Celia and Josiah
Slavery is a big part of the story of the Port Tobacco River. I could have chosen to focus this painting on the handsome Georgian style home known as LaGrange that sits on the south side of Maryland Route 6 just west La Plata built by one of Pre-Revolutionary War Port Tobacco’s most notable individuals, Dr James Craik. I chose instead to tell the story of one of the slaves reportedly born there. His name, Josiah Henson. We know about Josiah Henson largely because of the book he later wrote, The Life of Josiah Henson. The story of his life became the basis for Harriett Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly, published in 1852 which in turn is often cited as the spark that ignited the American Civil War and abolition of slavery.
Celia was owned by Dr Josiah McPherson of Charles County. At the time of this painting, she was 49; Josiah 8. McPherson had leased her to Francis Newman who recently purchased LaGrange from Craik’s son, William. She was apparently married to a slave thought to have been called “Mason” who was then owned by Newman. She had three girls and three boys, the youngest of which was Josiah. At some point one of Newman’s overseers, attracted to Celia, sent her to work in a remote field where he overpowered and raped her. Mason heard her screams and ran to her aid. He attacked the overseer with such ferocity that Celia pleaded for Mason to stop. Mason spared the man, but word quickly spread through the community that a black man had committed the cardinal sin of striking a white man. Mason was hunted down, chained to a pole, and given 100 brutal lashes. Nearly dead, his right ear was then nailed to that pole and cut off. Mason changed after the beating and was later sent to Alabama. Celia and their children never saw him again. Dr McPherson, a much kinder man, immediately retrieved Celia and her children and brought them back to his plantation. Three years later a heavily intoxicated McPherson fell off his horse and drowned in a small stream barely deep enough to cover his shoes. Fate was delivering another cruel blow. Celia and her remaining children were to be auctioned off to settle the estate. A list of Dr McPherson’s assets at the time of his death shows Celia, age 50 and “infirm.” Her value, $50. Josiah, then nine, was also classified as “infirm.” His worth was set at $30. When it came time for the auction, Celia pleaded to keep Josiah. She clung to him but was ripped away and brutally kicked. Celia was bought by Isaac Riley of Rockville, MD. Josiah was sold to Adam Robb who lived 40 miles away. A sickly Josiah, nine years old with no one to care for him, however proved a bad prospective investment and Robb negotiated with Riley to buy Josiah. He did, and with Celia as his nurse, Josiah grew to be exceedingly strong and intelligent. He was loyal almost to a fault and trustworthy. Celia appears to have lived at least to 1832. She was a deeply religious person, and she communicated her faith to Josiah. Josiah became a Methodist minister at a young age and remained a tower of spiritual strength throughout his life. Josiah served the cruel Riley faithfully until Riley’s broken promises and deceptions became too much. Henson, by now living with his wife and young children on Riley’s brother’s plantation near Louisville, KY, escaped. A fugitive continually under the threat of capture and return, Henson led his family from Kentucky through the frontier woods of Indiana and Ohio to Canada. He founded a settlement for refugee slaves in Canada and served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. After the publication of his autobiography and Harriett Beecher Stowe’s subsequent book, Henson traveled extensively in the United States and Great Britain speaking and lecturing about his life, raising awareness of the evils of slavery, and soliciting funding for the Canadian settlement he founded, Dresden. Henson died in Dresden Canada on May 5, 1883. Henson’s remarkable life and legacy can be discovered in his autobiography and in Jared Brock’s recent The Road to Dawn: Josiah Henson and the Story that Sparked the Civil War. A new Josiah Henson Museum and Park has recently opened at Isaac Riley’s former home of Rockville. Oil on canvas 20x36 inches
Celia was owned by Dr Josiah McPherson of Charles County. At the time of this painting, she was 49; Josiah 8. McPherson had leased her to Francis Newman who recently purchased LaGrange from Craik’s son, William. She was apparently married to a slave thought to have been called “Mason” who was then owned by Newman. She had three girls and three boys, the youngest of which was Josiah. At some point one of Newman’s overseers, attracted to Celia, sent her to work in a remote field where he overpowered and raped her. Mason heard her screams and ran to her aid. He attacked the overseer with such ferocity that Celia pleaded for Mason to stop. Mason spared the man, but word quickly spread through the community that a black man had committed the cardinal sin of striking a white man. Mason was hunted down, chained to a pole, and given 100 brutal lashes. Nearly dead, his right ear was then nailed to that pole and cut off. Mason changed after the beating and was later sent to Alabama. Celia and their children never saw him again. Dr McPherson, a much kinder man, immediately retrieved Celia and her children and brought them back to his plantation. Three years later a heavily intoxicated McPherson fell off his horse and drowned in a small stream barely deep enough to cover his shoes. Fate was delivering another cruel blow. Celia and her remaining children were to be auctioned off to settle the estate. A list of Dr McPherson’s assets at the time of his death shows Celia, age 50 and “infirm.” Her value, $50. Josiah, then nine, was also classified as “infirm.” His worth was set at $30. When it came time for the auction, Celia pleaded to keep Josiah. She clung to him but was ripped away and brutally kicked. Celia was bought by Isaac Riley of Rockville, MD. Josiah was sold to Adam Robb who lived 40 miles away. A sickly Josiah, nine years old with no one to care for him, however proved a bad prospective investment and Robb negotiated with Riley to buy Josiah. He did, and with Celia as his nurse, Josiah grew to be exceedingly strong and intelligent. He was loyal almost to a fault and trustworthy. Celia appears to have lived at least to 1832. She was a deeply religious person, and she communicated her faith to Josiah. Josiah became a Methodist minister at a young age and remained a tower of spiritual strength throughout his life. Josiah served the cruel Riley faithfully until Riley’s broken promises and deceptions became too much. Henson, by now living with his wife and young children on Riley’s brother’s plantation near Louisville, KY, escaped. A fugitive continually under the threat of capture and return, Henson led his family from Kentucky through the frontier woods of Indiana and Ohio to Canada. He founded a settlement for refugee slaves in Canada and served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. After the publication of his autobiography and Harriett Beecher Stowe’s subsequent book, Henson traveled extensively in the United States and Great Britain speaking and lecturing about his life, raising awareness of the evils of slavery, and soliciting funding for the Canadian settlement he founded, Dresden. Henson died in Dresden Canada on May 5, 1883. Henson’s remarkable life and legacy can be discovered in his autobiography and in Jared Brock’s recent The Road to Dawn: Josiah Henson and the Story that Sparked the Civil War. A new Josiah Henson Museum and Park has recently opened at Isaac Riley’s former home of Rockville. Oil on canvas 20x36 inches