was. I hope they give her good care, and
make her declining years comfortable
and happy in return for the efforts
she made to educate them and give
them a fair start in life.

See "Left Overs" Page 106

Robert Scott Sr.

Robert Scott was free born, and at the
time I knew him, was, I should say, some
sixty years of age. He was quite light in
color — probably a quadroon — with good
features, and an intelligent expression.
He had a very fair education — picked
up I cannot tell how, was well read
and could converse ably upon all the
important subjects of the day, whether
it was the Reconstruction of the Confederate
States, the Darwinian theory of the
descent of man, or Woman Suffrage
He met a congenial spirit in Miss Gardner,
being like her, fond of an argument, and
they enjoyed many a battle of words
together. He was in very comfortable
circumstances financially, and his
family consisted of three daughters
and a son. His wife died some
years before we knew him, and his

oldest daughter, Mary, a fine looking
and intelligent woman, kept house
for him. His brother, James, also a
widower with one little girl, lived — I
think in the house with him.

The Scotts were musicians of no
mean quality, and they were employed
to furnish music for parties by all the
most aristocratic families for miles
around — sometimes going great distances
for this purpose.
Being a man of
much ability and intelligence, and coming
in contact with people of the highest
and most cultured families of Virginia
as the Rives' the Cochranes, the Miners
the Randolphs, the Peytons and others
like them, and wise enough not to
assume anything beyond what was
expected of him, and dignified enough
not to be servile in his manner, he won
their respect, and they treated him in
a very friendly manner, conversing with

him more upon terms of equality
than was usual on the part of white
people with those of the subject race.

The brothers, Robert Sr. and James
with Robert Jr. very generously gave
their services as musicians whenever we
had an entertainment for the school.
This was great help to us as it was
always a popular feature on such occasions
and added much to the interest the
colored people felt in our attempts
to instruct and amuse our pupils
and their friends, by giving them a
little variation from the regular
course of study.

Mr. James Scott was more reserved
in his manner than his brother — perhaps
not as well educated, and much less
confident in conversation, but a very
pleasant man to meet, and very proud
of his little daughter, Lizzie, a flaxen haired
blue eyed blond, with no visible trace

of negro blood in her veins. The son
and daughters of Robert Scott were of
about the same complexion as their father —
dark eyes, straight or slightly curly dark
hair, and skins not darker than those
of many Italians.

I have remarked that Mr. Scott was
circumspect in his manner toward
the white citizens of the place, and
as I think of it now, his wisdom
in this respect governed his conduct
toward all both white and colored.
I do not remember of ever hearing of
his having trouble in his dealings with
any one of either race. He was evidently
careful to avoid running against the
sharp corners of those about him,
and as far as I can remember he always
presented an amiable surface to all.

The popularity of the Scott
brothers as musicians was noteworthy
enough to receive mention in some

volume of local Virginia history which
fell into my hands a few years ago, the
author devoting considerable space in
praise of their musical ability. I am
sorry I have forgotten the title of the
book, as well as the name of the author.

I find it hard to delineate the
character of Robert Scott because there
seem to be no specially salient points
to grasp. It was like a smooth round
ball, beneath the surface of which you
felt that there were qualities that under
certain conditions might made a hump
on its surface, but which were so well
controlled ordinarily, and the various
phases of its force were so subtly shown,
that I can only place him upon the
stage as an intelligent amiable man
and a popular musician, but he
was really much more than that
and deserves a better biographer.

His son, Robert Scott Jr. spent one

winter in the service of Mrs. Ednah D.
Cheney of Jamaica Plain. He was
afterward employed as teacher in
the Charlottesville schools, under the
local school board, where he did credit
to the teaching instruction he had received as a
pupil of Miss Anna Gardner.

There were many others among
the Freedmen, both in, and outside of,
our schools whose peculiarities and
abilities would make an interesting study,
but as I cannot do justice to all in this way,
I think the few I have mentioned are quite
sufficient to show that there was as much
variety of character and ability among these
people, as among the more favored race of whites

Of course the training they had received under
different masters developed or repressed their
natural traits but Nature never wholly looses
her grasp, and glimpses of the man or woman
who might have been developed were often
apparent.