The Ozark Plantation (Series #3))Old Shep Hightower (And a boy named Josh) #1
Series #3
The Ozark Plantation
(and a Boy Named Josh)
Old Shep Hightower
(And a boy named Josh) #1
The Ozark Plantation (Series #3)) Old Shep Hightower (and a boy named Josh) #1
Shep Hightower came from New York State, in the Mid 1700s, they say around 1759 he appeared off a ship with some sailors, he was at that time, twenty-five years old, and made his way to what now is called Ozark, Alabama, in the dead of summer, perhaps around the year 1761, or so. Mrs. Hightower, back then, a Miss when she came up from New Orleans, some time thereafter, she was quite young, a few months past sixteen years old, she sat high-headed in a wagon, Shep remembered that, so he would tell in later years: they never even kissed until they got married, so he told everyone likewise, all the folks said in Ozark years later they just kissed where no one could see them.
John Abernathy, gave his brother, for his daughter $25,000-dollars to give to her upon her marriage day, this was in his will, and Jeff kept his word, a the wedding gift was all Shep needed to purchase what would turn out to be one of the riches plantations in and around the Ozark area, all 450-Acres of it.
It was the turn of the century when Charles T. Hightower was born (1800). This was also around the time the plantation was self supporting, and had a good cash flow, when he could afford, and purchased several Negros for his labor in the fields; in addition, it was also the time when Shep would take his trips to New Orleans, excursions he called them, and he never mentioned why to anyone, he just went, and met a Negress, a black woman he fancied, and paid her well for his pleasures, so he could keep it fancy free. Mrs. Judith Hightower, never could, if she wanted to, leave, where would she go? So she put up with, what she felt she had to put up with.
Somehow Shep dodged the war, and continued his affair with his—as he called her, ‘My New Orleans, Hussy,’ he didn’t think anyone knew of the affair, or what was going on, too close to the forest to see the trees, as they say, but Judith new it, and perhaps all of Ozark.
“You shut your mouth,” said Shep to his wife, “if you can give me a child, do it, or I’ll find a way in New Orleans…. (which he had anyway, already done)” And she simply would turn about and walk into the kitchen, sit down at the table, cutup tomatoes, or lattice, and talk to the old black cook, Mammy May, she called her. At night Mammy and Judith would sit by the heath and she’d rock in her chair, feeling the warm flames of the fire, and she’d talk about meeting Mr. Washington, and so forth and so on, and Judith loved those evening, Shep would be in New Orleans usually during those nights.
No one knew how Judith actually got herself engaged with Shep, he would never tell, it just happened one day, people said. Mrs. Hightower didn’t live a long life, although Shep did. Old Shep changed the birth certificate of Charles Hightower, his first son, and child, it was hard for Judith to live with knowing the truth of the matter, that his hussy gave birth to the white boy, and she raised him, “Well, that’s business,” Shep once told her, she was at his mercy but no gentleman would have believed that, had she screamed it to high heaven, after Charles was born. I mean, she lived well, and there was poverty all around her, who would want to believe it.
It was in the year, or thereabouts, 1807, when Hightower was in New Orleans, when he had met another black woman he took a liking to, she had a boy, and there was a deluge in the city, the Mississippi had flowed over its banks, as a wind and storm filled up the city likewise with its debris, and in the process of the flood, he took the boy, at her request, back with him to his plantation, his name was Josh.
3-3-2007
Notes: Grandpa Hightower [Shep Hightower] 1734-1829 Charles Terrance Hightower [1800-1880]: died of heart attack after years of dealing with his son’s death]
The Ozark Plantation
(and a Boy Named Josh)
Old Shep Hightower
(And a boy named Josh) #1
The Ozark Plantation (Series #3)) Old Shep Hightower (and a boy named Josh) #1
Shep Hightower came from New York State, in the Mid 1700s, they say around 1759 he appeared off a ship with some sailors, he was at that time, twenty-five years old, and made his way to what now is called Ozark, Alabama, in the dead of summer, perhaps around the year 1761, or so. Mrs. Hightower, back then, a Miss when she came up from New Orleans, some time thereafter, she was quite young, a few months past sixteen years old, she sat high-headed in a wagon, Shep remembered that, so he would tell in later years: they never even kissed until they got married, so he told everyone likewise, all the folks said in Ozark years later they just kissed where no one could see them.
John Abernathy, gave his brother, for his daughter $25,000-dollars to give to her upon her marriage day, this was in his will, and Jeff kept his word, a the wedding gift was all Shep needed to purchase what would turn out to be one of the riches plantations in and around the Ozark area, all 450-Acres of it.
It was the turn of the century when Charles T. Hightower was born (1800). This was also around the time the plantation was self supporting, and had a good cash flow, when he could afford, and purchased several Negros for his labor in the fields; in addition, it was also the time when Shep would take his trips to New Orleans, excursions he called them, and he never mentioned why to anyone, he just went, and met a Negress, a black woman he fancied, and paid her well for his pleasures, so he could keep it fancy free. Mrs. Judith Hightower, never could, if she wanted to, leave, where would she go? So she put up with, what she felt she had to put up with.
Somehow Shep dodged the war, and continued his affair with his—as he called her, ‘My New Orleans, Hussy,’ he didn’t think anyone knew of the affair, or what was going on, too close to the forest to see the trees, as they say, but Judith new it, and perhaps all of Ozark.
“You shut your mouth,” said Shep to his wife, “if you can give me a child, do it, or I’ll find a way in New Orleans…. (which he had anyway, already done)” And she simply would turn about and walk into the kitchen, sit down at the table, cutup tomatoes, or lattice, and talk to the old black cook, Mammy May, she called her. At night Mammy and Judith would sit by the heath and she’d rock in her chair, feeling the warm flames of the fire, and she’d talk about meeting Mr. Washington, and so forth and so on, and Judith loved those evening, Shep would be in New Orleans usually during those nights.
No one knew how Judith actually got herself engaged with Shep, he would never tell, it just happened one day, people said. Mrs. Hightower didn’t live a long life, although Shep did. Old Shep changed the birth certificate of Charles Hightower, his first son, and child, it was hard for Judith to live with knowing the truth of the matter, that his hussy gave birth to the white boy, and she raised him, “Well, that’s business,” Shep once told her, she was at his mercy but no gentleman would have believed that, had she screamed it to high heaven, after Charles was born. I mean, she lived well, and there was poverty all around her, who would want to believe it.
It was in the year, or thereabouts, 1807, when Hightower was in New Orleans, when he had met another black woman he took a liking to, she had a boy, and there was a deluge in the city, the Mississippi had flowed over its banks, as a wind and storm filled up the city likewise with its debris, and in the process of the flood, he took the boy, at her request, back with him to his plantation, his name was Josh.
3-3-2007
Notes: Grandpa Hightower [Shep Hightower] 1734-1829 Charles Terrance Hightower [1800-1880]: died of heart attack after years of dealing with his son’s death]
posted by Dennis and Rosa Siluk at 8:53 PM
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