My father, Thomas Leeds Mitchel, of Groton, Connecticut, was a
cotton merchant in Apalachicola, Florida, a small but important
city at the mouth of the Chattahoochie River. As there were few
railroads, all the cotton raised in the interior was shipped down
the river to be compressed and taken down the bay, where steamers
and sailing vessels were waiting to carry it to England or the
Northern States. Father was one of the earliest settlers, and held
important positions of trust in city and church. His wife, Sophia
Brownell, of Providence, Rhode Island, a woman of strong character,
was well fitted to stand by his side and help him establish a home
in an almost new country. The society of Apalachicola was unusually
good. A number of Northern families who had been drawn there as my
father had, and families from Virginia and other Southern States,
brought together elements of culture and refinement unusual in so
small and primitive a town. Father, being a Northerner by birth and
training, was essentially Northern in his sentiments. He did not
believe in slavery. While he employed many negroes, he owned only
three, and they had come to him imploring him to buy them, as
otherwise they would be sold in the open market. They were
faithful, valuable servants, and became real members of our family.
One of them, "Uncle Young," as we always called him, was sent as a
representative to the State Legislature after the war. But he never
forgot the old times, and not long before father died, he received
a letter from him which began, "Dear Mast' Tom."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(1)
