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For Tom

from For Tom by Dave Shiflett

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Viktor Krauss joins me on this piece, which was was inspired by an advertisement in the Jan. 14, 1795 edition of the Virginia Gazette. The ad was for a "notorious runaway" slave named Tom (the advertisement is pasted below). I was doing research for a Wall Street Journal article about a slave named Marcella Dunn, who was owned by one side of my family. The advertisement noted that Tom's back was heavily scarred "by much whipping." His notoriety was likely due to the fact that he had been separated from his wife and was trying to reunite with her, though he seems to have been recaptured, perhaps several times.

"For Tom" imagines a happier ending in which Tom finds his wife and escapes to freedom. The piece starts slowly as he gets underway, then picks up considerable steam as the reunited couple makes their getaway. The ending hopes to portray a sense of weary triumph. Here's to Tom and his beloved, wherever they might be.


Virginia Gazette and General Advertiser (Davis),
Richmond, January 14, 1795.
TEN POUNDS REWARD. RAN-AWAY from Bartholomew Stovall's, in the county of Powhatan, the 10th of August, TOM, a stout well set Negro fellow, of a very black complexion, about 25 or 26 years old, 5 feet 4 or 5 inches high, has a scar on his head, and a large one on one of his legs, and one on each wrist, ocassioned by handcuffs: his back much scarred by whipping; was raised by Coleman Brown, of Loudon county, passed through many hands, and was brought from thence by Peter Perkins.--He has a wife in the county of Prince William, the property of Joseph Asbury; it is therefore probable he will make that way. He is a notorious runaway, and lay some time in Dumfries jail in the summer of 1793.--Had on when he eloped, a felt hat, plains coat, and hempen rolls trowsers--Whoever takes up and secures the above run-away, and brings him to the above mentioned Stovall's, about 30 miles above Richmond, on James river, shall receive the above reward; or Fifty Shillings if secured in jail so that I get him again. JOHN ALLOWAY STRANGE. Buckingham County, November 14, 1794.

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from For Tom, released September 15, 2023

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Dave Shiflett Virginia

Dave Shiflett is a lifelong journalist and writer, musician and, more recently, a composer. He has created a dozen CD-length recordings of songs for female and male vocalists, and another six for solo guitar, orchestra, and chamber ensembles. Most of that music will be archived at this site over the next several months. ... more

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