Cela se passe aux États-Unis. La lettre est en anglais, puis dans une traduction en
français. La chute n'est pas piquée des vers :
Dayton, Ohio,
August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee
Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come
back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring
Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me
twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha
and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the
Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.
I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I
get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are
learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying,
"Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many
darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage
to move back again.
As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free
papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly;
and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and
friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount
to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me,
and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to
pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to
me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more
than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.
In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown
up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the
violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is
to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.
Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.
From your old servant,
Jourdon Anderson.
Dayton, Ohio,
August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee
Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better
for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never
heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your
being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them
all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me
that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.
I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and
clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for
a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee.
The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you
master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.
As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the
Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking
you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two
years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this
the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what
we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith
in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations
without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of
reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.
In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with
poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will
also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form
virtuous habits.
Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.
From your old servant,
Jourdon Anderson.
Dayton, Ohio,
7 août 1865
A mon ancien maître, le colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee
Monsieur: J’ai reçu votre lettre et j’ai été content de découvrir que vous n’aviez pas oublié Jourdon, et que vous voudriez que je revienne pour vivre à nouveau avec
vous, en me promettant de faire mieux pour moi que ce que quiconque pourrait faire. Je me suis souvent senti mal à l’aise à votre sujet. Je pensais que les Yankees vous avaient pendu depuis
longtemps, pour avoir hébergé les rebelles [les C
onfédérés] qu’ils avaient découverts dans votre maison. Je suppose qu’ils n’avaient pas entendu parler de vous, allant chez le colonel Martin pour tuer le soldat de
l’Union qui avait été laissé dans son étable par sa compagnie.
Bien que vous m’ayez tiré dessus à deux reprises avant que je vous quitte, je ne vous voulais pas de mal et je suis heureux de constater que vous êtes encore en vie.
Cela me ferait du bien de revenir dans cette chère vieille maison, et de voir Mlle Mary et Miss Martha, et Allen, Esther, Green et Lee. Transmettez leur à tous mon affection, et dites leur que
j’espère que nous nous rencontrerons dans un monde meilleur, si ce n’est dans celui-ci. Je serais bien revenu vous voir tous quand je travaillais à l’hôpital de Nashville, mais un des voisins
m’avait dit que Henry [le colonel, NdT] avait l’intention de me tuer s’il en avait l’occasion.
Je vous que vous sachiez à quel point votre proposition représente une bonne opportunité pour moi. Je me débrouille assez bien ici. Je gagne 25 $ par mois, plus la
nourriture et l’habillement ; j’ai un foyer confortable pour Mandy, – les gens d’ici l’appellent Mme Anderson – et les enfants – Milly, Jane et Grundy – vont à l’école et travaillent bien.
Le professeur dit que Grundy est fait pour être prédicateur. Ils vont à l’école du dimanche, et Mandy et moi allons régulièrement à l’église. Nous sommes considérés avec respect. Nous entendons
parfois des gens dire, « Ces gens de couleur étaient des esclaves là-bas dans le Tennessee. » Les enfants se sentent mal à l’aise quand ils entendent ce genre de propos, mais je leur
dis que ce n’était pas une honte dans le Tennessee d’appartenir au colonel Anderson. Beaucoup de noirauds auraient été fiers, comme je l’étais, de vous appeler maître. Maintenant, si vous
m’écriviez pour me dire quelle rémunération vous me donneriez, je serais plus à même de décider s’il serait à mon avantage de revenir.
Quant à ma liberté, dont vous dites que je peux l’avoir, il n’y a aucun gain possible de ce côté puisque j’ai obtenu mes papiers d’émancipation en 1964 auprès du
Prévôt Général de Nashville. Mandy dit qu’elle aurait peur de revenir sans quelques preuves que vous être disposé à nous traiter avec justice et bonté, et nous avons convenu de tester votre
sincérité en vous demandant de nous envoyer nos appointements pour la période pendant laquelle nous vous avons servi. Ce qui nous permettra de solder de vieux comptes et de nous fier à cotre sens
de la justice et à votre amitié à l’avenir. Je vous ai servi fidèlement pendant 32 ans, et Mandy pendant 22 ans. À 25 $ mensuels pour moi, et 3 $ la semaine pour Mandy, les arriérés de salaires
devraient s’élever à 11608 dollars. Si on ajoute les intérêts pour la période pendant laquelle nos appointements ne nous ont pas été versés, et si on déduit ce que vous avez payé pour notre
habillement, et trois visites du médecin pour moi et l’extraction d’une dent pour Mandy, le solde montrera ce à quoi nous avons droit en toute justice. Envoyez s’il vous plait l’argent via Adams
Express aux bons soins de V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. Si vous ne payez pas nos loyaux services d’autrefois, nous ne pourrons avoir que faiblement confiance en vos promesses pour
l’avenir.
Nous sommes certains que le Créateur dans sa bonté vous a ouvert les yeux sur tout le tort que vous et vos ancêtres avez causé à moi-même et à mes ancêtres, en nous
faisant travailler pour vous pendant des générations sans récompense. Ici, j’empoche mon salaire chaque samedi soir ; mais sans le Tennessee, il n’y avait jamais de jour de paye pour les
nègres pas plus que pour les chevaux ou les vaches.
Le jour viendra certainement où ceux qui privent les travailleurs de leurs droits devront rendre des comptes.
Passez le bonjour à George Carter, et remerciez-le de vous avoir pris le pistolet avec lequel vous me tiriez dessus.
Votre vieux serviteur,
Jourdon Anderson
Traduit de l’anglais par Djazaïri
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