Daily World
Atlanta, Georgia
Apr 11, 1942

111-Year Old Former Slave To Cast First Vote

Burlington, N.C. -- A 111-year-old former slave will cast her first vote here May 30. Announcing her intention to vote for Pete Davis, white, who is a candidate for sheriff, "Aunt" Lou Thompson began reminiscing of the sights she had seen during the Civil War.

"Just as if it were yesterday, I remember when Wheeler's calvary rode through our place." She said she was a big girl when Wheeler's horsemen galloped down the road in the Haw creek section where she lived as a slave to Dr. Tommy Thompson, a dentist. By day the Thompson hid their horses in the woods and locked them in the smokehouse at night, so Wheeler failed to get any of them.

A neighbor, Dr. Frank Mebane was not so lucky, she declared, for a cavalry man rode up to his house, selected the best horse he had, changed the bridle and saddle and left a stack of bones hitched to the post.

"That was some horse trade," the aged woman stated, "but Dr. Frank fed and fed that horse and pretty soon his sides began to fill out and he was a pretty good horse after all."

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