Former Slave
April 13, 2017
The war was over for the north and the south. It was also over for a very special woman.
152 years ago, Hannah Reynolds died.
She was the last civilian casualty of the battle that brought an end to the Civil War in Appomattox. A few days earlier, when she was wounded, she was a slave. But she held on until April 12, 152 years ago yesterday and, on April 12, she was a free woman and the death record read, "former slave."
She held on.
She had been a slave.
She died free.
Amen and Amen.
From the NPR report and interview with her eulogizer, Rev. Alfred L. Jones III:
"'It's remarkable to me that a woman who was injured a slave, 150 years ago — that her name is known and her story has went across the United States and across the world,' says Jones. 'And I can just really sense the fingerprints of God on this whole story.'"
The fingerprints of God.
"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." - Luke 4:18-19