My great grandfather, Jeremiah Turner (1840-1917), was born in slavery. Our family history explained ‘Jery’ was the slave son of Squire Turner (1793-1871), of Richmond, Kentucky. Jeremiah Turner was assuredly Squire Turner’s property when, in 1864, he made a bid for freedom, by joining the 12th Heavy Artillery Regiment of the United States Colored Troops. Even following his discharge at war’s end, his depositor’s record in the Freedman’s bank (right), listed his master.
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