A Georgia Man Writes from Frederic City, Maryland, Hoping to Liberate Some ‘greenies’ from the “Hamites or the ‘freedmen’” Celebrating Passage of the “dirty 15th Amendment”

The Fifteenth Amendment provides that voting rights could not be based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude (slavery). It was ratified by enough states to become part of the Constitution on February 3, 1870. Maryland rejected it on February 26, 1870 – but finally did ratify it on May 7,1973.

With:

THOMAS FAYETTE. Autograph Letter Signed ("Fayette"), to "Dear coz Mattie," Salem, VA, December 4, 1866. 4 pp. 4½ x 7¾ in. With stamped envelope

With:

FANNIE WALLACE. Autograph Letter Signed, to "My dear sister & brother," Sweet water, August 12, 1873. "In the midst of all I gave James a teaspoonful of Hartshorn in mistake for 'Soothing Syrup' – came near killing him and me too. Dr happened to be siting by my bedside…" 2 pp. 7½ x 9¾ in.

"Where, think ye that I am? And why here? Ans: I'm in the woods, all alone, two miles from Frederic City, with the rain battering on my English duck (cloth) roof, waiting for the 'great day' (not of de Land) to come when all of 'Manhood' & 'Progress' and the 'Spirit of the Age' (!!) shall gather themselves together in a representative capacity & duly celebrate the privileges & equal rights, they are made to enjoy & also to grow grandiloquently 'majestic' over the dirty 15th Amendment to the Constitution of the U.S.! 'Then why am I here?' Just to 'take in', 'gobble up', 'secure' & 'get' a few dollars in greenbacks out of the motley throng of 'trooly loil' that is here to congregate on Whit-Monday. I will have three days holidays here in this sylvan retreat & with the waters of the peace & war famed Monocacy Creek sounding in my ears & the lovely valley of the same beautiful stream spread out for miles before my vision...I came here, ten miles, & 'stationed' myself in the 'way' to 'catch the Hamites or the 'freedmen' & some of their 'greenies'. I may go from Frederic City to Harper's Ferry at one of these two places, & want to put my car or 'gallery' on the cars & take it westward of the great Appalachian or Alleghany range of mountains...I may 'close out' this summer, return south & die there when my time comes. I have just a little touch of the Texas fever...Georgia is the place where my thoughts do the most often go...South-western Texas, would, I think, be still better for me...this life is unsatisfying, that his world is not our home, not our continuing city, not our 'abiding place'..."