© by Tsitsi Ella Jaji
Matilda's Tom
Language: English
When she spell [ ... ]
This text may be copyright, so we will not display it until we obtain permission to do so or discover it is public-domain.
The following advertisement from the Freedom on the Move database inspired this text:
$40 Reward. RANAWAY from the subscriber, six miles west of Greensborough, on the 23d of June last, a bright mulatto fellow named TOM, 23 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, stout made, no flesh marks recollected, has a stern countenance when spoken to. Also a black woman, the wife of said fellow, by the name of MATILDA, about 20 years old, 5 feet 4 inches high, has a glum down look when spoken to; has holes in her ears for rings, and has rather bumby face -- their clothes cannot be described, as they took away all they had, and none particularly recollected. It is supposed that they will endeavour to get to Mobile or Pensacola, either by land or water. It is rather presumed they will try to impose themselves as free negroes, to some barge, as the fellow can read print, & I have good grounds to believe he can write. The above reward will be paid if taken and secured in some jail so I get them out of the county, or $30 if taken within this county. Benjamin Brown. Green County, (Ala.) July 4. 63c Mobile Commercial Register September 18, 1823
Authorship:
- by Tsitsi Ella Jaji , copyright © [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Shawn Okpebholo (b. 1981), "Matilda's Tom", subtitle: "An anthem" [ voice and piano ], from Songs in Flight, no. 8 [sung text checked 1 time]
This text was added to the website: 2023-10-04
Line count: 19
Word count: 69