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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/15132-h.zip b/15132-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a18210e --- /dev/null +++ b/15132-h.zip diff --git a/15132-h/15132-h.htm b/15132-h/15132-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7c4bf3c --- /dev/null +++ b/15132-h/15132-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2602 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Narrative of William W. Brown, A Fugitive Slave, by Himself. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .right {text-align: right;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Narrative of William W. Brown, a +Fugitive Slave, by William Wells Brown + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave + +Author: William Wells Brown + +Release Date: February 21, 2005 [EBook #15132] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM W. BROWN *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Charles Aldarondo and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<h1>NARRATIVE<br /><br /> + +OF<br /><br /> + +WILLIAM W. BROWN,<br /><br /> + +A<br /><br /> + +FUGITIVE SLAVE.<br /><br /></h1> + +<h2>WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.</h2> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>—Is there not some chosen curse,<br /></span> +<span>Some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven,<br /></span> +<span>Red with uncommon wrath, to blast the man<br /></span> +<span>Who gains his fortune from the blood of souls?<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p class="right">COWPER.</p> + +<p class="center">BOSTON:</p> + +<p class="center">PUBLISHED AT THE ANTI-SLAVERY OFFICE,</p> + +<p class="center">NO. 25 CORNHILL.</p> + +<p class="center">1847.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/wwb.jpg" width="400" height="673" alt="William W. Brown." title="" /> +<b>William W. Brown.</b> +</div> + +<h2>TABLE OF CONTENTS</h2> +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> +<p class="center"> + <a href="#PREFACE"><b>PREFACE.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_I"><b>CHAPTER I.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_II"><b>CHAPTER II.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_III"><b>CHAPTER III.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_IV"><b>CHAPTER IV.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_V"><b>CHAPTER V.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><b>CHAPTER VI.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_VII"><b>CHAPTER VII.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"><b>CHAPTER VIII.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_IX"><b>CHAPTER IX.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_X"><b>CHAPTER X.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_XI"><b>CHAPTER XI.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_XII"><b>CHAPTER XII.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_XIII"><b>CHAPTER XIII.</b></a><br /> + <a href="#CHAPTER_XIV"><b>CHAPTER XIV.</b></a><br /> + </p> +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>TO WELLS BROWN, OF OHIO.</h2> + + +<p>Thirteen years ago, I came to your door, a weary fugitive from chains +and stripes. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was hungry, and you +fed me. Naked was I, and you clothed me. Even a name by which to be +known among men, slavery had denied me. You bestowed upon me your own. +Base indeed should I be, if I ever forget what I owe to you, or do +anything to disgrace that honored name!</p> + +<p>As a slight testimony of my gratitude to my earliest benefactor, I take +the liberty to inscribe to you this little Narrative of the sufferings +from which I was fleeing when you had compassion upon me. In the +multitude that you have succored, it is very possible that you may not +remember me; but until I forget God and myself, I can never forget you.</p> + +<p class="right">Your grateful friend, </p> + +<p class="right">WILLIAM WELLS BROWN.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>LETTER <span class="smcap">From</span><br /> + +EDMUND QUINCY, ESQ.</h2> + + +<p class="right">DEDHAM, JULY 1, 1847.</p> + +<p>TO WILLIAM W. BROWN.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Dear Friend</span>:—I heartily thank you for the privilege of reading the +manuscript of your Narrative. I have read it with deep interest and +strong emotion. I am much mistaken if it be not greatly successful and +eminently useful. It presents a different phase of the infernal +slave-system from that portrayed in the admirable story of Mr. Douglass, +and gives us a glimpse of its hideous cruelties in other portions of its +domain.</p> + +<p>Your opportunities of observing the workings of this accursed system +have been singularly great. Your experiences in the Field, in the House, +and especially on the River in the service of the slave-trader, Walker, +have been such as few individuals have had;—no one, certainly, who has +been competent to describe them. What I have admired, and marvelled at, +in your Narrative, is the simplicity and calmness with which you +describe scenes and actions which might well "move the very stones to +rise and mutiny" against the National Institution which makes them +possible.</p> + +<p>You will perceive that I have made very sparing use of your flattering +permission to alter what you had written. To correct a few errors, which +appeared to be merely clerical ones, committed in the hurry of +composition, under unfavorable circumstances, and to suggest a few +curtailments, is all that I have ventured to do. I should be a bold man, +as well as a vain one, if I should attempt to improve your descriptions +of what you have seen and suffered. Some of the scenes are not unworthy +of De Foe himself.</p> + +<p>I trust and believe that your Narrative will have a wide circulation. I +am sure it deserves it. At least, a man must be differently constituted +from me, who can rise from the perusal of your Narrative without feeling +that he understands slavery better, and hates it worse, than he ever did +before.</p> + +<p>I am, very faithfully and respectfully,</p> + +<p class="center">Your friend,</p> + +<p class="right">EDMUND QUINCY.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE" />PREFACE.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The friends</span> of freedom may well congratulate each other on the +appearance of the following Narrative. It adds another volume to the +rapidly increasing anti-slavery literature of the age. It has been +remarked by a close observer of human nature, "Let me make the songs of +a nation, and I care not who makes its laws;" and it may with equal +truth be said, that, among a reading people like our own, their books +will at least give character to their laws. It is an influence which +goes forth noiselessly upon its mission, but fails not to find its way +to many a warm heart, to kindle on the altar thereof the fires of +freedom, which will one day break forth in a living flame to consume +oppression.</p> + +<p>This little book is a voice from the prison-house, unfolding the deeds +of darkness which are there perpetrated. Our cause has received +efficient aid from this source. The names of those who have come from +thence, and battled manfully for the right, need not to be recorded +here. The works of some of them are an enduring monument of praise, and +their perpetual record shall be found in the grateful hearts of the +redeemed bondman.</p> + +<p>Few persons have had greater facilities for becoming acquainted with +slavery, in all its horrible aspects, than <span class="smcap">William W. Brown.</span> He +has been behind the curtain. He has visited its secret chambers. Its +iron has entered his own soul. The dearest ties of nature have been +riven in his own person. A mother has been cruelly scourged before his +own eyes. A father,—alas! slaves have no father. A brother has been +made the subject of its tender mercies. A sister has been given up to +the irresponsible control of the pale-faced oppressor. This nation looks +on approvingly. The American Union sanctions the deed. The Constitution +shields the criminals. American religion sanctifies the crime. But the +tide is turning. Already, a mighty under-current is sweeping onward. The +voice of warning, of remonstrance, of rebuke, of entreaty, has gone +forth. Hand is linked in hand, and heart mingles with heart, in this +great work of the slave's deliverance.</p> + +<p>The convulsive throes of the monster, even now, give evidence of deep +wounds.</p> + +<p>The writer of this Narrative was hired by his master to a +"<i>soul-driver</i>," and has witnessed all the horrors of the traffic, from +the buying up of human cattle in the slave-breeding States, which +produced a constant scene of separating the victims from all those whom +they loved, to their final sale in the southern market, to be worked up +in seven years, or given over to minister to the lust of southern +<i>Christians</i>.</p> + +<p>Many harrowing scenes are graphically portrayed; and yet with that +simplicity and ingenuousness which carries with it a conviction of the +truthfulness of the picture.</p> + +<p>This book will do much to unmask those who have "clothed themselves in +the livery of the court of heaven" to cover up the enormity of their +deeds.</p> + +<p>During the past three years, the author has devoted his entire energies +to the anti-slavery cause. Laboring under all the disabilities and +disadvantages growing out of his education in slavery—subjected, as he +had been from his birth, to all the wrongs and deprivations incident to +his condition—he yet went forth, impelled to the work by a love of +liberty—stimulated by the remembrance of his own sufferings—urged on +by the consideration that a mother, brothers, and sister, were still +grinding in the prison-house of bondage, in common with three millions +of our Father's children—sustained by an unfaltering faith in the +omnipotence of truth and the final triumph of justice—to plead the +cause of the slave, and by the eloquence of earnestness carried +conviction to many minds, and enlisted the sympathy and secured the +co-operation of many to the cause.</p> + +<p>His labors have been chiefly confined to Western New York, where he has +secured many warm friends, by his untiring zeal, persevering energy, +continued fidelity, and universal kindness.</p> + +<p>Reader, are you an Abolitionist? What have you done for the slave? What +are you doing in his behalf? What do you purpose to do? There is a great +work before us! Who will be an idler now? This is the great humanitary +movement of the age, swallowing up, for the time being, all other +questions, comparatively speaking. The course of human events, in +obedience to the unchangeable laws of our being, is fast hastening the +final crisis, and</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Have ye chosen, O my people, on whose party ye shall stand,<br /></span> +<span>Ere the Doom from its worn sandal shakes the dust against our land?"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Are you a Christian? This is the carrying out of practical Christianity; +and there is no other. Christianity is <i>practical</i> in its very nature +and essence. It is a life, springing out of a soul imbued with its +spirit. Are you a friend of the missionary cause? This is the greatest +missionary enterprize of the day. Three millions of <i>Christian</i>, +law-manufactured heathen are longing for the glad tidings of the Gospel +of freedom. Are you a friend of the Bible? Come, then, and help us to +restore to these millions, whose eyes have been bored out by slavery, +their sight, that they may see to read the Bible. Do you love God whom +you have not seen? Then manifest that love, by restoring to your brother +whom you have seen, his rightful inheritance, of which he has been so +long and so cruelly deprived.</p> + +<p>It is not for a single generation alone, numbering three +millions—sublime as would be that effort—that we are working. It is +for <span class="smcap">humanity</span>, the wide world over, not only now, but for all +coming time, and all future generations:—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"For he who settles Freedom's principles,<br /></span> +<span>Writes the death-warrant of all tyranny."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>It is a vast work—a glorious enterprize—worthy the unswerving devotion +of the entire life-time of the great and the good.</p> + +<p>Slaveholding and slaveholders must be rendered disreputable and odious. +They must be stripped of their respectability and Christian reputation. +They must be treated as "<span class="smcap">men-stealers</span>—guilty of the highest +kind of theft, and sinners of the first rank." Their more guilty +accomplices in the persons of <i>northern apologists</i>, both in Church and +State, must be placed in the same category. Honest men must be made to +look upon their crimes with the same abhorrence and loathing, with +which they regard the less guilty robber and assassin, until</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"The common damned shun their society,<br /></span> +<span>And look upon themselves as fiends less foul."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>When a just estimate is placed upon the crime of slave-holding, the work +will have been accomplished, and the glorious day ushered in—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"When man nor woman in all our wide domain,<br /></span> +<span>Shall buy, or sell, or hold, or be a slave."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p class="right"><span class="smcap">J.C. Hathaway.</span></p> + +<p>—Farmington, N.Y., 1847.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>NARRATIVE.</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I" />CHAPTER I.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">I was</span> born in Lexington, Ky. The man who stole me as soon as I was born, +recorded the births of all the infants which he claimed to be born his +property, in a book which he kept for that purpose. My mother's name was +Elizabeth. She had seven children, viz: Solomon, Leander, Benjamin, +Joseph, Millford, Elizabeth, and myself. No two of us were children of +the same father. My father's name, as I learned from my mother, was +George Higgins. He was a white man, a relative of my master, and +connected with some of the first families in Kentucky.</p> + +<p>My master owned about forty slaves, twenty-five of whom were field +hands. He removed from Kentucky to Missouri, when I was quite young, and +settled thirty or forty miles above St. Charles, on the Missouri, where, +in addition to his practice as a physician, he carried on milling, +merchandizing and farming. He had a large farm, the principal +productions of which were tobacco and hemp. The slave cabins were +situated on the back part of the farm, with the house of the overseer, +whose name was Grove Cook, in their midst. He had the entire charge of +the farm, and having no family, was allowed a woman to keep house for +him, whose business it was to deal out the provisions for the hands.</p> + +<p>A woman was also kept at the quarters to do the cooking for the field +hands, who were summoned to their unrequited toil every morning at four +o'clock, by the ringing of a bell, hung on a post near the house of the +overseer. They were allowed half an hour to eat their breakfast, and get +to the field. At half past four, a horn was blown by the overseer, which +was the signal to commence work; and every one that was not on the spot +at the time, had to receive ten lashes from the negro-whip, with which +the overseer always went armed. The handle was about three feet long, +with the butt-end filled with lead, and the lash six or seven feet in +length, made of cowhide, with platted wire on the end of it. This whip +was put in requisition very frequently and freely, and a small offence +on the part of a slave furnished an occasion for its use. During the +time that Mr. Cook was overseer, I was a house servant—a situation +preferable to that of a field hand, as I was better fed, better clothed, +and not obliged to rise at the ringing of the bell, but about half an +hour after. I have often laid and heard the crack of the whip, and the +screams of the slave. My mother was a field hand, and one morning was +ten or fifteen minutes behind the others in getting into the field. As +soon as she reached the spot where they were at work, the overseer +commenced whipping her. She cried, "Oh! pray—Oh! pray—Oh! pray"—these +are generally the words of slaves, when imploring mercy at the hands of +their oppressors. I heard her voice, and knew it, and jumped out of my +bunk, and went to the door. Though the field was some distance from the +house, I could hear every crack of the whip, and every groan and cry of +my poor mother. I remained at the door, not daring to venture any +farther. The cold chills ran over me, and I wept aloud. After giving her +ten lashes, the sound of the whip ceased, and I returned to my bed, and +found no consolation but in my tears. It was not yet daylight.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II" />CHAPTER II.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">My</span> master being a political demagogue, soon found those who +were ready to put him into office, for the favors he could render them; +and a few years after his arrival in Missouri, he was elected to a seat +in the Legislature. In his absence from home, everything was left in +charge of Mr. Cook, the overseer, and he soon became more tyrannical and +cruel. Among the slaves on the plantation, was one by the name of +Randall. He was a man about six feet high, and well-proportioned, and +known as a man of great strength and power. He was considered the most +valuable and able-bodied slave on the plantation; but no matter how good +or useful a slave may be, he seldom escapes the lash. But it was not so +with Randall. He had been on the plantation since my earliest +recollection, and I had never known of his being flogged. No thanks +were due to the master or overseer for this. I have often heard him +declare, that no white man should ever whip him—that he would die +first.</p> + +<p>Cook, from the time that he came upon the plantation, had frequently +declared, that he could and would flog any nigger that was put into the +field to work under him. My master had repeatedly told him not to +attempt to whip Randall, but he was determined to try it. As soon as he +was left sole dictator, he thought the time had come to put his threats +into execution. He soon began to find fault with Randall, and threatened +to whip him, if he did not do better. One day he gave him a very hard +task,—more than he could possibly do; and at night, the task not being +performed, he told Randall that he should remember him the next morning. +On the following morning, after the hands had taken breakfast, Cook +called out to Randall, and told him that he intended to whip him, and +ordered him to cross his hands and be tied. Randall asked why he wished +to whip him. He answered, because he had not finished his task the day +before. Randall said that the task was too great, or he should have done +it. Cook said it made no difference,—he should whip him. Randall stood +silent for a moment, and then said, "Mr. Cook, I have always tried to +please you since you have been on the plantation, and I find you are +determined not to be satisfied with my work, let me do as well as I may. +No man has laid hands on me, to whip me, for the last ten years, and I +have long since come to the conclusion not to be whipped by any man +living." Cook, finding by Randall's determined look and gestures, that +he would resist, called three of the hands from their work, and +commanded them to seize Randall, and tie him. The hands stood +still;—they knew Randall—and they also knew him to be a powerful man, +and were afraid to grapple with him. As soon as Cook had ordered the men +to seize him, Randall turned to them, and said—"Boys, you all know me; +you know that I can handle any three of you, and the man that lays hands +on me shall die. This white man can't whip me himself, and therefore he +has called you to help him." The overseer was unable to prevail upon +them to seize and secure Randall, and finally ordered them all to go to +their work together.</p> + +<p>Nothing was said to Randall by the overseer, for more than a week. One +morning, however, while the hands were at work in the field, he came +into it, accompanied by three friends of his, Thompson, Woodbridge and +Jones. They came up to where Randall was at work, and Cook ordered him +to leave his work, and go with them to the barn. He refused to go; +whereupon he was attacked by the overseer and his companions, when he +turned upon them, and laid them, one after another, prostrate on the +ground. Woodbridge drew out his pistol, and fired at him, and brought +him to the ground by a pistol ball. The others rushed upon him with +their clubs, and beat him over the head and face, until they succeeded +in tying him. He was then taken to the barn, and tied to a beam. Cook +gave him over one hundred lashes with a heavy cowhide, had him washed +with salt and water, and left him tied during the day. The next day he +was untied, and taken to a blacksmith's shop, and had a ball and chain +attached to his leg. He was compelled to labor in the field, and perform +the same amount of work that the other hands did. When his master +returned home, he was much pleased to find that Randall had been subdued +in his absence.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III" />CHAPTER III.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Soon</span> afterwards, my master removed to the city of St. Louis, +and purchased a farm four miles from there, which he placed under the +charge of an overseer by the name of Friend Haskell. He was a regular +Yankee from New England. The Yankees are noted for making the most cruel +overseers.</p> + +<p>My mother was hired out in the city, and I was also hired out there to +Major Freeland, who kept a public house. He was formerly from Virginia, +and was a horse-racer, cock-fighter, gambler, and withal an inveterate +drunkard. There were ten or twelve servants in the house, and when he +was present, it was cut and slash—knock down and drag out. In his fits +of anger, he would take up a chair, and throw it at a servant; and in +his more rational moments, when he wished to chastise one, he would tie +them up in the smoke-house, and whip them; after which, he would cause +a fire to be made of tobacco stems, and smoke them. This he called +"<i>Virginia play</i>."</p> + +<p>I complained to my master of the treatment which I received from Major +Freeland; but it made no difference. He cared nothing about it, so long +as he received the money for my labor. After living with Major Freeland +five or six months, I ran away, and went into the woods back of the +city; and when night came on, I made my way to my master's farm, but was +afraid to be seen, knowing that if Mr. Haskell, the overseer, should +discover me, I should be again carried back to Major Freeland; so I kept +in the woods. One day, while in the woods, I heard the barking and +howling of dogs, and in a short time they came so near, that I knew them +to be the blood-hounds of Major Benjamin O'Fallon. He kept five or six, +to hunt runaway slaves with.</p> + +<p>As soon as I was convinced that it was them, I knew there was no chance +of escape. I took refuge in the top of a tree, and the hounds were soon +at its base, and there remained until the hunters came up in a half or +three quarters of an hour afterwards. There were two men with the dogs, +who, as soon as they came up, ordered me to descend. I came down, was +tied, and taken to St. Louis jail. Major Freeland soon made his +appearance, and took me out, and ordered me to follow him, which I did. +After we returned home, I was tied up in the smoke-house, and was very +severely whipped. After the Major had flogged me to his satisfaction, he +sent out his son Robert, a young man eighteen or twenty years of age, to +see that I was well smoked. He made a fire of tobacco stems, which soon +set me to coughing and sneezing. This, Robert told me, was the way his +father used to do to his slaves in Virginia. After giving me what they +conceived to be a decent smoking, I was untied and again set to work.</p> + +<p>Robert Freeland was a "chip of the old block." Though quite young, it +was not unfrequently that he came home in a state of intoxication. He is +now, I believe, a popular commander of a steamboat on the Mississippi +river. Major Freeland soon after failed in business, and I was put on +board the steamboat Missouri, which plied between St. Louis and Galena. +The commander of the boat was William B. Culver. I remained on her +during the sailing season, which was the most pleasant time for me that +I had ever experienced. At the close of navigation, I was hired to Mr. +John Colburn, keeper of the Missouri Hotel. He was from one of the Free +States; but a more inveterate hater of the negro, I do not believe ever +walked on God's green earth. This hotel was at that time one of the +largest in the city, and there were employed in it twenty or thirty +servants, mostly slaves.</p> + +<p>Mr. Colburn was very abusive, not only to the servants, but to his wife +also, who was an excellent woman, and one from whom I never knew a +servant to receive a harsh word; but never did I know a kind one to a +servant from her husband. Among the slaves employed in the hotel, was +one by the name of Aaron, who belonged to Mr. John F. Darby, a lawyer. +Aaron was the knife-cleaner. One day, one of the knives was put on the +table, not as clean as it might have been. Mr. Colburn, for this +offence, tied Aaron up in the wood-house, and gave him over fifty lashes +on the bare back with a cowhide, after which, he made me wash him down +with rum. This seemed to put him into more agony than the whipping. +After being untied, he went home to his master, and complained of the +treatment which he had received. Mr. Darby would give no heed to +anything he had to say, but sent him directly back. Colburn, learning +that he had been to his master with complaints, tied him up again, and +gave him a more severe whipping than before. The poor fellow's back was +literally cut to pieces; so much so, that he was not able to work for +ten or twelve days.</p> + +<p>There was also, among the servants, a girl whose master resided in the +country. Her name was Patsey. Mr. Colburn tied her up one evening, and +whipped her until several of the boarders came out and begged him to +desist. The reason for whipping her was this. She was engaged to be +married to a man belonging to Major William Christy, who resided four or +five miles north of the city. Mr. Colburn had forbid her to see John +Christy. The reason of this was said to be the regard which he himself +had for Patsey. She went to meeting that evening, and John returned home +with her. Mr. Colburn had intended to flog John, if he came within the +inclosure; but John knew too well the temper of his rival, and kept at a +safe distance;—so he took vengeance on the poor girl. If all the +slave-drivers had been called together, I do not think a more cruel man +than John Colburn,—and he too a northern man,—could have been found +among them.</p> + +<p>While living at the Missouri Hotel, a circumstance occurred which caused +me great unhappiness. My master sold my mother, and all her children, +except myself. They were sold to different persons in the city of St. +Louis.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV" />CHAPTER IV.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">I was</span> soon after taken from Mr. Colburn's, and hired to Elijah +P. Lovejoy, who was at that time publisher and editor of the "St. Louis +Times." My work, while with him, was mainly in the printing office, +waiting on the hands, working the press, &c. Mr. Lovejoy was a very good +man, and decidedly the best master that I had ever had. I am chiefly +indebted to him, and to my employment in the printing office, for what +little learning I obtained while in slavery.</p> + +<p>Though slavery is thought, by some, to be mild in Missouri, when +compared with the cotton, sugar and rice growing States, yet no part of +our slave-holding country, is more noted for the barbarity of its +inhabitants, than St. Louis. It was here that Col. Harney, a United +States officer, whipped a slave woman to death. It was here that Francis +McIntosh, a free colored man from Pittsburgh, was taken from the +steamboat Flora, and burned at the stake. During a residence of eight +years in this city, numerous cases of extreme cruelty came under my own +observation;—to record them all, would occupy more space than could +possibly be allowed in this little volume. I shall, therefore, give but +a few more, in addition to what I have already related.</p> + +<p>Capt. J.B. Brunt, who resided near my master, had a slave named John. He +was his body servant, carriage driver, &c. On one occasion, while +driving his master through the city,—the streets being very muddy, and +the horses going at a rapid rate,—some mud spattered upon a gentleman +by the name of Robert More. More was determined to be revenged. Some +three or four months after this occurrence, he purchased John, for the +express purpose, as he said, "to tame the d——d nigger." After the +purchase, he took him to a blacksmith's shop, and had a ball and chain +fastened to his leg, and then put him to driving a yoke of oxen, and +kept him at hard labor, until the iron around his leg was so worn into +the flesh, that it was thought mortification would ensue. In addition to +this, John told me that his master whipped him regularly three times a +week for the first two months:—and all this to "<i>tame him</i>." A more +noble looking man than he, was not to be found in all St. Louis, before +he fell into the hands of More; and a more degraded and spirit-crushed +looking being was never seen on a southern plantation, after he had been +subjected to this "<i>taming</i>" process for three months. The last time +that I saw him, he had nearly lost the entire use of his limbs.</p> + +<p>While living with Mr. Lovejoy, I was often sent on errands to the office +of the "Missouri Republican," published by Mr. Edward Charles. Once, +while returning to the office with type, I was attacked by several large +boys, sons of slave-holders, who pelted me with snow-balls. Having the +heavy form of type in my hands, I could not make my escape by running; +so I laid down the type and gave them battle. They gathered around me, +pelting me with stones and sticks, until they overpowered me, and would +have captured me, if I had not resorted to my heels. Upon my retreat, +they took possession of the type; and what to do to regain it I could +not devise. Knowing Mr. Lovejoy to be a very humane man, I went to the +office, and laid the case before him. He told me to remain in the +office. He took one of the apprentices with him, and went after the +type, and soon returned with it; but on his return informed me that +Samuel McKinney had told him that he would whip me, because I had hurt +his boy. Soon after, McKinney was seen making his way to the office by +one of the printers, who informed me of the fact, and I made my escape +through the back door.</p> + +<p>McKinney not being able to find me on his arrival, left the office in a +great rage, swearing that he would whip me to death. A few days after, +as I was walking along Main Street, he seized me by the collar, and +struck me over the head five or six times with a large cane, which +caused the blood to gush from my nose and ears in such a manner that my +clothes were completely saturated with blood. After beating me to his +satisfaction, he let me go, and I returned to the office so weak from +the loss of blood, that Mr. Lovejoy sent me home to my master. It was +five weeks before I was able to walk again. During this time, it was +necessary to have some one to supply my place at the office, and I lost +the situation.</p> + +<p>After my recovery, I was hired to Capt. Otis Reynolds, as a waiter on +board the steamboat Enterprize, owned by Messrs. John and Edward Walsh, +commission merchants at St. Louis. This boat was then running on the +upper Mississippi. My employment on board was to wait on gentlemen, and +the captain being a good man, the situation was a pleasant one to +me;—but in passing from place to place, and seeing new faces every day, +and knowing that they could go where they pleased, I soon became +unhappy, and several times thought of leaving the boat at some landing +place, and trying to make my escape to Canada, which I had heard much +about as a place where the slave might live, be free, and be protected.</p> + +<p>But whenever such thoughts would come into my mind, my resolution would +soon be shaken by the remembrance that my dear mother was a slave in St. +Louis, and I could not bear the idea of leaving her in that condition. +She had often taken me upon her knee, and told me how she had carried me +upon her back to the field when I was an infant—how often she had been +whipped for leaving her work to nurse me—and how happy I would appear +when she would take me into her arms. When these thoughts came over me, +I would resolve never to leave the land of slavery without my mother. I +thought that to leave her in slavery, after she had undergone and +suffered so much for me, would be proving recreant to the duty which I +owed to her. Besides this, I had three brothers and a sister there,—two +of my brothers having died.</p> + +<p>My mother, my brothers Joseph and Millford, and my sister Elizabeth, +belonged to Mr. Isaac Mansfield, formerly from one of the Free States, +(Massachusetts, I believe.) He was a tinner by trade, and carried on a +large manufacturing establishment. Of all my relatives, mother was +first, and sister next. One evening, while visiting them, I made some +allusion to a proposed journey to Canada, and sister took her seat by +my side, and taking my hand in hers, said, with tears in her eyes,—</p> + +<p>"Brother, you are not going to leave mother and your dear sister here +without a friend, are you?"</p> + +<p>I looked into her face, as the tears coursed swiftly down her cheeks, +and bursting into tears myself, said—</p> + +<p>"No, I will never desert you and mother."</p> + +<p>She clasped my hand in hers, and said—</p> + +<p>"Brother, you have often declared that you would not end your days in +slavery. I see no possible way in which you can escape with us; and now, +brother, you are on a steamboat where there is some chance for you to +escape to a land of liberty. I beseech you not to let us hinder you. If +we cannot get our liberty, we do not wish to be the means of keeping you +from a land of freedom."</p> + +<p>I could restrain my feelings no longer, and an outburst of my own +feelings, caused her to cease speaking upon that subject. In opposition +to their wishes, I pledged myself not to leave them in the hand of the +oppressor. I took leave of them, and returned to the boat, and laid down +in my bunk; but "sleep departed from my eyes, and slumber from my +eyelids."</p> + +<p>A few weeks after, on our downward passage, the boat took on board, at +Hannibal, a drove of slaves, bound for the New Orleans market. They +numbered from fifty to sixty, consisting of men and women from eighteen +to forty years of age. A drove of slaves on a southern steamboat, bound +for the cotton or sugar regions, is an occurrence so common, that no +one, not even the passengers, appear to notice it, though they clank +their chains at every step. There was, however, one in this gang that +attracted the attention of the passengers and crew. It was a beautiful +girl, apparently about twenty years of age, perfectly white, with +straight light hair and blue eyes. But it was not the whiteness of her +skin that created such a sensation among those who gazed upon her—it +was her almost unparalleled beauty. She had been on the boat but a short +time, before the attention of all the passengers, including the ladies, +had been called to her, and the common topic of conversation was about +the beautiful slave-girl. She was not in chains. The man who claimed +this article of human merchandize was a Mr. Walker,—a well known +slave-trader, residing in St. Louis. There was a general anxiety among +the passengers and crew to learn the history of the girl. Her master +kept close by her side, and it would have been considered impudent for +any of the passengers to have spoken to her, and the crew were not +allowed to have any conversation with them. When we reached St. Louis, +the slaves were removed to a boat bound for New Orleans, and the history +of the beautiful slave-girl remained a mystery.</p> + +<p>I remained on the boat during the season, and it was not an unfrequent +occurrence to have on board gangs of slaves on their way to the cotton, +sugar and rice plantations of the South.</p> + +<p>Toward the latter part of the summer, Captain Reynolds left the boat, +and I was sent home. I was then placed on the farm under Mr. Haskell, +the overseer. As I had been some time out of the field, and not +accustomed to work in the burning sun, it was very hard; but I was +compelled to keep up with the best of the hands.</p> + +<p>I found a great difference between the work in a steamboat cabin and +that in a corn-field.</p> + +<p>My master, who was then living in the city, soon after removed to the +farm, when I was taken out of the field to work in the house as a +waiter. Though his wife was very peevish, and hard to please, I much +preferred to be under her control than the overseer's. They brought with +them Mr. Sloane, a Presbyterian minister; Miss Martha Tulley, a neice of +theirs from Kentucky; and their nephew William. The latter had been in +the family a number of years, but the others were all new-comers.</p> + +<p>Mr. Sloane was a young minister, who had been at the South but a short +time, and it seemed as if his whole aim was to please the slaveholders, +especially my master and mistress. He was intending to make a visit +during the winter, and he not only tried to please them, but I think he +succeeded admirably. When they wanted singing, he sung; when they wanted +praying, he prayed; when they wanted a story told, he told a story. +Instead of his teaching my master theology, my master taught theology to +him. While I was with Captain Reynolds, my master "got religion," and +new laws were made on the plantation. Formerly, we had the privilege of +hunting, fishing, making splint brooms, baskets, &c. on Sunday; but this +was all stopped. Every Sunday, we were all compelled to attend meeting. +Master was so religious, that he induced some others to join him in +hiring a preacher to preach to the slaves.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V" />CHAPTER V.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">My</span> master had family worship, night and morning. At night, the +slaves were called in to attend; but in the mornings, they had to be at +their work, and master did all the praying. My master and mistress were +great lovers of mint julep, and every morning, a pitcher-full was made, +of which they all partook freely, not excepting little master William. +After drinking freely all round, they would have family worship, and +then breakfast. I cannot say but I loved the julep as well as any of +them, and during prayer was always careful to seat myself close to the +table where it stood, so as to help myself when they were all busily +engaged in their devotions. By the time prayer was over, I was about as +happy as any of them. A sad accident happened one morning. In helping +myself, and at the same time keeping an eye on my old mistress, I +accidentally let the pitcher fall upon the floor, breaking it in pieces, +and spilling the contents. This was a bad affair for me; for as soon as +prayer was over, I was taken and severely chastised.</p> + +<p>My master's family consisted of himself, his wife, and their nephew, +William Moore. He was taken into the family, when only a few weeks of +age. His name being that of my own, mine was changed, for the purpose of +giving precedence to his, though I was his senior by ten or twelve +years. The plantation being four miles from the city, I had to drive the +family to church. I always dreaded the approach of the Sabbath; for, +during service, I was obliged to stand by the horses in the hot broiling +sun, or in the rain, just as it happened.</p> + +<p>One Sabbath, as we were driving past the house of D.D. Page, a gentleman +who owned a large baking establishment, as I was sitting upon the box of +the carriage, which was very much elevated, I saw Mr. Page pursuing a +slave around the yard, with a long whip, cutting him at every jump. The +man soon escaped from the yard, and was followed by Mr. Page. They came +running past us, and the slave perceiving that he would be overtaken, +stopped suddenly, and Page stumbled over him, and falling on the stone +pavement, fractured one of his legs, which crippled him for life. The +same gentleman, but a short time previous, tied up a woman of his, by +the name of Delphia, and whipped her nearly to death; yet he was a +deacon in the Baptist church, in good and regular standing. Poor +Delphia! I was well acquainted with her, and called to see her while +upon her sick bed; and I shall never forget her appearance. She was a +member of the same church with her master.</p> + +<p>Soon after this, I was hired out to Mr. Walker; the same man whom I have +mentioned as having carried a gang of slaves down the river, on the +steamboat Enterprize. Seeing me in the capacity of steward on the boat, +and thinking that I would make a good hand to take care of slaves, he +determined to have me for that purpose; and finding that my master would +not sell me, he hired me for the term of one year.</p> + +<p>When I learned the fact of my having been hired to a negro speculator, +or a "soul-driver" as they are generally called among slaves, no one can +tell my emotions. Mr. Walker had offered a high price for me, as I +afterwards learned, but I suppose my master was restrained from selling +me by the fact that I was a near relative of his. On entering the +service of Mr. Walker, I found that my opportunity of getting to a land +of liberty was gone, at least for the time being. He had a gang of +slaves in readiness to start for New Orleans, and in a few days we were +on our journey. I am at a loss for language to express my feelings on +that occasion. Although my master had told me that he had not sold me, +and Mr. Walker had told me that he had not purchased me, I did not +believe them; and not until I had been to New Orleans, and was on my +return, did I believe that I was not sold.</p> + +<p>There was on the boat a large room on the lower deck, in which the +slaves were kept, men and women, promiscuously—all chained two and two, +and a strict watch kept that they did not get loose; for cases have +occurred in which slaves have got off their chains, and made their +escape at landing-places, while the boats were taking in wood;—and with +all our care, we lost one woman who had been taken from her husband and +children, and having no desire to live without them, in the agony of her +soul jumped overboard, and drowned herself. She was not chained.</p> + +<p>It was almost impossible to keep that part of the boat clean.</p> + +<p>On landing at Natchez, the slaves were all carried to the slave-pen, and +there kept one week, during which time, several of them were sold. Mr. +Walker fed his slaves well. We took on board, at St. Louis, several +hundred pounds of bacon (smoked meat) and corn-meal, and his slaves were +better fed than slaves generally were in Natchez, so far as my +observation extended.</p> + +<p>At the end of a week, we left for New Orleans, the place of our final +destination, which we reached in two days. Here the slaves were placed +in a negro-pen, where those who wished to purchase could call and +examine them. The negro-pen is a small yard, surrounded by buildings, +from fifteen to twenty feet wide, with the exception of a large gate +with iron bars. The slaves are kept in the buildings during the night, +and turned out into the yard during the day. After the best of the stock +was sold at private sale at the pen, the balance were taken to the +Exchange Coffee House Auction Rooms, kept by Isaac L. McCoy, and sold at +public auction. After the sale of this lot of slaves, we left New +Orleans for St. Louis.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI" />CHAPTER VI.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> our arrival at St. Louis, I went to Dr. Young, and told him +that I did not wish to live with Mr. Walker any longer. I was heart-sick +at seeing my fellow-creatures bought and sold. But the Dr. had hired me +for the year, and stay I must. Mr. Walker again commenced purchasing +another gang of slaves. He bought a man of Colonel John O'Fallon, who +resided in the suburbs of the city. This man had a wife and three +children. As soon as the purchase was made, he was put in jail for safe +keeping, until we should be ready to start for New Orleans. His wife +visited him while there, several times, and several times when she went +for that purpose was refused admittance.</p> + +<p>In the course of eight or nine weeks Mr. Walker had his cargo of human +flesh made up. There was in this lot a number of old men and women, some +of them with gray locks. We left St. Louis in the steamboat Carlton, +Captain Swan, bound for New Orleans. On our way down, and before we +reached Rodney, the place where we made our first stop, I had to prepare +the old slaves for market. I was ordered to have the old men's whiskers +shaved off, and the grey hairs plucked out, where they were not too +numerous, in which case he had a preparation of blacking to color it, +and with a blacking-brush we would put it on. This was new business to +me, and was performed in a room where the passengers could not see us. +These slaves were also taught how old they were by Mr. Walker, and after +going through the blacking process, they looked ten or fifteen years +younger; and I am sure that some of those who purchased slaves of Mr. +Walker, were dreadfully cheated, especially in the ages of the slaves +which they bought.</p> + +<p>We landed at Rodney, and the slaves were driven to the pen in the back +part of the village. Several were sold at this place, during our stay of +four or five days, when we proceeded to Natchez. There we landed at +night, and the gang were put in the warehouse until morning, when they +were driven to the pen. As soon as the slaves are put in these pens, +swarms of planters may be seen in and about them. They knew when Walker +was expected, as he always had the time advertised beforehand when he +would be in Rodney, Natchez, and New Orleans. These were the principal +places where he offered his slaves for sale.</p> + +<p>When at Natchez the second time, I saw a slave very cruelly whipped. He +belonged to a Mr. Broadwell, a merchant who kept a store on the wharf. +The slave's name was Lewis. I had known him several years, as he was +formerly from St. Louis. We were expecting a steamboat down the river, +in which we were to take passage for New Orleans. Mr. Walker sent me to +the landing to watch for the boat, ordering me to inform him on its +arrival. While there, I went into the store to see Lewis. I saw a slave +in the store, and asked him where Lewis was. Said he, "They have got +Lewis hanging between the heavens and the earth." I asked him what he +meant by that. He told me to go into the warehouse and see. I went in, +and found Lewis there. He was tied up to a beam, with his toes just +touching the floor. As there was no one in the warehouse but himself, I +inquired the reason of his being in that situation. He said Mr. +Broadwell had sold his wife to a planter six miles from the city, and +that he had been to visit her,—that he went in the night, expecting to +return before daylight, and went without his master's permission. The +patrol had taken him up before he reached his wife. He was put in jail, +and his master had to pay for his catching and keeping, and that was +what he was tied up for.</p> + +<p>Just as he finished his story, Mr. Broadwell came in, and inquired what +I was doing there. I knew not what to say, and while I was thinking what +reply to make, he struck me over the head with the cowhide, the end of +which struck me over my right eye, sinking deep into the flesh, leaving +a scar which I carry to this day. Before I visited Lewis, he had +received fifty lashes. Mr. Broadwell gave him fifty lashes more after I +came out, as I was afterwards informed by Lewis himself.</p> + +<p>The next day we proceeded to New Orleans, and put the gang in the same +negro-pen which we occupied before. In a short time, the planters came +flocking to the pen to purchase slaves. Before the slaves were exhibited +for sale, they were dressed and driven out into the yard. Some were set +to dancing, some to jumping, some to singing, and some to playing cards. +This was done to make them appear cheerful and happy. My business was to +see that they were placed in those situations before the arrival of the +purchasers, and I have often set them to dancing when their cheeks were +wet with tears. As slaves were in good demand at that time, they were +all soon disposed of, and we again set out for St. Louis.</p> + +<p>On our arrival, Mr. Walker purchased a farm five or six miles from the +city. He had no family, but made a housekeeper of one of his female +slaves. Poor Cynthia! I knew her well. She was a quadroon, and one of +the most beautiful women I ever saw. She was a native of St. Louis, and +bore an irreproachable character for virtue and propriety of conduct. +Mr. Walker bought her for the New Orleans market, and took her down with +him on one of the trips that I made with him. Never shall I forget the +circumstances of that voyage! On the first night that we were on board +the steamboat, he directed me to put her into a state-room he had +provided for her, apart from the other slaves. I had seen too much of +the workings of slavery, not to know what this meant. I accordingly +watched him into the state-room, and listened to hear what passed +between them. I heard him make his base offers, and her reject them. He +told her that if she would accept his vile proposals, he would take her +back with him to St. Louis, and establish her as his housekeeper at his +farm. But if she persisted in rejecting them, he would sell her as a +field hand on the worst plantation on the river. Neither threats nor +bribes prevailed, however, and he retired, disappointed of his prey.</p> + +<p>The next morning, poor Cynthia told me what had past, and bewailed her +sad fate with floods of tears. I comforted and encouraged her all I +could; but I foresaw but too well what the result must be. Without +entering into any farther particulars, suffice it to say that Walker +performed his part of the contract, at that time. He took her back to +St. Louis, established her as his mistress and housekeeper at his farm, +and before I left, he had two children by her. But, mark the end! Since +I have been at the North, I have been credibly informed that Walker has +been married, and, as a previous measure, sold poor Cynthia and her four +children (she having had two more since I came away) into hopeless +bondage!</p> + +<p>He soon commenced purchasing to make up the third gang. We took +steamboat, and went to Jefferson City, a town on the Missouri river. +Here we landed, and took stage for the interior of the State. He bought +a number of slaves as he passed the different farms and villages. After +getting twenty-two or twenty-three men and women, we arrived at St. +Charles, a village on the banks of the Missouri. Here he purchased a +woman who had a child in her arms, appearing to be four or five weeks +old.</p> + +<p>We had been travelling by land for some days, and were in hopes to have +found a boat at this place for St. Louis, but were disappointed. As no +boat was expected for some days, we started for St. Louis by land. Mr. +Walker had purchased two horses. He rode one, and I the other. The +slaves were chained together, and we took up our line of march, Mr. +Walker taking the lead, and I bringing up the rear. Though the distance +was not more than twenty miles, we did not reach it the first day. The +road was worse than any that I have ever travelled.</p> + +<p>Soon after we left St. Charles, the young child grew very cross, and +kept up a noise during the greater part of the day. Mr. Walker +complained of its crying several times, and told the mother to stop the +child's d——d noise, or he would. The woman tried to keep the child +from crying, but could not. We put up at night with an acquaintance of +Mr. Walker, and in the morning, just as we were about to start, the +child again commenced crying. Walker stepped up to her, and told her to +give the child to him. The mother tremblingly obeyed. He took the child +by one arm, as you would a cat by the leg, walked into the house, and +said to the lady,</p> + +<p>"Madam, I will make you a present of this little nigger; it keeps such a +noise that I can't bear it."</p> + +<p>"Thank you, sir," said the lady.</p> + +<p>The mother, as soon as she saw that her child was to be left, ran up to +Mr. Walker, and falling upon her knees begged him to let her have her +child; she clung around his legs, and cried, "Oh, my child! my child! +master, do let me have my child! oh, do, do, do. I will stop its crying, +if you will only let me have it again." When I saw this woman crying for +her child so piteously, a shudder,—a feeling akin to horror, shot +through my frame. I have often since in imagination heard her crying for +her child:—</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"O, master, let me stay to catch<br /></span> +<span class="i2">My baby's sobbing breath,<br /></span> +<span>His little glassy eye to watch,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And smooth his limbs in death,<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>And cover him with grass and leaf,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Beneath the large oak tree:<br /></span> +<span>It is not sullenness, but grief,—<br /></span> +<span class="i2">O, master, pity me!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>The morn was chill—I spoke no word,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">But feared my babe might die,<br /></span> +<span>And heard all day, or thought I heard,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">My little baby cry.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>At noon, oh, how I ran and took<br /></span> +<span class="i2">My baby to my breast!<br /></span> +<span>I lingered—and the long lash broke<br /></span> +<span class="i2">My sleeping infant's rest.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>I worked till night—till darkest night,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">In torture and disgrace;<br /></span> +<span>Went home and watched till morning light,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">To see my baby's face.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Then give me but one little hour—<br /></span> +<span class="i2">O! do not lash me so!<br /></span> +<span>One little hour—one little hour—<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And gratefully I'll go."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Mr. Walker commanded her to return into the ranks with the other slaves. +Women who had children were not chained, but those that had none were. +As soon as her child was disposed of, she was chained in the gang.</p> + +<p>The following song I have often heard the slaves sing, when about to be +carried to the far south. It is said to have been composed by a slave.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"See these poor souls from Africa<br /></span> +<span>Transported to America;<br /></span> +<span>We are stolen, and sold to Georgia,<br /></span> +<span>Will you go along with me?<br /></span> +<span>We are stolen, and sold to Georgia,<br /></span> +<span>Come sound the jubilee!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>See wives and husbands sold apart,<br /></span> +<span>Their children's screams will break my heart;—<br /></span> +<span>There's a better day a coming,<br /></span> +<span>Will you go along with me?<br /></span> +<span>There's a better day a coming,<br /></span> +<span>Go sound the jubilee!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>O, gracious Lord! when shall it be,<br /></span> +<span>That we poor souls shall all be free;<br /></span> +<span>Lord, break them slavery powers—<br /></span> +<span>Will you go along with me?<br /></span> +<span>Lord break them slavery powers,<br /></span> +<span>Go sound the jubilee!<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span>Dear Lord, dear Lord, when slavery'll cease,<br /></span> +<span>Then we poor souls will have our peace;—<br /></span> +<span>There's a better day a coming,<br /></span> +<span>Will you go along with me?<br /></span> +<span>There's a better day a coming,<br /></span> +<span>Go sound the jubilee!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>We finally arrived at Mr. Walker's farm. He had a house built during our +absence to put slaves in. It was a kind of domestic jail. The slaves +were put in the jail at night, and worked on the farm during the day. +They were kept here until the gang was completed, when we again started +for New Orleans, on board the steamboat North America, Capt. Alexander +Scott. We had a large number of slaves in this gang. One, by the name of +Joe, Mr. Walker was training up to take my place, as my time was nearly +out, and glad was I. We made our first stop at Vicksburg, where we +remained one week and sold several slaves.</p> + +<p>Mr. Walker, though not a good master, had not flogged a slave since I +had been with him, though he had threatened me. The slaves were kept in +the pen, and he always put up at the best hotel, and kept his wines in +his room, for the accommodation of those who called to negotiate with +him for the purchase of slaves. One day while we were at Vicksburg, +several gentlemen came to see him for this purpose, and as usual the +wine was called for. I took the tray and started around with it, and +having accidentally filled some of the glasses too full, the gentlemen +spilled the wine on their clothes as they went to drink. Mr. Walker +apologized to them for my carelessness, but looked at me as though he +would see me again on this subject.</p> + +<p>After the gentlemen had left the room, he asked me what I meant by my +carelessness, and said that he would attend to me. The next morning, he +gave me a note to carry to the jailer, and a dollar in money to give to +him. I suspected that all was not right, so I went down near the landing +where I met with a sailor, and walking up to him, asked him if he would +be so kind as to read the note for me. He read it over, and then looked +at me. I asked him to tell me what was in it. Said he,</p> + +<p>"They are going to give you hell."</p> + +<p>"Why?" said I.</p> + +<p>He said, "This is a note to have you whipped, and says that you have a +dollar to pay for it."</p> + +<p>He handed me back the note, and off I started. I knew not what to do, +but was determined not to be whipped. I went up to the jail—took a look +at it, and walked off again. As Mr. Walker was acquainted with the +jailer, I feared that I should be found out if I did not go, and be +treated in consequence of it still worse.</p> + +<p>While I was meditating on the subject, I saw a colored man about my size +walk up, and the thought struck me in a moment to send him with my note. +I walked up to him, and asked him who he belonged to. He said he was a +free man, and had been in the city but a short time. I told him I had a +note to go into the jail, and get a trunk to carry to one of the +steamboats; but was so busily engaged that I could not do it, although I +had a dollar to pay for it. He asked me if I would not give him the job. +I handed him the note and the dollar, and off he started for the jail.</p> + +<p>I watched to see that he went in, and as soon as I saw the door close +behind him, I walked around the corner, and took my station, intending +to see how my friend looked when he came out. I had been there but a +short time, when a colored man came around the corner, and said to +another colored man with whom he was acquainted—</p> + +<p>"They are giving a nigger scissors in the jail."</p> + +<p>"What for?" said the other. The man continued,</p> + +<p>"A nigger came into the jail, and asked for the jailer. The jailer came +out, and he handed him a note, and said he wanted to get a trunk. The +jailer told him to go with him, and he would give him the trunk. So he +took him into the room, and told the nigger to give up the dollar. He +said a man had given him the dollar to pay for getting the trunk. But +that lie would not answer. So they made him strip himself, and then they +tied him down, and are now whipping him."</p> + +<p>I stood by all the while listening to their talk, and soon found out +that the person alluded to was my customer. I went into the street +opposite the jail, and concealed myself in such a manner that I could +not be seen by any one coming out. I had been there but a short time, +when the young man made his appearance, and looked around for me. I, +unobserved, came forth from my hiding-place, behind a pile of brick, and +he pretty soon saw me and came up to me complaining bitterly, saying +that I had played a trick upon him. I denied any knowledge of what the +note contained, and asked him what they had done to him. He told me in +substance what I heard the man tell who had come out of the jail.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said he, "they whipped me and took my dollar, and gave me this +note."</p> + +<p>He showed me the note which the jailer had given him, telling him to +give it to his master. I told him I would give him fifty cents for +it,—that being all the money I had. He gave it to me, and took his +money. He had received twenty lashes on his bare back, with the +negro-whip.</p> + +<p>I took the note and started for the hotel where I had left Mr. Walker. +Upon reaching the hotel, I handed it to a stranger whom I had not seen +before, and requested him to read it to me. As near as I can recollect, +it was as follows:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"<span class="smcap">Dear Sir:</span>—By your direction, I have given your boy twenty lashes. + He is a very saucy boy, and tried to make me believe that he did + not belong to you, and I put it on to him well for lying to me.</p> + +<p> I remain,</p> + +<p> Your obedient servant." </p></div> + +<p>It is true that in most of the slave-holding cities, when a gentleman +wishes his servants whipped, he can send him to the jail and have it +done. Before I went in where Mr. Walker was, I wet my cheeks a little, +as though I had been crying. He looked at me, and inquired what was the +matter. I told him that I had never had such a whipping in my life, and +handed him the note. He looked at it and laughed;—"and so you told him +that you did not belong to me." "Yes, sir," said I. "I did not know that +there was any harm in that." He told me I must behave myself, if I did +not want to be whipped again.</p> + +<p>This incident shows how it is that slavery makes its victims lying and +mean; for which vices it afterwards reproaches them, and uses them as +arguments to prove that they deserve no better fate. I have often, +since my escape, deeply regretted the deception I practised upon this +poor fellow; and I heartily desire that it may be, at some time or +other, in my power to make him amends for his vicarious sufferings in my +behalf.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII" />CHAPTER VII.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">In</span> a few days we reached New Orleans, and arriving there in the +night, remained on board until morning. While at New Orleans this time, +I saw a slave killed; an account of which has been published by Theodore +D. Weld, in his book entitled, "Slavery as it is." The circumstances +were as follows. In the evening, between seven and eight o'clock, a +slave came running down the levee, followed by several men and boys. The +whites were crying out, "Stop that nigger; stop that nigger;" while the +poor panting slave, in almost breathless accents, was repeating, "I did +not steal the meat—I did not steal the meat." The poor man at last took +refuge in the river. The whites who were in pursuit of him, run on board +of one of the boats to see if they could discover him. They finally +espied him under the bow of the steamboat Trenton. They got a pike-pole, +and tried to drive him from his hiding place. When they would strike at +him, he would dive under the water. The water was so cold, that it soon +became evident that he must come out or be drowned.</p> + +<p>While they were trying to drive him from under the bow of the boat or +drown him, he would in broken and imploring accents say, "I did not +steal the meat; I did not steal the meat. My master lives up the river. +I want to see my master. I did not steal the meat. Do let me go home to +master." After punching him, and striking him over the head for some +time, he at last sunk in the water, to rise no more alive.</p> + +<p>On the end of the pike-pole with which they were striking him was a hook +which caught in his clothing, and they hauled him up on the bow of the +boat. Some said he was dead, others said he was "<i>playing possum</i>" while +others kicked him to make him get up, but it was of no use—he was dead.</p> + +<p>As soon as they became satisfied of this, they commenced leaving, one +after another. One of the hands on the boat informed the captain that +they had killed the man, and that the dead body was lying on the deck. +The captain came on deck, and said to those who were remaining, "You +have killed this nigger; now take him off of my boat." The captain's +name was Hart. The dead body was dragged on shore and left there. I went +on board of the boat where our gang of slaves were, and during the whole +night my mind was occupied with what I had seen. Early in the morning, I +went on shore to see if the dead body remained there. I found it in the +same position that it was left the night before. I watched to see what +they would do with it. It was left there until between eight and nine +o'clock, when a cart, which takes up the trash out of the streets, came +along, and the body was thrown in, and in a few minutes more was covered +over with dirt which they were removing from the streets. During the +whole time, I did not see more than six or seven persons around it, who, +from their manner, evidently regarded it as no uncommon occurrence.</p> + +<p>During our stay in the city, I met with a young white man with whom I +was well acquainted in St. Louis. He had been sold into slavery, under +the following circumstances. His father was a drunkard, and very poor, +with a family of five or six children. The father died, and left the +mother to take care of and provide for the children as best she might. +The eldest was a boy, named Burrill, about thirteen years of age, who +did chores in a store kept by Mr. Riley, to assist his mother in +procuring a living for the family. After working with him two years, Mr. +Riley took him to New Orleans to wait on him while in that city on a +visit, and when he returned to St. Louis, he told the mother of the boy +that he had died with the yellow fever. Nothing more was heard from him, +no one supposing him to be alive. I was much astonished when Burrill +told me his story. Though I sympathized with him, I could not assist +him. We were both slaves. He was poor, uneducated, and without friends; +and if living, is, I presume, still held as a slave.</p> + +<p>After selling out this cargo of human flesh, we returned to St. Louis, +and my time was up with Mr. Walker. I had served him one year, and it +was the longest year I ever lived.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII" />CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">I was</span> sent home, and was glad enough to leave the service of one who was +tearing the husband from the wife, the child from the mother, and the +sister from the brother,—but a trial more severe and heart-rending than +any which I had yet met with awaited me. My dear sister had been sold to +a man who was going to Natchez, and was lying in jail awaiting the hour +of his departure. She had expressed her determination to die, rather +than go to the far south, and she was put in jail for safe keeping. I +went to the jail the same day that I arrived, but as the jailor was not +in, I could not see her.</p> + +<p>I went home to my master, in the country, and the first day after my +return, he came where I was at work, and spoke to me very politely. I +knew from his appearance that something was the matter. After talking +about my several journeys to New Orleans with Mr. Walker, he told me +that he was hard pressed for money, and as he had sold my mother and all +her children except me, he thought it would be better to sell me than +any other one, and that as I had been used to living in the city, he +thought it probable that I would prefer it to a country life. I raised +up my head, and looked him full in the face. When my eyes caught his, he +immediately looked to the ground. After a short pause, I said,</p> + +<p>"Master, mother has often told me that you are a near relative of mine, +and I have often heard you admit the fact; and after you have hired me +out, and received, as I once heard you say, nine hundred dollars for my +services,—after receiving this large sum, will you sell me to be +carried to New Orleans or some other place?"</p> + +<p>"No," said he, "I do not intend to sell you to a negro trader. If I had +wished to have done that, I might have sold you to Mr. Walker for a +large sum, but I would not sell you to a negro trader. You may go to the +city, and find you a good master."</p> + +<p>"But," said I, "I cannot find a good master in the whole city of St. +Louis."</p> + +<p>"Why?" said he.</p> + +<p>"Because there are no good masters in the State."</p> + +<p>"Do you not call me a good master?"</p> + +<p>"If you were, you would not sell me."</p> + +<p>"Now I will give you one week to find a master in, and surely you can do +it in that time."</p> + +<p>The price set by my evangelical master upon my soul and body was the +trifling sum of five hundred dollars. I tried to enter into some +arrangement by which I might purchase my freedom; but he would enter +into no such arrangement.</p> + +<p>I set out for the city with the understanding that I was to return in a +week with some one to become my new master. Soon after reaching the +city, I went to the jail, to learn if I could once more see my sister; +but could not gain admission. I then went to mother, and learned from +her that the owner of my sister intended to start for Natchez in a few +days.</p> + +<p>I went to the jail again the next day, and Mr. Simonds, the keeper, +allowed me to see my sister for the last time. I cannot give a just +description of the scene at that parting interview. Never, never can be +erased from my heart the occurrences of that day! When I entered the +room where she was, she was seated in one corner, alone. There were four +other women in the same room, belonging to the same man. He had +purchased them, he said, for his own use. She was seated with her face +towards the door where I entered, yet she did not look up until I walked +up to her. As soon as she observed me, she sprung up, threw her arms +around my neck, leaned her head upon my breast, and, without uttering a +word, burst into tears. As soon as she recovered herself sufficiently to +speak, she advised me to take mother, and try to get out of slavery. She +said there was no hope for herself,—that she must live and die a slave. +After giving her some advice, and taking from my finger a ring and +placing it upon hers, I bade her farewell forever, and returned to my +mother, and then and there made up my mind to leave for Canada as soon +as possible.</p> + +<p>I had been in the city nearly two days, and as I was to be absent only a +week, I thought best to get on my journey as soon as possible. In +conversing with mother, I found her unwilling to make the attempt to +reach a land of liberty, but she counselled me to get my liberty if I +could. She said, as all her children were in slavery, she did not wish +to leave them. I could not bear the idea of leaving her among those +pirates, when there was a prospect of being able to get away from them. +After much persuasion, I succeeded in inducing her to make the attempt +to get away.</p> + +<p>The time fixed for our departure was the next night. I had with me a +little money that I had received, from time to time, from gentlemen for +whom I had done errands. I took my scanty means and purchased some dried +beef, crackers and cheese, which I carried to mother, who had provided +herself with a bag to carry it in. I occasionally thought of my old +master, and of my mission to the city to find a new one. I waited with +the most intense anxiety for the appointed time to leave the land of +slavery, in search of a land of liberty.</p> + +<p>The time at length arrived, and we left the city just as the clock +struck nine. We proceeded to the upper part of the city, where I had +been two or three times during the day, and selected a skiff to carry us +across the river. The boat was not mine, nor did I know to whom it did +belong; neither did I care. The boat was fastened with a small pole, +which, with the aid of a rail, I soon loosened from its moorings. After +hunting round and finding a board to use as an oar, I turned to the +city, and bidding it a long farewell, pushed off my boat. The current +running very swift, we had not reached the middle of the stream before +we were directly opposite the city.</p> + +<p>We were soon upon the Illinois shore, and, leaping from the boat, turned +it adrift, and the last I saw of it, it was going down the river at good +speed. We took the main road to Alton, and passed through just at +daylight, when we made for the woods, where we remained during the day. +Our reason for going into the woods was, that we expected that Mr. +Mansfield (the man who owned my mother) would start in pursuit of her as +soon as he discovered that she was missing. He also knew that I had been +in the city looking for a new master, and we thought probably he would +go out to my master's to see if he could find my mother, and in so +doing, Dr. Young might be led to suspect that I had gone to Canada to +find a purchaser.</p> + +<p>We remained in the woods during the day, and as soon as darkness +overshadowed the earth, we started again on our gloomy way, having no +guide but the <span class="smcap">North Star</span>. We continued to travel by night, and +secrete ourselves in woods by day; and every night, before emerging +from our hiding-place, we would anxiously look for our friend and +leader,—the <span class="smcap">North Star</span>.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX" />CHAPTER IX.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">As</span> we travelled towards a land of liberty, my heart would at times leap +for joy. At other times, being, as I was, almost constantly on my feet, +I felt as though I could travel no further. But when I thought of +slavery with its Democratic whips—its Republican chains—its +evangelical blood-hounds, and its religious slave-holders—when I +thought of all this paraphernalia of American Democracy and Religion +behind me, and the prospect of liberty before me, I was encouraged to +press forward, my heart was strengthened, and I forgot that I was tired +or hungry.</p> + +<p>On the eighth day of our journey, we had a very heavy rain, and in a few +hours after it commenced, we had not a dry thread upon our bodies. This +made our journey still more unpleasant. On the tenth day, we found +ourselves entirely destitute of provisions, and how to obtain any we +could not tell. We finally resolved to stop at some farmhouse, and try +to get something to eat. We had no sooner determined to do this, than we +went to a house, and asked them for some food. We were treated with +great kindness, and they not only gave us something to eat, but gave us +provisions to carry with us. They advised us to travel by day, and lye +by at night. Finding ourselves about one hundred and fifty miles from +St. Louis, we concluded that it would be safe to travel by daylight, and +did not leave the house until the next morning. We travelled on that day +through a thickly settled country, and through one small village. Though +we were fleeing from a land of oppression, our hearts were still there. +My dear sister and two beloved brothers were behind us, and the idea of +giving them up, and leaving them forever, made us feel sad. But with all +this depression of heart, the thought that I should one day be free, and +call my body my own, buoyed me up, and made my heart leap for joy. I had +just been telling mother how I should try to get employment as soon as +we reached Canada, and how I intended to purchase us a little farm, and +how I would earn money enough to buy sister and brothers, and how happy +we would be in our own <span class="smcap">Free Home</span>,—when three men came up on +horseback, and ordered us to stop.</p> + +<p>I turned to the one who appeared to be the principal man, and asked him +what he wanted. He said he had a warrant to take us up. The three +immediately dismounted, and one took from his pocket a handbill, +advertising us as runaways, and offering a reward of two hundred dollars +for our apprehension, and delivery in the city of St. Louis. The +advertisement had been put out by Isaac Mansfield and John Young.</p> + +<p>While they were reading the advertisement, mother looked me in the face, +and burst into tears. A cold chill ran over me, and such a sensation I +never experienced before, and I hope never to again. They took out a +rope and tied me, and we were taken back about six miles, to the house +of the individual who appeared to be the leader. We reached there about +seven o'clock in the evening, had supper, and were separated for the +night. Two men remained in the room during the night. Before the family +retired to rest, they were all called together to attend prayers. The +man who but a few hours before had bound my hands together with a strong +cord, read a chapter from the Bible, and then offered up prayer, just as +though God sanctioned the act he had just committed upon a poor panting, +fugitive slave.</p> + +<p>The next morning, a blacksmith came in, and put a pair of handcuffs on +me, and we started on our journey back to the land of whips, chains and +Bibles. Mother was not tied, but was closely watched at night. We were +carried back in a wagon, and after four days travel, we came in sight of +St. Louis. I cannot describe my feelings upon approaching the city.</p> + +<p>As we were crossing the ferry, Mr. Wiggins, the owner of the ferry, came +up to me, and inquired what I had been doing that I was in chains. He +had not heard that I had run away. In a few minutes, we were on the +Missouri side, and were taken directly to the jail. On the way thither, +I saw several of my friends, who gave me a nod of recognition as I +passed them. After reaching the jail, we were locked up in different +apartments.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X" />CHAPTER X.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">I had</span> been in jail but a short time when I heard that my master was +sick, and nothing brought more joy to my heart than that intelligence. I +prayed fervently for him—not for his recovery, but for his death. I +knew he would be exasperated at having to pay for my apprehension, and +knowing his cruelty, I feared him. While in jail, I learned that my +sister Elizabeth, who was in prison when we left the city, had been +carried off four days before our arrival.</p> + +<p>I had been in jail but a few hours when three negro-traders, learning +that I was secured thus for running away, came to my prison-house and +looked at me, expecting that I would be offered for sale. Mr. Mansfield, +the man who owned mother, came into the jail as soon as Mr. Jones, the +man who arrested us, informed him that he had brought her back. He told +her that he would not whip her, but would sell her to a negro-trader, or +take her to New Orleans himself. After being in jail about one week, +master sent a man to take me out of jail, and send me home. I was taken +out and carried home, and the old man was well enough to sit up. He had +me brought into the room where he was, and as I entered, he asked me +where I had been? I told I had acted according to his orders. He had +told me to look for a master, and I had been to look for one. He +answered that he did not tell me to go to Canada to look for a master. I +told him that as I had served him faithfully, and had been the means of +putting a number of hundreds of dollars into his pocket, I thought I had +a right to my liberty. He said he had promised my father that I should +not be sold to supply the New Orleans market, or he would sell me to a +negro-trader.</p> + +<p>I was ordered to go into the field to work, and was closely watched by +the overseer during the day, and locked up at night. The overseer gave +me a severe whipping on the second day that I was in the field. I had +been at home but a short time, when master was able to ride to the city; +and on his return, he informed me that he had sold me to Samuel Willi, a +merchant tailor. I knew Mr. Willi. I had lived with him three or four +months some years before, when he hired me of my master.</p> + +<p>Mr. Willi was not considered by his servants as a very bad man, nor was +he the best of masters. I went to my new home, and found my new mistress +very glad to see me. Mr. Willi owned two servants before he purchased +me,—Robert and Charlotte. Robert was an excellent white-washer, and +hired his time from his master, paying him one dollar per day, besides +taking care of himself. He was known in the city by the name of Bob +Music. Charlotte was an old woman, who attended to the cooking, washing, +&c. Mr. Willi was not a wealthy man, and did not feel able to keep many +servants around his house; so he soon decided to hire me out, and as I +had been accustomed to service in steamboats, he gave me the privilege +of finding such employment.</p> + +<p>I soon secured a situation on board the steamer Otto, Capt. J.B. Hill, +which sailed from St. Louis to Independence, Missouri. My former master, +Dr. Young, did not let Mr. Willi know that I had run away, or he would +not have permitted me to go on board a steamboat. The boat was not quite +ready to commence running, and therefore I had to remain with Mr. Willi. +But during this time, I had to undergo a trial, for which I was entirely +unprepared. My mother, who had been in jail since her return until the +present time, was now about being carried to New Orleans, to die on a +cotton, sugar, or rice plantation!</p> + +<p>I had been several times to the jail, but could obtain no interview with +her. I ascertained, however, the time the boat in which she was to +embark would sail, and as I had not seen mother since her being thrown +into prison, I felt anxious for the hour of sailing to come. At last, +the day arrived when I was to see her for the first time after our +painful separation, and, for aught that I knew, for the last time in +this world!</p> + +<p>At about ten o'clock in the morning I went on board of the boat, and +found her there in company with fifty or sixty other slaves. She was +chained to another woman. On seeing me, she immediately dropped her head +upon her heaving bosom. She moved not, neither did she weep. Her +emotions were too deep for tears. I approached, threw my arms around her +neck, kissed her, and fell upon my knees, begging her forgiveness, for I +thought myself to blame for her sad condition; for if I had not +persuaded her to accompany me, she would not then have been in chains.</p> + +<p>She finally raised her head, looked me in the face, (and such a look +none but an angel can give!) and said, "<i>My dear son, you are not to +blame for my being here. You have done nothing more nor less than your +duty. Do not, I pray you, weep for me. I cannot last long upon a cotton +plantation. I feel that my heavenly master will soon call me home, and +then I shall be out of the hands of the slave-holders!</i>"</p> + +<p>I could bear no more—my heart struggled to free itself from the human +form. In a moment she saw Mr. Mansfield coming toward that part of the +boat, and she whispered into my ear, "<i>My child, we must soon part to +meet no more this side of the grave. You have ever said that you would +not die a slave; that you would be a freeman. Now try to get your +liberty! You will soon have no one to look after but yourself!</i>" and +just as she whispered the last sentence into my ear, Mansfield came up +to me, and with an oath, said, "Leave here this instant; you have been +the means of my losing one hundred dollars to get this wench back,"—at +the same time kicking me with a heavy pair of boots. As I left her, she +gave one shriek, saying, "God be with you!" It was the last time that I +saw her, and the last word I heard her utter.</p> + +<p>I walked on shore. The bell was tolling. The boat was about to start. I +stood with a heavy heart, waiting to see her leave the wharf. As I +thought of my mother, I could but feel that I had lost</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"—the glory of my life,<br /></span> +<span>My blessing and my pride!<br /></span> +<span>I half forgot the name of slave,<br /></span> +<span>When she was by my side."<br /></span> +</div></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI" />CHAPTER XI.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> love of liberty that had been burning in my bosom, had well nigh +gone out. I felt as though I was ready to die. The boat moved gently +from the wharf, and while she glided down the river, I realized that my +mother was indeed</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Gone,—gone,—sold and gone,<br /></span> +<span>To the rice swamp dank and lone!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>After the boat was out of sight, I returned home; but my thoughts were +so absorbed in what I had witnessed, that I knew not what I was about +half of the time. Night came, but it brought no sleep to my eyes.</p> + +<p>In a few days, the boat upon which I was to work being ready, I went on +board to commence. This employment suited me better than living in the +city, and I remained until the close of navigation; though it proved +anything but pleasant. The captain was a drunken, profligate, +hard-hearted creature, not knowing how to treat himself, or any other +person.</p> + +<p>The boat, on its second trip, brought down Mr. Walker, the man of whom I +have spoken in a previous chapter, as hiring my time. He had between one +and two hundred slaves, chained and manacled. Among them was a man that +formerly belonged to my old master's brother, Aaron Young. His name was +Solomon. He was a preacher, and belonged to the same church with his +master. I was glad to see the old man. He wept like a child when he told +me how he had been sold from his wife and children.</p> + +<p>The boat carried down, while I remained on board, four or five gangs of +slaves. Missouri, though a comparatively new State, is very much engaged +in raising slaves to supply the southern market. In a former chapter, I +have mentioned that I was once in the employ of a slave-trader, or +driver, as he is called at the south. For fear that some may think that +I have misrepresented a slave-driver, I will here give an extract from a +paper published in a slaveholding State, Tennessee, called the +"Millennial Trumpeter."</p> + +<p>"Droves of negroes, chained together in dozens and scores, and +hand-cuffed, have been driven through our country in numbers far +surpassing any previous year, and these vile slave-drivers and dealers +are swarming like buzzards around a carrion. Through this county, you +cannot pass a few miles in the great roads without having every feeling +of humanity insulted and lacerated by this spectacle, nor can you go +into any county or any neighborhood, scarcely, without seeing or hearing +of some of these despicable creatures, called negro-drivers.</p> + +<p>"Who is a negro-driver? One whose eyes dwell with delight on lacerated +bodies of helpless men, women and children; whose soul feels diabolical +raptures at the chains, and handcuffs, and cart-whips, for inflicting +tortures on weeping mothers torn from helpless babes, and on husbands +and wives torn asunder forever!"</p> + +<p>Dark and revolting as is the picture here drawn, it is from the pen of +one living in the midst of slavery. But though these men may cant about +negro-drivers, and tell what despicable creatures they are, who is it, I +ask, that supplies them with the human beings that they are tearing +asunder? I answer, as far as I have any knowledge of the State where I +came from, that those who raise slaves for the market are to be found +among all classes, from Thomas H. Benton down to the lowest political +demagogue, who may be able to purchase a woman for the purpose of +raising stock, and from the Doctor of Divinity down to the most humble +lay member in the church.</p> + +<p>It was not uncommon in St. Louis to pass by an auction-stand, and behold +a woman upon the auction-block, and hear the seller crying out, "<i>How +much is offered for this woman? She is a good cook, good washer, a good +obedient servant. She has got religion!</i>" Why should this man tell the +purchasers that she has religion? I answer, because in Missouri, and as +far as I have any knowledge of slavery in the other States, the +religious teaching consists in teaching the slave that he must never +strike a white man; that God made him for a slave; and that, when +whipped, he must not find fault,—for the Bible says, "He that knoweth +his master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes!" +And slaveholders find such religion very profitable to them.</p> + +<p>After leaving the steamer Otto, I resided at home, in Mr. Willi's +family, and again began to lay my plans for making my escape from +slavery. The anxiety to be a freeman would not let me rest day or night. +I would think of the northern cities that I had heard so much about;—of +Canada, where so many of my acquaintances had found refuge. I would +dream at night that I was in Canada, a freeman, and on waking in the +morning, weep to find myself so sadly mistaken.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"I would think of Victoria's domain,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And in a moment I seemed to be there!<br /></span> +<span>But the fear of being taken again,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Soon hurried me back to despair."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>Mr. Willi treated me better than Dr. Young ever had; but instead of +making me contented and happy, it only rendered me the more miserable, +for it enabled me better to appreciate liberty. Mr. Willi was a man who +loved money as most men do, and without looking for an opportunity to +sell me, he found one in the offer of Captain Enoch Price, a steamboat +owner and commission merchant, living in the city of St. Louis. Captain +Price tendered seven hundred dollars, which was two hundred more than +Mr. Willi had paid. He therefore thought best to accept the offer. I was +wanted for a carriage driver, and Mrs. Price was very much pleased with +the captain's bargain. His family consisted besides of one child. He had +three servants besides myself—one man and two women.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Price was very proud of her servants, always keeping them well +dressed, and as soon as I had been purchased, she resolved to have a new +carriage. And soon one was procured, and all preparations were made for +a turn-out in grand style, I being the driver.</p> + +<p>One of the female servants was a girl some eighteen or twenty years of +age, named Maria. Mrs. Price was very soon determined to have us united, +if she could so arrange matters. She would often urge upon me the +necessity of having a wife, saying that it would be so pleasant for me +to take one in the same family! But getting married, while in slavery, +was the last of my thoughts; and had I been ever so inclined, I should +not have married Maria, as my love had already gone in another quarter. +Mrs. Price soon found out that her efforts at this match-making between +Maria and myself would not prove successful. She also discovered (or +thought she had) that I was rather partial to a girl named Eliza, who +was owned by Dr. Mills. This induced her at once to endeavor the +purchase of Eliza, so great was her desire to get me a wife!</p> + +<p>Before making the attempt, however, she deemed it best to talk to me a +little upon the subject of love, courtship, and marriage. Accordingly +one afternoon she called me into her room—telling me to take a chair +and sit down. I did so, thinking it rather strange, for servants are not +very often asked thus to sit down in the same room with the master or +mistress. She said that she had found out that I did not care enough +about Maria to marry her. I told her that was true. She then asked me if +there was not a girl in the city that I loved. Well, now, this was +coming into too close quarters with me! People, generally, don't like to +tell their love stories to everybody that may think fit to ask about +them, and it was so with me. But, after blushing awhile and recovering +myself, I told her that I did not want a wife. She then asked me, if I +did not think something of Eliza. I told her that I did. She then said +that if I wished to marry Eliza, she would purchase her if she could.</p> + +<p>I gave but little encouragement to this proposition, as I was determined +to make another trial to get my liberty, and I knew that if I should +have a wife, I should not be willing to leave her behind; and if I +should attempt to bring her with me, the chances would be difficult for +success. However, Eliza was purchased, and brought into the family.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII" />CHAPTER XII.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">But</span> the more I thought of the trap laid by Mrs. Price to make me +satisfied with my new home, by getting me a wife, the more I determined +never to marry any woman on earth until I should get my liberty. But +this secret I was compelled to keep to myself, which placed me in a very +critical position. I must keep upon good terms with Mrs. Price and +Eliza. I therefore promised Mrs. Price that I would marry Eliza; but +said that I was not then ready. And I had to keep upon good terms with +Eliza, for fear that Mrs. Price would find out that I did not intend to +get married.</p> + +<p>I have here spoken of marriage, and it is very common among slaves +themselves to talk of it. And it is common for slaves to be married; or +at least have the marriage ceremony performed. But there is no such +thing as slaves being lawfully married. There has never yet a case +occurred where a slave has been tried for bigamy. The man may have as +many women as he wishes, and the women as many men; and the law takes no +cognizance of such acts among slaves. And in fact some masters, when +they have sold the husband from the wife, compel her to take another.</p> + +<p>There lived opposite Captain Price's, Doctor Farrar, well known in St. +Louis. He sold a man named Ben, to one of the traders. He also owned +Ben's wife, and in a few days he compelled Sally (that was her name) to +marry Peter, another man belonging to him. I asked Sally "why she +married Peter so soon after Ben was sold." She said, "because master +made her do it."</p> + +<p>Mr. John Calvert, who resided near our place, had a woman named Lavinia. +She was quite young, and a man to whom she was about to be married was +sold, and carried into the country near St. Charles, about twenty miles +from St. Louis. Mr. Calvert wanted her to get a husband; but she had +resolved not to marry any other man, and she refused. Mr. Calvert +whipped her in such a manner that it was thought she would die. Some of +the citizens had him arrested, but it was soon hushed up. And that was +the last of it. The woman did not die, but it would have been the same +if she had.</p> + +<p>Captain Price purchased me in the month of October, and I remained with +him until December, when the family made a voyage to New Orleans, in a +boat owned by himself, and named the "Chester." I served on board, as +one of the stewards. On arriving at New Orleans, about the middle of the +month, the boat took in freight for Cincinnati; and it was decided that +the family should go up the river in her, and what was of more interest +to me, I was to accompany them.</p> + +<p>The long looked for opportunity to make my escape from slavery was near +at hand.</p> + +<p>Captain Price had some fears as to the propriety of taking me near a +free State, or a place where it was likely I could run away, with a +prospect of liberty. He asked me if I had ever been in a free State. "Oh +yes," said I, "I have been in Ohio; my master carried me into that State +once, but I never liked a free State."</p> + +<p>It was soon decided that it would be safe to take me with them, and +what made it more safe, Eliza was on the boat with us, and Mrs. Price, +to try me, asked if I thought as much as ever of Eliza. I told her that +Eliza was very dear to me indeed, and that nothing but death should part +us. It was the same as if we were married. This had the desired effect. +The boat left New Orleans, and proceeded up the river.</p> + +<p>I had at different times obtained little sums of money, which I had +reserved for a "rainy day." I procured some cotton cloth, and made me a +bag to carry provisions in. The trials of the past were all lost in +hopes for the future. The love of liberty, that had been burning in my +bosom for years, and had been well nigh extinguished, was now +resuscitated. At night, when all around was peaceful, I would walk the +decks, meditating upon my happy prospects.</p> + +<p>I should have stated, that before leaving St. Louis, I went to an old +man named Frank, a slave, owned by a Mr. Sarpee. This old man was very +distinguished (not only among the slave population, but also the whites) +as a fortune-teller. He was about seventy years of age, something over +six feet high, and very slender. Indeed, he was so small around his body +that it looked as though it was not strong enough to hold up his head.</p> + +<p>Uncle Frank was a very great favorite with the young ladies, who would +go to him in great numbers to get their fortunes told. And it was +generally believed that he could really penetrate into the mysteries of +futurity. Whether true or not, he had the name, and that is about half +of what one needs in this gullible age. I found Uncle Frank seated in +the chimney corner, about ten o'clock at night. As soon as I entered, +the old man left his seat. I watched his movement as well as I could by +the dim light of the fire. He soon lit a lamp, and coming up, looked me +full in the face, saying, "Well, my son, you have come to get uncle to +tell your fortune, have you?" "Yes," said I. But how the old man should +know what I had come for, I could not tell. However, I paid the fee of +twenty-five cents, and he commenced by looking into a gourd, filled with +water. Whether the old man was a prophet, or the son of a prophet, I +cannot say; but there is one thing certain, many of his predictions were +verified.</p> + +<p>I am no believer in soothsaying; yet I am sometimes at a loss to know +how Uncle Frank could tell so accurately what would occur in the future. +Among the many things he told was one which was enough to pay me for all +the trouble of hunting him up. It was that I should be free! He further +said, that in trying to get my liberty, I would meet with many severe +trials. I thought to myself, any fool could tell me that!</p> + +<p>The first place in which we landed in a free State was Cairo, a small +village at the mouth of the Ohio river. We remained here but a few +hours, when we proceeded to Louisville. After unloading some of the +cargo, the boat started on her upward trip. The next day was the first +of January. I had looked forward to New Year's day as the commencement +of a new era in the history of my life. I had decided upon leaving the +peculiar institution that day.</p> + +<p>During the last night that I served in slavery, I did not close my eyes +a single moment. When not thinking of the future, my mind dwelt on the +past. The love of a dear mother, a dear sister, and three dear brothers, +yet living, caused me to shed many tears. If I could only have been +assured of their being dead, I should have felt satisfied; but I +imagined I saw my dear mother in the cotton-field, followed by a +merciless taskmaster, and no one to speak a consoling word to her! I +beheld my dear sister in the hands of a slave-driver, and compelled to +submit to his cruelty! None but one placed in such a situation can for a +moment imagine the intense agony to which these reflections subjected +me.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII" />CHAPTER XIII.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">At</span> the time for action arrived. The boat landed at a point which +appeared to me the place of all others to start from. I found that it +would be impossible to carry anything with me, but what was upon my +person. I had some provisions, and a single suit of clothes, about half +worn. When the boat was discharging her cargo, and the passengers +engaged carrying their baggage on and off shore, I improved the +opportunity to convey myself with my little effects on land. Taking up a +trunk, I went up the wharf, and was soon out of the crowd. I made +directly for the woods, where I remained until night knowing well that I +could not travel, even in the State of Ohio, during the day, without +danger of being arrested.</p> + +<p>I had long since made up my mind that I would not trust myself in the +hands of any man, white or colored. The slave is brought up to look upon +every white man as an enemy to him and his race; and twenty-one years in +slavery had taught me that there were traitors, even among colored +people. After dark, I emerged from the woods into a narrow path, which +led me into the main travelled road. But I knew not which way to go. I +did not know North from South, East from West. I looked in vain for the +North Star; a heavy cloud hid it from my view. I walked up and down the +road until near midnight, when the clouds disappeared, and I welcomed +the sight of my friend,—truly the slave's friend,—the North Star!</p> + +<p>As soon as I saw it, I knew my course, and before daylight I travelled +twenty or twenty-five miles. It being in the winter, I suffered +intensely from the cold; being without an overcoat, and my other clothes +rather thin for the season. I was provided with a tinder-box, so that I +could make up a fire when necessary. And but for this, I should +certainly have frozen to death; for I was determined not to go to any +house for shelter. I knew of a man belonging to Gen. Ashly, of St. +Louis, who had run away near Cincinnati, on the way to Washington, but +had been caught and carried back into slavery; and I felt that a similar +fate awaited me, should I be seen by any one. I travelled at night, and +lay by during the day.</p> + +<p>On the fourth day, my provisions gave out, and then what to do I could +not tell. Have something to eat, I must; but how to get it was the +question! On the first night after my food was gone, I went to a barn on +the road-side, and there found some ears of corn. I took ten or twelve +of them, and kept on my journey. During the next day, while in the +woods, I roasted my corn and feasted upon it, thanking God that I was so +well provided for.</p> + +<p>My escape to a land of freedom now appeared certain, and the prospects +of the future occupied a great part of my thoughts. What should be my +occupation, was a subject of much anxiety to me; and the next thing what +should be my name? I have before stated that my old master, Dr. Young, +had no children of his own, but had with him a nephew, the son of his +brother, Benjamin Young. When this boy was brought to Doctor Young, his +name being William, the same as mine, my mother was ordered to change +mine to something else. This, at the time, I thought to be one of the +most cruel acts that could be committed upon my rights; and I received +several very severe whippings for telling people that my name was +William, after orders were given to change it. Though young, I was old +enough to place a high appreciation upon my name. It was decided, +however, to call me "Sandford," and this name I was known by, not only +upon my master's plantation, but up to the time that I made my escape. I +was sold under the name of Sandford.</p> + +<p>But as soon as the subject came to my mind, I resolved on adopting my +old name of William, and let Sandford go by the board, for I always +hated it. Not because there was anything peculiar in the name; but +because it had been forced upon me. It is sometimes common at the south, +for slaves to take the name of their masters. Some have a legitimate +right to do so. But I always detested the idea of being called by the +name of either of my masters. And as for my father, I would rather have +adopted the name of "Friday," and been known as the servant of some +Robinson Crusoe, than to have taken his name. So I was not only hunting +for my liberty, but also hunting for a name; though I regarded the +latter as of little consequence, if I could but gain the former. +Travelling along the road, I would sometimes speak to myself, sounding +my name over, by way of getting used to it, before I should arrive among +civilized human beings. On the fifth or sixth day, it rained very fast, +and it froze about as fast as it fell, so that my clothes were one glare +of ice. I travelled on at night until I became so chilled and +benumbed—the wind blowing into my face—that I found it impossible to +go any further, and accordingly took shelter in a barn, where I was +obliged to walk about to keep from freezing.</p> + +<p>I have ever looked upon that night as the most eventful part of my +escape from slavery. Nothing but the providence of God, and that old +barn, saved me from freezing to death. I received a very severe cold, +which settled upon my lungs, and from time to time my feet had been +frost-bitten, so that it was with difficulty I could walk. In this +situation I travelled two days, when I found that I must seek shelter +somewhere, or die.</p> + +<p>The thought of death was nothing frightful to me, compared with that of +being caught, and again carried back into slavery. Nothing but the +prospect of enjoying liberty could have induced me to undergo such +trials, for</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span>"Behind I left the whips and chains,<br /></span> +<span>Before me were sweet Freedom's plains!"<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>This, and this alone, cheered me onward. But I at last resolved to seek +protection from the inclemency of the weather, and therefore I secured +myself behind some logs and brush, intending to wait there until some +one should pass by; for I thought it probable that I might see some +colored person, or, if not, some one who was not a slaveholder; for I +had an idea that I should know a slaveholder as far as I could see him.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV" />CHAPTER XIV.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> first person that passed was a man in a buggy-wagon. He looked too +genteel for me to hail him. Very soon, another passed by on horseback. I +attempted speaking to him, but fear made my voice fail me. As he passed, +I left my hiding-place, and was approaching the road, when I observed an +old man walking towards me, leading a white horse. He had on a +broad-brimmed hat and a very long coat, and was evidently walking for +exercise. As soon as I saw him, and observed his dress, I thought to +myself, "You are the man that I have been looking for!" Nor was I +mistaken. He was the very man!</p> + +<p>On approaching me, he asked me, "if I was not a slave." I looked at him +some time, and then asked him "if he knew of any one who would help me, +as I was sick." He answered that he would; but again asked, if I was not +a slave. I told him I was. He then said that I was in a very pro-slavery +neighborhood, and if I would wait until he went home, he would get a +covered wagon for me. I promised to remain. He mounted his horse, and +was soon out of sight.</p> + +<p>After he was gone, I meditated whether to wait or not; being +apprehensive that he had gone for some one to arrest me. But I finally +concluded to remain until he should return; removing some few rods to +watch his movements. After a suspense of an hour and a half or more, he +returned with a two horse covered-wagon, such as are usually seen under +the shed of a Quaker meeting-house on Sundays and Thursdays; for the old +man proved to be a Quaker of the George Fox stamp.</p> + +<p>He took me to his house, but it was some time before I could be induced +to enter it; not until the old lady came out, did I venture into the +house. I thought I saw something in the old lady's cap that told me I +was not only safe, but welcome, in her house. I was not, however, +prepared to receive their hospitalities. The only fault I found with +them was their being too kind. I had never had a white man to treat me +as an equal, and the idea of a white lady waiting on me at the table was +still worse! Though the table was loaded with the good things of this +life, I could not eat. I thought if I could only be allowed the +privilege of eating in the kitchen, I should be more than satisfied!</p> + +<p>Finding that I could not eat, the old lady, who was a "Thompsonian," +made me a cup of "composition," or "number six;" but it was so strong +and hot, that I called it "<i>number seven</i>!" However, I soon found myself +at home in this family. On different occasions, when telling these +facts, I have been asked how I felt upon finding myself regarded as a +man by a white family; especially just having run away from one. I +cannot say that I have ever answered the question yet.</p> + +<p>The fact that I was in all probability a freeman, sounded in my ears +like a charm. I am satisfied that none but a slave could place such an +appreciation upon liberty as I did at that time. I wanted to see mother +and sister, that I might tell them "I was free!" I wanted to see my +fellow slaves in St. Louis, and let them know that the chains were no +longer upon my limbs. I wanted to see Captain Price, and let him learn +from my own lips that I was no more a chattel, but a man! I was anxious, +too, thus to inform Mrs. Price that she must get another coachman. And I +wanted to see Eliza more than I did either Mr. or Mrs. Price!</p> + +<p>The fact that I was a freeman—could walk, talk, eat and sleep as a +man, and no one to stand over me with the blood-clotted cowhide—all +this made me feel that I was not myself.</p> + +<p>The kind friend that had taken me in was named Wells Brown. He was a +devoted friend of the slave; but was very old, and not in the enjoyment +of good health. After being by the fire awhile, I found that my feet had +been very much frozen. I was seized with a fever which threatened to +confine me to my bed. But my Thompsonian friends soon raised me, +treating me as kindly as if I had been one of their own children. I +remained with them twelve or fifteen days, during which time they made +me some clothing, and the old gentleman purchased me a pair of boots.</p> + +<p>I found that I was about fifty or sixty miles from Dayton, in the State +of Ohio, and between one and two hundred miles from Cleaveland, on lake +Erie, a place I was desirous of reaching on my way to Canada. This I +know will sound strangely to the ears of people in foreign lands, but it +is nevertheless true. An American citizen was fleeing from a Democratic, +Republican, Christian government, to receive protection under the +monarchy of Great Britain. While the people of the United States boast +of their freedom, they at the same time keep three millions of their own +citizens in chains; and while I am seated here in sight of Bunker Hill +Monument, writing this narrative, I am a slave, and no law, not even in +Massachusetts, can protect me from the hands of the slaveholder!</p> + +<p>Before leaving this good Quaker friend, he inquired what my name was +besides William. I told him that I had no other name. "Well," said he, +"thee must have another name. Since thee has got out of slavery, thee +has become a man, and men always have two names."</p> + +<p>I told him that he was the first man to extend the hand of friendship to +me, and I would give him the privilege of naming me.</p> + +<p>"If I name thee," said he, "I shall call thee Wells Brown, after +myself."</p> + +<p>"But," said I, "I am not willing to lose my name of William. As it was +taken from me once against my will, I am not willing to part with it +again upon any terms."</p> + +<p>"Then," said he, "I will call thee William Wells Brown."</p> + +<p>"So be it," said I; and I have been known by that name ever since I +left the house of my first white friend, Wells Brown.</p> + +<p>After giving me some little change, I again started for Canada. In four +days I reached a public house, and went in to warm myself. I there +learned that some fugitive slaves had just passed through the place. The +men in the bar-room were talking about it, and I thought that it must +have been myself they referred to, and I was therefore afraid to start, +fearing they would seize me; but I finally mustered courage enough, and +took my leave. As soon as I was out of sight, I went into the woods, and +remained there until night, when I again regained the road, and +travelled on until the next day.</p> + +<p>Not having had any food for nearly two days, I was faint with hunger, +and was in a dilemma what to do, as the little cash supplied me by my +adopted father, and which had contributed to my comfort, was now all +gone. I however concluded to go to a farm-house, and ask for something +to eat. On approaching the door of the first one presenting itself, I +knocked, and was soon met by a man who asked me what I wanted. I told +him that I would like something to eat. He asked where I was from, and +where I was going. I replied that I had come some way, and was going to +Cleaveland.</p> + +<p>After hesitating a moment or two, he told me that he could give me +nothing to eat, adding, "that if I would work, I could get something to +eat."</p> + +<p>I felt bad, being thus refused something to sustain nature, but did not +dare tell him that I was a slave.</p> + +<p>Just as I was leaving the door, with a heavy heart, a woman, who proved +to be the wife of this gentleman, came to the door, and asked her +husband what I wanted? He did not seem inclined to inform her. She +therefore asked me herself. I told her that I had asked for something to +eat. After a few other questions, she told me to come in, and that she +would give me something to eat.</p> + +<p>I walked up to the door, but the husband remained in the passage, as if +unwilling to let me enter.</p> + +<p>She asked him two or three times to get out of the way, and let me in. +But as he did not move, she pushed him on one side, bidding me walk in! +I was never before so glad to see a woman push a man aside! Ever since +that act, I have been in favor of "woman's rights!"</p> + +<p>After giving me as much food as I could eat, she presented me with ten +cents, all the money then at her disposal, accompanied with a note to a +friend, a few miles further on the road. Thanking this angel of mercy +from an overflowing heart, I pushed on my way, and in three days arrived +at Cleaveland, Ohio.</p> + +<p>Being an entire stranger in this place, it was difficult for me to find +where to stop. I had no money, and the lake being frozen, I saw that I +must remain until the opening of navigation, or go to Canada by way of +Buffalo. But believing myself to be somewhat out of danger, I secured an +engagement at the Mansion House, as a table waiter, in payment for my +board. The proprietor, however, whose name was E.M. Segur, in a short +time, hired me for twelve dollars per month; on which terms I remained +until spring, when I found good employment on board a lake steamboat.</p> + +<p>I purchased some books, and at leisure moments perused them with +considerable advantage to myself. While at Cleaveland, I saw, for the +first time, an anti-slavery newspaper. It was the "Genius of Universal +Emancipation" published by Benjamin Lundy, and though I had no home, I +subscribed for the paper. It was my great desire, being out of slavery +myself, to do what I could for the emancipation of my brethren yet in +chains, and while on Lake Erie, I found many opportunities of "helping +their cause along."</p> + +<p>It is well known, that a great number of fugitives make their escape to +Canada, by way of Cleaveland; and while on the lake, I always made +arrangement to carry them on the boat to Buffalo or Detroit, and thus +effect their escape to the "promised land." The friends of the slave, +knowing that I would transport them without charge, never failed to have +a delegation when the boat arrived at Cleaveland. I have sometimes had +four or five on board, at one time.</p> + +<p>In the year 1842, I conveyed, from the first of May to the first of +December, sixty-nine fugitives over Lake Erie to Canada. In 1843, I +visited Maiden, in Upper Canada, and counted seventeen, in that small +village, who owed their escape to my humble efforts.</p> + +<p>Soon after coming North, I subscribed for the Liberator, edited by that +champion of freedom, William Lloyd Garrison. I labored a season to +promote the temperance cause among the colored people, but for the last +three years, have been pleading for the victims of American slavery.</p> + +<p class="right">William Wells Brown.</p> + +<p>Boston, Mass., June, 1847.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Narrative of William W. Brown, a +Fugitive Slave, by William Wells Brown + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM W. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave + +Author: William Wells Brown + +Release Date: February 21, 2005 [EBook #15132] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM W. BROWN *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Charles Aldarondo and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + +NARRATIVE + +OF + +WILLIAM W. BROWN, + +A + +FUGITIVE SLAVE. + +WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. + + + --Is there not some chosen curse, + Some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven, + Red with uncommon wrath, to blast the man + Who gains his fortune from the blood of souls? + +COWPER. + + +BOSTON: + +PUBLISHED AT THE ANTI-SLAVERY OFFICE, + +NO. 25 CORNHILL. + +1847. + +[Illustration: William W. Brown.] + + + + +TO WELLS BROWN, OF OHIO. + + +Thirteen years ago, I came to your door, a weary fugitive from chains +and stripes. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was hungry, and you +fed me. Naked was I, and you clothed me. Even a name by which to be +known among men, slavery had denied me. You bestowed upon me your own. +Base indeed should I be, if I ever forget what I owe to you, or do +anything to disgrace that honored name! + +As a slight testimony of my gratitude to my earliest benefactor, I take +the liberty to inscribe to you this little Narrative of the sufferings +from which I was fleeing when you had compassion upon me. In the +multitude that you have succored, it is very possible that you may not +remember me; but until I forget God and myself, I can never forget you. + +Your grateful friend, + +WILLIAM WELLS BROWN. + + + + +LETTER FROM + +EDMUND QUINCY, ESQ. + + +DEDHAM, JULY 1, 1847. + +TO WILLIAM W. BROWN. + +MY DEAR FRIEND:--I heartily thank you for the privilege of reading the +manuscript of your Narrative. I have read it with deep interest and +strong emotion. I am much mistaken if it be not greatly successful and +eminently useful. It presents a different phase of the infernal +slave-system from that portrayed in the admirable story of Mr. Douglass, +and gives us a glimpse of its hideous cruelties in other portions of its +domain. + +Your opportunities of observing the workings of this accursed system +have been singularly great. Your experiences in the Field, in the House, +and especially on the River in the service of the slave-trader, Walker, +have been such as few individuals have had;--no one, certainly, who has +been competent to describe them. What I have admired, and marvelled at, +in your Narrative, is the simplicity and calmness with which you +describe scenes and actions which might well "move the very stones to +rise and mutiny" against the National Institution which makes them +possible. + +You will perceive that I have made very sparing use of your flattering +permission to alter what you had written. To correct a few errors, which +appeared to be merely clerical ones, committed in the hurry of +composition, under unfavorable circumstances, and to suggest a few +curtailments, is all that I have ventured to do. I should be a bold man, +as well as a vain one, if I should attempt to improve your descriptions +of what you have seen and suffered. Some of the scenes are not unworthy +of De Foe himself. + +I trust and believe that your Narrative will have a wide circulation. I +am sure it deserves it. At least, a man must be differently constituted +from me, who can rise from the perusal of your Narrative without feeling +that he understands slavery better, and hates it worse, than he ever did +before. + +I am, very faithfully and respectfully, + +Your friend, + +EDMUND QUINCY. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The friends of freedom may well congratulate each other on the +appearance of the following Narrative. It adds another volume to the +rapidly increasing anti-slavery literature of the age. It has been +remarked by a close observer of human nature, "Let me make the songs of +a nation, and I care not who makes its laws;" and it may with equal +truth be said, that, among a reading people like our own, their books +will at least give character to their laws. It is an influence which +goes forth noiselessly upon its mission, but fails not to find its way +to many a warm heart, to kindle on the altar thereof the fires of +freedom, which will one day break forth in a living flame to consume +oppression. + +This little book is a voice from the prison-house, unfolding the deeds +of darkness which are there perpetrated. Our cause has received +efficient aid from this source. The names of those who have come from +thence, and battled manfully for the right, need not to be recorded +here. The works of some of them are an enduring monument of praise, and +their perpetual record shall be found in the grateful hearts of the +redeemed bondman. + +Few persons have had greater facilities for becoming acquainted with +slavery, in all its horrible aspects, than William W. Brown. He +has been behind the curtain. He has visited its secret chambers. Its +iron has entered his own soul. The dearest ties of nature have been +riven in his own person. A mother has been cruelly scourged before his +own eyes. A father,--alas! slaves have no father. A brother has been +made the subject of its tender mercies. A sister has been given up to +the irresponsible control of the pale-faced oppressor. This nation looks +on approvingly. The American Union sanctions the deed. The Constitution +shields the criminals. American religion sanctifies the crime. But the +tide is turning. Already, a mighty under-current is sweeping onward. The +voice of warning, of remonstrance, of rebuke, of entreaty, has gone +forth. Hand is linked in hand, and heart mingles with heart, in this +great work of the slave's deliverance. + +The convulsive throes of the monster, even now, give evidence of deep +wounds. + +The writer of this Narrative was hired by his master to a +"_soul-driver_," and has witnessed all the horrors of the traffic, from +the buying up of human cattle in the slave-breeding States, which +produced a constant scene of separating the victims from all those whom +they loved, to their final sale in the southern market, to be worked up +in seven years, or given over to minister to the lust of southern +_Christians_. + +Many harrowing scenes are graphically portrayed; and yet with that +simplicity and ingenuousness which carries with it a conviction of the +truthfulness of the picture. + +This book will do much to unmask those who have "clothed themselves in +the livery of the court of heaven" to cover up the enormity of their +deeds. + +During the past three years, the author has devoted his entire energies +to the anti-slavery cause. Laboring under all the disabilities and +disadvantages growing out of his education in slavery--subjected, as he +had been from his birth, to all the wrongs and deprivations incident to +his condition--he yet went forth, impelled to the work by a love of +liberty--stimulated by the remembrance of his own sufferings--urged on +by the consideration that a mother, brothers, and sister, were still +grinding in the prison-house of bondage, in common with three millions +of our Father's children--sustained by an unfaltering faith in the +omnipotence of truth and the final triumph of justice--to plead the +cause of the slave, and by the eloquence of earnestness carried +conviction to many minds, and enlisted the sympathy and secured the +co-operation of many to the cause. + +His labors have been chiefly confined to Western New York, where he has +secured many warm friends, by his untiring zeal, persevering energy, +continued fidelity, and universal kindness. + +Reader, are you an Abolitionist? What have you done for the slave? What +are you doing in his behalf? What do you purpose to do? There is a great +work before us! Who will be an idler now? This is the great humanitary +movement of the age, swallowing up, for the time being, all other +questions, comparatively speaking. The course of human events, in +obedience to the unchangeable laws of our being, is fast hastening the +final crisis, and + + "Have ye chosen, O my people, on whose party ye shall stand, + Ere the Doom from its worn sandal shakes the dust against our land?" + +Are you a Christian? This is the carrying out of practical Christianity; +and there is no other. Christianity is _practical_ in its very nature +and essence. It is a life, springing out of a soul imbued with its +spirit. Are you a friend of the missionary cause? This is the greatest +missionary enterprize of the day. Three millions of _Christian_, +law-manufactured heathen are longing for the glad tidings of the Gospel +of freedom. Are you a friend of the Bible? Come, then, and help us to +restore to these millions, whose eyes have been bored out by slavery, +their sight, that they may see to read the Bible. Do you love God whom +you have not seen? Then manifest that love, by restoring to your brother +whom you have seen, his rightful inheritance, of which he has been so +long and so cruelly deprived. + +It is not for a single generation alone, numbering three +millions--sublime as would be that effort--that we are working. It is +for humanity, the wide world over, not only now, but for all +coming time, and all future generations:-- + + "For he who settles Freedom's principles, + Writes the death-warrant of all tyranny." + +It is a vast work--a glorious enterprize--worthy the unswerving devotion +of the entire life-time of the great and the good. + +Slaveholding and slaveholders must be rendered disreputable and odious. +They must be stripped of their respectability and Christian reputation. +They must be treated as "men-stealers--guilty of the highest +kind of theft, and sinners of the first rank." Their more guilty +accomplices in the persons of _northern apologists_, both in Church and +State, must be placed in the same category. Honest men must be made to +look upon their crimes with the same abhorrence and loathing, with +which they regard the less guilty robber and assassin, until + + "The common damned shun their society, + And look upon themselves as fiends less foul." + +When a just estimate is placed upon the crime of slave-holding, the work +will have been accomplished, and the glorious day ushered in-- + + "When man nor woman in all our wide domain, + Shall buy, or sell, or hold, or be a slave." + +J.C. Hathaway. + +--Farmington, N.Y., 1847. + + + + +NARRATIVE. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +I was born in Lexington, Ky. The man who stole me as soon as I was born, +recorded the births of all the infants which he claimed to be born his +property, in a book which he kept for that purpose. My mother's name was +Elizabeth. She had seven children, viz: Solomon, Leander, Benjamin, +Joseph, Millford, Elizabeth, and myself. No two of us were children of +the same father. My father's name, as I learned from my mother, was +George Higgins. He was a white man, a relative of my master, and +connected with some of the first families in Kentucky. + +My master owned about forty slaves, twenty-five of whom were field +hands. He removed from Kentucky to Missouri, when I was quite young, and +settled thirty or forty miles above St. Charles, on the Missouri, where, +in addition to his practice as a physician, he carried on milling, +merchandizing and farming. He had a large farm, the principal +productions of which were tobacco and hemp. The slave cabins were +situated on the back part of the farm, with the house of the overseer, +whose name was Grove Cook, in their midst. He had the entire charge of +the farm, and having no family, was allowed a woman to keep house for +him, whose business it was to deal out the provisions for the hands. + +A woman was also kept at the quarters to do the cooking for the field +hands, who were summoned to their unrequited toil every morning at four +o'clock, by the ringing of a bell, hung on a post near the house of the +overseer. They were allowed half an hour to eat their breakfast, and get +to the field. At half past four, a horn was blown by the overseer, which +was the signal to commence work; and every one that was not on the spot +at the time, had to receive ten lashes from the negro-whip, with which +the overseer always went armed. The handle was about three feet long, +with the butt-end filled with lead, and the lash six or seven feet in +length, made of cowhide, with platted wire on the end of it. This whip +was put in requisition very frequently and freely, and a small offence +on the part of a slave furnished an occasion for its use. During the +time that Mr. Cook was overseer, I was a house servant--a situation +preferable to that of a field hand, as I was better fed, better clothed, +and not obliged to rise at the ringing of the bell, but about half an +hour after. I have often laid and heard the crack of the whip, and the +screams of the slave. My mother was a field hand, and one morning was +ten or fifteen minutes behind the others in getting into the field. As +soon as she reached the spot where they were at work, the overseer +commenced whipping her. She cried, "Oh! pray--Oh! pray--Oh! pray"--these +are generally the words of slaves, when imploring mercy at the hands of +their oppressors. I heard her voice, and knew it, and jumped out of my +bunk, and went to the door. Though the field was some distance from the +house, I could hear every crack of the whip, and every groan and cry of +my poor mother. I remained at the door, not daring to venture any +farther. The cold chills ran over me, and I wept aloud. After giving her +ten lashes, the sound of the whip ceased, and I returned to my bed, and +found no consolation but in my tears. It was not yet daylight. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +My master being a political demagogue, soon found those who +were ready to put him into office, for the favors he could render them; +and a few years after his arrival in Missouri, he was elected to a seat +in the Legislature. In his absence from home, everything was left in +charge of Mr. Cook, the overseer, and he soon became more tyrannical and +cruel. Among the slaves on the plantation, was one by the name of +Randall. He was a man about six feet high, and well-proportioned, and +known as a man of great strength and power. He was considered the most +valuable and able-bodied slave on the plantation; but no matter how good +or useful a slave may be, he seldom escapes the lash. But it was not so +with Randall. He had been on the plantation since my earliest +recollection, and I had never known of his being flogged. No thanks +were due to the master or overseer for this. I have often heard him +declare, that no white man should ever whip him--that he would die +first. + +Cook, from the time that he came upon the plantation, had frequently +declared, that he could and would flog any nigger that was put into the +field to work under him. My master had repeatedly told him not to +attempt to whip Randall, but he was determined to try it. As soon as he +was left sole dictator, he thought the time had come to put his threats +into execution. He soon began to find fault with Randall, and threatened +to whip him, if he did not do better. One day he gave him a very hard +task,--more than he could possibly do; and at night, the task not being +performed, he told Randall that he should remember him the next morning. +On the following morning, after the hands had taken breakfast, Cook +called out to Randall, and told him that he intended to whip him, and +ordered him to cross his hands and be tied. Randall asked why he wished +to whip him. He answered, because he had not finished his task the day +before. Randall said that the task was too great, or he should have done +it. Cook said it made no difference,--he should whip him. Randall stood +silent for a moment, and then said, "Mr. Cook, I have always tried to +please you since you have been on the plantation, and I find you are +determined not to be satisfied with my work, let me do as well as I may. +No man has laid hands on me, to whip me, for the last ten years, and I +have long since come to the conclusion not to be whipped by any man +living." Cook, finding by Randall's determined look and gestures, that +he would resist, called three of the hands from their work, and +commanded them to seize Randall, and tie him. The hands stood +still;--they knew Randall--and they also knew him to be a powerful man, +and were afraid to grapple with him. As soon as Cook had ordered the men +to seize him, Randall turned to them, and said--"Boys, you all know me; +you know that I can handle any three of you, and the man that lays hands +on me shall die. This white man can't whip me himself, and therefore he +has called you to help him." The overseer was unable to prevail upon +them to seize and secure Randall, and finally ordered them all to go to +their work together. + +Nothing was said to Randall by the overseer, for more than a week. One +morning, however, while the hands were at work in the field, he came +into it, accompanied by three friends of his, Thompson, Woodbridge and +Jones. They came up to where Randall was at work, and Cook ordered him +to leave his work, and go with them to the barn. He refused to go; +whereupon he was attacked by the overseer and his companions, when he +turned upon them, and laid them, one after another, prostrate on the +ground. Woodbridge drew out his pistol, and fired at him, and brought +him to the ground by a pistol ball. The others rushed upon him with +their clubs, and beat him over the head and face, until they succeeded +in tying him. He was then taken to the barn, and tied to a beam. Cook +gave him over one hundred lashes with a heavy cowhide, had him washed +with salt and water, and left him tied during the day. The next day he +was untied, and taken to a blacksmith's shop, and had a ball and chain +attached to his leg. He was compelled to labor in the field, and perform +the same amount of work that the other hands did. When his master +returned home, he was much pleased to find that Randall had been subdued +in his absence. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +Soon afterwards, my master removed to the city of St. Louis, +and purchased a farm four miles from there, which he placed under the +charge of an overseer by the name of Friend Haskell. He was a regular +Yankee from New England. The Yankees are noted for making the most cruel +overseers. + +My mother was hired out in the city, and I was also hired out there to +Major Freeland, who kept a public house. He was formerly from Virginia, +and was a horse-racer, cock-fighter, gambler, and withal an inveterate +drunkard. There were ten or twelve servants in the house, and when he +was present, it was cut and slash--knock down and drag out. In his fits +of anger, he would take up a chair, and throw it at a servant; and in +his more rational moments, when he wished to chastise one, he would tie +them up in the smoke-house, and whip them; after which, he would cause +a fire to be made of tobacco stems, and smoke them. This he called +"_Virginia play_." + +I complained to my master of the treatment which I received from Major +Freeland; but it made no difference. He cared nothing about it, so long +as he received the money for my labor. After living with Major Freeland +five or six months, I ran away, and went into the woods back of the +city; and when night came on, I made my way to my master's farm, but was +afraid to be seen, knowing that if Mr. Haskell, the overseer, should +discover me, I should be again carried back to Major Freeland; so I kept +in the woods. One day, while in the woods, I heard the barking and +howling of dogs, and in a short time they came so near, that I knew them +to be the blood-hounds of Major Benjamin O'Fallon. He kept five or six, +to hunt runaway slaves with. + +As soon as I was convinced that it was them, I knew there was no chance +of escape. I took refuge in the top of a tree, and the hounds were soon +at its base, and there remained until the hunters came up in a half or +three quarters of an hour afterwards. There were two men with the dogs, +who, as soon as they came up, ordered me to descend. I came down, was +tied, and taken to St. Louis jail. Major Freeland soon made his +appearance, and took me out, and ordered me to follow him, which I did. +After we returned home, I was tied up in the smoke-house, and was very +severely whipped. After the Major had flogged me to his satisfaction, he +sent out his son Robert, a young man eighteen or twenty years of age, to +see that I was well smoked. He made a fire of tobacco stems, which soon +set me to coughing and sneezing. This, Robert told me, was the way his +father used to do to his slaves in Virginia. After giving me what they +conceived to be a decent smoking, I was untied and again set to work. + +Robert Freeland was a "chip of the old block." Though quite young, it +was not unfrequently that he came home in a state of intoxication. He is +now, I believe, a popular commander of a steamboat on the Mississippi +river. Major Freeland soon after failed in business, and I was put on +board the steamboat Missouri, which plied between St. Louis and Galena. +The commander of the boat was William B. Culver. I remained on her +during the sailing season, which was the most pleasant time for me that +I had ever experienced. At the close of navigation, I was hired to Mr. +John Colburn, keeper of the Missouri Hotel. He was from one of the Free +States; but a more inveterate hater of the negro, I do not believe ever +walked on God's green earth. This hotel was at that time one of the +largest in the city, and there were employed in it twenty or thirty +servants, mostly slaves. + +Mr. Colburn was very abusive, not only to the servants, but to his wife +also, who was an excellent woman, and one from whom I never knew a +servant to receive a harsh word; but never did I know a kind one to a +servant from her husband. Among the slaves employed in the hotel, was +one by the name of Aaron, who belonged to Mr. John F. Darby, a lawyer. +Aaron was the knife-cleaner. One day, one of the knives was put on the +table, not as clean as it might have been. Mr. Colburn, for this +offence, tied Aaron up in the wood-house, and gave him over fifty lashes +on the bare back with a cowhide, after which, he made me wash him down +with rum. This seemed to put him into more agony than the whipping. +After being untied, he went home to his master, and complained of the +treatment which he had received. Mr. Darby would give no heed to +anything he had to say, but sent him directly back. Colburn, learning +that he had been to his master with complaints, tied him up again, and +gave him a more severe whipping than before. The poor fellow's back was +literally cut to pieces; so much so, that he was not able to work for +ten or twelve days. + +There was also, among the servants, a girl whose master resided in the +country. Her name was Patsey. Mr. Colburn tied her up one evening, and +whipped her until several of the boarders came out and begged him to +desist. The reason for whipping her was this. She was engaged to be +married to a man belonging to Major William Christy, who resided four or +five miles north of the city. Mr. Colburn had forbid her to see John +Christy. The reason of this was said to be the regard which he himself +had for Patsey. She went to meeting that evening, and John returned home +with her. Mr. Colburn had intended to flog John, if he came within the +inclosure; but John knew too well the temper of his rival, and kept at a +safe distance;--so he took vengeance on the poor girl. If all the +slave-drivers had been called together, I do not think a more cruel man +than John Colburn,--and he too a northern man,--could have been found +among them. + +While living at the Missouri Hotel, a circumstance occurred which caused +me great unhappiness. My master sold my mother, and all her children, +except myself. They were sold to different persons in the city of St. +Louis. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +I was soon after taken from Mr. Colburn's, and hired to Elijah +P. Lovejoy, who was at that time publisher and editor of the "St. Louis +Times." My work, while with him, was mainly in the printing office, +waiting on the hands, working the press, &c. Mr. Lovejoy was a very good +man, and decidedly the best master that I had ever had. I am chiefly +indebted to him, and to my employment in the printing office, for what +little learning I obtained while in slavery. + +Though slavery is thought, by some, to be mild in Missouri, when +compared with the cotton, sugar and rice growing States, yet no part of +our slave-holding country, is more noted for the barbarity of its +inhabitants, than St. Louis. It was here that Col. Harney, a United +States officer, whipped a slave woman to death. It was here that Francis +McIntosh, a free colored man from Pittsburgh, was taken from the +steamboat Flora, and burned at the stake. During a residence of eight +years in this city, numerous cases of extreme cruelty came under my own +observation;--to record them all, would occupy more space than could +possibly be allowed in this little volume. I shall, therefore, give but +a few more, in addition to what I have already related. + +Capt. J.B. Brunt, who resided near my master, had a slave named John. He +was his body servant, carriage driver, &c. On one occasion, while +driving his master through the city,--the streets being very muddy, and +the horses going at a rapid rate,--some mud spattered upon a gentleman +by the name of Robert More. More was determined to be revenged. Some +three or four months after this occurrence, he purchased John, for the +express purpose, as he said, "to tame the d----d nigger." After the +purchase, he took him to a blacksmith's shop, and had a ball and chain +fastened to his leg, and then put him to driving a yoke of oxen, and +kept him at hard labor, until the iron around his leg was so worn into +the flesh, that it was thought mortification would ensue. In addition to +this, John told me that his master whipped him regularly three times a +week for the first two months:--and all this to "_tame him_." A more +noble looking man than he, was not to be found in all St. Louis, before +he fell into the hands of More; and a more degraded and spirit-crushed +looking being was never seen on a southern plantation, after he had been +subjected to this "_taming_" process for three months. The last time +that I saw him, he had nearly lost the entire use of his limbs. + +While living with Mr. Lovejoy, I was often sent on errands to the office +of the "Missouri Republican," published by Mr. Edward Charles. Once, +while returning to the office with type, I was attacked by several large +boys, sons of slave-holders, who pelted me with snow-balls. Having the +heavy form of type in my hands, I could not make my escape by running; +so I laid down the type and gave them battle. They gathered around me, +pelting me with stones and sticks, until they overpowered me, and would +have captured me, if I had not resorted to my heels. Upon my retreat, +they took possession of the type; and what to do to regain it I could +not devise. Knowing Mr. Lovejoy to be a very humane man, I went to the +office, and laid the case before him. He told me to remain in the +office. He took one of the apprentices with him, and went after the +type, and soon returned with it; but on his return informed me that +Samuel McKinney had told him that he would whip me, because I had hurt +his boy. Soon after, McKinney was seen making his way to the office by +one of the printers, who informed me of the fact, and I made my escape +through the back door. + +McKinney not being able to find me on his arrival, left the office in a +great rage, swearing that he would whip me to death. A few days after, +as I was walking along Main Street, he seized me by the collar, and +struck me over the head five or six times with a large cane, which +caused the blood to gush from my nose and ears in such a manner that my +clothes were completely saturated with blood. After beating me to his +satisfaction, he let me go, and I returned to the office so weak from +the loss of blood, that Mr. Lovejoy sent me home to my master. It was +five weeks before I was able to walk again. During this time, it was +necessary to have some one to supply my place at the office, and I lost +the situation. + +After my recovery, I was hired to Capt. Otis Reynolds, as a waiter on +board the steamboat Enterprize, owned by Messrs. John and Edward Walsh, +commission merchants at St. Louis. This boat was then running on the +upper Mississippi. My employment on board was to wait on gentlemen, and +the captain being a good man, the situation was a pleasant one to +me;--but in passing from place to place, and seeing new faces every day, +and knowing that they could go where they pleased, I soon became +unhappy, and several times thought of leaving the boat at some landing +place, and trying to make my escape to Canada, which I had heard much +about as a place where the slave might live, be free, and be protected. + +But whenever such thoughts would come into my mind, my resolution would +soon be shaken by the remembrance that my dear mother was a slave in St. +Louis, and I could not bear the idea of leaving her in that condition. +She had often taken me upon her knee, and told me how she had carried me +upon her back to the field when I was an infant--how often she had been +whipped for leaving her work to nurse me--and how happy I would appear +when she would take me into her arms. When these thoughts came over me, +I would resolve never to leave the land of slavery without my mother. I +thought that to leave her in slavery, after she had undergone and +suffered so much for me, would be proving recreant to the duty which I +owed to her. Besides this, I had three brothers and a sister there,--two +of my brothers having died. + +My mother, my brothers Joseph and Millford, and my sister Elizabeth, +belonged to Mr. Isaac Mansfield, formerly from one of the Free States, +(Massachusetts, I believe.) He was a tinner by trade, and carried on a +large manufacturing establishment. Of all my relatives, mother was +first, and sister next. One evening, while visiting them, I made some +allusion to a proposed journey to Canada, and sister took her seat by +my side, and taking my hand in hers, said, with tears in her eyes,-- + +"Brother, you are not going to leave mother and your dear sister here +without a friend, are you?" + +I looked into her face, as the tears coursed swiftly down her cheeks, +and bursting into tears myself, said-- + +"No, I will never desert you and mother." + +She clasped my hand in hers, and said-- + +"Brother, you have often declared that you would not end your days in +slavery. I see no possible way in which you can escape with us; and now, +brother, you are on a steamboat where there is some chance for you to +escape to a land of liberty. I beseech you not to let us hinder you. If +we cannot get our liberty, we do not wish to be the means of keeping you +from a land of freedom." + +I could restrain my feelings no longer, and an outburst of my own +feelings, caused her to cease speaking upon that subject. In opposition +to their wishes, I pledged myself not to leave them in the hand of the +oppressor. I took leave of them, and returned to the boat, and laid down +in my bunk; but "sleep departed from my eyes, and slumber from my +eyelids." + +A few weeks after, on our downward passage, the boat took on board, at +Hannibal, a drove of slaves, bound for the New Orleans market. They +numbered from fifty to sixty, consisting of men and women from eighteen +to forty years of age. A drove of slaves on a southern steamboat, bound +for the cotton or sugar regions, is an occurrence so common, that no +one, not even the passengers, appear to notice it, though they clank +their chains at every step. There was, however, one in this gang that +attracted the attention of the passengers and crew. It was a beautiful +girl, apparently about twenty years of age, perfectly white, with +straight light hair and blue eyes. But it was not the whiteness of her +skin that created such a sensation among those who gazed upon her--it +was her almost unparalleled beauty. She had been on the boat but a short +time, before the attention of all the passengers, including the ladies, +had been called to her, and the common topic of conversation was about +the beautiful slave-girl. She was not in chains. The man who claimed +this article of human merchandize was a Mr. Walker,--a well known +slave-trader, residing in St. Louis. There was a general anxiety among +the passengers and crew to learn the history of the girl. Her master +kept close by her side, and it would have been considered impudent for +any of the passengers to have spoken to her, and the crew were not +allowed to have any conversation with them. When we reached St. Louis, +the slaves were removed to a boat bound for New Orleans, and the history +of the beautiful slave-girl remained a mystery. + +I remained on the boat during the season, and it was not an unfrequent +occurrence to have on board gangs of slaves on their way to the cotton, +sugar and rice plantations of the South. + +Toward the latter part of the summer, Captain Reynolds left the boat, +and I was sent home. I was then placed on the farm under Mr. Haskell, +the overseer. As I had been some time out of the field, and not +accustomed to work in the burning sun, it was very hard; but I was +compelled to keep up with the best of the hands. + +I found a great difference between the work in a steamboat cabin and +that in a corn-field. + +My master, who was then living in the city, soon after removed to the +farm, when I was taken out of the field to work in the house as a +waiter. Though his wife was very peevish, and hard to please, I much +preferred to be under her control than the overseer's. They brought with +them Mr. Sloane, a Presbyterian minister; Miss Martha Tulley, a neice of +theirs from Kentucky; and their nephew William. The latter had been in +the family a number of years, but the others were all new-comers. + +Mr. Sloane was a young minister, who had been at the South but a short +time, and it seemed as if his whole aim was to please the slaveholders, +especially my master and mistress. He was intending to make a visit +during the winter, and he not only tried to please them, but I think he +succeeded admirably. When they wanted singing, he sung; when they wanted +praying, he prayed; when they wanted a story told, he told a story. +Instead of his teaching my master theology, my master taught theology to +him. While I was with Captain Reynolds, my master "got religion," and +new laws were made on the plantation. Formerly, we had the privilege of +hunting, fishing, making splint brooms, baskets, &c. on Sunday; but this +was all stopped. Every Sunday, we were all compelled to attend meeting. +Master was so religious, that he induced some others to join him in +hiring a preacher to preach to the slaves. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +My master had family worship, night and morning. At night, the +slaves were called in to attend; but in the mornings, they had to be at +their work, and master did all the praying. My master and mistress were +great lovers of mint julep, and every morning, a pitcher-full was made, +of which they all partook freely, not excepting little master William. +After drinking freely all round, they would have family worship, and +then breakfast. I cannot say but I loved the julep as well as any of +them, and during prayer was always careful to seat myself close to the +table where it stood, so as to help myself when they were all busily +engaged in their devotions. By the time prayer was over, I was about as +happy as any of them. A sad accident happened one morning. In helping +myself, and at the same time keeping an eye on my old mistress, I +accidentally let the pitcher fall upon the floor, breaking it in pieces, +and spilling the contents. This was a bad affair for me; for as soon as +prayer was over, I was taken and severely chastised. + +My master's family consisted of himself, his wife, and their nephew, +William Moore. He was taken into the family, when only a few weeks of +age. His name being that of my own, mine was changed, for the purpose of +giving precedence to his, though I was his senior by ten or twelve +years. The plantation being four miles from the city, I had to drive the +family to church. I always dreaded the approach of the Sabbath; for, +during service, I was obliged to stand by the horses in the hot broiling +sun, or in the rain, just as it happened. + +One Sabbath, as we were driving past the house of D.D. Page, a gentleman +who owned a large baking establishment, as I was sitting upon the box of +the carriage, which was very much elevated, I saw Mr. Page pursuing a +slave around the yard, with a long whip, cutting him at every jump. The +man soon escaped from the yard, and was followed by Mr. Page. They came +running past us, and the slave perceiving that he would be overtaken, +stopped suddenly, and Page stumbled over him, and falling on the stone +pavement, fractured one of his legs, which crippled him for life. The +same gentleman, but a short time previous, tied up a woman of his, by +the name of Delphia, and whipped her nearly to death; yet he was a +deacon in the Baptist church, in good and regular standing. Poor +Delphia! I was well acquainted with her, and called to see her while +upon her sick bed; and I shall never forget her appearance. She was a +member of the same church with her master. + +Soon after this, I was hired out to Mr. Walker; the same man whom I have +mentioned as having carried a gang of slaves down the river, on the +steamboat Enterprize. Seeing me in the capacity of steward on the boat, +and thinking that I would make a good hand to take care of slaves, he +determined to have me for that purpose; and finding that my master would +not sell me, he hired me for the term of one year. + +When I learned the fact of my having been hired to a negro speculator, +or a "soul-driver" as they are generally called among slaves, no one can +tell my emotions. Mr. Walker had offered a high price for me, as I +afterwards learned, but I suppose my master was restrained from selling +me by the fact that I was a near relative of his. On entering the +service of Mr. Walker, I found that my opportunity of getting to a land +of liberty was gone, at least for the time being. He had a gang of +slaves in readiness to start for New Orleans, and in a few days we were +on our journey. I am at a loss for language to express my feelings on +that occasion. Although my master had told me that he had not sold me, +and Mr. Walker had told me that he had not purchased me, I did not +believe them; and not until I had been to New Orleans, and was on my +return, did I believe that I was not sold. + +There was on the boat a large room on the lower deck, in which the +slaves were kept, men and women, promiscuously--all chained two and two, +and a strict watch kept that they did not get loose; for cases have +occurred in which slaves have got off their chains, and made their +escape at landing-places, while the boats were taking in wood;--and with +all our care, we lost one woman who had been taken from her husband and +children, and having no desire to live without them, in the agony of her +soul jumped overboard, and drowned herself. She was not chained. + +It was almost impossible to keep that part of the boat clean. + +On landing at Natchez, the slaves were all carried to the slave-pen, and +there kept one week, during which time, several of them were sold. Mr. +Walker fed his slaves well. We took on board, at St. Louis, several +hundred pounds of bacon (smoked meat) and corn-meal, and his slaves were +better fed than slaves generally were in Natchez, so far as my +observation extended. + +At the end of a week, we left for New Orleans, the place of our final +destination, which we reached in two days. Here the slaves were placed +in a negro-pen, where those who wished to purchase could call and +examine them. The negro-pen is a small yard, surrounded by buildings, +from fifteen to twenty feet wide, with the exception of a large gate +with iron bars. The slaves are kept in the buildings during the night, +and turned out into the yard during the day. After the best of the stock +was sold at private sale at the pen, the balance were taken to the +Exchange Coffee House Auction Rooms, kept by Isaac L. McCoy, and sold at +public auction. After the sale of this lot of slaves, we left New +Orleans for St. Louis. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +On our arrival at St. Louis, I went to Dr. Young, and told him +that I did not wish to live with Mr. Walker any longer. I was heart-sick +at seeing my fellow-creatures bought and sold. But the Dr. had hired me +for the year, and stay I must. Mr. Walker again commenced purchasing +another gang of slaves. He bought a man of Colonel John O'Fallon, who +resided in the suburbs of the city. This man had a wife and three +children. As soon as the purchase was made, he was put in jail for safe +keeping, until we should be ready to start for New Orleans. His wife +visited him while there, several times, and several times when she went +for that purpose was refused admittance. + +In the course of eight or nine weeks Mr. Walker had his cargo of human +flesh made up. There was in this lot a number of old men and women, some +of them with gray locks. We left St. Louis in the steamboat Carlton, +Captain Swan, bound for New Orleans. On our way down, and before we +reached Rodney, the place where we made our first stop, I had to prepare +the old slaves for market. I was ordered to have the old men's whiskers +shaved off, and the grey hairs plucked out, where they were not too +numerous, in which case he had a preparation of blacking to color it, +and with a blacking-brush we would put it on. This was new business to +me, and was performed in a room where the passengers could not see us. +These slaves were also taught how old they were by Mr. Walker, and after +going through the blacking process, they looked ten or fifteen years +younger; and I am sure that some of those who purchased slaves of Mr. +Walker, were dreadfully cheated, especially in the ages of the slaves +which they bought. + +We landed at Rodney, and the slaves were driven to the pen in the back +part of the village. Several were sold at this place, during our stay of +four or five days, when we proceeded to Natchez. There we landed at +night, and the gang were put in the warehouse until morning, when they +were driven to the pen. As soon as the slaves are put in these pens, +swarms of planters may be seen in and about them. They knew when Walker +was expected, as he always had the time advertised beforehand when he +would be in Rodney, Natchez, and New Orleans. These were the principal +places where he offered his slaves for sale. + +When at Natchez the second time, I saw a slave very cruelly whipped. He +belonged to a Mr. Broadwell, a merchant who kept a store on the wharf. +The slave's name was Lewis. I had known him several years, as he was +formerly from St. Louis. We were expecting a steamboat down the river, +in which we were to take passage for New Orleans. Mr. Walker sent me to +the landing to watch for the boat, ordering me to inform him on its +arrival. While there, I went into the store to see Lewis. I saw a slave +in the store, and asked him where Lewis was. Said he, "They have got +Lewis hanging between the heavens and the earth." I asked him what he +meant by that. He told me to go into the warehouse and see. I went in, +and found Lewis there. He was tied up to a beam, with his toes just +touching the floor. As there was no one in the warehouse but himself, I +inquired the reason of his being in that situation. He said Mr. +Broadwell had sold his wife to a planter six miles from the city, and +that he had been to visit her,--that he went in the night, expecting to +return before daylight, and went without his master's permission. The +patrol had taken him up before he reached his wife. He was put in jail, +and his master had to pay for his catching and keeping, and that was +what he was tied up for. + +Just as he finished his story, Mr. Broadwell came in, and inquired what +I was doing there. I knew not what to say, and while I was thinking what +reply to make, he struck me over the head with the cowhide, the end of +which struck me over my right eye, sinking deep into the flesh, leaving +a scar which I carry to this day. Before I visited Lewis, he had +received fifty lashes. Mr. Broadwell gave him fifty lashes more after I +came out, as I was afterwards informed by Lewis himself. + +The next day we proceeded to New Orleans, and put the gang in the same +negro-pen which we occupied before. In a short time, the planters came +flocking to the pen to purchase slaves. Before the slaves were exhibited +for sale, they were dressed and driven out into the yard. Some were set +to dancing, some to jumping, some to singing, and some to playing cards. +This was done to make them appear cheerful and happy. My business was to +see that they were placed in those situations before the arrival of the +purchasers, and I have often set them to dancing when their cheeks were +wet with tears. As slaves were in good demand at that time, they were +all soon disposed of, and we again set out for St. Louis. + +On our arrival, Mr. Walker purchased a farm five or six miles from the +city. He had no family, but made a housekeeper of one of his female +slaves. Poor Cynthia! I knew her well. She was a quadroon, and one of +the most beautiful women I ever saw. She was a native of St. Louis, and +bore an irreproachable character for virtue and propriety of conduct. +Mr. Walker bought her for the New Orleans market, and took her down with +him on one of the trips that I made with him. Never shall I forget the +circumstances of that voyage! On the first night that we were on board +the steamboat, he directed me to put her into a state-room he had +provided for her, apart from the other slaves. I had seen too much of +the workings of slavery, not to know what this meant. I accordingly +watched him into the state-room, and listened to hear what passed +between them. I heard him make his base offers, and her reject them. He +told her that if she would accept his vile proposals, he would take her +back with him to St. Louis, and establish her as his housekeeper at his +farm. But if she persisted in rejecting them, he would sell her as a +field hand on the worst plantation on the river. Neither threats nor +bribes prevailed, however, and he retired, disappointed of his prey. + +The next morning, poor Cynthia told me what had past, and bewailed her +sad fate with floods of tears. I comforted and encouraged her all I +could; but I foresaw but too well what the result must be. Without +entering into any farther particulars, suffice it to say that Walker +performed his part of the contract, at that time. He took her back to +St. Louis, established her as his mistress and housekeeper at his farm, +and before I left, he had two children by her. But, mark the end! Since +I have been at the North, I have been credibly informed that Walker has +been married, and, as a previous measure, sold poor Cynthia and her four +children (she having had two more since I came away) into hopeless +bondage! + +He soon commenced purchasing to make up the third gang. We took +steamboat, and went to Jefferson City, a town on the Missouri river. +Here we landed, and took stage for the interior of the State. He bought +a number of slaves as he passed the different farms and villages. After +getting twenty-two or twenty-three men and women, we arrived at St. +Charles, a village on the banks of the Missouri. Here he purchased a +woman who had a child in her arms, appearing to be four or five weeks +old. + +We had been travelling by land for some days, and were in hopes to have +found a boat at this place for St. Louis, but were disappointed. As no +boat was expected for some days, we started for St. Louis by land. Mr. +Walker had purchased two horses. He rode one, and I the other. The +slaves were chained together, and we took up our line of march, Mr. +Walker taking the lead, and I bringing up the rear. Though the distance +was not more than twenty miles, we did not reach it the first day. The +road was worse than any that I have ever travelled. + +Soon after we left St. Charles, the young child grew very cross, and +kept up a noise during the greater part of the day. Mr. Walker +complained of its crying several times, and told the mother to stop the +child's d----d noise, or he would. The woman tried to keep the child +from crying, but could not. We put up at night with an acquaintance of +Mr. Walker, and in the morning, just as we were about to start, the +child again commenced crying. Walker stepped up to her, and told her to +give the child to him. The mother tremblingly obeyed. He took the child +by one arm, as you would a cat by the leg, walked into the house, and +said to the lady, + +"Madam, I will make you a present of this little nigger; it keeps such a +noise that I can't bear it." + +"Thank you, sir," said the lady. + +The mother, as soon as she saw that her child was to be left, ran up to +Mr. Walker, and falling upon her knees begged him to let her have her +child; she clung around his legs, and cried, "Oh, my child! my child! +master, do let me have my child! oh, do, do, do. I will stop its crying, +if you will only let me have it again." When I saw this woman crying for +her child so piteously, a shudder,--a feeling akin to horror, shot +through my frame. I have often since in imagination heard her crying for +her child:-- + + "O, master, let me stay to catch + My baby's sobbing breath, + His little glassy eye to watch, + And smooth his limbs in death, + + And cover him with grass and leaf, + Beneath the large oak tree: + It is not sullenness, but grief,-- + O, master, pity me! + + The morn was chill--I spoke no word, + But feared my babe might die, + And heard all day, or thought I heard, + My little baby cry. + + At noon, oh, how I ran and took + My baby to my breast! + I lingered--and the long lash broke + My sleeping infant's rest. + + I worked till night--till darkest night, + In torture and disgrace; + Went home and watched till morning light, + To see my baby's face. + + Then give me but one little hour-- + O! do not lash me so! + One little hour--one little hour-- + And gratefully I'll go." + +Mr. Walker commanded her to return into the ranks with the other slaves. +Women who had children were not chained, but those that had none were. +As soon as her child was disposed of, she was chained in the gang. + +The following song I have often heard the slaves sing, when about to be +carried to the far south. It is said to have been composed by a slave. + + "See these poor souls from Africa + Transported to America; + We are stolen, and sold to Georgia, + Will you go along with me? + We are stolen, and sold to Georgia, + Come sound the jubilee! + + See wives and husbands sold apart, + Their children's screams will break my heart;-- + There's a better day a coming, + Will you go along with me? + There's a better day a coming, + Go sound the jubilee! + + O, gracious Lord! when shall it be, + That we poor souls shall all be free; + Lord, break them slavery powers-- + Will you go along with me? + Lord break them slavery powers, + Go sound the jubilee! + + Dear Lord, dear Lord, when slavery'll cease, + Then we poor souls will have our peace;-- + There's a better day a coming, + Will you go along with me? + There's a better day a coming, + Go sound the jubilee!" + +We finally arrived at Mr. Walker's farm. He had a house built during our +absence to put slaves in. It was a kind of domestic jail. The slaves +were put in the jail at night, and worked on the farm during the day. +They were kept here until the gang was completed, when we again started +for New Orleans, on board the steamboat North America, Capt. Alexander +Scott. We had a large number of slaves in this gang. One, by the name of +Joe, Mr. Walker was training up to take my place, as my time was nearly +out, and glad was I. We made our first stop at Vicksburg, where we +remained one week and sold several slaves. + +Mr. Walker, though not a good master, had not flogged a slave since I +had been with him, though he had threatened me. The slaves were kept in +the pen, and he always put up at the best hotel, and kept his wines in +his room, for the accommodation of those who called to negotiate with +him for the purchase of slaves. One day while we were at Vicksburg, +several gentlemen came to see him for this purpose, and as usual the +wine was called for. I took the tray and started around with it, and +having accidentally filled some of the glasses too full, the gentlemen +spilled the wine on their clothes as they went to drink. Mr. Walker +apologized to them for my carelessness, but looked at me as though he +would see me again on this subject. + +After the gentlemen had left the room, he asked me what I meant by my +carelessness, and said that he would attend to me. The next morning, he +gave me a note to carry to the jailer, and a dollar in money to give to +him. I suspected that all was not right, so I went down near the landing +where I met with a sailor, and walking up to him, asked him if he would +be so kind as to read the note for me. He read it over, and then looked +at me. I asked him to tell me what was in it. Said he, + +"They are going to give you hell." + +"Why?" said I. + +He said, "This is a note to have you whipped, and says that you have a +dollar to pay for it." + +He handed me back the note, and off I started. I knew not what to do, +but was determined not to be whipped. I went up to the jail--took a look +at it, and walked off again. As Mr. Walker was acquainted with the +jailer, I feared that I should be found out if I did not go, and be +treated in consequence of it still worse. + +While I was meditating on the subject, I saw a colored man about my size +walk up, and the thought struck me in a moment to send him with my note. +I walked up to him, and asked him who he belonged to. He said he was a +free man, and had been in the city but a short time. I told him I had a +note to go into the jail, and get a trunk to carry to one of the +steamboats; but was so busily engaged that I could not do it, although I +had a dollar to pay for it. He asked me if I would not give him the job. +I handed him the note and the dollar, and off he started for the jail. + +I watched to see that he went in, and as soon as I saw the door close +behind him, I walked around the corner, and took my station, intending +to see how my friend looked when he came out. I had been there but a +short time, when a colored man came around the corner, and said to +another colored man with whom he was acquainted-- + +"They are giving a nigger scissors in the jail." + +"What for?" said the other. The man continued, + +"A nigger came into the jail, and asked for the jailer. The jailer came +out, and he handed him a note, and said he wanted to get a trunk. The +jailer told him to go with him, and he would give him the trunk. So he +took him into the room, and told the nigger to give up the dollar. He +said a man had given him the dollar to pay for getting the trunk. But +that lie would not answer. So they made him strip himself, and then they +tied him down, and are now whipping him." + +I stood by all the while listening to their talk, and soon found out +that the person alluded to was my customer. I went into the street +opposite the jail, and concealed myself in such a manner that I could +not be seen by any one coming out. I had been there but a short time, +when the young man made his appearance, and looked around for me. I, +unobserved, came forth from my hiding-place, behind a pile of brick, and +he pretty soon saw me and came up to me complaining bitterly, saying +that I had played a trick upon him. I denied any knowledge of what the +note contained, and asked him what they had done to him. He told me in +substance what I heard the man tell who had come out of the jail. + +"Yes," said he, "they whipped me and took my dollar, and gave me this +note." + +He showed me the note which the jailer had given him, telling him to +give it to his master. I told him I would give him fifty cents for +it,--that being all the money I had. He gave it to me, and took his +money. He had received twenty lashes on his bare back, with the +negro-whip. + +I took the note and started for the hotel where I had left Mr. Walker. +Upon reaching the hotel, I handed it to a stranger whom I had not seen +before, and requested him to read it to me. As near as I can recollect, +it was as follows:-- + + "DEAR SIR:--By your direction, I have given your boy twenty lashes. + He is a very saucy boy, and tried to make me believe that he did + not belong to you, and I put it on to him well for lying to me. + + I remain, + + Your obedient servant." + +It is true that in most of the slave-holding cities, when a gentleman +wishes his servants whipped, he can send him to the jail and have it +done. Before I went in where Mr. Walker was, I wet my cheeks a little, +as though I had been crying. He looked at me, and inquired what was the +matter. I told him that I had never had such a whipping in my life, and +handed him the note. He looked at it and laughed;--"and so you told him +that you did not belong to me." "Yes, sir," said I. "I did not know that +there was any harm in that." He told me I must behave myself, if I did +not want to be whipped again. + +This incident shows how it is that slavery makes its victims lying and +mean; for which vices it afterwards reproaches them, and uses them as +arguments to prove that they deserve no better fate. I have often, +since my escape, deeply regretted the deception I practised upon this +poor fellow; and I heartily desire that it may be, at some time or +other, in my power to make him amends for his vicarious sufferings in my +behalf. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +In a few days we reached New Orleans, and arriving there in the +night, remained on board until morning. While at New Orleans this time, +I saw a slave killed; an account of which has been published by Theodore +D. Weld, in his book entitled, "Slavery as it is." The circumstances +were as follows. In the evening, between seven and eight o'clock, a +slave came running down the levee, followed by several men and boys. The +whites were crying out, "Stop that nigger; stop that nigger;" while the +poor panting slave, in almost breathless accents, was repeating, "I did +not steal the meat--I did not steal the meat." The poor man at last took +refuge in the river. The whites who were in pursuit of him, run on board +of one of the boats to see if they could discover him. They finally +espied him under the bow of the steamboat Trenton. They got a pike-pole, +and tried to drive him from his hiding place. When they would strike at +him, he would dive under the water. The water was so cold, that it soon +became evident that he must come out or be drowned. + +While they were trying to drive him from under the bow of the boat or +drown him, he would in broken and imploring accents say, "I did not +steal the meat; I did not steal the meat. My master lives up the river. +I want to see my master. I did not steal the meat. Do let me go home to +master." After punching him, and striking him over the head for some +time, he at last sunk in the water, to rise no more alive. + +On the end of the pike-pole with which they were striking him was a hook +which caught in his clothing, and they hauled him up on the bow of the +boat. Some said he was dead, others said he was "_playing possum_" while +others kicked him to make him get up, but it was of no use--he was dead. + +As soon as they became satisfied of this, they commenced leaving, one +after another. One of the hands on the boat informed the captain that +they had killed the man, and that the dead body was lying on the deck. +The captain came on deck, and said to those who were remaining, "You +have killed this nigger; now take him off of my boat." The captain's +name was Hart. The dead body was dragged on shore and left there. I went +on board of the boat where our gang of slaves were, and during the whole +night my mind was occupied with what I had seen. Early in the morning, I +went on shore to see if the dead body remained there. I found it in the +same position that it was left the night before. I watched to see what +they would do with it. It was left there until between eight and nine +o'clock, when a cart, which takes up the trash out of the streets, came +along, and the body was thrown in, and in a few minutes more was covered +over with dirt which they were removing from the streets. During the +whole time, I did not see more than six or seven persons around it, who, +from their manner, evidently regarded it as no uncommon occurrence. + +During our stay in the city, I met with a young white man with whom I +was well acquainted in St. Louis. He had been sold into slavery, under +the following circumstances. His father was a drunkard, and very poor, +with a family of five or six children. The father died, and left the +mother to take care of and provide for the children as best she might. +The eldest was a boy, named Burrill, about thirteen years of age, who +did chores in a store kept by Mr. Riley, to assist his mother in +procuring a living for the family. After working with him two years, Mr. +Riley took him to New Orleans to wait on him while in that city on a +visit, and when he returned to St. Louis, he told the mother of the boy +that he had died with the yellow fever. Nothing more was heard from him, +no one supposing him to be alive. I was much astonished when Burrill +told me his story. Though I sympathized with him, I could not assist +him. We were both slaves. He was poor, uneducated, and without friends; +and if living, is, I presume, still held as a slave. + +After selling out this cargo of human flesh, we returned to St. Louis, +and my time was up with Mr. Walker. I had served him one year, and it +was the longest year I ever lived. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +I was sent home, and was glad enough to leave the service of one who was +tearing the husband from the wife, the child from the mother, and the +sister from the brother,--but a trial more severe and heart-rending than +any which I had yet met with awaited me. My dear sister had been sold to +a man who was going to Natchez, and was lying in jail awaiting the hour +of his departure. She had expressed her determination to die, rather +than go to the far south, and she was put in jail for safe keeping. I +went to the jail the same day that I arrived, but as the jailor was not +in, I could not see her. + +I went home to my master, in the country, and the first day after my +return, he came where I was at work, and spoke to me very politely. I +knew from his appearance that something was the matter. After talking +about my several journeys to New Orleans with Mr. Walker, he told me +that he was hard pressed for money, and as he had sold my mother and all +her children except me, he thought it would be better to sell me than +any other one, and that as I had been used to living in the city, he +thought it probable that I would prefer it to a country life. I raised +up my head, and looked him full in the face. When my eyes caught his, he +immediately looked to the ground. After a short pause, I said, + +"Master, mother has often told me that you are a near relative of mine, +and I have often heard you admit the fact; and after you have hired me +out, and received, as I once heard you say, nine hundred dollars for my +services,--after receiving this large sum, will you sell me to be +carried to New Orleans or some other place?" + +"No," said he, "I do not intend to sell you to a negro trader. If I had +wished to have done that, I might have sold you to Mr. Walker for a +large sum, but I would not sell you to a negro trader. You may go to the +city, and find you a good master." + +"But," said I, "I cannot find a good master in the whole city of St. +Louis." + +"Why?" said he. + +"Because there are no good masters in the State." + +"Do you not call me a good master?" + +"If you were, you would not sell me." + +"Now I will give you one week to find a master in, and surely you can do +it in that time." + +The price set by my evangelical master upon my soul and body was the +trifling sum of five hundred dollars. I tried to enter into some +arrangement by which I might purchase my freedom; but he would enter +into no such arrangement. + +I set out for the city with the understanding that I was to return in a +week with some one to become my new master. Soon after reaching the +city, I went to the jail, to learn if I could once more see my sister; +but could not gain admission. I then went to mother, and learned from +her that the owner of my sister intended to start for Natchez in a few +days. + +I went to the jail again the next day, and Mr. Simonds, the keeper, +allowed me to see my sister for the last time. I cannot give a just +description of the scene at that parting interview. Never, never can be +erased from my heart the occurrences of that day! When I entered the +room where she was, she was seated in one corner, alone. There were four +other women in the same room, belonging to the same man. He had +purchased them, he said, for his own use. She was seated with her face +towards the door where I entered, yet she did not look up until I walked +up to her. As soon as she observed me, she sprung up, threw her arms +around my neck, leaned her head upon my breast, and, without uttering a +word, burst into tears. As soon as she recovered herself sufficiently to +speak, she advised me to take mother, and try to get out of slavery. She +said there was no hope for herself,--that she must live and die a slave. +After giving her some advice, and taking from my finger a ring and +placing it upon hers, I bade her farewell forever, and returned to my +mother, and then and there made up my mind to leave for Canada as soon +as possible. + +I had been in the city nearly two days, and as I was to be absent only a +week, I thought best to get on my journey as soon as possible. In +conversing with mother, I found her unwilling to make the attempt to +reach a land of liberty, but she counselled me to get my liberty if I +could. She said, as all her children were in slavery, she did not wish +to leave them. I could not bear the idea of leaving her among those +pirates, when there was a prospect of being able to get away from them. +After much persuasion, I succeeded in inducing her to make the attempt +to get away. + +The time fixed for our departure was the next night. I had with me a +little money that I had received, from time to time, from gentlemen for +whom I had done errands. I took my scanty means and purchased some dried +beef, crackers and cheese, which I carried to mother, who had provided +herself with a bag to carry it in. I occasionally thought of my old +master, and of my mission to the city to find a new one. I waited with +the most intense anxiety for the appointed time to leave the land of +slavery, in search of a land of liberty. + +The time at length arrived, and we left the city just as the clock +struck nine. We proceeded to the upper part of the city, where I had +been two or three times during the day, and selected a skiff to carry us +across the river. The boat was not mine, nor did I know to whom it did +belong; neither did I care. The boat was fastened with a small pole, +which, with the aid of a rail, I soon loosened from its moorings. After +hunting round and finding a board to use as an oar, I turned to the +city, and bidding it a long farewell, pushed off my boat. The current +running very swift, we had not reached the middle of the stream before +we were directly opposite the city. + +We were soon upon the Illinois shore, and, leaping from the boat, turned +it adrift, and the last I saw of it, it was going down the river at good +speed. We took the main road to Alton, and passed through just at +daylight, when we made for the woods, where we remained during the day. +Our reason for going into the woods was, that we expected that Mr. +Mansfield (the man who owned my mother) would start in pursuit of her as +soon as he discovered that she was missing. He also knew that I had been +in the city looking for a new master, and we thought probably he would +go out to my master's to see if he could find my mother, and in so +doing, Dr. Young might be led to suspect that I had gone to Canada to +find a purchaser. + +We remained in the woods during the day, and as soon as darkness +overshadowed the earth, we started again on our gloomy way, having no +guide but the north star. We continued to travel by night, and +secrete ourselves in woods by day; and every night, before emerging +from our hiding-place, we would anxiously look for our friend and +leader,--the NORTH STAR. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +As we travelled towards a land of liberty, my heart would at times leap +for joy. At other times, being, as I was, almost constantly on my feet, +I felt as though I could travel no further. But when I thought of +slavery with its Democratic whips--its Republican chains--its +evangelical blood-hounds, and its religious slave-holders--when I +thought of all this paraphernalia of American Democracy and Religion +behind me, and the prospect of liberty before me, I was encouraged to +press forward, my heart was strengthened, and I forgot that I was tired +or hungry. + +On the eighth day of our journey, we had a very heavy rain, and in a few +hours after it commenced, we had not a dry thread upon our bodies. This +made our journey still more unpleasant. On the tenth day, we found +ourselves entirely destitute of provisions, and how to obtain any we +could not tell. We finally resolved to stop at some farmhouse, and try +to get something to eat. We had no sooner determined to do this, than we +went to a house, and asked them for some food. We were treated with +great kindness, and they not only gave us something to eat, but gave us +provisions to carry with us. They advised us to travel by day, and lye +by at night. Finding ourselves about one hundred and fifty miles from +St. Louis, we concluded that it would be safe to travel by daylight, and +did not leave the house until the next morning. We travelled on that day +through a thickly settled country, and through one small village. Though +we were fleeing from a land of oppression, our hearts were still there. +My dear sister and two beloved brothers were behind us, and the idea of +giving them up, and leaving them forever, made us feel sad. But with all +this depression of heart, the thought that I should one day be free, and +call my body my own, buoyed me up, and made my heart leap for joy. I had +just been telling mother how I should try to get employment as soon as +we reached Canada, and how I intended to purchase us a little farm, and +how I would earn money enough to buy sister and brothers, and how happy +we would be in our own Free Home,--when three men came up on +horseback, and ordered us to stop. + +I turned to the one who appeared to be the principal man, and asked him +what he wanted. He said he had a warrant to take us up. The three +immediately dismounted, and one took from his pocket a handbill, +advertising us as runaways, and offering a reward of two hundred dollars +for our apprehension, and delivery in the city of St. Louis. The +advertisement had been put out by Isaac Mansfield and John Young. + +While they were reading the advertisement, mother looked me in the face, +and burst into tears. A cold chill ran over me, and such a sensation I +never experienced before, and I hope never to again. They took out a +rope and tied me, and we were taken back about six miles, to the house +of the individual who appeared to be the leader. We reached there about +seven o'clock in the evening, had supper, and were separated for the +night. Two men remained in the room during the night. Before the family +retired to rest, they were all called together to attend prayers. The +man who but a few hours before had bound my hands together with a strong +cord, read a chapter from the Bible, and then offered up prayer, just as +though God sanctioned the act he had just committed upon a poor panting, +fugitive slave. + +The next morning, a blacksmith came in, and put a pair of handcuffs on +me, and we started on our journey back to the land of whips, chains and +Bibles. Mother was not tied, but was closely watched at night. We were +carried back in a wagon, and after four days travel, we came in sight of +St. Louis. I cannot describe my feelings upon approaching the city. + +As we were crossing the ferry, Mr. Wiggins, the owner of the ferry, came +up to me, and inquired what I had been doing that I was in chains. He +had not heard that I had run away. In a few minutes, we were on the +Missouri side, and were taken directly to the jail. On the way thither, +I saw several of my friends, who gave me a nod of recognition as I +passed them. After reaching the jail, we were locked up in different +apartments. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +I had been in jail but a short time when I heard that my master was +sick, and nothing brought more joy to my heart than that intelligence. I +prayed fervently for him--not for his recovery, but for his death. I +knew he would be exasperated at having to pay for my apprehension, and +knowing his cruelty, I feared him. While in jail, I learned that my +sister Elizabeth, who was in prison when we left the city, had been +carried off four days before our arrival. + +I had been in jail but a few hours when three negro-traders, learning +that I was secured thus for running away, came to my prison-house and +looked at me, expecting that I would be offered for sale. Mr. Mansfield, +the man who owned mother, came into the jail as soon as Mr. Jones, the +man who arrested us, informed him that he had brought her back. He told +her that he would not whip her, but would sell her to a negro-trader, or +take her to New Orleans himself. After being in jail about one week, +master sent a man to take me out of jail, and send me home. I was taken +out and carried home, and the old man was well enough to sit up. He had +me brought into the room where he was, and as I entered, he asked me +where I had been? I told I had acted according to his orders. He had +told me to look for a master, and I had been to look for one. He +answered that he did not tell me to go to Canada to look for a master. I +told him that as I had served him faithfully, and had been the means of +putting a number of hundreds of dollars into his pocket, I thought I had +a right to my liberty. He said he had promised my father that I should +not be sold to supply the New Orleans market, or he would sell me to a +negro-trader. + +I was ordered to go into the field to work, and was closely watched by +the overseer during the day, and locked up at night. The overseer gave +me a severe whipping on the second day that I was in the field. I had +been at home but a short time, when master was able to ride to the city; +and on his return, he informed me that he had sold me to Samuel Willi, a +merchant tailor. I knew Mr. Willi. I had lived with him three or four +months some years before, when he hired me of my master. + +Mr. Willi was not considered by his servants as a very bad man, nor was +he the best of masters. I went to my new home, and found my new mistress +very glad to see me. Mr. Willi owned two servants before he purchased +me,--Robert and Charlotte. Robert was an excellent white-washer, and +hired his time from his master, paying him one dollar per day, besides +taking care of himself. He was known in the city by the name of Bob +Music. Charlotte was an old woman, who attended to the cooking, washing, +&c. Mr. Willi was not a wealthy man, and did not feel able to keep many +servants around his house; so he soon decided to hire me out, and as I +had been accustomed to service in steamboats, he gave me the privilege +of finding such employment. + +I soon secured a situation on board the steamer Otto, Capt. J.B. Hill, +which sailed from St. Louis to Independence, Missouri. My former master, +Dr. Young, did not let Mr. Willi know that I had run away, or he would +not have permitted me to go on board a steamboat. The boat was not quite +ready to commence running, and therefore I had to remain with Mr. Willi. +But during this time, I had to undergo a trial, for which I was entirely +unprepared. My mother, who had been in jail since her return until the +present time, was now about being carried to New Orleans, to die on a +cotton, sugar, or rice plantation! + +I had been several times to the jail, but could obtain no interview with +her. I ascertained, however, the time the boat in which she was to +embark would sail, and as I had not seen mother since her being thrown +into prison, I felt anxious for the hour of sailing to come. At last, +the day arrived when I was to see her for the first time after our +painful separation, and, for aught that I knew, for the last time in +this world! + +At about ten o'clock in the morning I went on board of the boat, and +found her there in company with fifty or sixty other slaves. She was +chained to another woman. On seeing me, she immediately dropped her head +upon her heaving bosom. She moved not, neither did she weep. Her +emotions were too deep for tears. I approached, threw my arms around her +neck, kissed her, and fell upon my knees, begging her forgiveness, for I +thought myself to blame for her sad condition; for if I had not +persuaded her to accompany me, she would not then have been in chains. + +She finally raised her head, looked me in the face, (and such a look +none but an angel can give!) and said, "_My dear son, you are not to +blame for my being here. You have done nothing more nor less than your +duty. Do not, I pray you, weep for me. I cannot last long upon a cotton +plantation. I feel that my heavenly master will soon call me home, and +then I shall be out of the hands of the slave-holders!_" + +I could bear no more--my heart struggled to free itself from the human +form. In a moment she saw Mr. Mansfield coming toward that part of the +boat, and she whispered into my ear, "_My child, we must soon part to +meet no more this side of the grave. You have ever said that you would +not die a slave; that you would be a freeman. Now try to get your +liberty! You will soon have no one to look after but yourself!_" and +just as she whispered the last sentence into my ear, Mansfield came up +to me, and with an oath, said, "Leave here this instant; you have been +the means of my losing one hundred dollars to get this wench back,"--at +the same time kicking me with a heavy pair of boots. As I left her, she +gave one shriek, saying, "God be with you!" It was the last time that I +saw her, and the last word I heard her utter. + +I walked on shore. The bell was tolling. The boat was about to start. I +stood with a heavy heart, waiting to see her leave the wharf. As I +thought of my mother, I could but feel that I had lost + + "--the glory of my life, + My blessing and my pride! + I half forgot the name of slave, + When she was by my side." + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +The love of liberty that had been burning in my bosom, had well nigh +gone out. I felt as though I was ready to die. The boat moved gently +from the wharf, and while she glided down the river, I realized that my +mother was indeed + + "Gone,--gone,--sold and gone, + To the rice swamp dank and lone!" + +After the boat was out of sight, I returned home; but my thoughts were +so absorbed in what I had witnessed, that I knew not what I was about +half of the time. Night came, but it brought no sleep to my eyes. + +In a few days, the boat upon which I was to work being ready, I went on +board to commence. This employment suited me better than living in the +city, and I remained until the close of navigation; though it proved +anything but pleasant. The captain was a drunken, profligate, +hard-hearted creature, not knowing how to treat himself, or any other +person. + +The boat, on its second trip, brought down Mr. Walker, the man of whom I +have spoken in a previous chapter, as hiring my time. He had between one +and two hundred slaves, chained and manacled. Among them was a man that +formerly belonged to my old master's brother, Aaron Young. His name was +Solomon. He was a preacher, and belonged to the same church with his +master. I was glad to see the old man. He wept like a child when he told +me how he had been sold from his wife and children. + +The boat carried down, while I remained on board, four or five gangs of +slaves. Missouri, though a comparatively new State, is very much engaged +in raising slaves to supply the southern market. In a former chapter, I +have mentioned that I was once in the employ of a slave-trader, or +driver, as he is called at the south. For fear that some may think that +I have misrepresented a slave-driver, I will here give an extract from a +paper published in a slaveholding State, Tennessee, called the +"Millennial Trumpeter." + +"Droves of negroes, chained together in dozens and scores, and +hand-cuffed, have been driven through our country in numbers far +surpassing any previous year, and these vile slave-drivers and dealers +are swarming like buzzards around a carrion. Through this county, you +cannot pass a few miles in the great roads without having every feeling +of humanity insulted and lacerated by this spectacle, nor can you go +into any county or any neighborhood, scarcely, without seeing or hearing +of some of these despicable creatures, called negro-drivers. + +"Who is a negro-driver? One whose eyes dwell with delight on lacerated +bodies of helpless men, women and children; whose soul feels diabolical +raptures at the chains, and handcuffs, and cart-whips, for inflicting +tortures on weeping mothers torn from helpless babes, and on husbands +and wives torn asunder forever!" + +Dark and revolting as is the picture here drawn, it is from the pen of +one living in the midst of slavery. But though these men may cant about +negro-drivers, and tell what despicable creatures they are, who is it, I +ask, that supplies them with the human beings that they are tearing +asunder? I answer, as far as I have any knowledge of the State where I +came from, that those who raise slaves for the market are to be found +among all classes, from Thomas H. Benton down to the lowest political +demagogue, who may be able to purchase a woman for the purpose of +raising stock, and from the Doctor of Divinity down to the most humble +lay member in the church. + +It was not uncommon in St. Louis to pass by an auction-stand, and behold +a woman upon the auction-block, and hear the seller crying out, "_How +much is offered for this woman? She is a good cook, good washer, a good +obedient servant. She has got religion!_" Why should this man tell the +purchasers that she has religion? I answer, because in Missouri, and as +far as I have any knowledge of slavery in the other States, the +religious teaching consists in teaching the slave that he must never +strike a white man; that God made him for a slave; and that, when +whipped, he must not find fault,--for the Bible says, "He that knoweth +his master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes!" +And slaveholders find such religion very profitable to them. + +After leaving the steamer Otto, I resided at home, in Mr. Willi's +family, and again began to lay my plans for making my escape from +slavery. The anxiety to be a freeman would not let me rest day or night. +I would think of the northern cities that I had heard so much about;--of +Canada, where so many of my acquaintances had found refuge. I would +dream at night that I was in Canada, a freeman, and on waking in the +morning, weep to find myself so sadly mistaken. + + "I would think of Victoria's domain, + And in a moment I seemed to be there! + But the fear of being taken again, + Soon hurried me back to despair." + +Mr. Willi treated me better than Dr. Young ever had; but instead of +making me contented and happy, it only rendered me the more miserable, +for it enabled me better to appreciate liberty. Mr. Willi was a man who +loved money as most men do, and without looking for an opportunity to +sell me, he found one in the offer of Captain Enoch Price, a steamboat +owner and commission merchant, living in the city of St. Louis. Captain +Price tendered seven hundred dollars, which was two hundred more than +Mr. Willi had paid. He therefore thought best to accept the offer. I was +wanted for a carriage driver, and Mrs. Price was very much pleased with +the captain's bargain. His family consisted besides of one child. He had +three servants besides myself--one man and two women. + +Mrs. Price was very proud of her servants, always keeping them well +dressed, and as soon as I had been purchased, she resolved to have a new +carriage. And soon one was procured, and all preparations were made for +a turn-out in grand style, I being the driver. + +One of the female servants was a girl some eighteen or twenty years of +age, named Maria. Mrs. Price was very soon determined to have us united, +if she could so arrange matters. She would often urge upon me the +necessity of having a wife, saying that it would be so pleasant for me +to take one in the same family! But getting married, while in slavery, +was the last of my thoughts; and had I been ever so inclined, I should +not have married Maria, as my love had already gone in another quarter. +Mrs. Price soon found out that her efforts at this match-making between +Maria and myself would not prove successful. She also discovered (or +thought she had) that I was rather partial to a girl named Eliza, who +was owned by Dr. Mills. This induced her at once to endeavor the +purchase of Eliza, so great was her desire to get me a wife! + +Before making the attempt, however, she deemed it best to talk to me a +little upon the subject of love, courtship, and marriage. Accordingly +one afternoon she called me into her room--telling me to take a chair +and sit down. I did so, thinking it rather strange, for servants are not +very often asked thus to sit down in the same room with the master or +mistress. She said that she had found out that I did not care enough +about Maria to marry her. I told her that was true. She then asked me if +there was not a girl in the city that I loved. Well, now, this was +coming into too close quarters with me! People, generally, don't like to +tell their love stories to everybody that may think fit to ask about +them, and it was so with me. But, after blushing awhile and recovering +myself, I told her that I did not want a wife. She then asked me, if I +did not think something of Eliza. I told her that I did. She then said +that if I wished to marry Eliza, she would purchase her if she could. + +I gave but little encouragement to this proposition, as I was determined +to make another trial to get my liberty, and I knew that if I should +have a wife, I should not be willing to leave her behind; and if I +should attempt to bring her with me, the chances would be difficult for +success. However, Eliza was purchased, and brought into the family. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +But the more I thought of the trap laid by Mrs. Price to make me +satisfied with my new home, by getting me a wife, the more I determined +never to marry any woman on earth until I should get my liberty. But +this secret I was compelled to keep to myself, which placed me in a very +critical position. I must keep upon good terms with Mrs. Price and +Eliza. I therefore promised Mrs. Price that I would marry Eliza; but +said that I was not then ready. And I had to keep upon good terms with +Eliza, for fear that Mrs. Price would find out that I did not intend to +get married. + +I have here spoken of marriage, and it is very common among slaves +themselves to talk of it. And it is common for slaves to be married; or +at least have the marriage ceremony performed. But there is no such +thing as slaves being lawfully married. There has never yet a case +occurred where a slave has been tried for bigamy. The man may have as +many women as he wishes, and the women as many men; and the law takes no +cognizance of such acts among slaves. And in fact some masters, when +they have sold the husband from the wife, compel her to take another. + +There lived opposite Captain Price's, Doctor Farrar, well known in St. +Louis. He sold a man named Ben, to one of the traders. He also owned +Ben's wife, and in a few days he compelled Sally (that was her name) to +marry Peter, another man belonging to him. I asked Sally "why she +married Peter so soon after Ben was sold." She said, "because master +made her do it." + +Mr. John Calvert, who resided near our place, had a woman named Lavinia. +She was quite young, and a man to whom she was about to be married was +sold, and carried into the country near St. Charles, about twenty miles +from St. Louis. Mr. Calvert wanted her to get a husband; but she had +resolved not to marry any other man, and she refused. Mr. Calvert +whipped her in such a manner that it was thought she would die. Some of +the citizens had him arrested, but it was soon hushed up. And that was +the last of it. The woman did not die, but it would have been the same +if she had. + +Captain Price purchased me in the month of October, and I remained with +him until December, when the family made a voyage to New Orleans, in a +boat owned by himself, and named the "Chester." I served on board, as +one of the stewards. On arriving at New Orleans, about the middle of the +month, the boat took in freight for Cincinnati; and it was decided that +the family should go up the river in her, and what was of more interest +to me, I was to accompany them. + +The long looked for opportunity to make my escape from slavery was near +at hand. + +Captain Price had some fears as to the propriety of taking me near a +free State, or a place where it was likely I could run away, with a +prospect of liberty. He asked me if I had ever been in a free State. "Oh +yes," said I, "I have been in Ohio; my master carried me into that State +once, but I never liked a free State." + +It was soon decided that it would be safe to take me with them, and +what made it more safe, Eliza was on the boat with us, and Mrs. Price, +to try me, asked if I thought as much as ever of Eliza. I told her that +Eliza was very dear to me indeed, and that nothing but death should part +us. It was the same as if we were married. This had the desired effect. +The boat left New Orleans, and proceeded up the river. + +I had at different times obtained little sums of money, which I had +reserved for a "rainy day." I procured some cotton cloth, and made me a +bag to carry provisions in. The trials of the past were all lost in +hopes for the future. The love of liberty, that had been burning in my +bosom for years, and had been well nigh extinguished, was now +resuscitated. At night, when all around was peaceful, I would walk the +decks, meditating upon my happy prospects. + +I should have stated, that before leaving St. Louis, I went to an old +man named Frank, a slave, owned by a Mr. Sarpee. This old man was very +distinguished (not only among the slave population, but also the whites) +as a fortune-teller. He was about seventy years of age, something over +six feet high, and very slender. Indeed, he was so small around his body +that it looked as though it was not strong enough to hold up his head. + +Uncle Frank was a very great favorite with the young ladies, who would +go to him in great numbers to get their fortunes told. And it was +generally believed that he could really penetrate into the mysteries of +futurity. Whether true or not, he had the name, and that is about half +of what one needs in this gullible age. I found Uncle Frank seated in +the chimney corner, about ten o'clock at night. As soon as I entered, +the old man left his seat. I watched his movement as well as I could by +the dim light of the fire. He soon lit a lamp, and coming up, looked me +full in the face, saying, "Well, my son, you have come to get uncle to +tell your fortune, have you?" "Yes," said I. But how the old man should +know what I had come for, I could not tell. However, I paid the fee of +twenty-five cents, and he commenced by looking into a gourd, filled with +water. Whether the old man was a prophet, or the son of a prophet, I +cannot say; but there is one thing certain, many of his predictions were +verified. + +I am no believer in soothsaying; yet I am sometimes at a loss to know +how Uncle Frank could tell so accurately what would occur in the future. +Among the many things he told was one which was enough to pay me for all +the trouble of hunting him up. It was that I should be free! He further +said, that in trying to get my liberty, I would meet with many severe +trials. I thought to myself, any fool could tell me that! + +The first place in which we landed in a free State was Cairo, a small +village at the mouth of the Ohio river. We remained here but a few +hours, when we proceeded to Louisville. After unloading some of the +cargo, the boat started on her upward trip. The next day was the first +of January. I had looked forward to New Year's day as the commencement +of a new era in the history of my life. I had decided upon leaving the +peculiar institution that day. + +During the last night that I served in slavery, I did not close my eyes +a single moment. When not thinking of the future, my mind dwelt on the +past. The love of a dear mother, a dear sister, and three dear brothers, +yet living, caused me to shed many tears. If I could only have been +assured of their being dead, I should have felt satisfied; but I +imagined I saw my dear mother in the cotton-field, followed by a +merciless taskmaster, and no one to speak a consoling word to her! I +beheld my dear sister in the hands of a slave-driver, and compelled to +submit to his cruelty! None but one placed in such a situation can for a +moment imagine the intense agony to which these reflections subjected +me. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + +At the time for action arrived. The boat landed at a point which +appeared to me the place of all others to start from. I found that it +would be impossible to carry anything with me, but what was upon my +person. I had some provisions, and a single suit of clothes, about half +worn. When the boat was discharging her cargo, and the passengers +engaged carrying their baggage on and off shore, I improved the +opportunity to convey myself with my little effects on land. Taking up a +trunk, I went up the wharf, and was soon out of the crowd. I made +directly for the woods, where I remained until night knowing well that I +could not travel, even in the State of Ohio, during the day, without +danger of being arrested. + +I had long since made up my mind that I would not trust myself in the +hands of any man, white or colored. The slave is brought up to look upon +every white man as an enemy to him and his race; and twenty-one years in +slavery had taught me that there were traitors, even among colored +people. After dark, I emerged from the woods into a narrow path, which +led me into the main travelled road. But I knew not which way to go. I +did not know North from South, East from West. I looked in vain for the +North Star; a heavy cloud hid it from my view. I walked up and down the +road until near midnight, when the clouds disappeared, and I welcomed +the sight of my friend,--truly the slave's friend,--the North Star! + +As soon as I saw it, I knew my course, and before daylight I travelled +twenty or twenty-five miles. It being in the winter, I suffered +intensely from the cold; being without an overcoat, and my other clothes +rather thin for the season. I was provided with a tinder-box, so that I +could make up a fire when necessary. And but for this, I should +certainly have frozen to death; for I was determined not to go to any +house for shelter. I knew of a man belonging to Gen. Ashly, of St. +Louis, who had run away near Cincinnati, on the way to Washington, but +had been caught and carried back into slavery; and I felt that a similar +fate awaited me, should I be seen by any one. I travelled at night, and +lay by during the day. + +On the fourth day, my provisions gave out, and then what to do I could +not tell. Have something to eat, I must; but how to get it was the +question! On the first night after my food was gone, I went to a barn on +the road-side, and there found some ears of corn. I took ten or twelve +of them, and kept on my journey. During the next day, while in the +woods, I roasted my corn and feasted upon it, thanking God that I was so +well provided for. + +My escape to a land of freedom now appeared certain, and the prospects +of the future occupied a great part of my thoughts. What should be my +occupation, was a subject of much anxiety to me; and the next thing what +should be my name? I have before stated that my old master, Dr. Young, +had no children of his own, but had with him a nephew, the son of his +brother, Benjamin Young. When this boy was brought to Doctor Young, his +name being William, the same as mine, my mother was ordered to change +mine to something else. This, at the time, I thought to be one of the +most cruel acts that could be committed upon my rights; and I received +several very severe whippings for telling people that my name was +William, after orders were given to change it. Though young, I was old +enough to place a high appreciation upon my name. It was decided, +however, to call me "Sandford," and this name I was known by, not only +upon my master's plantation, but up to the time that I made my escape. I +was sold under the name of Sandford. + +But as soon as the subject came to my mind, I resolved on adopting my +old name of William, and let Sandford go by the board, for I always +hated it. Not because there was anything peculiar in the name; but +because it had been forced upon me. It is sometimes common at the south, +for slaves to take the name of their masters. Some have a legitimate +right to do so. But I always detested the idea of being called by the +name of either of my masters. And as for my father, I would rather have +adopted the name of "Friday," and been known as the servant of some +Robinson Crusoe, than to have taken his name. So I was not only hunting +for my liberty, but also hunting for a name; though I regarded the +latter as of little consequence, if I could but gain the former. +Travelling along the road, I would sometimes speak to myself, sounding +my name over, by way of getting used to it, before I should arrive among +civilized human beings. On the fifth or sixth day, it rained very fast, +and it froze about as fast as it fell, so that my clothes were one glare +of ice. I travelled on at night until I became so chilled and +benumbed--the wind blowing into my face--that I found it impossible to +go any further, and accordingly took shelter in a barn, where I was +obliged to walk about to keep from freezing. + +I have ever looked upon that night as the most eventful part of my +escape from slavery. Nothing but the providence of God, and that old +barn, saved me from freezing to death. I received a very severe cold, +which settled upon my lungs, and from time to time my feet had been +frost-bitten, so that it was with difficulty I could walk. In this +situation I travelled two days, when I found that I must seek shelter +somewhere, or die. + +The thought of death was nothing frightful to me, compared with that of +being caught, and again carried back into slavery. Nothing but the +prospect of enjoying liberty could have induced me to undergo such +trials, for + + "Behind I left the whips and chains, + Before me were sweet Freedom's plains!" + +This, and this alone, cheered me onward. But I at last resolved to seek +protection from the inclemency of the weather, and therefore I secured +myself behind some logs and brush, intending to wait there until some +one should pass by; for I thought it probable that I might see some +colored person, or, if not, some one who was not a slaveholder; for I +had an idea that I should know a slaveholder as far as I could see him. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +The first person that passed was a man in a buggy-wagon. He looked too +genteel for me to hail him. Very soon, another passed by on horseback. I +attempted speaking to him, but fear made my voice fail me. As he passed, +I left my hiding-place, and was approaching the road, when I observed an +old man walking towards me, leading a white horse. He had on a +broad-brimmed hat and a very long coat, and was evidently walking for +exercise. As soon as I saw him, and observed his dress, I thought to +myself, "You are the man that I have been looking for!" Nor was I +mistaken. He was the very man! + +On approaching me, he asked me, "if I was not a slave." I looked at him +some time, and then asked him "if he knew of any one who would help me, +as I was sick." He answered that he would; but again asked, if I was not +a slave. I told him I was. He then said that I was in a very pro-slavery +neighborhood, and if I would wait until he went home, he would get a +covered wagon for me. I promised to remain. He mounted his horse, and +was soon out of sight. + +After he was gone, I meditated whether to wait or not; being +apprehensive that he had gone for some one to arrest me. But I finally +concluded to remain until he should return; removing some few rods to +watch his movements. After a suspense of an hour and a half or more, he +returned with a two horse covered-wagon, such as are usually seen under +the shed of a Quaker meeting-house on Sundays and Thursdays; for the old +man proved to be a Quaker of the George Fox stamp. + +He took me to his house, but it was some time before I could be induced +to enter it; not until the old lady came out, did I venture into the +house. I thought I saw something in the old lady's cap that told me I +was not only safe, but welcome, in her house. I was not, however, +prepared to receive their hospitalities. The only fault I found with +them was their being too kind. I had never had a white man to treat me +as an equal, and the idea of a white lady waiting on me at the table was +still worse! Though the table was loaded with the good things of this +life, I could not eat. I thought if I could only be allowed the +privilege of eating in the kitchen, I should be more than satisfied! + +Finding that I could not eat, the old lady, who was a "Thompsonian," +made me a cup of "composition," or "number six;" but it was so strong +and hot, that I called it "_number seven_!" However, I soon found myself +at home in this family. On different occasions, when telling these +facts, I have been asked how I felt upon finding myself regarded as a +man by a white family; especially just having run away from one. I +cannot say that I have ever answered the question yet. + +The fact that I was in all probability a freeman, sounded in my ears +like a charm. I am satisfied that none but a slave could place such an +appreciation upon liberty as I did at that time. I wanted to see mother +and sister, that I might tell them "I was free!" I wanted to see my +fellow slaves in St. Louis, and let them know that the chains were no +longer upon my limbs. I wanted to see Captain Price, and let him learn +from my own lips that I was no more a chattel, but a man! I was anxious, +too, thus to inform Mrs. Price that she must get another coachman. And I +wanted to see Eliza more than I did either Mr. or Mrs. Price! + +The fact that I was a freeman--could walk, talk, eat and sleep as a +man, and no one to stand over me with the blood-clotted cowhide--all +this made me feel that I was not myself. + +The kind friend that had taken me in was named Wells Brown. He was a +devoted friend of the slave; but was very old, and not in the enjoyment +of good health. After being by the fire awhile, I found that my feet had +been very much frozen. I was seized with a fever which threatened to +confine me to my bed. But my Thompsonian friends soon raised me, +treating me as kindly as if I had been one of their own children. I +remained with them twelve or fifteen days, during which time they made +me some clothing, and the old gentleman purchased me a pair of boots. + +I found that I was about fifty or sixty miles from Dayton, in the State +of Ohio, and between one and two hundred miles from Cleaveland, on lake +Erie, a place I was desirous of reaching on my way to Canada. This I +know will sound strangely to the ears of people in foreign lands, but it +is nevertheless true. An American citizen was fleeing from a Democratic, +Republican, Christian government, to receive protection under the +monarchy of Great Britain. While the people of the United States boast +of their freedom, they at the same time keep three millions of their own +citizens in chains; and while I am seated here in sight of Bunker Hill +Monument, writing this narrative, I am a slave, and no law, not even in +Massachusetts, can protect me from the hands of the slaveholder! + +Before leaving this good Quaker friend, he inquired what my name was +besides William. I told him that I had no other name. "Well," said he, +"thee must have another name. Since thee has got out of slavery, thee +has become a man, and men always have two names." + +I told him that he was the first man to extend the hand of friendship to +me, and I would give him the privilege of naming me. + +"If I name thee," said he, "I shall call thee Wells Brown, after +myself." + +"But," said I, "I am not willing to lose my name of William. As it was +taken from me once against my will, I am not willing to part with it +again upon any terms." + +"Then," said he, "I will call thee William Wells Brown." + +"So be it," said I; and I have been known by that name ever since I +left the house of my first white friend, Wells Brown. + +After giving me some little change, I again started for Canada. In four +days I reached a public house, and went in to warm myself. I there +learned that some fugitive slaves had just passed through the place. The +men in the bar-room were talking about it, and I thought that it must +have been myself they referred to, and I was therefore afraid to start, +fearing they would seize me; but I finally mustered courage enough, and +took my leave. As soon as I was out of sight, I went into the woods, and +remained there until night, when I again regained the road, and +travelled on until the next day. + +Not having had any food for nearly two days, I was faint with hunger, +and was in a dilemma what to do, as the little cash supplied me by my +adopted father, and which had contributed to my comfort, was now all +gone. I however concluded to go to a farm-house, and ask for something +to eat. On approaching the door of the first one presenting itself, I +knocked, and was soon met by a man who asked me what I wanted. I told +him that I would like something to eat. He asked where I was from, and +where I was going. I replied that I had come some way, and was going to +Cleaveland. + +After hesitating a moment or two, he told me that he could give me +nothing to eat, adding, "that if I would work, I could get something to +eat." + +I felt bad, being thus refused something to sustain nature, but did not +dare tell him that I was a slave. + +Just as I was leaving the door, with a heavy heart, a woman, who proved +to be the wife of this gentleman, came to the door, and asked her +husband what I wanted? He did not seem inclined to inform her. She +therefore asked me herself. I told her that I had asked for something to +eat. After a few other questions, she told me to come in, and that she +would give me something to eat. + +I walked up to the door, but the husband remained in the passage, as if +unwilling to let me enter. + +She asked him two or three times to get out of the way, and let me in. +But as he did not move, she pushed him on one side, bidding me walk in! +I was never before so glad to see a woman push a man aside! Ever since +that act, I have been in favor of "woman's rights!" + +After giving me as much food as I could eat, she presented me with ten +cents, all the money then at her disposal, accompanied with a note to a +friend, a few miles further on the road. Thanking this angel of mercy +from an overflowing heart, I pushed on my way, and in three days arrived +at Cleaveland, Ohio. + +Being an entire stranger in this place, it was difficult for me to find +where to stop. I had no money, and the lake being frozen, I saw that I +must remain until the opening of navigation, or go to Canada by way of +Buffalo. But believing myself to be somewhat out of danger, I secured an +engagement at the Mansion House, as a table waiter, in payment for my +board. The proprietor, however, whose name was E.M. Segur, in a short +time, hired me for twelve dollars per month; on which terms I remained +until spring, when I found good employment on board a lake steamboat. + +I purchased some books, and at leisure moments perused them with +considerable advantage to myself. While at Cleaveland, I saw, for the +first time, an anti-slavery newspaper. It was the "Genius of Universal +Emancipation" published by Benjamin Lundy, and though I had no home, I +subscribed for the paper. It was my great desire, being out of slavery +myself, to do what I could for the emancipation of my brethren yet in +chains, and while on Lake Erie, I found many opportunities of "helping +their cause along." + +It is well known, that a great number of fugitives make their escape to +Canada, by way of Cleaveland; and while on the lake, I always made +arrangement to carry them on the boat to Buffalo or Detroit, and thus +effect their escape to the "promised land." The friends of the slave, +knowing that I would transport them without charge, never failed to have +a delegation when the boat arrived at Cleaveland. I have sometimes had +four or five on board, at one time. + +In the year 1842, I conveyed, from the first of May to the first of +December, sixty-nine fugitives over Lake Erie to Canada. In 1843, I +visited Maiden, in Upper Canada, and counted seventeen, in that small +village, who owed their escape to my humble efforts. + +Soon after coming North, I subscribed for the Liberator, edited by that +champion of freedom, William Lloyd Garrison. I labored a season to +promote the temperance cause among the colored people, but for the last +three years, have been pleading for the victims of American slavery. + +William Wells Brown. + +Boston, Mass., June, 1847. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Narrative of William W. Brown, a +Fugitive Slave, by William Wells Brown + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM W. 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