Yolo County CA Archives Biographies.....Campbell, Basil 1823 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com December 18, 2005, 3:47 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co.

BASIL CAMPBELL was born in Cooper County, Missouri, March 9, 1823, a slave to
James G. Campbell, whose widow, Mrs. Ellen, is living with her son-in-law,
Jefferson Maxwell, in this county. When thirteen years old, in September, 1836,
he was sold to Joseph Stephens for $700. In 1837, Mr. Stephens died, and for
some four or five succeeding years the slave-boy was put yearly up at auction,
and his services for one year sold to the highest bidder. One of those years, he
was put upon the scales and found to weigh 151 pounds, and taking his place upon
the auction-stand, was bid off at $151 per year by Thomas Adams, a brother of D.
Q. Adams, of this county. A son of the purchaser, T. H. Adams, is this year
working in Yolo County one thousand acres of land, that he hires from the boy
whose services as a slave his father purchased at one dollar per pound. In about
1842, the estate of Mr. Stephens was divided among the heirs, and Basil had to
be sold again, as he could not well be divided, and Mrs. Catherine Stephens, the
widow of the deceased, purchased him for $450 (a depreciation in the market). In
October, 1853, he was again sold to J. D. Stephens, now a banker in Woodland for
$1,200 (stock going up), and the following year, Mr. Stephens came to California
and settled on the south side of Cache Creek, bringing with him his twelve
hundred dollar purchase. Before leaving, an agreement had been entered into
between the parties, to the effect that Basil was to work in California ten
years for Stephens, and have his liberty at the end of that time; one hundred
dollars per year, to be paid annually, was to be given to Basil during that
time, and if, during the ten years, he had money enough to buy his freedom in a
less time, Mr. Stephens was to name a reasonable price. In 1861 he paid $700 for
the remaining three years of his time, and then was free. During those seven
years, Basil had been investing his money in stock, and was worth in 1861
probably $10,000. In 1865, he commenced acquiring real estate, and in 1879, had
2,960 acres, worth about twenty dollars per acre on an average, and between five
and ten thousand dollars' worth of live stock. In 1865 he was elected as a
delegate to attend the State convention of colored people that met at
Sacramento, being chosen as one of the vice-presidents. In 1873, he was again
elected to the State Colored  Convention, and was chosen by that body as a State
delegate to attend the National Colored Convention at Washington, District of
Columbia. He was married to Rebecca Dalton, at Sacramento city, August 5, 1866,
and has an adopted child—Lenora. Mr. Campbell is living upon the proceeds of his
accumulated wealth. He informed us that he considered himself fortunate in his
masters in those days of servitude; that he was always kindly treated; and that
in J. D. Stephens he found a friend rather than a master, who gave him a chance
in the world that few of his race had been favored with.

   In conclusion, we would like to ask you, reader, how many white men of your
acquaintance, think you, could be mentioned that would have fulfilled the
contract of working ten years for freedom, when the law gave it without a cent
as soon as the soil of California was reached, as did this man who had been born
a slave.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/bios/campbell180bs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/

File size: 4.5 Kb