Uncle
Tom Cord, an old colored man living in Monroe City is
probably the oldest person in Monroe County. He is the only
ex-slave now living in Monroe or Indian Creek township.
Uncle Tom says he was brought from Kentucky along with his
mother when he was five years old. As near as can be
ascertained, Uncle Tom is somewhere around 95. Uncle Tom’s
mother was married in Kentucky and he was the youngest of
five children, the rest being sold to different masters and
their whereabouts were lost track of. The mother was sold to
a Mr. Hayden.
Mr.
Jack Jones, who settled on a farm in what is now the Cooper
Community, north of Monroe City, brought Tom from
Kentucky. Tom can faintly recall coming to Hannibal by boat.
He says he was big enough to water the horses. Mr. Jones
then gave Uncle Tom to
his son, John Jones, who later resided in Monroe City.
Uncle Tom was a houseboy in the home of John Jones until he
was sold to a Mr. George See for $650. Mr. See took Uncle
Tom to Macon County, before the Civil War. When the war came
on, Uncle Tom started to join the army but was dissuaded. He
came back to Monroe County about 1869 with Mr. See who
located near Granville.
After
the war, Uncle Tom. being a free negro was promised wages by
Mr. See and remained with him for three years but did not
receive any wages. Uncle Tom can distinctly remember the
floggings that he and other slaves got. They were usually
flogged for getting sassy or disobeying. The master would
line them up and take a cowhide whip and whale everyone of
them, going down the line and jerking them out one by one.
Uncle Tom said he was sold at a private sale and if there
were ever any public auctions of slaves in Monroe County he
never knew about it. He said he had heard of public auctions
going on at Hannibal, Mo.
Uncle
Tom’s mind is clear, his hearing and eyesight are good and
he still has some of his teeth. He is interesting to talk to
and can tell a connected and coherent story. In a very
few years all the Uncle Tom’s of the county will be gone
and out last living link with their particular past will be
severed and our only knowledge of the frontier lives our
grandfathers lived will be gained from books.
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