grave import

Obituary

Rachel Bundy; a very aged colored woman, better known as Aunt Rachel was well known to all the old settlers of Burlington, having come to this city about forty years ago. She was first brought here from St. Louis as the slave of one Captain Eastman, and immediately after some persons undertook to procure her liberty on account of her being brought into free territory, and the trail which resulted from this effort acquired considerable notoriety, being held in the Old Zion church, which was then used as the court house. The result was that Aunt Rachel gained her freedom and has ever since lived in Iowa. For several years she lived in the family of Judge Hendershott of Ottumwa, but returned to Burlington and lived in the family of A.W. Carpenter for a number of years. Lately she has lived in a house of her own on South Hill. Aunt Rachel was probably the oldest person in the state of Iowa. Of course her exact age is not known, but by the best evidence that could be obtained by some persons who made diligent inquiries in the neighborhood where she lived before she came to Burlington, she could not have been less than 105 years old. She was a old woman when she came to Burlington, but was brisk and active, and until a few years ago did much work for herself.

An old subscriber of The Gazette, while looking over some ancient papers, came across the following report of the proceedings of the territorial court here concerning the attempt of one Thomas A. Easton, a Missouri slave owner, to regain possession of a negro woman Rachel, who had accompanied him on a trip up the Mississippi river to Burlington. Abolitionists living here, ascertaining that the woman was a slave, secured her release on the grounds that the act of bringing a slave to free soil released her from bondage. The Missourian took the matter to court, over which Hon. Charles Mason presided, but his petition that his slave be returned to him was overruled by the court. Mr. A.W. Carpenter, father of Mr. E.H. Carpenter, took an interest in the woman's welfare and gave her employment at his home, where she lived until advanced age incapacitated her from further labor, when Mr. Carpenter very generously rented a house for her on South Hill and provided her with her daily needs. Upon his death his son took up the zurden and the old woman, known to old Burlingtonians as Aunt Rachel Bundy, lived in plenty and happiness until her death, which occurred in 1879. But Mr. Carpenter's kindness toward her did not end with her death. He purchased burying grounds for her and a near headstone now marks the last resting place of the old slave in Aspen Grove cemetery. At a district court of the United States of America within and for the county of Des Moines, and territory of Iowa, begun and holden at the court house in Burlington, in the said county, on the sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine. Present, the Honorable Charles mason judge. Among the proceedings the following were had: And now this day, to wit-, Tuesday, May seventh, eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, came a certain negro woman named Rachel, claimed as the property of Thomas S. Easton, and now in custody of the sheriff on a write of replevin issued out of the district court in favor of the said Easton against David Hendushett, for the recovery of her, the said negro woman, and filed in open court here, her petition for a writ of habeas corpus to issue to the said sheriff to bring the body of said petitioner into court here with the cause of her detention to be inquired of by the court, and the said writ of habeas corpus is ordered accordingly and thereupon the said sheriff brought the said negro woman into court here with the following return of the said writ of habeas corpus, to-wit: Served this writ by bringing the body of the within named Rachel into open court, together with the cause of her detention, which is by virtue of a writ of replevin hereiwth returned. Wherefor after hearing the arguments of the counsel it was ordered that his court do now adjourn until nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
Wednesday morning, 9 o'clock, May 8th 1839.
Rachel, a negro woman, vs James Camerson, Sheriff-Habeas corpus. And now this day this cause comes up for further hearing, and thereupon Thomas S. Easton aforesaid dismissed his writ of replevin; thereupon it is ordered by the court that the said negro woman named Rachel be discharged from custody of the said Thomas S. Eston, taxed to two dollars and forty-three and three-fourths cents. And now this day came Thomas exhibited and filed his petition and by his attorney moved the court for a precept to arrest a certain negro woman named Rachel, claimed as the property of his the said petitioner, to the end that she may be delivered up to him, the said petitioner, and thereupon after hearing the arguments of counsel and all and singular, the premises having been seen and heard, it is ordered that the said petition be overruled at the costs of the said petitioner, taxed to two dollars and eighteen and three-fourths cents.
Territory or Iowa, Des Moines County
I, John S. Dunlap, clerk of the district court of Des Moines county aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing pages contain a full, true and perfect transcript of the record in the above cases as fully and completely as the same remain of record in the district court. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the temporary seal of said district court at Burlington this thiry-first day of May, Anno Domina one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine. (taken from the evening gazette, Oct. 27, 1904.)