The fieldworker provided only a summary of Haywood Patterson’s account of African Americans living in Randolph County. Patterson said that he remembered some former slaves who had lived in his neighborhood, but they were all dead. He said that Levi Linzy had been a slave. His owner was so cruel to him that one day in anger Levi hit his owner on the head. As punishment, the owner gave him two hundred lashes and then put salt and pepper in the raw wounds. After Levi recovered from the severe whipping, he again hit his master on the head, but this time he escaped and went to Canada. When Levi heard about the Civil War, he returned to the United States with the intention of killing his former master, but Patterson did not know if Levi actually killed him. The entry on Levi Linzy in the History of Randolph County (1882) reads:
LEVI J. LINZY, farmer, P. 0. Spartanburg, was born in South Carolina March 22, 1827. He is the son of Levi W. K. Linzy and Epsey Thompson, who were natives of the above State. When eleven years old, he was taken to Mississippi, where he was held in bondage for thirteen years, when he escaped and came to Shelby County, Ind., where he remained for one year. He then became a resident of this county, and was employed at farm work until 1853, when he went to Canada, where be remained until 1855, when he went into the lumbering districts of Michigan, and worked at saw-milling for one year; thence back to Canada. From there to Wisconsin, and was again engaged in saw-milling until July, 1858, when he returned to this county. He was married August 18, 1859, to Nancy Thompson, who was born in South Carolina July 19, 1844. She is the daughter of William Thompson, who was also a native of the above State. Mr. and Mrs. Linzy have had born to them ten children, six of whom are living, viz.: John F., born October 26, 1860; Charles B., September 30, 1862; Levi J., October 20, 1864; Cassius E., February 1, 1870; William A., October 24, 1874, and Mary J., April 15, 1877. Mr. Linzy enlisted in 1864 in Company G, Thirty-third Indiana Infantry. On his way South, he was taken sick, and remained in the hospital at Chattanooga for several months, joining his command again at Raleigh, N. C. From there, he marched with Gen. Sherman’s command to Richmond, Va., where he was again taken sick. From there, he was sent to McDougle [McDougal?] Hospital, of New York, where he was discharged May 2, 1865. Mr. Linzy is a member of the M. E. Church, and highly respected by all who know him. He owns a farm of sixty-four acres in Section 12, on which he resides.
Patterson also reported that a full-blooded Irishman came to Randolph County from Mississippi and brought two black women with him. The Irishman built two houses, one for each woman, only a stone’s throw apart and close to Patterson’s house. He lived in one house one week and the other house the next week. He did not marry either woman, but had children by both. Patterson’s wife was the Irishman’s granddaughter.