Olean native publishes book to abolish slavery: “The Creole Incident” | News

OLEAN – A city resident has written a history book that explores a pivotal moment in American history that marked the beginning of the end of slavery.

“The Creole Incident,” published Monday by Coldwell & Hyde Publishing, is the book by John Hyde Barnard of Olean. It tells the true story of how the United States Constitution was saved by select members of the House of Representatives, a small group of radical abolitionists and 19 slaves.

The book examines the events between May 1836 and June 1842 that reveal the attempt by Southern congressmen to reform the Constitution to legalize slavery under federal jurisdiction. The goal of those who opposed this was to stop the growing power of Southern representation in Congress.

At the heart of the story is the love between a slave and his wife and their will to be free. These two stories intertwine and reach a climax when Her Majesty’s Government decides the fate of those imprisoned in Nassau, Bahamas for mutiny and murder.

This information triggers a series of dramatic disagreements in the United States House of Representatives, as power between North and South is at stake.

Barnard attended St. John’s Parish School, Olean High School and Jamestown Community College before moving to California where he completed his education. He still owns a home in Olean and plans to one day retire to the “enchanted valley.”

Born on one of the coldest February days ever, Barnard is driven to pursue life’s pleasures, curiosity and pleasure, distrusts authority but still holds on to traditions and has a strong affinity for winter.

He has remained a loyal Bills fan since the days of “Cookie Gilchrist,” whom he was fortunate enough to see play when John won a subscription promotion while working as a delivery driver for the Times Herald.

Barnard is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the American Historical Association, and currently serves on the board of the Institute for Historical Studies in San Francisco.

He is the winner of the 39th Jerry Jazz Musician New Short Fiction Award for the short story “The Lot” and took second place in the adult nonfiction category of the 2021 San Francisco Writers Conference Writing Contest with “The Creole Incident.”

As a writer and musician, John and his wife Merrily divide their time between Sausalito, California, San Antonio, Texas and Olean.