- Written by
- Turner, Preston H., American, 1840 - 1911
- Subject of
- Turner, Jake, American, 1832 - 1906
- Date
- 1906
- Medium
- graphite on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (each): 8 × 5 in. (20.3 × 12.7 cm)
- Caption
- Preston H. Turner (1840-1911) was the son of James S. Turner of Stanly County, North Carolina, who is listed with 31 slaves in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedule and 36 slaves in the 1860 U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedule. Preston Turner served in the Confederate Army, first in the 14th North Carolina Infantry and then the 28th North Carolina Infantry. He was taken prisoner at the end of the war and then returned home in June 1865. Around 1906, he penned this eulogy for Jake Turner, who had been enslaved by Preston's father and who accompanied Preston during his Civil War service as a valet. Preston died a few years later in October 1911.
- Description
- A eulogy for Jake Turner written by Preston H. Turner after Jake's death on October 18, 1906. The text is handwritten in graphite on three (3) sheets of paper, with text on the front and back sides of the first two sheets and on the front only of the final paper. The document is title "Tribute to a Servant Faithful to / the Last:" at the top, and begins "On the morning 18th October, '06 Jake Turner died at the ripe old age of 74 years. As a slave belonged to James S. Turner, my father. He was of robust manhood hardy up to his death." This is followed by a narrative account of Jake Turner's role as an enslaved valet to Confederate soldier Turner during the Civil War. Jake continued to work for the Turner family after emancipation, which is also contained in the eulogy. It is signed at the end "P. H. Turner".
- Place made
- Stanly County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Liljenquist Family Collection
- Classification
- Documents and Manuscripts
- Type
- eulogies
- Topic
- American South
- Labor
- Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
- Slavery
- U.S. History, 1865-1921
- U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Liljenquist Family Collection
- Object number
- 2016.166.1abc
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




