Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 63

4 FEATURE SECTION Sunday, May 17, 1931 flow AMca's Cargo' Came to America pi SipftSSfe pWSSif If i i a. so sia ii ii it -jv. tK JJm rW. Alii- ifiM Wkif Mm. BY HARVEY KLEMMER.

"OW it can be told! Much has been written of the schooner Wanderer, last l'('w nv: vtT) A1' 'i WXlcJ I vessel to transport a cargo of human misery from the jungles of Africa to the slave marts of the south. Now The Free Press is privileged to present, for the first time, its full story as told by the only living person familiar with its details Mrs. Endor Montmollin, daughter-in-law of John S. de Montmollin, who conceived and carried out the daredevil plot to land one more cargo of slaves before the rising tide of abolition should have banished slavery from the land. Mm.

Montmollin, now living In Milwaukee, hag been visiting her daughter-in-law, Mrs. John S. de Montmollin, and family, at 19447 Evergreen road. Her on met death In a garage accident at River Rouge a year ago. She told the story of the Wanderer's last slave trading expedition in detail.

"Black cargo" had been coming out of Africa for 400 years when John de Montmollin conceived his daring scheme. The first voyager to sight the West African coast was Henry the Navigator, intrepid Portuguese mariner of the fifteenth century. His men pierced the Sea of Darkness as early as 1445, following the shore southward for 2,000 miles. They brought back to Portugal Africa- three fateful Eif(s to the white race gold, Ivory and slaves. In 148 Bartholomew Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and nine years later Vasco de Gama sailed into Table Hay.

Four centuries thereafter traders comlifd the fetid Jungles of the Dark Continent for the wealth of human brawn. Four centuries of jousting with fate came to a thrilling climax in the Wanderer lone survivor of the strangest treasure hunt In history. The first slave traders faced a formidable array of terrors. The sea was Pictured as the abode of terrible monsters who pulled down ships and devoured the men. John de Montmollin, buttressed by Ave generations of sea-faring ancestors.

Island. The water supply had run low several days before. Tbe slaves, upon landing, ran to a nearby pond, where they drank go ravenously of the stale water that many ot them came down with water colic. At Jekyl Island the crating tn which tbe prisoners had been confined was dumped overboard and the vessel cleared ot all traces of her illegal venture. The ship then put to sea again, crossed Tyler Bar and proceeded to Savannah.

That night the tug C. A. Lamar took the blacks on board, stowed them in the hold and steamed into Savannah passing the wharves at noon when everyone had gone to lunch. She carried the slaves up the river and landed them on the exact spot where the Savannah Charleston railroad now crosses tbe river. One boy fell overboard and was drowned; the others were marched over the damg in a rice field to a knoll In the river swamp, now known as Jones KnolL There they built cane huts and left tbe Negroes in charge of Sambo, Temot and Banistej, three of da Montmollin's trusted Negro servants.

Even now the perils of the expedition were not over. The slaves had been on the knoll a couple of months when a crew of engineers surveying for the railroad came through the swamp. The camp accordingly had to be abandoned and the Negroes taken to another knoll, known as the Cornhouse Ridge, where they remained until they could speak English well enough to be taken out without danger of anyone learning their history. Two of them, left behind in the rice field when they fell asleep, were discovered and eventually turned over to the United States marsnall. Only through a daring ruse was de Montmollin able to get them back.

Blacking his face, de Montmollin had himself dragged to the Jail by two friends, who asked the jailer to lock him up. As soon as the Jailer opened the door, the three men took his keys and released the two slaves, stuffed a roll of bills into the Jailer's pocket and left him bound and gagged. Meanwhile the news had spread all over the countryside that the Wanderer had brought in a cargo of slaves. The ship was seized by the government, and a large searching party sent to Montmollin's plantation. He served the searchers a sumptuous dinner, with plenty of wine, and they returned to town in good humor.

The Wanderer was guarded by a host of deputies, which caused the owner to suggest to Maxey Boston, collector of the port, that he take the ship's sails and dispense with the deputies. To this Boston acceded and a crew of sallmakers accordingly came down from Charleston, S. to remove the sails and deliver them to the custom house. While removing the sails, however, the sail-makers took measurements tor another set. One dark night they were put on and the Wanderer again scampered out -to sea.

When daylight came, she could be seen Just going over the bar. Boston was wild. "You told me that the Wanderer could not sail without sails," he shrieked to Montmollin. "So I did," replied the latter, "and if you will look, Boston, you will see that the Wanderer is now carrying a very fine suit of sails." After many more thrilling adventures, the ship finally was sold to parties In Boston and taken north. De Montmollin met his death in the explonion of the steamer J.

O. Lawton (luring her famous race with the steamer Excel on June 9, 1859. Captain Currie died years ago in California, Old Gazemba lived until shortly before the close of the Civil war. The Portuguese sailors, who had been hired at regular wages, were to receive four Negroes each, which they were to sell for $400 a head in gold to their employer as soon as the slaves were landed. Captain Currie was paid off with 10 Negroes, which he too wag to sell at the same price to de Montmollin.

The transaction thus bound all parties alike, as it was contrary to law to bring the slaves into the country, to own them or to sell them. The Negroes were put to work in the rice fields. In order to make them learn they were prohibited from talking in their own language. They never forgot how to sing in their native tongue, however, and while they were at work could be heard singing such lines as Tou-ta Dol-de-Dol, Tuesa-fromontau. Ante umph, Triesa-go-cella ha, Mundele a Malapho umph; Touya! Touya! Un Kalanda! They were very fond of fish and frogs, which they ate raw.

it was hard to make them eat cooked food, or to use salt in any way. They caught fish with their bands from boles in the river bank. All were good swimmers, both male and female. They were quiet and did good work when they got used to it Some of them are still alive today, ending in peace and contentment the savage adventure which began in a Congo hut Mrs. Endor de Montmollin, who reveals for the first time the accurate story of the spectacular dash of the schooner Wanderer for African "Black Cargo," was a recent Detroit visitor.

Her home Is In Milwaukee. She Is shown In No. 2. Her grandson. No.

1, Is the fifth generation to bear the name John de Montmollin, the others being shown above as Son. 4, 5 and 6. John de Montmollin II, the wealthy slave trader, whose exploits are recorded here, is shown as No. 6. Mrs.

de Mont-mollln's son, who was killed in a garage accident at River Rouge a year ago, is No. i. Day so that the Wanderer could get by the revenue cutter without being stopped for search. Mrs. Montmollin never coast of Africa in search of palm oil.

It was arranged that when the vessel returned she was to come In near the no monsters or deadly fog. He to contend with much more dan-Btous foes, however law, British men-ofar, treachery, Portuguese traders ni the savages themselves. His story 18 an enthralling drama of nineteenth century daring. falls to chuckle at this portion of the, light on Big Cumberland Island and mollin asked Captain Post, of the steamship Huntsville, to bring him a sailboat from New York. The smaller boat was Intended merely to divert suspicion from the undertaking, as everyone on the island owned a pleasure boat and not to do so would arouse suspicion.

Captain Post brought back a commodious sloop, rigged with mainsail Jib and top sail, called the Minnie. A Negro pilot was engaged to sail her from Savannah to the island. Meanwhile de Montmollin bad struck up an acquaintanceship with Captain Mulvey Day, who was in command of the United States revenue cutter Dobbin. Day was very fond of his "tea" and was frequently Invited to the Montmollin plantation for dinner. His generous host also found It convenient to loan the captain money, and probably knew more of the cutter's movements than did the genial captain himself.

Supplies for the expedition were bought at auction from Wylly La Koach, of Savannah, who maintained an auction house on the bay near the Exchange. These goods were quietly transferred to the Wanderer under cover of darkness, it being but a step from the back door of the auction house to the vessel. The inventory of goods Included 00 pieces of bright calico and red flannels, 25 kegs of powder, four crates of common crockery, a large quantity of needles and pins, 100 second-hand flint lock muskets, 600 pruning knives, 30 barrels of whisky, a large quantity of beads, of all sizes and colors, and many barrels of hardtack. While the vessel lay at the wharf painters were busy on her hull and superstructurenot to improve the appearance of the ship, as one would surmise, but to keep inquisitive people away. When the vessel had been loaded as far as possible at the wharf, de Mont mollin hired a Captain William Currie and together they started to search for a 't as the year 1858.

Two years be-re the Anti-Slavery Party had been torracd along national lines. A year be-we the Dred Scott decision had been Mned down by the supreme court. vJa "'ere bringing up to $1,600 apiece auction block, and the south Pl1 slave property at John de Montmollin, posHessed of unlimited means and of a flair for determined to take the chance of profit. The first step of course was to secure a ru table vessel. He accordingly left his M.itallon near Savannah, and JOUrncyeH to K'ouf Vm-V mri of sea sickness the first week out.

All of them, without exception, proved to he very fond of the whisky, which they called Malopho. Many of them were carved and tattooed on their thighs, arms and breasts, and nearly all of them had their teeth filed to sharp points. "The voyage almost came to grief two days out from the African coast," Mrs. Montmollin related, "when the ship ran into a British man-of-war. The Wanderer's course was instantly changed to southwest The man-of-war did likewise, and the chase was on.

"It was now near sundown. The wind began to rise, and the little vessel fairly flew through the water. The slaves were all kept below deck. Captain Currie knew that his only hope of escape lay In the darkness slowly stealing over the surface of the sea. "Soon the lookout Jn the crow'a nest sighted another steam vessel off the starboard bow.

This, too, Joined in the chase, compelling Captain Currie to change bis course again. He soon discovered that the two vessels were the Styx and the Buzzard, both British men-of-war patrolling the coast. "The Wanderer was not to be captured, however, not even by armed war vessels. The wind gradually increased in intensity during the night, enabling the Wanderer to leave her pursuers far in the rear. About midnight Captain Currie changed his course and shortened sail.

When daylight came he was 300 miles off his course, but the Styx and the Buzzard were nowhere in sight. "During the night the fore-topmast had been carried away in the storm. This was replaced as soon as the storm abated. It was three months before the American coast was sighted." Then began what was probably the most trying portion ot the trip, the effort to land the Wanderer's human cargo without running afoul of federal or local authorities. Captain Currie and de Montmollin played a bold hand and, after many trying days, succeeded In transferring the slaves to a secluded point up the river.

For two days Captain Currie lay offshore, then decided to land on Jekyl ii In search of a fast, seaworthy narrative. "The Dobbin lay at anchor In the stream, not a hundred yards from the Wanderer," she laughed. "Only Captain Day's love ot good Madeira wine enabled the Wanderer to get away. "Mr. de Montmollin went to the Exchange dock, hailed the cutter and asked Captain Day out to dinner.

Once at the table, they started on the Madeira. Captain Currie later Joined them. By that time Captain Day was hors de combat, apparently sound asleep. "Even then the battle -was not won, for Just as Mr. de Montmollin handed Captain Currie a packet of instructions which he was to open when 400 miles offshore, Captain Day awoke.

"Mind you, Currie, that the English don't get you," Mr. Montmollin was saying. 'That's put In Captain Day, 'don't let them get you, Currie. Captain Day didn't know what he was saying, however, and Captain Currie Immediately hurried away to his vessel. "A few moments later the tugboat C.

A. L. Lamar quietly came alongside and the Wanderer was on her way down the river, beaded for the open eea. That was In June, 1S58. She was towed over the bar by the tug, and at once Bet sail.

The tug returned to the city while the Wanderer laJV to until the following night, when she entered Cabbage Island Sound and picked up the material which had been left for her there. By daylight she was well on her w-a sirrosS the vast expanse of the Atlantic, straining under a full spread of canvas and far beyond any possibility of pursuit. The Wanderer had cleared for the watch for signals, flags by day and flares by night. One flag or flare denoted that all was safe; more than one flag or flare was a warning that the ship was to stand away as there was danger. Captain Currie'a orders were to proceed up the Congo river and effect a trade with the Portuguese traders, offering them such stuff as the ship carried in exchange for Negroes.

The Wanderer, being a fast ship, made the crossing In two months. Navigation along the coast wag extremely dangerous and the ship several times scraped the rocks. Finally she got into the river and, with the aid of the traders, was worked some 20 miles Inland. Taking no chances on native raids or treachery on the part of the traders, Currie anchored In the middle of the stream and kept a strict watch. He soon made a bargain for a cargo of 338 young Negroes.

They were immediately put aboard and the ship tuade ready to return. Among the slaves was one not included in the count, an old chieftain named Gazemba, who exercised a great influence over the rest. Most of the natives were naked, a few wearing clouts made of grass cloth. Old Gazemba wore a bunch of grass back ot each ear, and regularly every hour he blew a tune on a small calabash. He was as good as a clock In this respect, and never failed day or night to blow the calabash on the hour.

Gazemba was given the freedom of tho deck. The others were put between decks. Although they were taken out 20 at a time for air, and given whisky from time to time, four of the prisoners died ship. Ml fnund hat he want' th' appropriately named Wanderer, she had been used as a asure boat by a wealthy northerner 2, hen hl wife died aboard ship, Prompny put the boat up fQr sa(e De ami hf0liia bou6ht the ship on the spot The i a crew t0 88,1 her to Savannah. 4 -e he discharged the crew and quiet-' wgan fittmg out tne wanderer for faangeroua mission.

Tne first ston The ks for storing of the 'cargo. was se- lur taeee aecas hauled to th ti of Hon. lnnr suitable crew. Fortunately a Porttr guese ship came Into port at that time --I ii Biann needed for the voy- A large wagon, covered with rice as used for the purpose. and Captain Currie.

who spoke the language, induced the entire crew to ship on the Wanderer. The next step wag to beguile Captain been Mont- the Isle of Hope, de.