Hello Arlene,

Thank you, I will look into that. There was another article written about Joseph, sent to me by a volunteer researcher in Ontario. You are right; I do feel blessed at knowing a bit about this important part of my family history. These stories brought tears of both joy & sorrow to me.

"Excerpts from a letter to the Commander of the USS Preston from Enna Field, a local historian. Enna was filling in the commander on stories about the young Samuel W. Preston who came from Napier and became one of America's greatest Naval heroes during the Civil War. Preston was born in Napier and lived there until he was 12 years old. He knew Joseph Wrinkle. This account came from an older resident at the time, who remembered Joseph.

Joseph Wrinkle would be some influence on the young boy also. He was an escaped slave from Kentucky and would add his bit to Samuel's life. Joe came to the community in the early years, and was much revered by all. He was a very large, strong man - sang and played the violin beautifully. He married a red headed white woman from St. Thomas. They both lie buried among their soldier friends and neighbours, in the little church yard. Joe could carry three bags of wheat (120 pounds each) on his back at one time, from the Preston granary to the road, by putting one on each shoulder and one across
his neck, much to the glee of the spectators.
Joe came to the community quite early and lived in fear of kidnapping. As an educated slave he would be worth anywhere from $500 to $2000 which was a heap of money in those days. None of the neighbours would have betrayed him. They would have fought for him.
He was loved by all and the children especially. He would gather them around and tell them stories and sing to them. One 88 year old man will tell you how he played the violin and taught him to dance. At a neighbourhood "bee" when he first came, some of the men were teasing him about the colour of his skin, when Captain Beer heard them and said " If anyone touches a hair of Joe's head, he will have me to answer to"! Sometimes when Captain Beer became riled, he could tell them, in no uncertain terms, well decorated with Navy Stars and Frills from the four corners of the earth. If you didn't
understand one, you understood the other. He was used to seeing people with coloured skin. The Captain took Joe home with him and built him a log cabin, between his house and the barn. It stood there after I came out here. It had been lined with bricks to make warmer. I only remember it as a garage. He served the captain faithfully all his years.

When the roads were cut through, it was a picture to see the Beers out for a drive, with a span of horses and Joe sitting up in the front seat of phaeton, all decked out with a black frock coat, silk top hat and white gloves. Samuel would be quite thrilled with it. They would have to pass the Preston farm to come down to the store.

The Captain would pay Joe a small salary, as the slaves in Ontario had been set free, with the first session of parliament of Upper Canada, 1793. Masters were to care for their slaves till death and the children were to become free at twenty-five years of age. No more were to be brought in. Thus Canada became a haven for runaway slaves. Joe's cabin was within a mile of the Preston home. How many times Samuel must have listened to Joe's stories and songs. I wonder if he taught little Samuel to dance.

At harvest time the men worked in the fields without shirts, in the heat. One of Captain Beer's farms was across the road from the Preston home. Samuel would see the marks of the lashes on Joe's back, for he had been cruelly beaten many times. It might have helped to inspire Samuel to do his best to free the slaves in the Civil war. The year that Samuel came back to visit his old home in Metcalfe, he very surely went to see the old friends of his childhood. Mrs Wrinkle as well. She played the organ in the church."