I stumbled on this and felt I should share it with my fellow Nairalanders, let's hear your views. Enjoy:

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

In August of 1865, a Colonel P.H. Anderson of Big Spring, Tennessee, wrote to his former slave, Jourdan Anderson, and requested that he come back to work on his farm. Jourdan — who, since being emancipated, had moved to Ohio, found paid work, and was now supporting his family — responded spectacularly by way of the letter seen below (a letter which, according to newspapers at the time, he dictated).

Rather than quote the numerous highlights in this letter, I'll simply leave you to enjoy it. Do make sure you read to the end.

(Source: The Freedmen's Book; Image: A group of escaped slaves in Virginia in 1862, courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

Dayton, Ohio,

August 7, 1865

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson.

Waiting for your responses fellas!!!

what is the point of the letter

explain

sdbaba:

I stumbled on this and felt I should share it with my fellow Nairalanders, let's hear your views. Enjoy:

As I read the letter from the beginning I was very uneasy as I thought that the former slave (Jourdan) was appreciative of his period with his former master (Colonel. Anderson). I prematurely concluded that Jourdan was mentally enslaved and was disappointed because this man had a young family. In fact I initially believed this poor man was suffering from Stockholm syndrome.

Then I made it to the third paragraph and such thoughts evaporated. I remembered once again that this man was no more a slave and I was delighted that despite his emancipation which legally revokes him of his former station he boldly asks his former master to commit restitution and that is pretty striking. For if Anderson was to oblige Jourdan's status as a slave can be re-evaluated as despite the harsh condition he and his wife was undoubtedly subjected to the payment separates the free labourer or the slave from an employer (albeit mistreated) in which I believe he was purposely trying to achieve and of course demanding justice and even in advance for his young girls.

It's sad what some had to go through but the level of civility he exhibited to his former master aka abuser is remarkable in my opinion. More so his confrontation despite such I would hope he merely used such opportunity as a means of obtaining what is rightfully his and his wife's and would not even as a free man ever go back to labour for his former master (despite considering it) even though that is unlikely as I doubt Anderson would have performed what he has been asked. But the twist was good as I bet the former master didn't anticipate that his former slave will ever demand for his right talk less of knowing his right. I think I even mistook his civility for mental enslavement in the very beginning.

Prior to reading this letter, as I've been informed about the station of this man I will admit it was very difficult to dissociate the word "slave" from his being add to the fact he was addressing his former master (so the roles were burnt in my head) but towards the tail I regarded the author of the letter as a very proud man and the image of a slave was no more an afterthought.

That was bitter-sweet. Thanks for sharing.

E-Engineer:

what is the point of the letter

explain

If you take time to read the article, you'll know the point (worth) of the letter except you're not a "Black" man.

You can see that another poster has acknowledged the article and even gone ahead to analyse it paragraph by paragraph. It's good to know what our fore-fathers passed through in the hands of these self-centred "white masters"

@ emöfine: I really enjoyed your analysis of the artcicle even more than the article itself. Thanks to sdbaba for sharing this once more

I guess the slaver never gave the man what he was due

Good read,absolutely enjoyed it !

"I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before now. . .i did not want to hear of your being hurt,I'm glad you are still living"=WORD

I bet the Colonel never replied this mail.
Good one.

DawsanAuto:
@ emöfine: I really enjoyed your analysis of the artcicle even more than the article itself.

I feel humbled. Thanks

emöfine:

I feel humbled. Thanks

You're welcome cutie, not flaterring you though, I really mean it.

sdbaba:

The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

This is sorely missing today especially the later part.

rabzy:

This is sorely missing today especially the later part.

You're very correct there my brother, virtuos habits are really hard to come by these days!!!

Emofine I was of the same mind as you and was screaming at him in my head "are you crazy!", when i thought nostalgia caused him to consider returning.
A true gent Mr Jourdon was, too bad he and his descendants had to bear the surname of histhe slave master.