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http://blacknashville.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/nashville-blacks-in-the-civil-war/
Doing a little background research on Nat Love, I learned that he was a well-known cowboy an had the nickname of “Deadwood Dick” although he apparently was not the only one with that nickname. His autobiography is available in its entirety through UNC’s Documenting the American South collection. Nat was born here in Davidson County in 1854, son of slave Sampson Love. He and his family were slaves of Robert Love. Nat has an entry at FindAGrave; I would love to find an obituary for him though – he died in 1921.
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/natlove/natlove.html
PREFACE
Having passed the half century mark in life’s journey, and yielding to persistent requests of many old and valued friends of the past and present, I have decided to write the record of slave, cow-boy and pullman porter will prove of interest to the reading public generally and particularly to those who prefer facts to fiction, (and in this case again facts will prove stranger than fiction). I assure my readers that every event chronicled in this history is based on facts, and my personal experiences, of more than fifty years of an unusually adventurous life.
While many things contained in this record happened many years ago, they are as fresh in my memory as if they happened but yesterday. I have tried to record events simply as they are, without attempting to varnish over the bad spots or draw on my imagination to fill out a chapter at the cost of the truth. It has been my aim to record things just as they happened, believing they will prove of greater interest thereby; and if I am able to add to the interest and enjoyment of a single reader I will consider myself well repaid for the time and labor of preparing this history.
To my playmates of my boyhood, who may chance to read this I send greetings and wish them well. To the few friends, who assisted myself and widowed mother in our early struggles, I tender my sincerest thanks, and hope they have prospered as they deserve. For those who proved our enemies, I have no word of censure. They have reaped their reward.
To that noble but ever decreasing band of men under whose blue and buckskin shirts there lives a soul as great and beats a heart as true as ever human breast contained–to the cow-boys, rangers, scouts, hunters and trappers and cattle-men of the “GREAT WESTERN PLAINS,” I extend the hand of greeting acknowledging the FATHER-HOOD of GOD and the BROTHERHOOD of men; and to my mother’s Sainted name, this book is reverently dedicated.
THE AUTHOR.
