Scotch Plains Baptist Church Caesar (slave) 1759

Scotch Plains, New Jersey

AMONG THE EARLIEST FAMILIES TO SETTLE IN OR ON THE SCOTCH PLAINS SCOTCH AREA WAS THE DRAKE FAMILY WHO WERE AMONG THE FOUNDERS OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN SCOTCH PLAINS, IN 1689.  ONE INTERESTING MEMBER OF THE HOUSEHOLD DURING COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY DAYS WAS CAESAR, WHO WAS BORN IN GUINEA, AFRICA AND WAS WICKEDLY TORN FORM THE LAND OF HIS BIRTH AT COMPARATIVELY EARLY AGE.

BY THE TRADER IN HUMAN FLESTH, HE WAS BROUGHT TO THIS LAND OF FREEDOM, AND SOLD INTO BONDAGE.  FOR MANY YEARS HE MEEKLY BOWED BENEATH THE YOKE, AND FAITHFULLY SERVED HIS LEGAL MASTER.  WHEN ABOUT FIFTY YEARS OF AGE, HE WAS BAPTIZED BY MR. MILLER, AND CONNECTED HIMSELF TO THIS CHURCH.  CAESAR WAS TO BE GIVEN HIS FREEDOM TEN YEARS AFTER HIS MASTERS DEATH, IN 1759.  TEN YEARS OF SERVICE TO NATHANIEL DRAKE, AND THEN HIS FREEDOM!

THE YOUNG MEN IN HIS MASTERS FAMILY SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WASR, BUT CAESAR AN OLD MAN HELPED WITH PRAYERS AND EXHORTATIONS THAT WERE REMEMBERED FOR MANY YEARS.  HE HIVED TO BE 104 YEARS OLD, AND WAS BURIED IN THE CHURCHYARD IN 1806, NEAR THE MEETING HOSE HE LOVED SO WELL.

Written by: Scotch Plains Baptist Church