Charles Slover, even at an early age, was one of the wealthiest men in New Bern, much of his riches derived from trade with the West Indies. Charles married and had eight children. He built a beautiful home at 261 Johnson Street which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Next door, at 521 East Front Street, is the Slover-Coor Dependency which served as the kitchen, slave quarters and smokehouse; it is also listed on the Historic Registry. Both houses still stand today.
One of Charles Slover’s ten slaves was Mary Ann Cord, who he purchased in Richmond, Virginia. When Slover had purchased Mary Ann in 1852, she and her entire family consisting of a husband and seven children were on the auction block. She begged to be allowed to bring one of her family members with her, particularly her youngest son Henry. Unfortunately, they were all sold to different masters. Henry told his mother he would one day find her again.
Mary Ann came to New Bern to cook for the Slovers, their eight children and the slaves. Before the Union occupation of New Bern in 1862, Charles Slover left with his family for High Point leaving his slaves behind for their own safety. General Ambrose Burnside of the Union Army soon took the Slover home as his headquarters and John Foster and his staff occupied it after Burnside left New Bern. Mary Ann stayed and cooked for the soldiers.
Meanwhile, her son Henry escaped slavery for freedom in 1854 when he was sixteen years old. He found his way to Elmira, New York and learned the barber trade. While men were being recruited for the Civil War, Henry first hired himself out to one of the commanding officers in a company that was being organized in Elmira. Henry Washington’s name appears in the records of the 27th Congressional District where he is listed as a 23-year-old married Colored laborer from Elmira, born in Maryland. He may have been connected to the 110th Regiment NY Infantry Co F which lists Henry Washington as an “under cook”. Washington evidently finally joined a black regiment that had garrison duty in New Bern.
One day in 1865, Mary Ann looked up and saw a young black man with a scar peering in the window. To her surprise, it was her son, Henry! Before the war, Henry had established himself as a well-known barber in Elmira. One of his clients included Jervis Langdon who would later become the father-in-law of Samuel Clemens, better known as author Mark Twain. After the War, Henry brought his mother back to Elmira. She found a job as a cook at Quarry Farm, the home of Susan Crane, Mark Twain’s sister in law. Mark Twain and his family would spend most summers from 1871-1889 at Quarry Farm, and Henry became Twain’s barber.
One evening Twain and his family sat on the porch of the home of Susan and Theodore Crane, and he began speaking to Mary Ann. He asked her about her story, and she told him in a straightforward manner. Clemens, a staunch abolitionist, was so moved by her history that he wrote it almost word for word and submitted it in 1874 as his first contribution to the Atlantic Monthly entitled “A True Story, Repeated Word for Word As I heard It.” In the story, Mary Ann’s name was changed to Rachel. Mary Ann was represented in several other of Twain’s works and a lifelong friendship developed between them.
Mary Ann Cord died in 1888 at 90 years of age, and is buried at historic Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, New York near her son Henry. Samuel Clemens and his family are buried in Woodlawn as well.
By Claudia Houston, New Bern Historical Society
New Bern Historical Society • 511 Broad St. • 252.638.8558 • newbernhistorical.org