Pleasant Hill History Center

Robert Gordon was born in 1826 in the state of Tennessee.  His youth and manhood were spent on the rich plantation of Dick Bowling, his master. 

The following is an excerpt of an interview with Robert Gordon published in the Dayton News in 1914 when he was 88 years old.

“At the age of 10, I was put to work in the tobacco fields until I reached manhood.  Then I was hired out, my master getting the profit. 

Once I was with my master’s son playing.  He was writing in the sand.  I watched him and found I could make the same figures, and took great delight in doing it.  One day my mistress was out and I showed her what I could do and got a severe beating.

Coming up to 1861, I was hired out as cook for the rebels to Phil Lee, rebel captain at Camp Boone.  I cooked for the officers and was at the battle of Shiloh.  I ran off from their camp and returned to Clarksville and prepared to gain my own freedom or die in the attempt. 

My wife was dead and leaving my boys in mother’s and God’s care, I went to my master and he said he heard I was going to leave.  He took my pocketbook with $12, but I had hidden $75 in gold, belted around my waist.  I bade good-bye to my mother and boys and at 7pm with two other men, started.  We double quicked and walked all night, but the others got afraid and left me alone.  I traveled on and at midnight heard rebel soldiers coming.  I hid in a pile of ashes and they passed without seeing me.  At daybreak I had covered 47 miles.  I saw a slave owner counting his slaves.  On my way I stopped at a cabin and the old auntie gave me something to eat and told me to hasten as the blood hounds were after Dick Bolin’s slave.  I asked for some red pepper and certainly used it.  With the blood hounds almost on me, I at last reached the camp at Fort Donaldson.

The Yankees and Captain Hardy came to my assistance and had the men who were chasing me put into jail as spies.  I went on picket duty with the boys. 

Thank God there I met Captain Isaiah Brandon of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, who was determined I should have my freedom.  We came through the lines, I as his servant.  I came to Pleasant Hill and met some real men, the Hills, Whitmers and others.  One woman in particular, Mrs. Jacob Reiber, washed and mended my clothes, despite the abuse she got.

I then heard the call for arms and enlisted that I might get my revenge and saw face to face my master’s son in line.  I enlisted in the 5^th heavy artillery; was General Slocum’s orderly at Vicksburg; I was injured at Black River.  Our regiment was cut to pieces at Milligan’s Bend.

After the war was over, I returned to Pleasant Hill and settled on a farm owned by Mary Gregg and Sarah Furnas Wells, who were my friends in spite of abuse and outrageous insults we met with every day.

I recall my first voting.  I was the first slave to vote in Miami County.  On learning I was to vote in Pleasant Hill, I met with great opposition - a nigger voting.  I stood still and gave it up, but my friends, the Brandons, Coppocks and others came for me with their guns ready and marched me up to the polls with Nathan Hill with a law book, and I cast my first vote for Lincoln.”

In Tennessee, Robert married Eliza Dorson and had two boys;  Edwin and Eugene.  He married Delphinia Clay in Miami County.  She was one of the original Randolph Slaves.  They lived on a farm on Johnson Road.  Their children were;  Wyatt Gordon, Mrs. Fannie Hall, and Mrs. Geraldine Giles.  He was a member of the Coleman Post, GAR in Troy.

Robert Gordon died October 28, 1914 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Troy, Ohio.  His wife Delphinia Clay Gordon died July 11, 1924 and is buried beside him.

(Mary Gregg and Sarah Furnas Wells were both daughters of Joseph and Patience Furnas)(Joseph Furnas owned the land on Johnson Road before the Gordons.)(They are both buried in Joint-Union Cemetery.)(Sarah Furnas Wells received a PHD and taught at the New York Medical College.  See book about Miami County Women by Gamblee)