Jourdon Anderson was born a Tennessee slave around 1825. When he was only seven or eight-years-old he was sold by his first owner to General Paulding Anderson of Wilson County, Tennessee. General Anderson then gave Jourdon to his son Patrick Henry to be his servant and playmate. Patrick and his slave Jourdon were about the same age.

Jourdan was Colonel P. H. Anderson’s slave until Yankee soldiers camping on the Anderson plantation freed him in 1864.

The Civil War was over and the slaves were free. Colonel Anderson’s plantation was in bad shape after the war, he needed help, and he was in debt. The 1865 harvest season was coming soon. Anderson had to have the crop harvest’s income, but he could not do the work alone of bringing in the crops. In August, Anderson sent a letter to Jourdon desperately asking his former slave and childhood playmate to return and help with the back breaking work of crop harvest.

In response, Jourdon Anderson dictated a scornful, humorous, and mocking letter to his former master.

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