GLEED’S HISTORY.
Editor Commercial:
There was buried in Columbus Thursday a negro that figured prominently in the county in the days of reconstruction. The older citizens will experience no trouble in remembering Robert Gleed, and the magic influence he possessed over the members of his race. He was a remarkable negro in his day.
During the days of slavery he appeared here and stubbornly refused to give any information about himself and was dealt with under the fugitive slave law and never revealed his past. After the war Gleed took a prominent part in local Republican politics, and being an orator of no mean ability, he was a power in this county. Many are the times in the days of the old ferry at the foot of Main street when the face of the earth was covered on the west side with those waiting to get over to attend his meetings and hear him speak.
He served two terms in the State Senate representing the district composite at that time of the counties of Lowndes, Clay and Oktibbeha, and was the nominee of his party for sheriff in 187[5] with every prospect of election until the white people organized and called a halt on his ambition. Since that time Gleed has been lost to those who knew him, and it will be news to them to learn that he died in Paris, Texas, the other day from the infirmities of old age. He had many friends among the whites who took sides with him in preference to the carpet bag element he had to deal with in his day.