Hale - Isaac
"Uncle Ike" HALE
Source: Crawfordsville Journal and Review 2-1-1932
Wingate, January 31 - Jolly "Uncle Ike" Hale, 91 year sold Negro who refused
emancipation after the internecine strife of 1861-65 freed the colored race of the fetters of slavery, died at the home of his beloved, "Massa" WS Hayes, north of here Saturday evening at 5:18 o'clock. The beloved Negro fought through the Civil War with members of the Hayes family and of the termination of the bitter conflict refused his freedom. He went to Illinois from Tennessee with the Hayes family and later to this vicinity, when an uncle of the local resident decreed on his death bed that his faithful servant be given a good home. "Uncle Ike" was the only Negro in this vicinity and universally liked and respected. Always jovial, the elderly colored man endeared himself to many local people during his 25 year residence in this vicinity. Because of his advanced age, little is known of the early life of the former slave. He is believed to have been married once in Nashville, Tenn where he was born and grew to manhood. The elderly colored man was sick only two weeks before death came. Physicians pronounced his death due to infirmities of old age. "Uncle Ike" was buried Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock in the Methodist Cemetery here, after services had been held at the home of Mr. Hayes in charge of
Rev. AW Smith, local Methodist minister. - transcribed by kbz
Note: the 1930 census has Ike born in Mississippi with both parents born there as well. He is living with William Hays and family and is a "retired servant, and widowed."
Note 2: Although this does not go with him fighting with the Hayes family members, it does seem to likely be him. In the Colored Listings of Soldiers in the US Civil War an Isaac Hale is listed as age 23 age 5'3"; dark complected; Black eyes and black hair, born in Clark County, Mississippi. Mustered in 3-1-1864 at Vicksburg MS by Capt. Luynch and discharged on 8-23-1865. This seems more likely to me but we may never know, sadly.
Note 3: I know his tombstone says "Runaway Slave," and ... he might possibly have been and ended-up with the Hays family or ran away to to join up with the Army and perhaps fought in some of the same battles as the Hayes' - so sad we will never really know the true "Uncle Ike!" but I'm more inclined to believe he was not. - kbz