Re: Boyce Clark’s Feb. 19 article, “We are still learning history lessons�:
In his article, Mr. Clark mentioned an “Andrew Dunford of Louisiana with 75 slaves.�
Andrew (1800-1859) was the eldest son of Thomas Durnford, an English white, and Rosealina Mercier, a New Orleans free black.
Thomas, at the age of 15 in 1775, came to West Florida with his cousin, Elias Durnford, the newly appointed lieutenant governor of Florida’s British Colony. He worked as a clerk in Elias' office.
After the investment of Fort Charlotte and the occupation of West Florida by the Spanish in 1880, most of the British — including Elias, his family and staff — were returned to England, except Thomas, who stayed on as Elias’ land agent and settled in New Orleans.
Son Andrew became a leading black planter and at his death had owned the 1,285-acre St. Rosaline Plantation, about 33 miles south of New Orleans, and 77 slaves.
Some 85 years later, during World War II, in an Army hospital somewhere in England, a young white Durnford, to his surprise, met a young black Durnford. Both had been badly wounded, and both were in the same hospital.
— Ynez D. Haase, Fillmore
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