Reminiscences of two of my great, great grandfather's slaves, Isaac and Sukey

Re-post from NamSouth 2007

"Civil war can be glorious news to none but demons, or thoughtless fools, or maddened men."
--B. F. Moore to his daughter, April 15, 1861.

My great, great grandfather, "The Father of the Bar" of NC, was against secession. [I know, everyone has to have a black sheep in the family......:)] He refused to declare allegiance to the CSA in order to appear in federal courts (CSA), and only appeared in state courts throughout the War. To his credit, his winning case in 1834 held, for the first time, that slaves had the right to protect themselves against unlawful violence from an overseer or master.

State V The Slave Will 1834, My G, G Grandfather Wins

Also, he thought that the existing state legislatures at the end of the War should remain as such, by simply repealing the Ordinance of Secession. Additionally, he was against Holden and other reconstruction leaders.
My great great grandfather, The Father Of The NC Bar, words below.
"Holden's impeachment is demanded by a sense of public virtue and due regard to the honor of the state. He is an exceedingly corrupt man and ought to be placed before the people as a public example of a tyrant condemned and punished."

Bartholomew F. Moore: Tribute To/On Holden/State V Will

His son, George, joined the Confederate Army, but was captured, and sent to Elmira, The Death Camp of the North. He survived and I have letters from my great, great in the 1870's that allude to the fact that he was afraid that George would never amount to anything, as he seemed to have no purpose left in life after his imprisonment. He actually took George to New York to visit Elmira after the War, but makes no mention as to why. Perhaps, he thought that this would help him.

Elmira, The Death Camp Of The North (My Great Uncle)

The link below contains the reminiscences of two of his slaves. I have the picture in my home that is shown of his namesake, Isaac B. F. Moore.

The stories are tedious, because of the dialect, but some are short. The two best I think are "Isaac Voting the Democratic Ticket" & "Isaac Watching his Corn at Night, Hears it Growing." In the latter, it is interesting that he owns a musket, pistol, sword, and dirk.

Reminiscences of Isaac and Sukey, Slaves of B. F. Moore, of Raleigh, N.C.1907
Also:

Bartholomew Figures Moore, His Life

Isaac Voting the Democratic Ticket.

One day I met one of dese highfalutin' nigger women who puts on so many airs; she says to me, "I'm a great mind to shoot you, you ole rascal, fur votin' dat ticket." "Well, madam, if your fingers ken play on de trigger enny faster dan mine, crack a' loose."

NOTE.--He was always a good Democrat back when Democrats were the opposite of today's.

Isaac Watching his Corn at Night Hears it Growing.

Dese niggers what don't work kep stealin' my corn out de field, so I says to myself I'll ketch de stinkin' rascal an' have him struck nine thirty on his naked hide; So I takes my True Blue musket, my pistol, my sword, an' my dirk to de field an' hides myself. I watched all de live long night, an' nobody cum, but God knows I neber heerd corn grow so fast in my life. 'Twas nately poppin' an' crackin' all night long.