'Little Africa': The Last Slave Cargo Landed in the United States
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While not indulging in much of that extravagance in colors in dress which so often affect the colored sisterhood in general or the young men of the race, most of those whom I saw at church were fully as well dressed as are the majority of laboring people white or black, in their locality; and most of them had in their appearance and surrounding, an air of substantial physical well-being none too common among the laboring class in that section of the country.
As I drove up to the gate of the inclosure surrounding their church on the Sabbath afternoon appointed for the meeting with them, the sonorous voice of the preacher, in the midst of his sermon, fell upon the ear. He was not weak-lunged nor troubled with any bronchial affliction. For nearly an hour we waited, while he in thunder tones, dwelt upon the heinousness of disrespect to the Holy Spirit, or as he expressed it, "foolin' wid de Holy Ghos'. Now he pleaded with the hearers, anon he held up before them the terrors of broken law, and unkept promises of better life. There was less of boisterous response, than usually is heard under similar exhortations in congregations of the race, and the chanting of the "Lord's Prayer" by the congregation at the close of the service, was really fine and touching in its soft melody, though somewhat marred by one woman, who insisted on striking one note at the end of the line an octave higher than any one else. In conversation with the preacher, held after the service, he stated that there were between thirty and forty of the original ones left who were members of the church, and that the Sabbath School numbered about sixty children. A heavy rain, lasting until nearly sunset, prevented a personal inspection of much of the village, though, by detaining the people in the church, it gave opportunity for conversations with individuals. They told us, as I had heard from other sources, the story of the ocean passage, with its fifty-five days of wonder, doubt and fear; of the enforced hidings in the cane brakes; the first assignment to labor in the woods and fields, etc; all corroborated by information received by white sources. They spoke of their importer as a kind master, but others hinted that even the overseer was not free in punishing for any dereliction of duty, after he had seen one demonstration of their hatred of the lash.
Nothing could be learned regarding the practice or nonpractice of any "fetich" or "voudou" rites. If done at all, they are done with the utmost secrecy. When first imported they are said to have buried the dead with weird and heathenish ceremonies, but those I was informed had ceased. Any romance connected with them is fast fading away, and with the passing of the original members of the colony from the scenes of action, it will have ceased to exist, and their descendants will be merged into the ordinary colored inhabitants of the section where they reside.
Captain Meaher died in 1891.
HENRY ROMEYN.
Captain 5th Infantry, U S A Fort McPherson, Ga.
*An expression commonly used in some parts of the South, meaning "when the war closed." For most of the facts above stated I am indebted to Dr. S. V. Gaines, Dr. Charles Le Baron, and other citizens of Mobile, but especially to Mr. Augustine Meaher son of Captain Meaher, whose kindness and attention enabled me to obtain much information not otherwise available, and to visit the people in their homes.