Mintie Patterson (b.
1813 - d. 1885)
MSA SC 5496-51286
Fled from slavery, Dorchester County, Maryland
Biography:
Mintie Patterson was a slave of the Stack family, residing in Caroline County. Her 1885 obituary in the Denton Journal states that Mintie belonged to Peter Stack, and was "rather comely and of a light color," in her younger years.1 While Stack did not officially record the presence of any female slaves or indentures during the relevant era, many of his nearby relatives did.2 It was common practice for Eastern Shore whites to informally lend the services of their slaves, even for years at a time. It is also possible that Mintie, who was noted for having light skin, may have been confused for a white or freed woman by census takers. Regardless, the newspaper piece cites her complexion as an unfortunate characteristic, which made it quite easy for Stack to sell her to a southern trader "at a good price."3 Slaveowners, not wishing to tarnish their public images, often completed such transactions privately, which would account for its absence from any county sales, land or chattel records.4 In Mintie's case, it was allegedly Peter Stack's wife Priscilla who adamantly opposed the sale and even assisted the slave in her escape.
The unnamed trader would hire several locals in an attempt to track the woman down. The account claims that Mintie was hiding nearby her former residence and even observed the men who were searching for her. They would eventually give up their pursuit, and Stack was forced to refund the purchase money that would have likely yielded him a sizable profit. He would go on to negotiate her sale to Daniel Cannon, of Dorchester County, who would have to take his chances of finding the fugitive.5 With no further elaboration, the obituary states that "she soon after became one of Mr. Cannon's family ... and was held in high regard by the entire household."6 Mintie indeed appears in Cannon's household in the 1860 Census, listed as a 45 year old servant.7 When Daniel died in August, 1861, she was noted in his inventory as "Old negro Minty (age 50 years, slave for life)," valued at $20.8 While there is no official record of the sale, the newspaper account contends that the Cannon children allowed Mintie to purchase her freedom "for the nominal sum of $5."9
It is worth noting that publications from this period shortly after the end of slavery often conveyed an apologetic tone toward the institution. Patterson's obituary almost gives the impression that the benevolent Cannons saved Mintie from the cruel fate represented by the "southern trader", despite the fact that they went on to hold her in slavery for a number of years. More likely it was the woman's tenacity and character which played the greatest role in acquiring her own freedom. Members of both white families of record may well have contributed to the story of this "well-known and respected color woman", though Mintie might have related these events differently. Regardless, it was quite surprising for a former slave, especially one who ran away, to receive such a lengthy and positive obituary in an Eastern Shore newspaper in 1885. Mintie Patterson must have had a significant impact on the community, particularly on those white families who appeared to honor her so highly.
Footnotes -
1. "Dashes
Here and There",
3. "Dashes"
4.
5. "Dashes"
6. Ibid.
7. Ancestry.com, 1860, United States Federal Census, Dorchester County, Maryland, District 12, p. 10.
8. DORCHESTER
9. "Dashes."
Researched and Written by David Armenti, 2011.
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