Charlotte Scott Dead

The Colored Woman Whose Name Appears
on the Lincoln Statue Passes Away

At 736 10th street northwest in a frame tenement house of not very pretentious appearance lives a colored family, the members of which, representing three generations, are mourning the death of Mrs. Scott, a colored woman, whose name at one time doubtless upon lips of every man and woman in the United States and is now read by the thousands who annually visit the Lincoln statue in Lincoln Park.

Inscribed upon one of the bronze tablets resting upon the base is the following.

Freedom's Memorial.
———
In grateful memory of
Abraham Lincoln.
This monument was erected
By the Western Sanitary Commission
Of St. Louis, Mo.,
With funds contributed solely by
Emancipated citizens of the United States
Declared free by big proclamation
January 1, A. D. 1868.
The first contribution of five dollars made
by Charlotte Scott, a freed woman of
Virginia, being ber first earnings
in freedom and consecrated
By her suggestion and request
On the day she heard of President Lincoln's
Death to Build Monument to His Memory.

The woman whose name is thus honored died Saturday night, the 24th instant, at her home, , Reusens, a little railroad station about four miles from Lynchburg, in the one hundred and ninth year of her age. As stated in the inscription, she was the first to contribute to the erection of a monument to Abraham Lincoln and at that time lived in Marietta, Ohio. It is said that when she heard of the assassination of the President she exclaimed: "Lord, have mercy Mr. Lincoln is killed!, He ought to have a monument and I am going to give the last cent I have for it," and immmediately contributed —perhaps through Prof. J. M. Langston, who was living in Marietta at the tune and knew her intimately -- the sum of $5. The "St. Louis commission." as it is known, was soon afterward formed and, taking this $5 as a nucleus, collected the fund for the erection of the famous emancipation group that now adorns Lincoin Park.

The Unveiling of the Statue

took place April 14, 1876, and in order to honor the name and person who had made the first contribution, Mrs. Scott, through the instrumentalitv oi Prof. J. M. Langwton, who by authority of Congress was chairman of the committee, and Frederick Douglass who was orator of the day, was brought on and given a prominent place In the procession und exercises. Her picture was taken and many thousands of them sold, from which a large revenue was derived and which was devoted to paying for the monument. While here she was the recipient of many attentions and met all the leading promoters of the scheme and many of the prominent men of the day.

A Sketch of Life.

Charlotte Scott born a slave on what is still known us the Scott plantation, near Lynchburg, and took and retained the name of her owners. Somc years before the war she went to Marietta, Ohio, the maid of Mrs. Dr. Rucker. nee Margaret Scott, and there she was set free some two years prior to the emancipation proclamation of President Lincoln, Jannary 1, 1863. Notwithstanding her freedom she returned to her old friends on the farm of her nativity shortly after the cessation of hostilities, and from the "old folks" readilv obtained four acres or land, upon which she built a modest but comfortable home, in order, as she said, to be near "her Chillun," as she called the members of the Scott family to the day of her death. Her confidence an her "old folks" never flagged and It was not misplaced.

In this City lives her daughter, Mrs. China Brice; her granddaughter. Mrs. Alice Anderson Lewis, and ber great granddaughter, Mary Anderson. all at 736 10th street northwest. Mrs. Brice left last evening for Lynchburg thence to Reusens to attend the funeral and burial ceremonies, which will take place tomorrow or Wednesday.

Mrs. Scott had twelve children, six sons, all of whom are dead, and six duughters, some of whom are well known among their race. Mrs. China Scott of Philadelphia, Mrs. Emma Turner of Baltimore, Mrs. Maria Williams of Lynchburg, Mrs. Mary Cole, who lives with her mother, and Mrs. Rachel Scott, who lives in the same neighborhood.