Postmarked 1865...

Now this is a quite interesting piece of web fotter; apparently in the New York Tribune's Aug. 22, 1865 issue, they published a letter of a former slave to his former slave master. Jordan Anderson's letter was in response to a letter he'd recently received from P.H. Anderson encouraging him and his family to return back and work the plantation. Now pause a moment and imagine if you were in Jordan's place, and was recently freed... if you don't find something royally effed up about that, well, I have my own opinions :side-eye: instead of sounding off in an angry letter—as many do now, only in emails—Jourdan takes the sartorial approach; the results are so Post-Civil War Mean Girls, lol[/supercrazylongrunons]

Thanks Brightest Young Things for bringing this to my attention.

Check it out after the jump...

eta: Speaking of Mean Girls; a sequel is in the works... item a... item b #SMH

[sidenote: psst... I have a job interview for BYT tmrw morning; so excited!]

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 any body else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you 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.


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 Marshall-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 32 years, and Mandy 20 years. At 25 dollars a month for me, and 2 dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to $11,608. Please send the money by Adam's Express, in care of V. Winters Esq., Dayton, Ohio.


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