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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +THE AMERICAN NEGRO + +HIS HISTORY AND LITERATURE + + + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM + +William and Ellen Craft + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM +OR, THE ESCAPE OF WILLIAM AND ELLEN CRAFT +FROM SLAVERY. + + + +"Slaves cannot breathe in England: if their lungs + Receive our air, that moment they are free; + They touch our country, and their shackles fall." + +COWPER + + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +HAVING heard while in Slavery that "God made +of one blood all nations of men," and also that the +American Declaration of Independence says, that +"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that +all men are created equal; that they are endowed +by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; +that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit +of happiness;" we could not understand by what +right we were held as "chattels." Therefore, we +felt perfectly justified in undertaking the dan- +gerous and exciting task of "running a thousand +miles" in order to obtain those rights which are so +vividly set forth in the Declaration. + +I beg those who would know the particulars of +our journey, to peruse these pages. + +This book is not intended as a full history of the +life of my wife, nor of myself; but merely as an +account of our escape; together with other matter +which I hope may be the means of creating in +some minds a deeper abhorrence of the sinful and +abominable practice of enslaving and brutifying our +fellow-creatures. + +Without stopping to write a long apology for +offering this little volume to the public, I shall +commence at once to pursue my simple story. + + +W. CRAFT. + + + +12, CAMBRIDGE ROAD, +HAMMERSMITH, +LONDON. + + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR +FREEDOM. + +-----+----- + +PART I. + +"God gave us only over beast, fish, fowl, +Dominion absolute; that right we hold +By his donation. But man over man +He made not lord; such title to himself +Reserving, human left from human free." + +MILTON. + + +MY wife and myself were born in different +towns in the State of Georgia, which is one of the +principal slave States. It is true, our condition as +slaves was not by any means the worst; but the +mere idea that we were held as chattels, and de- +prived of all legal rights--the thought that we +had to give up our hard earnings to a tyrant, to +enable him to live in idleness and luxury--the +thought that we could not call the bones and +sinews that God gave us our own: but above all, +the fact that another man had the power to tear +from our cradle the new-born babe and sell it in +the shambles like a brute, and then scourge us if +we dared to lift a finger to save it from such a fate, +haunted us for years. + +But in December, 1848, a plan suggested itself +that proved quite successful, and in eight days +after it was first thought of we were free from the +horrible trammels of slavery, rejoicing and praising +God in the glorious sunshine of liberty. + +My wife's first master was her father, and her +mother his slave, and the latter is still the slave of +his widow. + +Notwithstanding my wife being of African ex- +traction on her mother's side, she is almost white-- +in fact, she is so nearly so that the tyrannical old +lady to whom she first belonged became so annoyed, +at finding her frequently mistaken for a child of +the family, that she gave her when eleven years of +age to a daughter, as a wedding present. This +separated my wife from her mother, and also from +several other dear friends. But the incessant +cruelty of her old mistress made the change of +owners or treatment so desirable, that she did not +grumble much at this cruel separation. + +It may be remembered that slavery in America +is not at all confined to persons of any particular +complexion; there are a very large number of +slaves as white as any one; but as the evidence of a +slave is not admitted in court against a free white +person, it is almost impossible for a white child, +after having been kidnapped and sold into or re- +duced to slavery, in a part of the country where it +is not known (as often is the case), ever to recover +its freedom. + +I have myself conversed with several slaves who +told me that their parents were white and free; but +that they were stolen away from them and sold +when quite young. As they could not tell their +address, and also as the parents did not know +what had become of their lost and dear little +ones, of course all traces of each other were gone. + +The following facts are sufficient to prove, that +he who has the power, and is inhuman enough to +trample upon the sacred rights of the weak, cares +nothing for race or colour:-- + +In March, 1818, three ships arrived at New +Orleans, bringing several hundred German emi- +grants from the province of Alsace, on the lower +Rhine. Among them were Daniel Muller and his +two daughters, Dorothea and Salome, whose mother +had died on the passage. Soon after his arrival, +Muller, taking with him his two daughters, both +young children, went up the river to Attakapas +parish, to work on the plantation of John F. Miller. +A few weeks later, his relatives, who had remained +at New Orleans, learned that he had died of the +fever of the country. They immediately sent for +the two girls; but they had disappeared, and the +relatives, notwithstanding repeated and persevering +inquiries and researches, could find no traces of +them. They were at length given up for dead. +Dorothea was never again heard of; nor was any +thing known of Salome from 1818 till 1843. + +In the summer of that year, Madame Karl, a +German woman who had come over in the same +ship with the Mullers, was passing through a street +in New Orleans, and accidentally saw Salome in a +wine-shop, belonging to Louis Belmonte, by whom +she was held as a slave. Madame Karl recognised +her at once, and carried her to the house of another +German woman, Mrs. Schubert, who was Salome's +cousin and godmother, and who no sooner set eyes +on her than, without having any intimation that +the discovery had been previously made, she un- +hesitatingly exclaimed, "My God! here is the +long-lost Salome Muller." + +The Law Reporter, in its account of this case, +says:-- + +"As many of the German emigrants of 1818 as +could be gathered together were brought to the +house of Mrs. Schubert, and every one of the +number who had any recollection of the little girl +upon the passage, or any acquaintance with her +father and mother, immediately identified the +woman before them as the long-lost Salome +Muller. By all these witnesses, who appeared +at the trial, the identity was fully established. +The family resemblance in every feature was +declared to be so remarkable, that some of the +witnesses did not hesitate to say that they should +know her among ten thousand; that they were +as certain the plaintiff was Salome Muller, the +daughter of Daniel and Dorothea Muller, as of +their own existence." + +Among the witnesses who appeared in Court was +the midwife who had assisted at the birth of Salome. +She testified to the existence of certain peculiar +marks upon the body of the child, which were +found, exactly as described, by the surgeons who +were appointed by the Court to make an examina- +tion for the purpose. + +There was no trace of African descent in +any feature of Salome Muller. She had long, +straight, black hair, hazel eyes, thin lips, and +a Roman nose. The complexion of her face and +neck was as dark as that of the darkest brunette. +It appears, however, that, during the twenty-five +years of her servitude, she had been exposed to +the sun's rays in the hot climate of Louisiana, with +head and neck unsheltered, as is customary with +the female slaves, while labouring in the cotton or +the sugar field. Those parts of her person which +had been shielded from the sun were compara- +tively white. + +Belmonte, the pretended owner of the girl, had +obtained possession of her by an act of sale from +John F. Miller, the planter in whose service +Salome's father died. This Miller was a man of +consideration and substance, owning large sugar +estates, and bearing a high reputation for honour +and honesty, and for indulgent treatment of his +slaves. It was testified on the trial that he had +said to Belmonte, a few weeks after the sale of +Salome, "that she was white, and had as much +right to her freedom as any one, and was only to +be retained in slavery by care and kind treatment." +The broker who negotiated the sale from Miller to +Belmonte, in 1838, testified in Court that he then +thought, and still thought, that the girl was white! + +The case was elaborately argued on both sides, +but was at length decided in favour of the girl, +by the Supreme Court declaring that "she was +free and white, and therefore unlawfully held in +bondage." + +The Rev. George Bourne, of Virginia, in his +Picture of Slavery, published in 1834, relates the +case of a white boy who, at the age of seven, was +stolen from his home in Ohio, tanned and stained +in such a way that he could not be distinguished +from a person of colour, and then sold as a slave +in Virginia. At the age of twenty, he made his +escape, by running away, and happily succeeded in +rejoining his parents. + +I have known worthless white people to sell their +own free children into slavery; and, as there are +good-for-nothing white as well as coloured persons +everywhere, no one, perhaps, will wonder at such +inhuman transactions: particularly in the Southern +States of America, where I believe there is a +greater want of humanity and high principle +amongst the whites, than among any other +civilized people in the world. + +I know that those who are not familiar with the +working of "the peculiar institution," can scarcely +imagine any one so totally devoid of all natural +affection as to sell his own offspring into returnless +bondage. But Shakespeare, that great observer +of human nature, says:-- + + +"With caution judge of probabilities. +Things deemed unlikely, e'en impossible, +Experience often shews us to be true." + + +My wife's new mistress was decidedly more +humane than the majority of her class. My wife +has always given her credit for not exposing her to +many of the worst features of slavery. For instance, +it is a common practice in the slave States for ladies, +when angry with their maids, to send them to the +calybuce sugar-house, or to some other place +established for the purpose of punishing slaves, +and have them severely flogged; and I am sorry +it is a fact, that the villains to whom those de- +fenceless creatures are sent, not only flog them +as they are ordered, but frequently compel them +to submit to the greatest indignity. Oh! if there +is any one thing under the wide canopy of heaven, +horrible enough to stir a man's soul, and to make +his very blood boil, it is the thought of his dear +wife, his unprotected sister, or his young and +virtuous daughters, struggling to save themselves +from falling a prey to such demons! + +It always appears strange to me that any one +who was not born a slaveholder, and steeped to the +very core in the demoralizing atmosphere of the +Southern States, can in any way palliate slavery. +It is still more surprising to see virtuous ladies +looking with patience upon, and remaining indif- +ferent to, the existence of a system that exposes +nearly two millions of their own sex in the manner +I have mentioned, and that too in a professedly +free and Christian country. There is, however, +great consolation in knowing that God is just, and +will not let the oppressor of the weak, and the +spoiler of the virtuous, escape unpunished here and +hereafter. + +I believe a similar retribution to that which +destroyed Sodom is hanging over the slaveholders. +My sincere prayer is that they may not provoke +God, by persisting in a reckless course of wicked- +ness, to pour out his consuming wrath upon them. + +I must now return to our history. + +My old master had the reputation of being a +very humane and Christian man, but he thought +nothing of selling my poor old father, and dear +aged mother, at separate times, to different persons, +to be dragged off never to behold each other again, +till summoned to appear before the great tribunal +of heaven. But, oh! what a happy meeting it +will be on that day for those faithful souls. +I say a happy meeting, because I never saw +persons more devoted to the service of God +than they. But how will the case stand with those +reckless traffickers in human flesh and blood, who +plunged the poisonous dagger of separation into +those loving hearts which God had for so many +years closely joined together--nay, sealed as it +were with his own hands for the eternal courts of +heaven? It is not for me to say what will become +of those heartless tyrants. I must leave them in +the hands of an all-wise and just God, who will, in +his own good time, and in his own way, avenge the +wrongs of his oppressed people. + +My old master also sold a dear brother and a +sister, in the same manner as he did my father and +mother. The reason he assigned for disposing of +my parents, as well as of several other aged slaves, +was, that "they were getting old, and would soon +become valueless in the market, and therefore he +intended to sell off all the old stock, and buy in a +young lot." A most disgraceful conclusion for a +man to come to, who made such great professions +of religion! + +This shameful conduct gave me a thorough +hatred, not for true Christianity, but for slave- +holding piety. + +My old master, then, wishing to make the most +of the rest of his slaves, apprenticed a brother +and myself out to learn trades: he to a black- +smith, and myself to a cabinet-maker. If a slave +has a good trade, he will let or sell for more +than a person without one, and many slave- +holders have their slaves taught trades on this +account. But before our time expired, my old +master wanted money; so he sold my brother, and +then mortgaged my sister, a dear girl about four- +teen years of age, and myself, then about sixteen, +to one of the banks, to get money to speculate in +cotton. This we knew nothing of at the moment; +but time rolled on, the money became due, my +master was unable to meet his payments; so the +bank had us placed upon the auction stand and +sold to the highest bidder. + +My poor sister was sold first: she was knocked +down to a planter who resided at some distance +in the country. Then I was called upon the stand. +While the auctioneer was crying the bids, I saw +the man that had purchased my sister getting her +into a cart, to take her to his home. I at once +asked a slave friend who was standing near the +platform, to run and ask the gentleman if he +would please to wait till I was sold, in order +that I might have an opportunity of bidding her +good-bye. He sent me word back that he had +some distance to go, and could not wait. + +I then turned to the auctioneer, fell upon my +knees, and humbly prayed him to let me just step +down and bid my last sister farewell. But, instead +of granting me this request, he grasped me by the +neck, and in a commanding tone of voice, and with +a violent oath, exclaimed, "Get up! You can do +the wench no good; therefore there is no use in +your seeing her." + +On rising, I saw the cart in which she sat +moving slowly off; and, as she clasped her hands +with a grasp that indicated despair, and looked +pitifully round towards me, I also saw the large +silent tears trickling down her cheeks. She made +a farewell bow, and buried her face in her lap. +This seemed more than I could bear. It appeared +to swell my aching heart to its utmost. But +before I could fairly recover, the poor girl was +gone;--gone, and I have never had the good for- +tune to see her from that day to this! Perhaps +I should have never heard of her again, had it not +been for the untiring efforts of my good old +mother, who became free a few years ago by pur- +chase, and, after a great deal of difficulty, found +my sister residing with a family in Mississippi. +My mother at once wrote to me, informing me of +the fact, and requesting me to do something to get +her free; and I am happy to say that, partly by +lecturing occasionally, and through the sale of an +engraving of my wife in the disguise in which +she escaped, together with the extreme kind- +ness and generosity of Miss Burdett Coutts, +Mr. George Richardson of Plymouth, and a few +other friends, I have nearly accomplished this. +It would be to me a great and ever-glorious +achievement to restore my sister to our dear +mother, from whom she was forcibly driven in +early life. + +I was knocked down to the cashier of the +bank to which we were mortgaged, and ordered +to return to the cabinet shop where I previously +worked. + +But the thought of the harsh auctioneer not +allowing me to bid my dear sister farewell, sent +red-hot indignation darting like lightning through +every vein. It quenched my tears, and appeared +to set my brain on fire, and made me crave for +power to avenge our wrongs! But alas! we were +only slaves, and had no legal rights; consequently +we were compelled to smother our wounded feel- +ings, and crouch beneath the iron heel of des- +potism. + +I must now give the account of our escape; +but, before doing so, it may be well to quote +a few passages from the fundamental laws of +slavery; in order to give some idea of the +legal as well as the social tyranny from which +we fled. + +According to the law of Louisiana, "A slave +is one who is in the power of a master to whom he +belongs. The master may sell him, dispose of his +person, his industry, and his labour; he can do +nothing, possess nothing, nor acquire anything but +what must belong to his master."--Civil Code, +art. 35. + +In South Carolina it is expressed in the following +language:--"Slaves shall be deemed, sold, taken, +reputed and judged in law to be chattels personal +in the hands of their owners and possessors, and +their executors, administrators, and assigns, to all +intents, constructions, and purposes whatsoever.-- +2 Brevard's Digest, 229. + +The Constitution of Georgia has the following +(Art. 4, sec. 12):--"Any person who shall mali- +ciously dismember or deprive a slave of life, shall +suffer such punishment as would be inflicted in +case the like offence had been committed on a free +white person, and on the like proof, except in case +of insurrection of such slave, and unless SUCH +DEATH SHOULD HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT IN GIVING +SUCH SLAVE MODERATE CORRECTION."--Prince's +Digest, 559. + +I have known slaves to be beaten to death, but +as they died under "moderate correction," it was +quite lawful; and of course the murderers were +not interfered with. + +"If any slave, who shall be out of the house or +plantation where such slave shall live, or shall be +usually employed, or without some white person +in company with such slave, shall REFUSE TO SUBMIT +to undergo the examination of ANY WHITE person, +(let him be ever so drunk or crazy), it shall be +lawful for such white person to pursue, apprehend, +and moderately correct such slave; and if such +slave shall assault and strike such white person, +such slave may be LAWFULLY KILLED."--2 Brevard's +Digest, 231. + +"Provided always," says the law, "that such +striking be not done by the command and in the +defence of the person or property of the owner, or +other person having the government of such slave; +in which case the slave shall be wholly excused." + +According to this law, if a slave, by the direction +of his overseer, strike a white person who is beating +said overseer's pig, "the slave shall be wholly +excused." But, should the bondman, of his own +accord, fight to defend his wife, or should his +terrified daughter instinctively raise her hand and +strike the wretch who attempts to violate her +chastity, he or she shall, saith the model republican +law, suffer death. + +From having been myself a slave for nearly +twenty-three years, I am quite prepared to say, +that the practical working of slavery is worse than +the odious laws by which it is governed. + +At an early age we were taken by the persons who +held us as property to Macon, the largest town in the +interior of the State of Georgia, at which place +we became acquainted with each other for several +years before our marriage; in fact, our marriage +was postponed for some time simply because one +of the unjust and worse than Pagan laws under +which we lived compelled all children of slave +mothers to follow their condition. That is to say, +the father of the slave may be the President of the +Republic; but if the mother should be a slave at the +infant's birth, the poor child is ever legally doomed +to the same cruel fate. + +It is a common practice for gentlemen (if I may +call them such), moving in the highest circles of +society, to be the fathers of children by their slaves, +whom they can and do sell with the greatest im- +punity; and the more pious, beautiful, and virtuous +the girls are, the greater the price they bring, and +that too for the most infamous purposes. + +Any man with money (let him be ever such a +rough brute), can buy a beautiful and virtuous +girl, and force her to live with him in a criminal +connexion; and as the law says a slave shall +have no higher appeal than the mere will of the +master, she cannot escape, unless it be by flight or +death. + +In endeavouring to reconcile a girl to her fate, +the master sometimes says that he would marry +her if it was not unlawful.* However, he will +always consider her to be his wife, and will treat +her as such; and she, on the other hand, may +regard him as her lawful husband; and if they +have any children, they will be free and well edu- +cated. + +I am in duty bound to add, that while a great +majority of such men care nothing for the happi- +ness of the women with whom they live, nor for +the children of whom they are the fathers, there +are those to be found, even in that heterogeneous +mass of licentious monsters, who are true to their +pledges. But as the woman and her children are +legally the property of the man, who stands in the +anomalous relation to them of husband and father, +as well as master, they are liable to be seized and +sold for his debts, should he become involved. + +There are several cases on record where such +persons have been sold and separated for life. I +know of some myself, but I have only space to +glance at one. + +I knew a very humane and wealthy gentleman, +that bought a woman, with whom he lived as his + + +* It is unlawful in the slave States for any one of purely +European descent to intermarry with a person of African ex- +traction; though a white man may live with as many coloured +women as he pleases without materially damaging his reputa- +tion in Southern society. +wife. They brought up a family of children, +among whom were three nearly white, well edu- +cated, and beautiful girls. + +On the father being suddenly killed it was found +that he had not left a will; but, as the family had +always heard him say that he had no surviving +relatives, they felt that their liberty and property +were quite secured to them, and, knowing the insults +to which they were exposed, now their protector +was no more, they were making preparations to +leave for a free State. + +But, poor creatures, they were soon sadly unde- +ceived. A villain residing at a distance, hearing of +the circumstance, came forward and swore that he +was a relative of the deceased; and as this man +bore, or assumed, Mr. Slator's name, the case +was brought before one of those horrible tribunals, +presided over by a second Judge Jeffreys, and +calling itself a court of justice, but before whom +no coloured person, nor an abolitionist, was ever +known to get his full rights. + +A verdict was given in favour of the plaintiff, +whom the better portion of the community thought +had wilfully conspired to cheat the family. + +The heartless wretch not only took the ordi- +nary property, but actually had the aged and +friendless widow, and all her fatherless children, +except Frank, a fine young man about twenty-two +years of age, and Mary, a very nice girl, a little +younger than her brother, brought to the auction +stand and sold to the highest bidder. Mrs. Slator +had cash enough, that her husband and master left, +to purchase the liberty of herself and children; but +on her attempting to do so, the pusillanimous +scoundrel, who had robbed them of their freedom, +claimed the money as his property; and, poor +creature, she had to give it up. According to law, +as will be seen hereafter, a slave cannot own any- +thing. The old lady never recovered from her sad +affliction. + +At the sale she was brought up first, and after +being vulgarly criticised, in the presence of all her +distressed family, was sold to a cotton planter, who +said he wanted the "proud old critter to go to his +plantation, to look after the little woolly heads, +while their mammies were working in the field." + +When the sale was over, then came the separa- +tion, and + + +"O, deep was the anguish of that slave mother's heart, + When called from her darlings for ever to part; + The poor mourning mother of reason bereft, + Soon ended her sorrows, and sank cold in death." + + +Antoinette, the flower of the family, a girl who +was much beloved by all who knew her, for her +Christ-like piety, dignity of manner, as well as her +great talents and extreme beauty, was bought by +an uneducated and drunken salve-dealer. + +I cannot give a more correct description of the +scene, when she was called from her brother to the +stand, than will be found in the following lines-- + + + +"Why stands she near the auction stand? + That girl so young and fair; + What brings her to this dismal place? + Why stands she weeping there? + + Why does she raise that bitter cry? + Why hangs her head with shame, + As now the auctioneer's rough voice + So rudely calls her name! + +But see! she grasps a manly hand, + And in a voice so low, + As scarcely to be heard, she says, + "My brother, must I go?" + + A moment's pause: then, midst a wail + Of agonizing woe, + His answer falls upon the ear,-- + "Yes, sister, you must go! + + No longer can my arm defend, + No longer can I save + My sister from the horrid fate + That waits her as a SLAVE!" + + Blush, Christian, blush! for e'en the dark + Untutored heathen see + Thy inconsistency, and lo! + They scorn thy God, and thee!" + +The low trader said to a kind lady who wished +to purchase Antoinette out of his hands, "I +reckon I'll not sell the smart critter for ten thou- +sand dollars; I always wanted her for my own use." +The lady, wishing to remonstrate with him, com- +menced by saying, "You should remember, Sir, +that there is a just God." Hoskens not under- +standing Mrs. Huston, interrupted her by saying, +"I does, and guess its monstrous kind an' him to +send such likely niggers for our convenience." Mrs. +Huston finding that a long course of reckless +wickedness, drunkenness, and vice, had destroyed +in Hoskens every noble impulse, left him. + +Antoinette, poor girl, also seeing that there was +no help for her, became frantic. I can never forget +her cries of despair, when Hoskens gave the order +for her to be taken to his house, and locked in an +upper room. On Hoskens entering the apart- +ment, in a state of intoxication, a fearful struggle +ensued. The brave Antoinette broke loose from +him, pitched herself head foremost through the +window, and fell upon the pavement below. + +Her bruised but unpolluted body was soon picked +up--restoratives brought--doctor called in; but, +alas! it was too late: her pure and noble spirit had +fled away to be at rest in those realms of endless +bliss, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and +the weary are at rest." + +Antoinette like many other noble women who +are deprived of liberty, still + +"Holds something sacred, something undefiled; +Some pledge and keepsake of their higher nature. +And, like the diamond in the dark, retains +Some quenchless gleam of the celestial light." + + +On Hoskens fully realizing the fact that his +victim was no more, he exclaimed "By thunder I +am a used-up man!" The sudden disappointment, +and the loss of two thousand dollars, was more +than he could endure: so he drank more than ever, +and in a short time died, raving mad with delirium +tremens. + +The villain Slator said to Mrs. Huston, the kind +lady who endeavoured to purchase Antoinette from +Hoskens, "Nobody needn't talk to me 'bout +buying them ar likely niggers, for I'm not going to +sell em." "But Mary is rather delicate," said Mrs. +Huston, "and, being unaccustomed to hard work, +cannot do you much service on a plantation." "I +don't want her for the field," replied Slator, "but +for another purpose." Mrs. Huston understood +what this meant, and instantly exclaimed, "Oh, +but she is your cousin!" "The devil she is!" said +Slator; and added, "Do you mean to insult me, +Madam, by saying that I am related to niggers?" +"No," replied Mrs. Huston, "I do not wish to +offend you, Sir. But wasn't Mr. Slator, Mary's +father, your uncle?" "Yes, I calculate he was," +said Slator; "but I want you and everybody to +understand that I'm no kin to his niggers." "Oh, +very well," said Mrs. Huston; adding, "Now what +will you take for the poor girl?" "Nothin'," he +replied; "for, as I said before, I'm not goin' to +sell, so you needn't trouble yourself no more. +If the critter behaves herself, I'll do as well by her +as any man." + +Slator spoke up boldly, but his manner and +sheepish look clearly indicated that + + + +"His heart within him was at strife + With such accursed gains; + For he knew whose passions gave her life, + Whose blood ran in her veins." + +"The monster led her from the door, + He led her by the hand, + To be his slave and paramour + In a strange and distant land!" + + +Poor Frank and his sister were handcuffed to- +gether, and confined in prison. Their dear little +twin brother and sister were sold, and taken where +they knew not. But it often happens that mis- +fortune causes those whom we counted dearest to +shrink away; while it makes friends of those +whom we least expected to take any interest in our +affairs. Among the latter class Frank found two +comparatively new but faithful friends to watch the +gloomy paths of the unhappy little twins. + +In a day or two after the sale, Slator had two fast +horses put to a large light van, and placed in it +a good many small but valuable things belonging +to the distressed family. He also took with him +Frank and Mary, as well as all the money for the +spoil; and after treating all his low friends and +bystanders, and drinking deeply himself, he started +in high glee for his home in South Carolina. But +they had not proceeded many miles, before Frank +and his sister discovered that Slator was too +drunk to drive. But he, like most tipsy men, +thought he was all right; and as he had with him +some of the ruined family's best brandy and wine, +such as he had not been accustomed to, and being +a thirsty soul, he drank till the reins fell from his +fingers, and in attempting to catch them he +tumbled out of the vehicle, and was unable to get +up. Frank and Mary there and then contrived +a plan by which to escape. As they were still +handcuffed by one wrist each, they alighted, took +from the drunken assassin's pocket the key, undid +the iron bracelets, and placed them upon Slator, +who was better fitted to wear such ornaments. As +the demon lay unconscious of what was taking +place, Frank and Mary took from him the large +sum of money that was realized at the sale, as well +as that which Slator had so very meanly obtained +from their poor mother. They then dragged him +into the woods, tied him to a tree, and left the +inebriated robber to shift for himself, while they +made good their escape to Savannah. The fugitives +being white, of course no one suspected that they +were slaves. + +Slator was not able to call any one to his rescue +till late the next day; and as there were no rail- +roads in that part of the country at that time, it +was not until late the following day that Slator was +able to get a party to join him for the chase. A +person informed Slator that he had met a man and +woman, in a trap, answering to the description of +those whom he had lost, driving furiously towards +Savannah. So Slator and several slavehunters on +horseback started off in full tilt, with their blood- +hounds, in pursuit of Frank and Mary. + +On arriving at Savannah, the hunters found that +the fugitives had sold the horses and trap, and +embarked as free white persons, for New York. +Slator's disappointment and rascality so preyed +upon his base mind, that he, like Judas, went and +hanged himself. + +As soon as Frank and Mary were safe, they +endeavoured to redeem their good mother. But, +alas! she was gone; she had passed on to the +realm of spirit life. + +In due time Frank learned from his friends in +Georgia where his little brother and sister dwelt. +So he wrote at once to purchase them, but the +persons with whom they lived would not sell them. +After failing in several attempts to buy them, +Frank cultivated large whiskers and moustachios, +cut off his hair, put on a wig and glasses, and +went down as a white man, and stopped in the +neighbourhood where his sister was; and after see- +ing her and also his little brother, arrangements +were made for them to meet at a particular place +on a Sunday, which they did, and got safely off. + +I saw Frank myself, when he came for the little +twins. Though I was then quite a lad, I well +remember being highly delighted by hearing him +tell how nicely he and Mary had served Slator. + +Frank had so completely disguised or changed +his appearance that his little sister did not know +him, and would not speak till he showed their +mother's likeness; the sight of which melted her +to tears,--for she knew the face. Frank might +have said to her + + + +"'O, Emma! O, my sister, speak to me! + Dost thou not know me, that I am thy brother? + Come to me, little Emma, thou shalt dwell + With me henceforth, and know no care or want.' + Emma was silent for a space, as if + 'Twere hard to summon up a human voice." +Frank and Mary's mother was my wife's own +dear aunt. + +After this great diversion from our narrative, +which I hope dear reader, you will excuse, I shall +return at once to it. + +My wife was torn from her mother's embrace +in childhood, and taken to a distant part of the +country. She had seen so many other children +separated from their parents in this cruel man- +ner, that the mere thought of her ever becoming +the mother of a child, to linger out a miserable +existence under the wretched system of American +slavery, appeared to fill her very soul with horror; +and as she had taken what I felt to be an important +view of her condition, I did not, at first, press +the marriage, but agreed to assist her in trying to +devise some plan by which we might escape from +our unhappy condition, and then be married. + +We thought of plan after plan, but they all +seemed crowded with insurmountable difficulties. +We knew it was unlawful for any public convey- +ance to take us as passengers, without our master's +consent. We were also perfectly aware of the +startling fact, that had we left without this consent +the professional slave-hunters would have soon +had their ferocious bloodhounds baying on our +track, and in a short time we should have been +dragged back to slavery, not to fill the more favour- +able situations which we had just left, but to +be separated for life, and put to the very meanest +and most laborious drudgery; or else have been +tortured to death as examples, in order to strike +terror into the hearts of others, and thereby pre- +vent them from even attempting to escape from +their cruel taskmasters. It is a fact worthy of +remark, that nothing seems to give the slaveholders +so much pleasure as the catching and torturing of +fugitives. They had much rather take the keen and +poisonous lash, and with it cut their poor trembling +victims to atoms, than allow one of them to escape +to a free country, and expose the infamous system +from which he fled. + +The greatest excitement prevails at a slave-hunt. +The slaveholders and their hired ruffians appear to +take more pleasure in this inhuman pursuit than +English sportsmen do in chasing a fox or a stag. +Therefore, knowing what we should have been +compelled to suffer, if caught and taken back, +we were more than anxious to hit upon a plan +that would lead us safely to a land of liberty. + +But, after puzzling our brains for years, we were +reluctantly driven to the sad conclusion, that it +was almost impossible to escape from slavery in +Georgia, and travel 1,000 miles across the slave +States. We therefore resolved to get the consent +of our owners, be married, settle down in slavery, +and endeavour to make ourselves as comfortable +as possible under that system; but at the same +time ever to keep our dim eyes steadily fixed +upon the glimmering hope of liberty, and earnestly +pray God mercifully to assist us to escape from our +unjust thraldom. + +We were married, and prayed and toiled on till +December, 1848, at which time (as I have stated) +a plan suggested itself that proved quite success- +ful, and in eight days after it was first thought of +we were free from the horrible trammels of slavery, +and glorifying God who had brought us safely out +of a land of bondage. + +Knowing that slaveholders have the privilege +of taking their slaves to any part of the country +they think proper, it occurred to me that, as +my wife was nearly white, I might get her to +disguise herself as an invalid gentleman, and +assume to be my master, while I could attend as +his slave, and that in this manner we might effect +our escape. After I thought of the plan, I sug- +gested it to my wife, but at first she shrank from +the idea. She thought it was almost impossible +for her to assume that disguise, and travel a dis- +tance of 1,000 miles across the slave States. How- +ever, on the other hand, she also thought of her +condition. She saw that the laws under which we +lived did not recognize her to be a woman, but a +mere chattel, to be bought and sold, or otherwise +dealt with as her owner might see fit. Therefore +the more she contemplated her helpless condition, +the more anxious she was to escape from it. So +she said, "I think it is almost too much for us to +undertake; however, I feel that God is on our side, +and with his assistance, notwithstanding all the +difficulties, we shall be able to succeed. There- +fore, if you will purchase the disguise, I will try to +carry out the plan." + +But after I concluded to purchase the disguise, I +was afraid to go to any one to ask him to sell me +the articles. It is unlawful in Georgia for a white +man to trade with slaves without the master's con- +sent. But, notwithstanding this, many persons will +sell a slave any article that he can get the money +to buy. Not that they sympathize with the slave, +but merely because his testimony is not admitted +in court against a free white person. + +Therefore, with little difficulty I went to dif- +ferent parts of the town, at odd times, and purchased +things piece by piece, (except the trowsers which +she found necessary to make,) and took them home +to the house where my wife resided. She being +a ladies' maid, and a favourite slave in the family, +was allowed a little room to herself; and amongst +other pieces of furniture which I had made in my +overtime, was a chest of drawers; so when I took +the articles home, she locked them up carefully in +these drawers. No one about the premises knew +that she had anything of the kind. So when we +fancied we had everything ready the time was +fixed for the flight. But we knew it would not do +to start off without first getting our master's con- +sent to be away for a few days. Had we left with- +out this, they would soon have had us back into +slavery, and probably we should never have got +another fair opportunity of even attempting to +escape. + +Some of the best slaveholders will sometimes +give their favourite slaves a few days' holiday at +Christmas time; so, after no little amount of per- +severance on my wife's part, she obtained a pass +from her mistress, allowing her to be away for a +few days. The cabinet-maker with whom I worked +gave me a similar paper, but said that he needed +my services very much, and wished me to return as +soon as the time granted was up. I thanked him +kindly; but somehow I have not been able to make +it convenient to return yet; and, as the free air of +good old England agrees so well with my wife and our +dear little ones, as well as with myself, it is not at all +likely we shall return at present to the "peculiar in- +stitution" of chains and stripes. + +On reaching my wife's cottage she handed me +her pass, and I showed mine, but at that time +neither of us were able to read them. It is not only +unlawful for slaves to be taught to read, but in +some of the States there are heavy penalties at- +tached, such as fines and imprisonment, which will +be vigorously enforced upon any one who is humane +enough to violate the so-called law. + +The following case will serve to show how per- +sons are treated in the most enlightened slavehold- +ing community. + +"INDICTMENT. + +COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, } In the Circuit + + NORFOLK COUNTY, ss.} Court. The +Grand Jurors empannelled in the body of the said +County on their oath present, that Margaret Doug- +lass, being an evil disposed person, not having the +fear of God before her eyes, but moved and insti- +gated by the devil, wickedly, maliciously, and +feloniously, on the fourth day of July, in the year +of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty- +four, at Norfolk, in said County, did teach a certain +black girl named Kate to read in the Bible, to the +great displeasure of Almighty God, to the per- +nicious example of others in like case offending, +contrary to the form of the statute in such case made +and provided, and against the peace and dignity of +the Commonwealth of Virginia. + +"VICTOR VAGABOND, Prosecuting Attorney." + + +"On this indictment Mrs. Douglass was arraigned +as a necessary matter of form, tried, found guilty +of course; and Judge Scalaway, before whom she +was tried, having consulted with Dr. Adams, or- +dered the sheriff to place Mrs. Douglass in the +prisoner's box, when he addressed her as follows: +'Margaret Douglass, stand up. You are guilty of +one of the vilest crimes that ever disgraced society; +and the jury have found you so. You have taught +a slave girl to read in the Bible. No enlightened +society can exist where such offences go unpun- +ished. The Court, in your case, do not feel for you +one solitary ray of sympathy, and they will inflict +on you the utmost penalty of the law. In any +other civilized country you would have paid the +forfeit of your crime with your life, and the Court +have only to regret that such is not the law in +this country. The sentence for your offence is, +that you be imprisoned one month in the county +jail, and that you pay the costs of this prosecution. +Sheriff, remove the prisoner to jail.' On the pub- +lication of these proceedings, the Doctors of +Divinity preached each a sermon on the necessity +of obeying the laws; the New York Observer noticed +with much pious gladness a revival of religion on +Dr. Smith's plantation in Georgia, among his +slaves; while the Journal of Commerce commended +this political preaching of the Doctors of Divinity +because it favoured slavery. Let us do nothing to +offend our Southern brethren." + +However, at first, we were highly delighted at +the idea of having gained permission to be absent +for a few days; but when the thought flashed +across my wife's mind, that it was customary for +travellers to register their names in the visitors' +book at hotels, as well as in the clearance or +Custom-house book at Charleston, South Carolina +--it made our spirits droop within us. + +So, while sitting in our little room upon the +verge of despair, all at once my wife raised her +head, and with a smile upon her face, which was a +moment before bathed in tears, said, "I think +I have it!" I asked what it was. She said, "I +think I can make a poultice and bind up my right +hand in a sling, and with propriety ask the officers +to register my name for me." I thought that +would do. + +It then occurred to her that the smoothness of +her face might betray her; so she decided to make +another poultice, and put it in a white handkerchief +to be worn under the chin, up the cheeks, and to +tie over the head. This nearly hid the expression +of the countenance, as well as the beardless chin. + +The poultice is left off in the engraving, because +the likeness could not have been taken well with +it on. + +My wife, knowing that she would be thrown +a good deal into the company of gentlemen, fancied +that she could get on better if she had something +to go over the eyes; so I went to a shop and +bought a pair of green spectacles. This was in the +evening. + +We sat up all night discussing the plan, and +making preparations. Just before the time arrived, +in the morning, for us to leave, I cut off my wife's +hair square at the back of the head, and got her to +dress in the disguise and stand out on the floor. +I found that she made a most respectable looking +gentleman. + +My wife had no ambition whatever to assume +this disguise, and would not have done so had it +been possible to have obtained our liberty by more +simple means; but we knew it was not customary +in the South for ladies to travel with male servants; +and therefore, notwithstanding my wife's fair com- +plexion, it would have been a very difficult task for +her to have come off as a free white lady, with me as +her slave; in fact, her not being able to write +would have made this quite impossible. We knew +that no public conveyance would take us, or any +other slave, as a passenger, without our master's +consent. This consent could never be obtained to +pass into a free State. My wife's being muffled in +the poultices, &c., furnished a plausible excuse for +avoiding general conversation, of which most +Yankee travellers are passionately fond. + +There are a large number of free negroes residing +in the southern States; but in Georgia (and I +believe in all the slave States,) every coloured per- +son's complexion is prima facie evidence of his +being a slave; and the lowest villain in the country, +should he be a white man, has the legal power to +arrest, and question, in the most inquisitorial and +insulting manner, any coloured person, male or +female, that he may find at large, particularly at +night and on Sundays, without a written pass, +signed by the master or some one in authority; or +stamped free papers, certifying that the person is +the rightful owner of himself. + +If the coloured person refuses to answer ques- +tions put to him, he may be beaten, and his defend- +ing himself against this attack makes him an +outlaw, and if he be killed on the spot, the mur- +derer will be exempted from all blame; but after the +coloured person has answered the questions put to +him, in a most humble and pointed manner, he may +then be taken to prison; and should it turn out, +after further examination, that he was caught +where he had no permission or legal right to be, +and that he has not given what they term a satis- +factory account of himself, the master will have to +pay a fine. On his refusing to do this, the poor +slave may be legally and severely flogged by +public officers. Should the prisoner prove to be a +free man, he is most likely to be both whipped +and fined. + +The great majority of slaveholders hate this class +of persons with a hatred that can only be equalled +by the condemned spirits of the infernal regions. +They have no mercy upon, nor sympathy for, any +negro whom they cannot enslave. They say that +God made the black man to be a slave for the white, +and act as though they really believed that all free +persons of colour are in open rebellion to a direct +command from heaven, and that they (the whites) +are God's chosen agents to pour out upon them +unlimited vengeance. For instance, a Bill has +been introduced in the Tennessee Legislature to +prevent free negroes from travelling on the rail- +roads in that State. It has passed the first reading. +The bill provides that the President who shall +permit a free negro to travel on any road within +the jurisdiction of the State under his supervision +shall pay a fine of 500 dollars; any conductor +permitting a violation of the Act shall pay 250 +dollars; provided such free negro is not under the +control of a free white citizen of Tennessee, who +will vouch for the character of said free negro +in a penal bond of one thousand dollars. The +State of Arkansas has passed a law to banish all +free negroes from its bounds, and it came into effect +on the 1st day of January, 1860. Every free negro +found there after that date will be liable to be sold +into slavery, the crime of freedom being unpardon- +able. The Missouri Senate has before it a bill +providing that all free negroes above the age of +eighteen years who shall be found in the State after +September, 1860, shall be sold into slavery; and +that all such negroes as shall enter the State after +September, 1861, and remain there twenty-four +hours, shall also be sold into slavery for ever. Mis- +sissippi, Kentucky, and Georgia, and in fact, I be- +lieve, all the slave States, are legislating in the same +manner. Thus the slaveholders make it almost im- +possible for free persons of colour to get out of the +slave States, in order that they may sell them into +slavery if they don't go. If no white persons travelled +upon railroads except those who could get some one +to vouch for their character in a penal bond of one +thousand dollars, the railroad companies would soon +go to the "wall." Such mean legislation is too low +for comment; therefore I leave the villainous acts to +speak for themselves. + +But the Dred Scott decision is the crowning act +of infamous Yankee legislation. The Supreme Court, +the highest tribunal of the Republic, composed of +nine Judge Jeffries's, chosen both from the free and +slave States, has decided that no coloured person, +or persons of African extraction, can ever become a +citizen of the United States, or have any rights +which white men are bound to respect. That is to +say, in the opinion of this Court, robbery, rape, and +murder are not crimes when committed by a white +upon a coloured person. + +Judges who will sneak from their high and +honourable position down into the lowest depths of +human depravity, and scrape up a decision like this, +are wholly unworthy the confidence of any people. +I believe such men would, if they had the power, +and were it to their temporal interest, sell their +country's independence, and barter away every +man's birthright for a mess of pottage. Well +may Thomas Campbell say-- + + + +United States, your banner wears, + Two emblems,--one of fame, +Alas, the other that it bears + Reminds us of your shame! +The white man's liberty in types + Stands blazoned by your stars; +But what's the meaning of your stripes? + They mean your Negro-scars. + + +When the time had arrived for us to start, we +blew out the lights, knelt down, and prayed to our +Heavenly Father mercifully to assist us, as he did +his people of old, to escape from cruel bondage; and +we shall ever feel that God heard and answered our +prayer. Had we not been sustained by a kind, and +I sometimes think special, providence, we could +never have overcome the mountainous difficulties +which I am now about to describe. + +After this we rose and stood for a few moments +in breathless silence,--we were afraid that some one +might have been about the cottage listening and +watching our movements. So I took my wife by +the hand, stepped softly to the door, raised the latch, +drew it open, and peeped out. Though there were +trees all around the house, yet the foliage scarcely +moved; in fact, everything appeared to be as still +as death. I then whispered to my wife, "Come, my +dear, let us make a desperate leap for liberty!" But +poor thing, she shrank back, in a state of trepidation. +I turned and asked what was the matter; she made +no reply, but burst into violent sobs, and threw her +head upon my breast. This appeared to touch my +very heart, it caused me to enter into her feelings +more fully than ever. We both saw the many +mountainous difficulties that rose one after the +other before our view, and knew far too well what +our sad fate would have been, were we caught and +forced back into our slavish den. Therefore on my +wife's fully realizing the solemn fact that we had to +take our lives, as it were, in our hands, and contest +every inch of the thousand miles of slave territory +over which we had to pass, it made her heart almost +sink within her, and, had I known them at that +time, I would have repeated the following en- +couraging lines, which may not be out of place +here-- + + +"The hill, though high, I covet to ascend, +The DIFFICULTY WILL NOT ME OFFEND; +For I perceive the way to life lies here: +Come, pluck up heart, let's neither faint nor fear; +Better, though difficult, the right way to go,-- +Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe." + + +However, the sobbing was soon over, and after a +few moments of silent prayer she recovered her +self-possession, and said, "Come, William, it is +getting late, so now let us venture upon our peril- +ous journey." + +We then opened the door, and stepped as softly +out as "moonlight upon the water." I locked the +door with my own key, which I now have before me, +and tiptoed across the yard into the street. I say +tiptoed, because we were like persons near a totter- +ing avalanche, afraid to move, or even breathe freely, +for fear the sleeping tyrants should be aroused, and +come down upon us with double vengeance, for +daring to attempt to escape in the manner which +we contemplated. + +We shook hands, said farewell, and started in +different directions for the railway station. I took +the nearest possible way to the train, for fear I +should be recognized by some one, and got into the +negro car in which I knew I should have to ride; +but my MASTER (as I will now call my wife) took a +longer way round, and only arrived there with the +bulk of the passengers. He obtained a ticket +for himself and one for his slave to Savannah, the +first port, which was about two hundred miles off. +My master then had the luggage stowed away, and +stepped into one of the best carriages. + +But just before the train moved off I peeped +through the window, and, to my great astonishment, +I saw the cabinet-maker with whom I had worked so +long, on the platform. He stepped up to the ticket- +seller, and asked some question, and then com- +menced looking rapidly through the passengers, +and into the carriages. Fully believing that we +were caught, I shrank into a corner, turned my +face from the door, and expected in a moment to +be dragged out. The cabinet-maker looked into +my master's carriage, but did not know him in his +new attire, and, as God would have it, before he +reached mine the bell rang, and the train moved +off. + +I have heard since that the cabinet-maker had a pre- +sentiment that we were about to "make tracks for +parts unknown;" but, not seeing me, his suspicions +vanished, until he received the startling intelligence +that we had arrived freely in a free State. + +As soon as the train had left the platform, my +master looked round in the carriage, and was +terror-stricken to find a Mr. Cray--an old friend of +my wife's master, who dined with the family the +day before, and knew my wife from childhood-- +sitting on the same seat. + +The doors of the American railway carriages are +at the ends. The passengers walk up the aisle, and +take seats on either side; and as my master was +engaged in looking out of the window, he did not see +who came in. + +My master's first impression, after seeing Mr. +Cray, was, that he was there for the purpose of +securing him. However, my master thought it was +not wise to give any information respecting him- +self, and for fear that Mr. Cray might draw him +into conversation and recognise his voice, my +master resolved to feign deafness as the only means +of self-defence. + +After a little while, Mr. Cray said to my master, +"It is a very fine morning, sir." The latter took +no notice, but kept looking out of the window. +Mr. Cray soon repeated this remark, in a little +louder tone, but my master remained as before. +This indifference attracted the attention of the +passengers near, one of whom laughed out. This, +I suppose, annoyed the old gentleman; so he said, +"I will make him hear;" and in a loud tone of +voice repeated, "It is a very fine morning, sir." + +My master turned his head, and with a polite +bow said, "Yes," and commenced looking out of +the window again. + +One of the gentlemen remarked that it was a +very great deprivation to be deaf. "Yes," replied +Mr. Cray, "and I shall not trouble that fellow any +more." This enabled my master to breathe a little +easier, and to feel that Mr. Cray was not his pur- +suer after all. + +The gentlemen then turned the conversation +upon the three great topics of discussion in first- +class circles in Georgia, namely, Niggers, Cotton, +and the Abolitionists. + +My master had often heard of abolitionists, but +in such a connection as to cause him to think that +they were a fearful kind of wild animal. But he +was highly delighted to learn, from the gentle- +men's conversation, that the abolitionists were +persons who were opposed to oppression; and +therefore, in his opinion, not the lowest, but the +very highest, of God's creatures. + +Without the slightest objection on my master's +part, the gentlemen left the carriage at Gordon, +for Milledgeville (the capital of the State). + +We arrived at Savannah early in the evening, +and got into an omnibus, which stopped at the +hotel for the passengers to take tea. I stepped +into the house and brought my master something +on a tray to the omnibus, which took us in due +time to the steamer, which was bound for Charles- +ton, South Carolina. + +Soon after going on board, my master turned in; +and as the captain and some of the passengers +seemed to think this strange, and also questioned +me respecting him, my master thought I had better +get out the flannels and opodeldoc which we had +prepared for the rheumatism, warm them quickly by +the stove in the gentleman's saloon, and bring them +to his berth. We did this as an excuse for my +master's retiring to bed so early. + +While at the stove one of the passengers said to +me, "Buck, what have you got there?" "Opodel- +doc, sir," I replied. "I should think it's opo- +DEVIL," said a lanky swell, who was leaning back +in a chair with his heels upon the back of another, +and chewing tobacco as if for a wager; "it stinks +enough to kill or cure twenty men. Away with it, +or I reckon I will throw it overboard!" + +It was by this time warm enough, so I took it to +my master's berth, remained there a little while, +and then went on deck and asked the steward +where I was to sleep. He said there was no place +provided for coloured passengers, whether slave +or free. So I paced the deck till a late hour, +then mounted some cotton bags, in a warm place +near the funnel, sat there till morning, and then +went and assisted my master to get ready for +breakfast. + +He was seated at the right hand of the captain, +who, together with all the passengers, inquired very +kindly after his health. As my master had one +hand in a sling, it was my duty to carve his food. +But when I went out the captain said, "You have +a very attentive boy, sir; but you had better watch +him like a hawk when you get on to the North. +He seems all very well here, but he may act quite +differently there. I know several gentlemen who +have lost their valuable niggers among them d----d +cut-throat abolitionists." + +Before my master could speak, a rough slave- +dealer, who was sitting opposite, with both elbows +on the table, and with a large piece of broiled fowl +in his fingers, shook his head with emphasis, and in +a deep Yankee tone, forced through his crowded +mouth the words, "Sound doctrine, captain, very +sound." He then dropped the chicken into the plate, +leant back, placed his thumbs in the armholes of +his fancy waistcoat, and continued, "I would not +take a nigger to the North under no consideration. +I have had a deal to do with niggers in my time, +but I never saw one who ever had his heel upon +free soil that was worth a d----n." "Now +stranger," addressing my master, "if you have +made up your mind to sell that ere nigger, I +am your man; just mention your price, and if it +isn't out of the way, I will pay for him on this +board with hard silver dollars." This hard-featured, +bristly-bearded, wire-headed, red-eyed monster, +staring at my master as the serpent did at Eve, +said, "What do you say, stranger?" He replied, +"I don't wish to sell, sir; I cannot get on well with- +out him." + +"You will have to get on without him if you +take him to the North," continued this man; "for +I can tell ye, stranger, as a friend, I am an older +cove than you, I have seen lots of this ere world, +and I reckon I have had more dealings with niggers +than any man living or dead. I was once employed +by General Wade Hampton, for ten years, in doing +nothing but breaking 'em in; and everybody knows +that the General would not have a man that didn't +understand his business. So I tell ye, stranger, +again, you had better sell, and let me take him +down to Orleans. He will do you no good if you +take him across Mason's and Dixon's line; he is +a keen nigger, and I can see from the cut of his +eye that he is certain to run away." My master +said, "I think not, sir; I have great confidence in +his fidelity." "FiDEVIL," indignantly said the dealer, +as his fist came down upon the edge of the saucer +and upset a cup of hot coffee in a gentleman's lap. +(As the scalded man jumped up the trader quietly +said, "Don't disturb yourself, neighbour; accidents +will happen in the best of families.") "It always +makes me mad to hear a man talking about fidelity +in niggers. There isn't a d----d one on 'em who +wouldn't cut sticks, if he had half a chance." + +By this time we were near Charleston; my master +thanked the captain for his advice, and they all +withdrew and went on deck, where the trader +fancied he became quite eloquent. He drew a crowd +around him, and with emphasis said, "Cap'en, if I +was the President of this mighty United States of +America, the greatest and freest country under +the whole universe, I would never let no man, I +don't care who he is, take a nigger into the North +and bring him back here, filled to the brim, as he is +sure to be, with d----d abolition vices, to taint all +quiet niggers with the hellish spirit of running +away. These air, cap'en, my flat-footed, every day, +right up and down sentiments, and as this is a free +country, cap'en, I don't care who hears 'em; for I +am a Southern man, every inch on me to the back- +bone." "Good!" said an insignificant-looking +individual of the slave-dealer stamp. "Three cheers +for John C. Calhoun and the whole fair sunny +South!" added the trader. So off went their hats, +and out burst a terrific roar of irregular but con- +tinued cheering. My master took no more notice +of the dealer. He merely said to the captain that +the air on deck was too keen for him, and he would +therefore return to the cabin. + +While the trader was in the zenith of his elo- +quence, he might as well have said, as one of his +kit did, at a great Filibustering meeting, that +"When the great American Eagle gets one of his +mighty claws upon Canada and the other into +South America, and his glorious and starry wings +of liberty extending from the Atlantic to the +Pacific, oh! then, where will England be, ye gen- +tlemen? I tell ye, she will only serve as a pocket- +handkerchief for Jonathan to wipe his nose with." + +On my master entering the cabin he found at the +breakfast-table a young southern military officer, +with whom he had travelled some distance the pre- +vious day. + +After passing the usual compliments the conver- +sation turned upon the old subject,--niggers. + +The officer, who was also travelling with a man- +servant, said to my master, "You will excuse me, Sir, +for saying I think you are very likely to spoil your +boy by saying 'thank you' to him. I assure you, +sir, nothing spoils a slave so soon as saying, 'thank +you' and 'if you please' to him. The only way to +make a nigger toe the mark, and to keep him in his +place, is to storm at him like thunder, and keep +him trembling like a leaf. Don't you see, when I +speak to my Ned, he darts like lightning; and if +he didn't I'd skin him." + +Just then the poor dejected slave came in, +and the officer swore at him fearfully, merely to +teach my master what he called the proper way to +treat me. + +After he had gone out to get his master's lug- +gage ready, the officer said, "That is the way to +speak to them. If every nigger was drilled in this +manner, they would be as humble as dogs, and +never dare to run away. + +The gentleman urged my master not to go to +the North for the restoration of his health, but to +visit the Warm Springs in Arkansas. + +My master said, he thought the air of Phila- +delphia would suit his complaint best; and, not +only so, he thought he could get better advice +there. + +The boat had now reached the wharf. The +officer wished my master a safe and pleasant jour- +ney, and left the saloon. + +There were a large number of persons on the +quay waiting the arrival of the steamer: but we +were afraid to venture out for fear that some +one might recognize me; or that they had heard +that we were gone, and had telegraphed to have us +stopped. However, after remaining in the cabin +till all the other passengers were gone, we had our +luggage placed on a fly, and I took my master by +the arm, and with a little difficulty he hobbled on +shore, got in and drove off to the best hotel, which +John C. Calhoun, and all the other great southern +fire-eating statesmen, made their head-quarters while +in Charleston. + +On arriving at the house the landlord ran out +and opened the door: but judging, from the poul- +tices and green glasses, that my master was an +invalid, he took him very tenderly by one arm and +ordered his man to take the other. + +My master then eased himself out, and with +their assistance found no trouble in getting up the +steps into the hotel. The proprietor made me +stand on one side, while he paid my master the +attention and homage he thought a gentleman of +his high position merited. + +My master asked for a bed-room. The servant +was ordered to show a good one, into which we +helped him. The servant returned. My master +then handed me the bandages, I took them down- +stairs in great haste, and told the landlord my +master wanted two hot poultices as quickly as +possible. He rang the bell, the servant came in, to +whom he said, "Run to the kitchen and tell the +cook to make two hot poultices right off, for there +is a gentleman upstairs very badly off indeed!" + +In a few minutes the smoking poultices were +brought in. I placed them in white handker- +chiefs, and hurried upstairs, went into my master's +apartment, shut the door, and laid them on the +mantel-piece. As he was alone for a little while, +he thought he could rest a great deal better with +the poultices off. However, it was necessary to have +them to complete the remainder of the journey. +I then ordered dinner, and took my master's +boots out to polish them. While doing so I en- +tered into conversation with one of the slaves. I +may state here, that on the sea-coast of South +Carolina and Georgia the slaves speak worse Eng- +lish than in any other part of the country. This +is owing to the frequent importation, or smug- +gling in, of Africans, who mingle with the natives. +Consequently the language cannot properly be +called English or African, but a corruption of +the two. + +The shrewd son of African parents to whom I +referred said to me, "Say, brudder, way you come +from, and which side you goin day wid dat ar little +don up buckra" (white man)? + +I replied, "To Philadelphia." + +"What!" he exclaimed, with astonishment, "to +Philumadelphy?" + +"Yes," I said. + +"By squash! I wish I was going wid you! I +hears um say dat dare's no slaves way over in dem +parts; is um so?" + +I quietly said, "I have heard the same thing." + +"Well," continued he, as he threw down the +boot and brush, and, placing his hands in his +pockets, strutted across the floor with an air +of independence--"Gorra Mighty, dem is de parts +for Pompey; and I hope when you get dare you +will stay, and nebber follow dat buckra back +to dis hot quarter no more, let him be eber so +good." + +I thanked him; and just as I took the boots up +and started off, he caught my hand between his +two, and gave it a hearty shake, and, with tears +streaming down his cheeks, said:-- + +"God bless you, broder, and may de Lord be wid +you. When you gets de freedom, and sitin under +your own wine and fig-tree, don't forget to pray +for poor Pompey." + +I was afraid to say much to him, but I shall +never forget his earnest request, nor fail to do +what little I can to release the millions of unhappy +bondmen, of whom he was one. + +At the proper time my master had the poultices +placed on, came down, and seated himself at a table +in a very brilliant dining-room, to have his dinner. +I had to have something at the same time, in order +to be ready for the boat; so they gave me my +dinner in an old broken plate, with a rusty knife +and fork, and said, "Here, boy, you go in the +kitchen." I took it and went out, but did not +stay more than a few minutes, because I was in a +great hurry to get back to see how the invalid was +getting on. On arriving I found two or three +servants waiting on him; but as he did not feel able +to make a very hearty dinner, he soon finished, paid +the bill, and gave the servants each a trifle, which +caused one of them to say to me, "Your massa is +a big bug"--meaning a gentleman of distinction-- +"he is the greatest gentleman dat has been dis way +for dis six months." I said, "Yes, he is some +pumpkins," meaning the same as "big bug." + +When we left Macon, it was our intention to +take a steamer at Charleston through to Phila- +delphia; but on arriving there we found that the +vessels did not run during the winter, and I have +no doubt it was well for us they did not; for on the +very last voyage the steamer made that we intended +to go by, a fugitive was discovered secreted on +board, and sent back to slavery. However, as we +had also heard of the Overland Mail Route, we +were all right. So I ordered a fly to the door, had +the luggage placed on; we got in, and drove down +to the Custom-house Office, which was near the +wharf where we had to obtain tickets, to take a +steamer for Wilmington, North Carolina. When +we reached the building, I helped my master into +the office, which was crowded with passengers. +He asked for a ticket for himself and one for +his slave to Philadelphia. This caused the prin- +cipal officer--a very mean-looking, cheese-coloured +fellow, who was sitting there--to look up at us very +suspiciously, and in a fierce tone of voice he said +to me, "Boy, do you belong to that gentleman?" +I quickly replied, "Yes, sir" (which was quite +correct). The tickets were handed out, and as my +master was paying for them the chief man said to +him, "I wish you to register your name here, sir, +and also the name of your nigger, and pay a dollar +duty on him." + +My master paid the dollar, and pointing to the +hand that was in the poultice, requested the officer +to register his name for him. This seemed to +offend the "high-bred" South Carolinian. He +jumped up, shaking his head; and, cramming his +hands almost through the bottom of his trousers +pockets, with a slave-bullying air, said, "I shan't +do it." + +This attracted the attention of all the passengers. +Just then the young military officer with whom +my master travelled and conversed on the steamer +from Savannah stepped in, somewhat the worse for +brandy; he shook hands with my master, and pre- +tended to know all about him. He said, "I know +his kin (friends) like a book;" and as the officer +was known in Charleston, and was going to stop +there with friends, the recognition was very much +in my master's favor. + +The captain of the steamer, a good-looking, jovial +fellow, seeing that the gentleman appeared to know +my master, and perhaps not wishing to lose us as +passengers, said in an off-hand sailor-like manner, +"I will register the gentleman's name, and take +the responsibility upon myself." He asked my +master's name. He said, "William Johnson." The +names were put down, I think, "Mr. Johnson and +slave." The captain said, "It's all right now, Mr. +Johnson." He thanked him kindly, and the young +officer begged my master to go with him, and have +something to drink and a cigar; but as he had not +acquired these accomplishments, he excused him- +self, and we went on board and came off to Wil- +mington, North Carolina. When the gentleman +finds out his mistake, he will, I have no doubt, be +careful in future not to pretend to have an intimate +acquaintance with an entire stranger. During the +voyage the captain said, "It was rather sharp +shooting this morning, Mr. Johnson. It was not +out of any disrespect to you, sir; but they make it +a rule to be very strict at Charleston. I have +known families to be detained there with their +slaves till reliable information could be received +respecting them. If they were not very careful, +any d----d abolitionist might take off a lot of valuable +niggers." + +My master said, "I suppose so," and thanked +him again for helping him over the difficulty. + +We reached Wilmington the next morning, and +took the train for Richmond, Virginia. I have +stated that the American railway carriages (or cars, +as they are called), are constructed differently to +those in England. At one end of some of them, in +the South, there is a little apartment with a couch +on both sides for the convenience of families and +invalids; and as they thought my master was +very poorly, he was allowed to enter one of these +apartments at Petersburg, Virginia, where an old +gentleman and two handsome young ladies, his +daughters, also got in, and took seats in the same +carriage. But before the train started, the gentle- +man stepped into my car, and questioned me respect- +ing my master. He wished to know what was the +matter with him, where he was from, and where he +was going. I told him where he came from, and +said that he was suffering from a complication of +complaints, and was going to Philadelphia, where +he thought he could get more suitable advice than +in Georgia. + +The gentleman said my master could obtain the +very best advice in Philadelphia. Which turned +out to be quite correct, though he did not receive +it from physicians, but from kind abolitionists who +understood his case much better. The gentleman +also said, "I reckon your master's father hasn't any +more such faithful and smart boys as you." "O, +yes, sir, he has," I replied, "lots on 'em." Which +was literally true. This seemed all he wished to +know. He thanked me, gave me a ten-cent piece, +and requested me to be attentive to my good +master. I promised that I would do so, and have +ever since endeavoured to keep my pledge. During +the gentleman's absence, the ladies and my master +had a little cosy chat. But on his return, he said, +"You seem to be very much afflicted, sir." "Yes, +sir," replied the gentleman in the poultices. +"What seems to be the matter with you, sir; may +I be allowed to ask?" "Inflammatory rheumatism, +sir." "Oh! that is very bad, sir," said the kind +gentleman: "I can sympathise with you; for I know +from bitter experience what the rheumatism is." +If he did, he knew a good deal more than Mr. +Johnson. + +The gentleman thought my master would feel +better if he would lie down and rest himself; and as +he was anxious to avoid conversation, he at once +acted upon this suggestion. The ladies politely +rose, took their extra shawls, and made a nice +pillow for the invalid's head. My master wore a +fashionable cloth cloak, which they took and covered +him comfortably on the couch. After he had been +lying a little while the ladies, I suppose, thought +he was asleep; so one of them gave a long sigh, and +said, in a quiet fascinating tone, "Papa, he seems to +be a very nice young gentleman." But before papa +could speak, the other lady quickly said, "Oh! +dear me, I never felt so much for a gentleman in +my life!" To use an American expression, "they +fell in love with the wrong chap." + +After my master had been lying a little while he +got up, the gentleman assisted him in getting on +his cloak, the ladies took their shawls, and soon +they were all seated. They then insisted upon Mr. +Johnson taking some of their refreshments, which +of course he did, out of courtesy to the ladies. +All went on enjoying themselves until they reached +Richmond, where the ladies and their father left +the train. But, before doing so, the good old +Virginian gentleman, who appeared to be much +pleased with my master, presented him with a +recipe, which he said was a perfect cure for the +inflammatory rheumatism. But the invalid not +being able to read it, and fearing he should hold it +upside down in pretending to do so, thanked the +donor kindly, and placed it in his waistcoat pocket. +My master's new friend also gave him his card, and +requested him the next time he travelled that way +to do him the kindness to call; adding, "I shall be +pleased to see you, and so will my daughters." +Mr. Johnson expressed his gratitude for the prof- +fered hospitality, and said he should feel glad to +call on his return. I have not the slightest doubt +that he will fulfil the promise whenever that return +takes place. After changing trains we went on a +little beyond Fredericksburg, and took a steamer +to Washington. + +At Richmond, a stout elderly lady, whose whole +demeanour indicated that she belonged (as Mrs. +Stowe's Aunt Chloe expresses it) to one of the +"firstest families," stepped into the carriage, and +took a seat near my master. Seeing me passing +quickly along the platform, she sprang up as if +taken by a fit, and exclaimed, "Bless my soul! +there goes my nigger, Ned!" + +My master said, "No; that is my boy." + +The lady paid no attention to this; she poked +her head out of the window, and bawled to me, +"You Ned, come to me, sir, you runaway rascal!" + +On my looking round she drew her head in, and +said to my master, "I beg your pardon, sir, I was +sure it was my nigger; I never in my life saw two +black pigs more alike than your boy and my +Ned." + +After the disappointed lady had resumed her +seat, and the train had moved off, she closed her +eyes, slightly raising her hands, and in a sanctified +tone said to my master, "Oh! I hope, sir, your +boy will not turn out to be so worthless as my Ned +has. Oh! I was as kind to him as if he had been +my own son. Oh! sir, it grieves me very much to +think that after all I did for him he should go off +without having any cause whatever." + +"When did he leave you?" asked Mr. Johnson. + +"About eighteen months ago, and I have never +seen hair or hide of him since." + +"Did he have a wife?" enquired a very respect- +able-looking young gentleman, who was sitting near +my master and opposite to the lady. + +"No, sir; not when he left, though he did have +one a little before that. She was very unlike him; +she was as good and as faithful a nigger as any one +need wish to have. But, poor thing! she became +so ill, that she was unable to do much work; so I +thought it would be best to sell her, to go to New +Orleans, where the climate is nice and warm." + +"I suppose she was very glad to go South for the +restoration of her health?" said the gentleman. + +"No; she was not," replied the lady, "for +niggers never know what is best for them. She +took on a great deal about leaving Ned and the +little nigger; but, as she was so weakly, I let her +go." + +"Was she good-looking?" asked the young pas- +senger, who was evidently not of the same opinion +as the talkative lady, and therefore wished her to +tell all she knew. + +"Yes; she was very handsome, and much whiter +than I am; and therefore will have no trouble in +getting another husband. I am sure I wish her +well. I asked the speculator who bought her to +sell her to a good master. Poor thing! she has my +prayers, and I know she prays for me. She was a +good Christian, and always used to pray for my +soul. It was through her earliest prayers," con- +tinued the lady, "that I was first led to seek for- +giveness of my sins, before I was converted at the +great camp-meeting." + +This caused the lady to snuffle and to draw from +her pocket a richly embroidered handkerchief, and +apply it to the corner of her eyes. But my master +could not see that it was at all soiled. + +The silence which prevailed for a few moments +was broken by the gentleman's saying, "As your +'July' was such a very good girl, and had served +you so faithfully before she lost her health, don't +you think it would have been better to have eman- +cipated her?" + +"No, indeed I do not!" scornfully exclaimed +the lady, as she impatiently crammed the fine +handkerchief into a little work-bag. "I have no +patience with people who set niggers at liberty. It +is the very worst thing you can do for them. My +dear husband just before he died willed all his +niggers free. But I and all our friends knew very +well that he was too good a man to have ever +thought of doing such an unkind and foolish thing, +had he been in his right mind, and, therefore we +had the will altered as it should have been in the +first place." + +"Did you mean, madam," asked my master, +"that willing the slaves free was unjust to yourself, +or unkind to them?" + +"I mean that it was decidedly unkind to the +servants themselves. It always seems to me such +a cruel thing to turn niggers loose to shift for +themselves, when there are so many good masters +to take care of them. As for myself," continued +the considerate lady, "I thank the Lord my dear +husband left me and my son well provided for. +Therefore I care nothing for the niggers, on my +own account, for they are a great deal more trouble +than they are worth, I sometimes wish that there +was not one of them in the world; for the un- +grateful wretches are always running away. I have +lost no less than ten since my poor husband died. +It's ruinous, sir!" + +"But as you are well provided for, I suppose you +do not feel the loss very much," said the pas- +senger. + +"I don't feel it at all," haughtily continued the +good soul; "but that is no reason why property +should be squandered. If my son and myself had +the money for those valuable niggers, just see what a +great deal of good we could do for the poor, and in +sending missionaries abroad to the poor heathen, +who have never heard the name of our blessed Re- +deemer. My dear son who is a good Christian minis- +ter has advised me not to worry and send my soul +to hell for the sake of niggers; but to sell every +blessed one of them for what they will fetch, and go +and live in peace with him in New York. This I +have concluded to do. I have just been to Rich- +mond and made arrangements with my agent to +make clean work of the forty that are left." + +"Your son being a good Christian minister," +said the gentleman, "It's strange he did not advise +you to let the poor negroes have their liberty and +go North." + +"It's not at all strange, sir; it's not at all +strange. My son knows what's best for the nig- +gers; he has always told me that they were much +better off than the free niggers in the North. In +fact, I don't believe there are any white labouring +people in the world who are as well off as the +slaves." + +"You are quite mistaken, madam," said the +young man. "For instance, my own widowed +mother, before she died, emancipated all her slaves, +and sent them to Ohio, where they are getting +along well. I saw several of them last summer +myself." + +"Well," replied the lady, "freedom may do for +your ma's niggers, but it will never do for mine; +and, plague them, they shall never have it; that is +the word, with the bark on it." + +"If freedom will not do for your slaves," replied +the passenger, "I have no doubt your Ned and +the other nine negroes will find out their mistake, +and return to their old home. + +"Blast them!" exclaimed the old lady, with +great emphasis, "if I ever get them, I will cook +their infernal hash, and tan their accursed black +hides well for them! God forgive me," added the +old soul, "the niggers will make me lose all my +religion!" + +By this time the lady had reached her destination. +The gentleman got out at the next station beyond. +As soon as she was gone, the young Southerner +said to my master, "What a d----d shame it is for +that old whining hypocritical humbug to cheat +the poor negroes out of their liberty! If she has +religion, may the devil prevent me from ever being +converted!" + +For the purpose of somewhat disguising myself, +I bought and wore a very good second-hand white +beaver, an article which I had never indulged in +before. So just before we arrived at Washington, +an uncouth planter, who had been watching me +very closely, said to my master, "I reckon, stranger, +you are 'SPILING' that ere nigger of yourn, by letting +him wear such a devilish fine hat. Just look at the +quality on it; the President couldn't wear a better. +I should just like to go and kick it overboard." +His friend touched him, and said, "Don't speak so +to a gentleman." "Why not?" exclaimed the fellow. +He grated his short teeth, which appeared to be +nearly worn away by the incessant chewing of +tobacco, and said, "It always makes me itch all +over, from head to toe, to get hold of every d----d +nigger I see dressed like a white man. Washington +is run away with SPILED and free niggers. If I had +my way I would sell every d----d rascal of 'em way +down South, where the devil would be whipped out +on 'em." + +This man's fierce manner made my master feel +rather nervous, and therefore he thought the less +he said the better; so he walked off without +making any reply. In a few minutes we were +landed at Washington, where we took a conveyance +and hurried off to the train for Baltimore. + +We left our cottage on Wednesday morning, the +21st of December, 1848, and arrived at Baltimore, +Saturday evening, the 24th (Christmas Eve). +Baltimore was the last slave port of any note at +which we stopped. + +On arriving there we felt more anxious than +ever, because we knew not what that last dark +night would bring forth. It is true we were near +the goal, but our poor hearts were still as if tossed +at sea; and, as there was another great and dangerous +bar to pass, we were afraid our liberties would be +wrecked, and, like the ill-fated Royal Charter, go +down for ever just off the place we longed to reach. + +They are particularly watchful at Baltimore to +prevent slaves from escaping into Pennsylvania, +which is a free State. After I had seen my master +into one of the best carriages, and was just about +to step into mine, an officer, a full-blooded Yankee +of the lower order, saw me. He came quickly up, +and, tapping me on the shoulder, said in his un- +mistakable native twang, together with no little dis- +play of his authority, "Where are you going, boy?" +"To Philadelphia, sir," I humbly replied. "Well, +what are you going there for?" "I am travelling +with my master, who is in the next carriage, sir." +"Well, I calculate you had better get him out; and +be mighty quick about it, because the train will +soon be starting. It is against my rules to let any +man take a slave past here, unless he can satisfy +them in the office that he has a right to take him +along." + +The officer then passed on and left me standing +upon the platform, with my anxious heart apparently +palpitating in the throat. At first I scarcely knew +which way to turn. But it soon occurred to me +that the good God, who had been with us thus far, +would not forsake us at the eleventh hour. So +with renewed hope I stepped into my master's +carriage, to inform him of the difficulty. I found +him sitting at the farther end, quite alone. As soon +as he looked up and saw me, he smiled. I also tried +to wear a cheerful countenance, in order to break +the shock of the sad news. I knew what made him +smile. He was aware that if we were fortunate we +should reach our destination at five o'clock the next +morning, and this made it the more painful to com- +municate what the officer had said; but, as there +was no time to lose, I went up to him and asked +him how he felt. He said "Much better," and that +he thanked God we were getting on so nicely. +I then said we were not getting on quite so well +as we had anticipated. He anxiously and quickly +asked what was the matter. I told him. He +started as if struck by lightning, and exclaimed, +"Good Heavens! William, is it possible that we +are, after all, doomed to hopeless bondage?" I +could say nothing, my heart was too full to speak, +for at first I did not know what to do. However +we knew it would never do to turn back to the +"City of Destruction," like Bunyan's Mistrust and +Timorous, because they saw lions in the narrow +way after ascending the hill Difficulty; but press +on, like noble Christian and Hopeful, to the great +city in which dwelt a few "shining ones." So, after +a few moments, I did all I could to encourage my +companion, and we stepped out and made for the +office; but how or where my master obtained +sufficient courage to face the tyrants who had +power to blast all we held dear, heaven only +knows! Queen Elizabeth could not have been +more terror-stricken, on being forced to land at +the traitors' gate leading to the Tower, than we +were on entering that office. We felt that our +very existence was at stake, and that we must +either sink or swim. But, as God was our present +and mighty helper in this as well as in all former +trials, we were able to keep our heads up and press +forwards. + +On entering the room we found the principal +man, to whom my master said, "Do you wish to +see me, sir?" "Yes," said this eagle-eyed officer; +and he added, "It is against our rules, sir, to allow +any person to take a slave out of Baltimore into +Philadelphia, unless he can satisfy us that he has a +right to take him along." "Why is that?" asked +my master, with more firmness than could be +expected. "Because, sir," continued he, in a voice +and manner that almost chilled our blood, "if we +should suffer any gentleman to take a slave past +here into Philadelphia; and should the gentleman +with whom the slave might be travelling turn out +not to be his rightful owner; and should the proper +master come and prove that his slave escaped on +our road, we shall have him to pay for; and, +therefore, we cannot let any slave pass here without +receiving security to show, and to satisfy us, that it +is all right." + +This conversation attracted the attention of the +large number of bustling passengers. After the +officer had finished, a few of them said, "Chit, chit, +chit;" not because they thought we were slaves +endeavouring to escape, but merely because they +thought my master was a slaveholder and invalid +gentleman, and therefore it was wrong to detain +him. The officer, observing that the passengers +sympathised with my master, asked him if he was +not acquainted with some gentleman in Baltimore +that he could get to endorse for him, to show that +I was his property, and that he had a right to take +me off. He said, "No;" and added, "I bought +tickets in Charleston to pass us through to Phila- +delphia, and therefore you have no right to detain +us here." "Well, sir," said the man, indignantly, +"right or no right, we shan't let you go." These +sharp words fell upon our anxious hearts like the +crack of doom, and made us feel that hope only +smiles to deceive. + +For a few moments perfect silence prevailed. My +master looked at me, and I at him, but neither of +us dared to speak a word, for fear of making some +blunder that would tend to our detection. We +knew that the officers had power to throw us into +prison, and if they had done so we must have been +detected and driven back, like the vilest felons, to +a life of slavery, which we dreaded far more than +sudden death. + +We felt as though we had come into deep waters +and were about being overwhelmed, and that the +slightest mistake would clip asunder the last brittle +thread of hope by which we were suspended, and +let us down for ever into the dark and horrible +pit of misery and degradation from which we were +straining every nerve to escape. While our hearts +were crying lustily unto Him who is ever ready and +able to save, the conductor of the train that we had +just left stepped in. The officer asked if we came +by the train with him from Washington; he said +we did, and left the room. Just then the bell rang +for the train to leave; and had it been the sudden +shock of an earthquake it could not have given +us a greater thrill. The sound of the bell caused +every eye to flash with apparent interest, and to +be more steadily fixed upon us than before. But, +as God would have it, the officer all at once thrust +his fingers through his hair, and in a state of great +agitation said, "I really don't know what to do; I +calculate it is all right." He then told the clerk +to run and tell the conductor to "let this gentleman +and slave pass;" adding, "As he is not well, it is +a pity to stop him here. We will let him go." +My master thanked him, and stepped out and +hobbled across the platform as quickly as pos- +sible. I tumbled him unceremoniously into one of +the best carriages, and leaped into mine just as +the train was gliding off towards our happy desti- +nation. + +We thought of this plan about four days before +we left Macon; and as we had our daily employ- +ment to attend to, we only saw each other at night. +So we sat up the four long nights talking over the +plan and making preparations. + +We had also been four days on the journey; +and as we travelled night and day, we got but +very limited opportunities for sleeping. I believe +nothing in the world could have kept us awake so +long but the intense excitement, produced by the +fear of being retaken on the one hand, and the +bright anticipation of liberty on the other. + +We left Baltimore about eight o'clock in the +evening; and not being aware of a stopping- +place of any consequence between there and Phila- +delphia, and also knowing that if we were fortu- +nate we should be in the latter place early the +next morning, I thought I might indulge in a +few minutes' sleep in the car; but I, like Bunyan's +Christian in the arbour, went to sleep at the wrong +time, and took too long a nap. So, when the train +reached Havre de Grace, all the first-class pas- +sengers had to get out of the carriages and into +a ferry-boat, to be ferried across the Susquehanna +river, and take the train on the opposite side. + +The road was constructed so as to be raised or +lowered to suit the tide. So they rolled the luggage- +vans on to the boat, and off on the other side; and +as I was in one of the apartments adjoining a bag- +gage-car, they considered it unnecessary to awaken +me, and tumbled me over with the luggage. But +when my master was asked to leave his seat, he found +it very dark, and cold, and raining. He missed me +for the first time on the journey. On all previous +occasions, as soon as the train stopped, I was at +hand to assist him. This caused many slaveholders +to praise me very much: they said they had never +before seen a slave so attentive to his master: and +therefore my absence filled him with terror and +confusion; the children of Israel could not have +felt more troubled on arriving at the Red Sea. +So he asked the conductor if he had seen anything +of his slave. The man being somewhat of an abo- +litionist, and believing that my master was really +a slaveholder, thought he would tease him a little +respecting me. So he said, "No, sir; I haven't +seen anything of him for some time: I have no +doubt he has run away, and is in Philadelphia, free, +long before now." My master knew that there +was nothing in this; so he asked the conductor if +he would please to see if he could find me. The +man indignantly replied, "I am no slave-hunter; +and as far as I am concerned everybody must look +after their own niggers." He went off and left +the confused invalid to fancy whatever he felt in- +clined. My master at first thought I must have +been kidnapped into slavery by some one, or left, +or perhaps killed on the train. He also thought +of stopping to see if he could hear anything of me, +but he soon remembered that he had no money. +That night all the money we had was consigned to +my own pocket, because we thought, in case there +were any pickpockets about, a slave's pocket would +be the last one they would look for. However, +hoping to meet me some day in a land of liberty, +and as he had the tickets, he thought it best +upon the whole to enter the boat and come off to +Philadelphia, and endeavour to make his way alone +in this cold and hollow world as best he could. +The time was now up, so he went on board and +came across with feelings that can be better +imagined than described. + +After the train had got fairly on the way to +Philadelphia, the guard came into my car and gave +me a violent shake, and bawled out at the same time, +"Boy, wake up!" I started, almost frightened out +of my wits. He said, "Your master is scared half +to death about you." That frightened me still +more--I thought they had found him out; so I +anxiously inquired what was the matter. The +guard said, "He thinks you have run away from +him." This made me feel quite at ease. I said, +"No, sir; I am satisfied my good master doesn't +think that." So off I started to see him. He had +been fearfully nervous, but on seeing me he at once +felt much better. He merely wished to know what +had become of me. + +On returning to my seat, I found the conductor +and two or three other persons amusing themselves +very much respecting my running away. So the +guard said, "Boy, what did your master want?"* +I replied, "He merely wished to know what had +become of me." "No," said the man, "that was +not it; he thought you had taken French leave, +for parts unknown. I never saw a fellow so badly +scared about losing his slave in my life. Now," +continued the guard, "let me give you a little +friendly advice. When you get to Philadelphia, +run away and leave that cripple, and have your +liberty." "No, sir," I indifferently replied, "I +can't promise to do that." "Why not?" said the + + +* I may state here that every man slave is called boy till he +is very old, then the more respectable slaveholders call him +uncle. The women are all girls till they are aged, then they +are called aunts. This is the reason why Mrs. Stowe calls her +characters Uncle Tom, Aunt Chloe, Uncle Tiff, &c. +conductor, evidently much surprised; "don't you +want your liberty?" "Yes, sir," I replied; "but +I shall never run away from such a good master as +I have at present." + +One of the men said to the guard, "Let him +alone; I guess he will open his eyes when he gets +to Philadelphia, and see things in another light." +After giving me a good deal of information, which +I afterwards found to be very useful, they left me +alone. + +I also met with a coloured gentleman on this +train, who recommended me to a boarding-house +that was kept by an abolitionist, where he thought +I would be quite safe, if I wished to run away +from my master. I thanked him kindly, but of +course did not let him know who we were. Late +at night, or rather early in the morning, I heard +a fearful whistling of the steam-engine; so I +opened the window and looked out, and saw a +large number of flickering lights in the distance, +and heard a passenger in the next carriage-- +who also had his head out of the window--say to +his companion, "Wake up, old horse, we are at +Philadelphia!" + +The sight of those lights and that announce- +ment made me feel almost as happy as Bunyan's +Christian must have felt when he first caught sight +of the cross. I, like him, felt that the straps that +bound the heavy burden to my back began to +pop, and the load to roll off. I also looked, and +looked again, for it appeared very wonderful to me +how the mere sight of our first city of refuge should +have all at once made my hitherto sad and heavy +heart become so light and happy. As the train +speeded on, I rejoiced and thanked God with all +my heart and soul for his great kindness and tender +mercy, in watching over us, and bringing us safely +through. + +As soon as the train had reached the platform, +before it had fairly stopped, I hurried out of my +carriage to my master, whom I got at once into a +cab, placed the luggage on, jumped in myself, and +we drove off to the boarding-house which was so +kindly recommended to me. On leaving the station, +my master--or rather my wife, as I may now say-- +who had from the commencement of the journey +borne up in a manner that much surprised us both, +grasped me by the hand, and said, "Thank God, +William, we are safe!" and then burst into tears, leant +upon me, and wept like a child. The reaction +was fearful. So when we reached the house, she +was in reality so weak and faint that she could +scarcely stand alone. However, I got her into the +apartments that were pointed out, and there we +knelt down, on this Sabbath, and Christmas-day,--a +day that will ever be memorable to us,--and poured +out our heartfelt gratitude to God, for his good- +ness in enabling us to overcome so many perilous +difficulties, in escaping out of the jaws of the +wicked. + + + + + +PART II. + +-------------- + + +AFTER my wife had a little recovered herself, +she threw off the disguise and assumed her own +apparel. We then stepped into the sitting-room, and +asked to see the landlord. The man came in, but +he seemed thunderstruck on finding a fugitive +slave and his wife, instead of a "young cotton planter +and his nigger." As his eyes travelled round the +room, he said to me, "Where is your master?" I +pointed him out. The man gravely replied, "I am +not joking, I really wish to see your master." I +pointed him out again, but at first he could not +believe his eyes; he said "he knew that was not +the gentleman that came with me." + +But, after some conversation, we satisfied him +that we were fugitive slaves, and had just escaped +in the manner I have described. We asked him if +he thought it would be safe for us to stop in Phila- +delphia. He said he thought not, but he would +call in some persons who knew more about the +laws than himself. He then went out, and kindly +brought in several of the leading abolitionists of +the city, who gave us a most hearty and friendly +welcome amongst them. As it was in December, +and also as we had just left a very warm climate, +they advised us not to go to Canada as we had +intended, but to settle at Boston in the United +States. It is true that the constitution of the Re- +public has always guaranteed the slaveholders the +right to come into any of the so-called free States, +and take their fugitives back to southern Egypt. +But through the untiring, uncompromising, and +manly efforts of Mr. Garrison, Wendell Phillips, +Theodore Parker, and a host of other noble aboli- +tionists of Boston and the neighbourhood, public +opinion in Massachusetts had become so much +opposed to slavery and to kidnapping, that it was +almost impossible for any one to take a fugitive +slave out of that State. + +So we took the advice of our good Philadelphia +friends, and settled at Boston. I shall have some- +thing to say about our sojourn there presently. + +Among other friends we met with at Philadel- +phia, was Robert Purves, Esq., a well educated and +wealthy coloured gentleman, who introduced us to +Mr. Barkley Ivens, a member of the Society of +Friends, and a noble and generous-hearted farmer, +who lived at some distance in the country. + +This good Samaritan at once invited us to go and +stop quietly with his family, till my wife could +somewhat recover from the fearful reaction of the +past journey. We most gratefully accepted the +invitation, and at the time appointed we took a +steamer to a place up the Delaware river, where our +new and dear friend met us with his snug little +cart, and took us to his happy home. This was the +first act of great and disinterested kindness we +had ever received from a white person. + +The gentleman was not of the fairest complexion, +and therefore, as my wife was not in the room +when I received the information respecting him +and his anti-slavery character, she thought of +course he was a quadroon like herself. But on +arriving at the house, and finding out her mistake, +she became more nervous and timid than ever. + +As the cart came into the yard, the dear good +old lady, and her three charming and affectionate +daughters, all came to the door to meet us. We got +out, and the gentleman said, "Go in, and make +yourselves at home; I will see after the baggage." +But my wife was afraid to approach them. She +stopped in the yard, and said to me, "William, I +thought we were coming among coloured people?" I +replied, "It is all right; these are the same." "No," +she said, "it is not all right, and I am not going to +stop here; I have no confidence whatever in white +people, they are only trying to get us back to +slavery." She turned round and said, "I am +going right off." The old lady then came out, with +her sweet, soft, and winning smile, shook her heartily +by the hand, and kindly said, "How art thou, my +dear? We are all very glad to see thee and thy +husband. Come in, to the fire; I dare say thou art +cold and hungry after thy journey." + +We went in, and the young ladies asked if she +would like to go upstairs and "fix" herself before +tea. My wife said, "No, I thank you; I shall only +stop a little while." "But where art thou going +this cold night?" said Mr. Ivens, who had just +stepped in. "I don't know," was the reply. "Well, +then," he continued, "I think thou hadst better +take off thy things and sit near the fire; tea will +soon be ready. "Yes, come, Ellen," said Mrs. Ivens, +"let me assist thee;" (as she commenced undoing +my wife's bonnet-strings;) "don't be frightened, +Ellen, I shall not hurt a single hair of thy head. +We have heard with much pleasure of the marvel- +lous escape of thee and thy husband, and deeply +sympathise with thee in all that thou hast under- +gone. I don't wonder at thee, poor thing, being +timid; but thou needs not fear us; we would as +soon send one of our own daughters into slavery as +thee; so thou mayest make thyself quite at ease!" +These soft and soothing words fell like balm upon +my wife's unstrung nerves, and melted her to +tears; her fears and prejudices vanished, and from +that day she has firmly believed that there are good +and bad persons of every shade of complexion. + +After seeing Sally Ann and Jacob, two coloured +domestics, my wife felt quite at home. After par- +taking of what Mrs. Stowe's Mose and Pete called +a "busting supper," the ladies wished to know +whether we could read. On learning we could not, +they said if we liked they would teach us. To +this kind offer, of course, there was no objection. +But we looked rather knowingly at each other, as +much as to say that they would have rather a hard +task to cram anything into our thick and matured +skulls. + +However, all hands set to and quickly cleared +away the tea-things, and the ladies and their good +brother brought out the spelling and copy books +and slates, &c., and commenced with their new and +green pupils. We had, by stratagem, learned the +alphabet while in slavery, but not the writing cha- +racters; and, as we had been such a time learning +so little, we at first felt that it was a waste of +time for any one at our ages to undertake to learn +to read and write. But, as the ladies were so anx- +ious that we should learn, and so willing to teach +us, we concluded to give our whole minds to the +work, and see what could be done. By so doing, +at the end of the three weeks we remained with the +good family we could spell and write our names +quite legibly. They all begged us to stop longer; +but, as we were not safe in the State of Pennsylvania, +and also as we wished to commence doing some- +thing for a livelihood, we did not remain. + +When the time arrived for us to leave for Boston, +it was like parting with our relatives. We have +since met with many very kind and hospitable +friends, both in America and England; but we have +never been under a roof where we were made to +feel more at home, or where the inmates took a +deeper interest in our well-being, than Mr. Barkley +Ivens and his dear family. May God ever bless +them, and preserve each one from every reverse +of fortune! + +We finally, as I have stated, settled at Boston, +where we remained nearly two years, I employed as +cabinet-maker and furniture broker, and my wife at +her needle; and, as our little earnings in slavery +were not all spent on the journey, we were getting +on very well, and would have made money, if we had +not been compelled by the General Government, at +the bidding of the slaveholders, to break up busi- +ness, and fly from under the Stars and Stripes to +save our liberties and our lives. + +In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave +Bill, an enactment too infamous to have been +thought of or tolerated by any people in the world, +except the unprincipled and tyrannical Yankees. +The following are a few of the leading features of +the above law; which requires, under heavy penal- +ties, that the inhabitants of the FREE States should +not only refuse food and shelter to a starving, +hunted human being, but also should assist, if +called upon by the authorities, to seize the unhappy +fugitive and send him back to slavery. + +In no case is a person's evidence admitted in +Court, in defence of his liberty, when arrested +under this law. + +If the judge decides that the prisoner is a slave, +he gets ten dollars; but if he sets him at liberty, he +only receives five. + +After the prisoner has been sentenced to slavery, +he is handed over to the United States Marshal, +who has the power, at the expense of the General +Government, to summon a sufficient force to take +the poor creature back to slavery, and to the lash, +from which he fled. + +Our old masters sent agents to Boston after us. +They took out warrants, and placed them in the +hands of the United States Marshal to execute. +But the following letter from our highly esteemed +and faithful friend, the Rev. Samuel May, of Bos- +ton, to our equally dear and much lamented friend, +Dr. Estlin of Bristol, will show why we were not +taken into custody. + + + +"21, Cornhill, Boston, +"November 6th, 1850. + +"My dear Mr Estlin, + +"I trust that in God's good providence this letter +will be handed to you in safety by our good friends, +William and Ellen Craft. They have lived amongst +us about two years, and have proved themselves worthy, +in all respects, of our confidence and regard. +The laws of this republican and Christian land +(tell it not in Moscow, nor in Constantinople) +regard them only as slaves--chattels-- +personal property. But they nobly vindicated their +title and right to freedom, two years since, by win- +ning their way to it; at least, so they thought. +But now, the slave power, with the aid of Daniel +Webster and a band of lesser traitors, has enacted +a law, which puts their dearly-bought liberties in +the most imminent peril; holds out a strong temp- +tation to every mercenary and unprincipled ruffian +to become their kidnapper; and has stimulated the +slaveholders generally to such desperate acts for +the recovery of their fugitive property, as have +never before been enacted in the history of this +government. + +"Within a fortnight, two fellows from Macon, +Georgia, have been in Boston for the purpose of +arresting our friends William and Ellen. A writ +was served against them from the United States +District Court; but it was not served by the United +States Marshal; why not, is not certainly known: +perhaps through fear, for a general feeling of indig- +nation, and a cool determination not to allow this +young couple to be taken from Boston into slavery, +was aroused, and pervaded the city. It is under- +stood that one of the judges told the Marshal that +he would not be authorised in breaking the door of +Craft's house. Craft kept himself close within the +house, armed himself, and awaited with remarkable +composure the event. Ellen, in the meantime, had +been taken to a retired place out of the city. The +Vigilance Committee (appointed at a late meeting +in Fanueil Hall) enlarged their numbers, held an +almost permanent session, and appointed various sub- +committees to act in different ways. One of these +committees called repeatedly on Messrs. Hughes +and Knight, the slave-catchers, and requested and +advised them to leave the city. At first they +peremptorily refused to do so, ''till they got hold of +the niggers.' On complaint of different persons, +these two fellows were several times arrested, car- +ried before one of our county courts, and held to +bail on charges of 'conspiracy to kidnap,' and of +'defamation,' in calling William and Ellen 'SLAVES.' +At length, they became so alarmed, that they +left the city by an indirect route, evading the +vigilance of many persons who were on the look-out +for them. Hughes, at one time, was near losing +his life at the hands of an infuriated coloured man. +While these men remained in the city, a prominent +whig gentleman sent word to William Craft, that +if he would submit peaceably to an arrest, he and +his wife should be bought from their owners, cost +what it might. Craft replied, in effect, that he was +in a measure the representative of all the other +fugitives in Boston, some 200 or 300 in number; +that, if he gave up, they would all be at the mercy +of the slave-catchers, and must fly from the city at +any sacrifice; and that, if his freedom could be +bought for two cents, he would not consent to com- +promise the matter in such a way. This event has +stirred up the slave spirit of the country, south and +north; the United States government is determined +to try its hand in enforcing the Fugitive Slave law; +and William and Ellen Craft would be prominent +objects of the slaveholders' vengeance. Under +these circumstances, it is the almost unanimous +opinion of their best friends, that they should quit +America as speedily as possible, and seek an asylum +in England! Oh! shame, shame upon us, that +Americans, whose fathers fought against Great Bri- +tain, in order to be FREE, should have to acknow- +ledge this disgraceful fact! God gave us a fair and +goodly heritage in this land, but man has cursed it +with his devices and crimes against human souls +and human rights. Is America the 'land of the +free, and the home of the brave?' God knows it +is not; and we know it too. A brave young man +and a virtuous young woman must fly the American +shores, and seek, under the shadow of the British +throne, the enjoyment of 'life, liberty, and the pur- +suit of happiness.' + +"But I must pursue my plain, sad story. All +day long, I have been busy planning a safe way for +William and Ellen to leave Boston. We dare not allow +them to go on board a vessel, even in the port of +Boston; for the writ is yet in the Marshal's hands, +and he MAY be waiting an opportunity to serve it; +so I am expecting to accompany them to-morrow to +Portland, Maine, which is beyond the reach of the +Marshal's authority; and there I hope to see them +on board a British steamer. + +"This letter is written to introduce them to you. +I know your infirm health; but I am sure, if you +were stretched on your bed in your last illness, and +could lift your hand at all, you would extend it to +welcome these poor hunted fellow-creatures. Hence- +forth, England is their nation and their home. It +is with real regret for our personal loss in their de- +parture, as well as burning shame for the land that +is not worthy of them, that we send them away, or +rather allow them to go. But, with all the resolute +courage they have shown in a most trying hour, +they themselves see it is the part of a foolhardy +rashness to attempt to stay here longer. + +"I must close; and with many renewed thanks +for all your kind words and deeds towards us, + +"I am, very respectfully yours, + +"SAMUEL MAY, JUN." + + + +Our old masters, having heard how their agents +were treated at Boston, wrote to Mr. Filmore, who +was then President of the States, to know what +he could do to have us sent back to slavery. Mr. +Filmore said that we should be returned. He gave +instructions for military force to be sent to Boston +to assist the officers in making the arrest. There- +fore we, as well as our friends (among whom was +George Thompson, Esq., late M.P. for the Tower +Hamlets--the slave's long-tried, self-sacrificing +friend, and eloquent advocate) thought it best, at +any sacrifice, to leave the mock-free Republic, and +come to a country where we and our dear little +ones can be truly free.--"No one daring to molest +or make us afraid." But, as the officers were +watching every vessel that left the port to +prevent us from escaping, we had to take +the expensive and tedious overland route to +Halifax. + +We shall always cherish the deepest feelings of +gratitude to the Vigilance Committee of Boston +(upon which were many of the leading abolitionists), +and also to our numerous friends, for the very +kind and noble manner in which they assisted +us to preserve our liberties and to escape from +Boston, as it were like Lot from Sodom, to a place +of refuge, and finally to this truly free and glorious +country; where no tyrant, let his power be ever so +absolute over his poor trembling victims at home, +dare come and lay violent hands upon us or upon +our dear little boys (who had the good fortune to +be born upon British soil), and reduce us to the +legal level of the beast that perisheth. Oh! may +God bless the thousands of unflinching, disin- +terested abolitionists of America, who are labouring +through evil as well as through good report, to +cleanse their country's escutcheon from the foul +and destructive blot of slavery, and to restore to +every bondman his God-given rights; and may God +ever smile upon England and upon England's good, +much-beloved, and deservedly-honoured Queen, for +the generous protection that is given to unfortunate +refugees of every rank, and of every colour and +clime. + +On the passing of the Fugitive Slave Bill, the +following learned doctors, as well as a host of lesser +traitors, came out strongly in its defence. + +The Rev. Dr. Gardiner Spring, an eminent +Presbyterian Clergyman of New York, well known +in this country by his religious publications, +declared from the pulpit that, "if by one prayer he +could liberate every slave in the world he would not +dare to offer it." + +The Rev. Dr. Joel Parker, of Philadelphia, in the +course of a discussion on the nature of Slavery, +says, "What, then, are the evils inseparable from +slavery? There is not one that is not equally +inseparable from depraved human nature in other +lawful relations." + +The Rev. Moses Stuart, D.D., (late Professor in +the Theological College of Andover), in his vindi- +cation of this Bill, reminds his readers that "many +Southern slaveholders are true CHRISTIANS." That +"sending back a fugitive to them is not like restor- +ing one to an idolatrous people." That "though +we may PITY the fugitive, yet the Mosaic Law does +not authorize the rejection of the claims of the +slaveholders to their stolen or strayed PROPERTY." + +The Rev. Dr. Spencer, of Brooklyn, New York, +has come forward in support of the "Fugitive +Slave Bill," by publishing a sermon entitled the +"Religious Duty of Obedience to the Laws," which +has elicited the highest encomiums from Dr. +Samuel H. Cox, the Presbyterian minister of +Brooklyn (notorious both in this country and +America for his sympathy with the slaveholder). + +The Rev. W. M. Rogers, an orthodox minister +of Boston, delivered a sermon in which he +says, "When the slave asks me to stand be- +tween him and his master, what does he ask? +He asks me to murder a nation's life; and I +will not do it, because I have a conscience,-- +because there is a God." He proceeds to affirm +that if resistance to the carrying out of the "Fugi- +tive Slave Law" should lead the magistracy to +call the citizens to arms, their duty was to obey +and "if ordered to take human life, in the name of +God to take it;" and he concludes by admonishing +the fugitives to "hearken to the Word of God, and +to count their own masters worthy of all honour." + +The Rev. William Crowell, of Waterfield, State +of Maine, printed a Thanksgiving Sermon of the +same kind, in which he calls upon his hearers not +to allow "excessive sympathies for a few hundred +fugitives to blind them so that they may risk +increased suffering to the millions already in +chains." + +The Rev. Dr. Taylor, an Episcopal Clergyman of +New Haven, Connecticut, made a speech at a +Union Meeting, in which he deprecates the agita- +tion on the law, and urges obedience to it; +asking,--"Is that article in the Constitution con- +trary to the law of Nature, of nations, or to the +will of God? Is it so? Is there a shadow of +reason for saying it? I have not been able to dis- +cover it. Have I not shown you it is lawful to +deliver up, in compliance with the laws, fugitive +slaves, for the high, the great, the momentous +interests of those [Southern] States?" + +The Right Rev. Bishop Hopkins, of Vermont, in +a Lecture at Lockport, says, "It was warranted by +the Old Testament;" and inquires, "What effect +had the Gospel in doing away with slavery? None +whatever." Therefore he argues, as it is expressly +permitted by the Bible, it does not in itself involve +any sin; but that every Christian is authorised by +the Divine Law to own slaves, provided they were +not treated with unnecessary cruelty. + +The Rev. Orville Dewey, D.D., of the Unitarian +connexion, maintained in his lectures that the +safety of the Union is not to be hazarded for the +sake of the African race. He declares that, for +his part, he would send his own brother or child +into slavery, if needed to preserve the Union +between the free and the slaveholding States; and, +counselling the slave to similar magnanimity, thus +exhorts him:--"YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE IS NOT ABSOLUTE, +UNQUALIFIED, IRRESPECTIVE OF ALL CONSEQUENCES. If my +espousal of your claim is likely to involve your race +and mine together in disasters infinitely greater +than your personal servitude, then you ought not +to be free. In such a case personal rights ought +to be sacrificed to the general good. You yourself +ought to see this, and be willing to suffer for a while +--one for many." + +If the Doctor is prepared, he is quite at liberty +to sacrifice his "personal rights to the general +good." But, as I have suffered a long time in +slavery, it is hardly fair for the Doctor to advise +me to go back. According to his showing, he ought +rather to take my place. That would be practically +carrying out his logic, as respects "suffering awhile +--one for many." + +In fact, so eager were they to prostrate them- +selves before the great idol of slavery, and, like +Balaam, to curse instead of blessing the people +whom God had brought out of bondage, that they +in bring up obsolete passages from the Old Tes- +tament to justify their downward course, overlooked, +or would not see, the following verses, which show +very clearly, according to the Doctor's own text- +book, that the slaves have a right to run away, and +that it is unscriptural for any one to send them +back. + +In the 23rd chapter of Deuteronomy, 15th and +16th verses, it is thus written:--"Thou shalt not +deliver unto his master the servant which is es- +caped from his master unto thee. He shall dwell +with thee, even among you, in that place which he +shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him +best: thou shalt not oppress him." + +"Hide the outcast. Bewray not him that wan- +dereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee. Be +thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler." +--(Isa. xvi. 3, 4.) + +The great majority of the American ministers are +not content with uttering sentences similar to the +above, or remaining wholly indifferent to the cries +of the poor bondman; but they do all they can to +blast the reputation, and to muzzle the mouths, of +the few good men who dare to beseech the God of +mercy "to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo +the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free." +These reverend gentlemen pour a terrible cannon- +ade upon "Jonah," for refusing to carry God's +message against Nineveh, and tell us about the +whale in which he was entombed; while they utterly +overlook the existence of the whales which trouble +their republican waters, and know not that they +themselves are the "Jonahs" who threaten to sink +their ship of state, by steering in an unrighteous +direction. We are told that the whale vomited up +the runaway prophet. This would not have seemed +so strange, had it been one of the above lukewarm +Doctors of Divinity whom he had swallowed; for +even a whale might find such a morsel difficult of +digestion. + + +"I venerate the man whose heart is warm, + Whose hands are pure; whose doctrines and whose life + Coincident, exhibit lucid proof + That he is honest in the sacred cause." + + +"But grace abused brings forth the foulest deeds, + As richest soil the most luxuriant weeds." + + + +I must now leave the reverend gentlemen in +the hands of Him who knows best how to deal with +a recreant ministry. + +I do not wish it to be understood that all the +ministers of the States are of the Balaam stamp. +There are those who are as uncompromising with +slaveholders as Moses was with Pharaoh, and, like +Daniel, will never bow down before the great false +God that has been set up. + +On arriving at Portland, we found that the +steamer we intended to take had run into a schooner +the previous night, and was lying up for repairs; so +we had to wait there, in fearful suspense, for two or +three days. During this time, we had the honour +of being the guest of the late and much lamented +Daniel Oliver, Esq., one of the best and most hospi- +table men in the State. By simply fulfilling the +Scripture injunction, to take in the stranger, &c., +he ran the risk of incurring a penalty of 2,000 +dollars, and twelve months' imprisonment. + +But neither the Fugitive Slave Law, nor any other +Satanic enactment, can ever drive the spirit of +liberty and humanity out of such noble and gene- +rous-hearted men. + +May God ever bless his dear widow, and eventu- +ally unite them in His courts above! + +We finally got off to St. John's, New Brunswick, +where we had to wait two days for the steamer that +conveyed us to Windsor, Nova Scotia. + +On going into a hotel at St. John's, we met the +butler in the hall, to whom I said, "We wish to +stop here to-night." He turned round, scratching +his head, evidently much put about. But think- +ing that my wife was white, he replied, "We have +plenty of room for the lady, but I don't know about +yourself; we never take in coloured folks." "Oh, +don't trouble about me," I said; "if you have room +for the lady, that will do; so please have the luggage +taken to a bed-room." Which was immediately done, +and my wife went upstairs into the apartment. + +After taking a little walk in the town, I returned, +and asked to see the "lady." On being conducted +to the little sitting-room, where she then was, I +entered without knocking, much to the surprise of +the whole house. The "lady" then rang the bell, +and ordered dinner for two. "Dinner for two, +mum!" exclaimed the waiter, as he backed out of +the door. "Yes, for two," said my wife. In a +little while the stout, red-nosed butler, whom we +first met, knocked at the door. I called out, "Come +in." On entering, he rolled his whisky eyes at +me, and then at my wife, and said, in a very solemn +tone, "Did you order dinner for two, mum?" +"Yes, for two," my wife again replied. This +confused the chubby butler more than ever; and, +as the landlord was not in the house, he seemed at +a loss what to do. + +When dinner was ready, the maid came in and +said, "Please, mum, the Missis wishes to know +whether you will have dinner up now, or wait till +your friend arrives?" "I will have it up at once, +if you please." "Thank you, mum," continued the +maid, and out she glided. + +After a good deal of giggling in the passage, some +one said, "You are in for it, butler, after all; so you +had better make the best of a bad job." But before +dinner was sent up, the landlord returned, and +having heard from the steward of the steamer by +which we came that we were bound for England, +the proprietor's native country, he treated us in the +most respectful manner. + +At the above house, the boots (whose name I for- +get) was a fugitive slave, a very intelligent and active +man, about forty-five years of age. Soon after his +marriage, while in slavery, his bride was sold away +from him, and he could never learn where the poor +creature dwelt. So after remaining single for many +years, both before and after his escape, and never ex- +pecting to see again, nor even to hear from, his long- +lost partner, he finally married a woman at St. John's. +But, poor fellow, as he was passing down the street +one day, he met a woman; at the first glance they +nearly recognized each other; they both turned +round and stared, and unconsciously advanced, till +she screamed and flew into his arms. Her first +words were, "Dear, are you married?" On his +answering in the affirmative, she shrank from his +embrace, hung her head, and wept. A person who +witnessed this meeting told me it was most +affecting. + +This couple knew nothing of each other's escape +or whereabouts. The woman had escaped a few +years before to the free States, by secreting herself +in the hold of a vessel; but as they tried to get her +back to bondage, she fled to New Brunswick for +that protection which her native country was too +mean to afford. + +The man at once took his old wife to see his new +one, who was also a fugitive slave, and as they all +knew the workings of the infamous system of +slavery, the could (as no one else can,) sympathise +with each other's misfortune. + +According to the rules of slavery, the man and +his first wife were already divorced, but not morally; +and therefore it was arranged between the three +that he should live only with the lastly married +wife, and allow the other one so much a week, as +long as she requested his assistance. + +After staying at St. John's two days, the steamer +arrived, which took us to Windsor, where we found +a coach bound for Halifax. Prejudice against colour +forced me on the top in the rain. On arriving +within about seven miles of the town, the coach +broke down and was upset. I fell upon the big +crotchety driver, whose head stuck in the mud; and +as he "always objected to niggers riding inside +with white folks," I was not particularly sorry to +see him deeper in the mire than myself. All of us +were scratched and bruised more or less. After the +passengers had crawled out as best they could, +we all set off, and paddled through the deep mud +and cold and rain, to Halifax. + +On leaving Boston, it was our intention to +reach Halifax at least two or three days before the +steamer from Boston touched there, en route for +Liverpool; but, having been detained so long at +Portland and St. John's, we had the misfortune to +arrive at Halifax at dark, just two hours after the +steamer had gone; consequently we had to wait +there a fortnight, for the Cambria. + +The coach was patched up, and reached Halifax +with the luggage, soon after the passengers arrived. +The only respectable hotel that was then in the +town had suspended business, and was closed; so +we went to the inn, opposite the market, where +the coach stopped: a most miserable, dirty hole +it was. + +Knowing that we were still under the influence +of the low Yankee prejudice, I sent my wife in with +the other passengers, to engage a bed for herself and +husband. I stopped outside in the rain till the +coach came up. If I had gone in and asked for a +bed they would have been quite full. But as they +thought my wife was white, she had no difficulty in +securing apartments, into which the luggage was +afterwards carried. The landlady, observing that I +took an interest in the baggage, became some- +what uneasy, and went into my wife's room, and said +to her, "Do you know the dark man downstairs?" +"Yes, he is my husband." "Oh! I mean the +black man--the NIGGER?" "I quite understand +you; he is my husband." "My God!" exclaimed +the woman as she flounced out and banged to the +door. On going upstairs, I heard what had taken +place: but, as we were there, and did not mean +to leave that night, we did not disturb ourselves. +On our ordering tea, the landlady sent word back +to say that we must take it in the kitchen, or in our +bed-room, as she had no other room for "niggers." +We replied that we were not particular, and that +they could sent it up to our room,--which they did. + +After the pro-slavery persons who were staying +there heard that we were in, the whole house +became agitated, and all sorts of oaths and fearful +threats were heaped upon the "d----d niggers, for +coming among white folks." Some of them said +they would not stop there a minute if there was +another house to go to. + +The mistress came up the next morning to know +how long we wished to stop. We said a fortnight. +"Oh! dear me, it is impossible for us to accom- +modate you, and I think you had better go: you +must understand, I have no prejudice myself; I +think a good deal of the coloured people, and have +always been their friend; but if you stop here we +shall lose all our customers, which we can't do no- +how." We said we were glad to hear that she had +"no prejudice," and was such a staunch friend to +the coloured people. We also informed her that +we would be sorry for her "customers" to leave +on our account; and as it was not our intention to +interfere with anyone, it was foolish for them to be +frightened away. However, if she would get us a +comfortable place, we would be glad to leave. The +landlady said she would go out and try. After +spending the whole morning in canvassing the +town, she came to our room and said, "I have been +from one end of the place to the other, but every- +body is full." Having a little foretaste of the +vulgar prejudice of the town, we did not wonder at +this result. However, the landlady gave me the +address of some respectable coloured families, whom +she thought, "under the circumstances," might be +induced to take us. And, as we were not at all +comfortable--being compelled to sit, eat and sleep, +in the same small room--we were quite willing to +change our quarters. + +I called upon the Rev. Mr. Cannady, a truly good- +hearted Christian man, who received us at a word; +and both he and his kind lady treated us hand- +somely, and for a nominal charge. + +My wife and myself were both unwell when we +left Boston, and, having taken fresh cold on the +journey to Halifax, we were laid up there under +the doctor's care, nearly the whole fortnight. I +had much worry about getting tickets, for they +baffled us shamefully at the Cunard office. They at +first said that they did not book till the steamer +came; which was not the fact. When I called +again, they said they knew the steamer would +come full from Boston, and therefore we had "bet- +ter try to get to Liverpool by other means." +Other mean Yankee excuses were made; and it +was not till an influential gentleman, to whom +Mr. Francis Jackson, of Boston, kindly gave us +a letter, went and rebuked them, that we were able +to secure our tickets. So when we went on board +my wife was very poorly, and was also so ill on the +voyage that I did not believe she could live to see +Liverpool. + +However, I am thankful to say she arrived; +and, after laying up at Liverpool very ill for two or +three weeks, gradually recovered. + +It was not until we stepped upon the shore at +Liverpool that we were free from every slavish +fear. + +We raised our thankful hearts to Heaven, and +could have knelt down, like the Neapolitan exiles, +and kissed the soil; for we felt that from slavery + + +"Heaven sure had kept this spot of earth uncurs'd, + To show how all lthings were created first." + + +In a few days after we landed, the Rev. Francis +Bishop and his lady came and invited us to be their +guests; to whose unlimited kindness and watchful +care my wife owes, in a great degree, her restoration +to health. + +We enclosed our letter from the Rev. Mr. May +to Mr. Estlin, who at once wrote to invite us to his +house at Bristol. On arriving there, both Mr. and +Miss Estlin received us as cordially as did our first +good Quaker friends in Pennsylvania. It grieves +me much to have to mention that he is no more. +Everyone who knew him can truthfully say-- + + + +"Peace to the memory of a man of worth, +A man of letters, and of manners too! +Of manners sweet as Virtue always wears +When gay Good-nature dresses her in smiles." + + +It was principally through the extreme kindness of +Mr. Estlin, the Right Hon. Lady Noel Byron, Miss +Harriet Martineau, Mrs. Reid, Miss Sturch, and +a few other good friends, that my wife and myself +were able to spend a short time at a school in this +country, to acquire a little of that education which +we were so shamefully deprived of while in the +house of bondage. The school is under the super- +vision of the Misses Lushington, D.C.L. During +our stay at the school we received the greatest atten- +tion from every one; and I am particularly indebted +to Thomas Wilson, Esq., of Bradmore House, Chis- +wick, (who was then the master,) for the deep +interest he took in trying to get me on in my +studies. We shall ever fondly and gratefully cherish +the memory of our endeared and departed friend, +Mr. Estlin. We, as well as the Anti-Slavery cause, +lost a good friend in him. However, if departed +spirits in Heaven are conscious of the wickedness +of this world, and are allowed to speak, he will +never fail to plead in the presence of the angelic +host, and before the great and just Judge, for down- +trodden and outraged humanity. + + +"Therefore I cannot think thee wholly gone; + The better part of thee is with us still; + Thy soul its hampering clay aside hath thrown, + And only freer wrestles with the ill. + + +"Thou livest in the life of all good things; + What words thou spak'st for Freedom shall not die; + Thou sleepest not, for now thy Love hath wings + To soar where hence thy hope could hardly fly. + + +"And often, from that other world, on this + Some gleams from great souls gone before may shine, + To shed on struggling hearts a clearer bliss, + And clothe the Right with lustre more divine. + + +"Farewell! good man, good angel now! this hand + Soon, like thine own, shall lose its cunning, too; + Soon shall this soul, like thine, bewildered stand, + Then leap to thread the free unfathomed blue." + + +JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. + + + + + +In the preceding pages I have not dwelt upon +the great barbarities which are practised upon the +slaves; because I wish to present the system in its +mildest form, and to show that the "tender mercies +of the wicked are cruel." But I do now, however, +most solemnly declare, that a very large majority +of the American slaves are over-worked, under-fed, +and frequently unmercifully flogged. + +I have often seen slaves tortured in every con- +ceivable manner. I have seen him hunted down +and torn by bloodhounds. I have seen them +shamefully beaten, and branded with hot irons. I +have seen them hunted, and even burned alive at +the stake, frequently for offences that would be +applauded if committed by white persons for similar +purposes. + +In short, it is well known in England, if not all +over the world, that the Americans, as a people, are +notoriously mean and cruel towards all coloured +persons, whether they are bond or free. + + + + "Oh, tyrant, thou who sleepest + On a volcano, from whose pent-up wrath, + Already some red flashes bursting up, + Beware!" + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom + + + + +Note: I have omitted the running heads [RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES +and FOR FREEDOM], the cedilla on "Macon" [pages 15, 55, 74, and +89], the acute accent on "Salome" [pages 3, 4, 5, and 6], and +the circumflex accent on "prima" [page 36], and the signatures +[B through H2, pages 1, 3, 17, 33, 35, 49, 51, 65, 67, 81, 83, 97, +and 99]. In addition I have made the following changes to the +text: +PAGE LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO + 14 21 "mode ate moderate + 22 18 Hoskins, Hoskens, + 22 22 I "I + 22 27 me me, + 29 15 sucess- success- + 39 6 villanous villainous + 40 27 "Come "Come, + 71 13 master," master, + 77 12 want?* want?"* + 80 8 to me. to me, + 84 18 come come, + 85 17 sculls. skulls. + 98 5 Baalam, Balaam, + 100 5 Baalam Balaam + 101 18 house." house. + 102 5 "Please "Please, + 103 27 long she long as she + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom + Binary files differdiff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +THE AMERICAN NEGRO + +HIS HISTORY AND LITERATURE + + + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM + +William and Ellen Craft + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM +OR, THE ESCAPE OF WILLIAM AND ELLEN CRAFT +FROM SLAVERY. + + + +"Slaves cannot breathe in England: if their lungs + Receive our air, that moment they are free; + They touch our country, and their shackles fall." + +COWPER + + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM + + + + + +PREFACE. + + +HAVING heard while in Slavery that "God made +of one blood all nations of men," and also that the +American Declaration of Independence says, that +"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that +all men are created equal; that they are endowed +by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; +that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit +of happiness;" we could not understand by what +right we were held as "chattels." Therefore, we +felt perfectly justified in undertaking the dan- +gerous and exciting task of "running a thousand +miles" in order to obtain those rights which are so +vividly set forth in the Declaration. + +I beg those who would know the particulars of +our journey, to peruse these pages. + +This book is not intended as a full history of the +life of my wife, nor of myself; but merely as an +account of our escape; together with other matter +which I hope may be the means of creating in +some minds a deeper abhorrence of the sinful and +abominable practice of enslaving and brutifying our +fellow-creatures. + +Without stopping to write a long apology for +offering this little volume to the public, I shall +commence at once to pursue my simple story. + + +W. CRAFT. + + + +12, CAMBRIDGE ROAD, +HAMMERSMITH, +LONDON. + + + + + +RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR +FREEDOM. + +-----+----- + +PART I. + +"God gave us only over beast, fish, fowl, +Dominion absolute; that right we hold +By his donation. But man over man +He made not lord; such title to himself +Reserving, human left from human free." + +MILTON. + + +MY wife and myself were born in different +towns in the State of Georgia, which is one of the +principal slave States. It is true, our condition as +slaves was not by any means the worst; but the +mere idea that we were held as chattels, and de- +prived of all legal rights--the thought that we +had to give up our hard earnings to a tyrant, to +enable him to live in idleness and luxury--the +thought that we could not call the bones and +sinews that God gave us our own: but above all, +the fact that another man had the power to tear +from our cradle the new-born babe and sell it in +the shambles like a brute, and then scourge us if +we dared to lift a finger to save it from such a fate, +haunted us for years. + +But in December, 1848, a plan suggested itself +that proved quite successful, and in eight days +after it was first thought of we were free from the +horrible trammels of slavery, rejoicing and praising +God in the glorious sunshine of liberty. + +My wife's first master was her father, and her +mother his slave, and the latter is still the slave of +his widow. + +Notwithstanding my wife being of African ex- +traction on her mother's side, she is almost white-- +in fact, she is so nearly so that the tyrannical old +lady to whom she first belonged became so annoyed, +at finding her frequently mistaken for a child of +the family, that she gave her when eleven years of +age to a daughter, as a wedding present. This +separated my wife from her mother, and also from +several other dear friends. But the incessant +cruelty of her old mistress made the change of +owners or treatment so desirable, that she did not +grumble much at this cruel separation. + +It may be remembered that slavery in America +is not at all confined to persons of any particular +complexion; there are a very large number of +slaves as white as any one; but as the evidence of a +slave is not admitted in court against a free white +person, it is almost impossible for a white child, +after having been kidnapped and sold into or re- +duced to slavery, in a part of the country where it +is not known (as often is the case), ever to recover +its freedom. + +I have myself conversed with several slaves who +told me that their parents were white and free; but +that they were stolen away from them and sold +when quite young. As they could not tell their +address, and also as the parents did not know +what had become of their lost and dear little +ones, of course all traces of each other were gone. + +The following facts are sufficient to prove, that +he who has the power, and is inhuman enough to +trample upon the sacred rights of the weak, cares +nothing for race or colour:-- + +In March, 1818, three ships arrived at New +Orleans, bringing several hundred German emi- +grants from the province of Alsace, on the lower +Rhine. Among them were Daniel Muller and his +two daughters, Dorothea and Salome, whose mother +had died on the passage. Soon after his arrival, +Muller, taking with him his two daughters, both +young children, went up the river to Attakapas +parish, to work on the plantation of John F. Miller. +A few weeks later, his relatives, who had remained +at New Orleans, learned that he had died of the +fever of the country. They immediately sent for +the two girls; but they had disappeared, and the +relatives, notwithstanding repeated and persevering +inquiries and researches, could find no traces of +them. They were at length given up for dead. +Dorothea was never again heard of; nor was any +thing known of Salome from 1818 till 1843. + +In the summer of that year, Madame Karl, a +German woman who had come over in the same +ship with the Mullers, was passing through a street +in New Orleans, and accidentally saw Salome in a +wine-shop, belonging to Louis Belmonte, by whom +she was held as a slave. Madame Karl recognised +her at once, and carried her to the house of another +German woman, Mrs. Schubert, who was Salome's +cousin and godmother, and who no sooner set eyes +on her than, without having any intimation that +the discovery had been previously made, she un- +hesitatingly exclaimed, "My God! here is the +long-lost Salome Muller." + +The Law Reporter, in its account of this case, +says:-- + +"As many of the German emigrants of 1818 as +could be gathered together were brought to the +house of Mrs. Schubert, and every one of the +number who had any recollection of the little girl +upon the passage, or any acquaintance with her +father and mother, immediately identified the +woman before them as the long-lost Salome +Muller. By all these witnesses, who appeared +at the trial, the identity was fully established. +The family resemblance in every feature was +declared to be so remarkable, that some of the +witnesses did not hesitate to say that they should +know her among ten thousand; that they were +as certain the plaintiff was Salome Muller, the +daughter of Daniel and Dorothea Muller, as of +their own existence." + +Among the witnesses who appeared in Court was +the midwife who had assisted at the birth of Salome. +She testified to the existence of certain peculiar +marks upon the body of the child, which were +found, exactly as described, by the surgeons who +were appointed by the Court to make an examina- +tion for the purpose. + +There was no trace of African descent in +any feature of Salome Muller. She had long, +straight, black hair, hazel eyes, thin lips, and +a Roman nose. The complexion of her face and +neck was as dark as that of the darkest brunette. +It appears, however, that, during the twenty-five +years of her servitude, she had been exposed to +the sun's rays in the hot climate of Louisiana, with +head and neck unsheltered, as is customary with +the female slaves, while labouring in the cotton or +the sugar field. Those parts of her person which +had been shielded from the sun were compara- +tively white. + +Belmonte, the pretended owner of the girl, had +obtained possession of her by an act of sale from +John F. Miller, the planter in whose service +Salome's father died. This Miller was a man of +consideration and substance, owning large sugar +estates, and bearing a high reputation for honour +and honesty, and for indulgent treatment of his +slaves. It was testified on the trial that he had +said to Belmonte, a few weeks after the sale of +Salome, "that she was white, and had as much +right to her freedom as any one, and was only to +be retained in slavery by care and kind treatment." +The broker who negotiated the sale from Miller to +Belmonte, in 1838, testified in Court that he then +thought, and still thought, that the girl was white! + +The case was elaborately argued on both sides, +but was at length decided in favour of the girl, +by the Supreme Court declaring that "she was +free and white, and therefore unlawfully held in +bondage." + +The Rev. George Bourne, of Virginia, in his +Picture of Slavery, published in 1834, relates the +case of a white boy who, at the age of seven, was +stolen from his home in Ohio, tanned and stained +in such a way that he could not be distinguished +from a person of colour, and then sold as a slave +in Virginia. At the age of twenty, he made his +escape, by running away, and happily succeeded in +rejoining his parents. + +I have known worthless white people to sell their +own free children into slavery; and, as there are +good-for-nothing white as well as coloured persons +everywhere, no one, perhaps, will wonder at such +inhuman transactions: particularly in the Southern +States of America, where I believe there is a +greater want of humanity and high principle +amongst the whites, than among any other +civilized people in the world. + +I know that those who are not familiar with the +working of "the peculiar institution," can scarcely +imagine any one so totally devoid of all natural +affection as to sell his own offspring into returnless +bondage. But Shakespeare, that great observer +of human nature, says:-- + + +"With caution judge of probabilities. +Things deemed unlikely, e'en impossible, +Experience often shews us to be true." + + +My wife's new mistress was decidedly more +humane than the majority of her class. My wife +has always given her credit for not exposing her to +many of the worst features of slavery. For instance, +it is a common practice in the slave States for ladies, +when angry with their maids, to send them to the +calybuce sugar-house, or to some other place +established for the purpose of punishing slaves, +and have them severely flogged; and I am sorry +it is a fact, that the villains to whom those de- +fenceless creatures are sent, not only flog them +as they are ordered, but frequently compel them +to submit to the greatest indignity. Oh! if there +is any one thing under the wide canopy of heaven, +horrible enough to stir a man's soul, and to make +his very blood boil, it is the thought of his dear +wife, his unprotected sister, or his young and +virtuous daughters, struggling to save themselves +from falling a prey to such demons! + +It always appears strange to me that any one +who was not born a slaveholder, and steeped to the +very core in the demoralizing atmosphere of the +Southern States, can in any way palliate slavery. +It is still more surprising to see virtuous ladies +looking with patience upon, and remaining indif- +ferent to, the existence of a system that exposes +nearly two millions of their own sex in the manner +I have mentioned, and that too in a professedly +free and Christian country. There is, however, +great consolation in knowing that God is just, and +will not let the oppressor of the weak, and the +spoiler of the virtuous, escape unpunished here and +hereafter. + +I believe a similar retribution to that which +destroyed Sodom is hanging over the slaveholders. +My sincere prayer is that they may not provoke +God, by persisting in a reckless course of wicked- +ness, to pour out his consuming wrath upon them. + +I must now return to our history. + +My old master had the reputation of being a +very humane and Christian man, but he thought +nothing of selling my poor old father, and dear +aged mother, at separate times, to different persons, +to be dragged off never to behold each other again, +till summoned to appear before the great tribunal +of heaven. But, oh! what a happy meeting it +will be on that day for those faithful souls. +I say a happy meeting, because I never saw +persons more devoted to the service of God +than they. But how will the case stand with those +reckless traffickers in human flesh and blood, who +plunged the poisonous dagger of separation into +those loving hearts which God had for so many +years closely joined together--nay, sealed as it +were with his own hands for the eternal courts of +heaven? It is not for me to say what will become +of those heartless tyrants. I must leave them in +the hands of an all-wise and just God, who will, in +his own good time, and in his own way, avenge the +wrongs of his oppressed people. + +My old master also sold a dear brother and a +sister, in the same manner as he did my father and +mother. The reason he assigned for disposing of +my parents, as well as of several other aged slaves, +was, that "they were getting old, and would soon +become valueless in the market, and therefore he +intended to sell off all the old stock, and buy in a +young lot." A most disgraceful conclusion for a +man to come to, who made such great professions +of religion! + +This shameful conduct gave me a thorough +hatred, not for true Christianity, but for slave- +holding piety. + +My old master, then, wishing to make the most +of the rest of his slaves, apprenticed a brother +and myself out to learn trades: he to a black- +smith, and myself to a cabinet-maker. If a slave +has a good trade, he will let or sell for more +than a person without one, and many slave- +holders have their slaves taught trades on this +account. But before our time expired, my old +master wanted money; so he sold my brother, and +then mortgaged my sister, a dear girl about four- +teen years of age, and myself, then about sixteen, +to one of the banks, to get money to speculate in +cotton. This we knew nothing of at the moment; +but time rolled on, the money became due, my +master was unable to meet his payments; so the +bank had us placed upon the auction stand and +sold to the highest bidder. + +My poor sister was sold first: she was knocked +down to a planter who resided at some distance +in the country. Then I was called upon the stand. +While the auctioneer was crying the bids, I saw +the man that had purchased my sister getting her +into a cart, to take her to his home. I at once +asked a slave friend who was standing near the +platform, to run and ask the gentleman if he +would please to wait till I was sold, in order +that I might have an opportunity of bidding her +good-bye. He sent me word back that he had +some distance to go, and could not wait. + +I then turned to the auctioneer, fell upon my +knees, and humbly prayed him to let me just step +down and bid my last sister farewell. But, instead +of granting me this request, he grasped me by the +neck, and in a commanding tone of voice, and with +a violent oath, exclaimed, "Get up! You can do +the wench no good; therefore there is no use in +your seeing her." + +On rising, I saw the cart in which she sat +moving slowly off; and, as she clasped her hands +with a grasp that indicated despair, and looked +pitifully round towards me, I also saw the large +silent tears trickling down her cheeks. She made +a farewell bow, and buried her face in her lap. +This seemed more than I could bear. It appeared +to swell my aching heart to its utmost. But +before I could fairly recover, the poor girl was +gone;--gone, and I have never had the good for- +tune to see her from that day to this! Perhaps +I should have never heard of her again, had it not +been for the untiring efforts of my good old +mother, who became free a few years ago by pur- +chase, and, after a great deal of difficulty, found +my sister residing with a family in Mississippi. +My mother at once wrote to me, informing me of +the fact, and requesting me to do something to get +her free; and I am happy to say that, partly by +lecturing occasionally, and through the sale of an +engraving of my wife in the disguise in which +she escaped, together with the extreme kind- +ness and generosity of Miss Burdett Coutts, +Mr. George Richardson of Plymouth, and a few +other friends, I have nearly accomplished this. +It would be to me a great and ever-glorious +achievement to restore my sister to our dear +mother, from whom she was forcibly driven in +early life. + +I was knocked down to the cashier of the +bank to which we were mortgaged, and ordered +to return to the cabinet shop where I previously +worked. + +But the thought of the harsh auctioneer not +allowing me to bid my dear sister farewell, sent +red-hot indignation darting like lightning through +every vein. It quenched my tears, and appeared +to set my brain on fire, and made me crave for +power to avenge our wrongs! But alas! we were +only slaves, and had no legal rights; consequently +we were compelled to smother our wounded feel- +ings, and crouch beneath the iron heel of des- +potism. + +I must now give the account of our escape; +but, before doing so, it may be well to quote +a few passages from the fundamental laws of +slavery; in order to give some idea of the +legal as well as the social tyranny from which +we fled. + +According to the law of Louisiana, "A slave +is one who is in the power of a master to whom he +belongs. The master may sell him, dispose of his +person, his industry, and his labour; he can do +nothing, possess nothing, nor acquire anything but +what must belong to his master."--Civil Code, +art. 35. + +In South Carolina it is expressed in the following +language:--"Slaves shall be deemed, sold, taken, +reputed and judged in law to be chattels personal +in the hands of their owners and possessors, and +their executors, administrators, and assigns, to all +intents, constructions, and purposes whatsoever.-- +2 Brevard's Digest, 229. + +The Constitution of Georgia has the following +(Art. 4, sec. 12):--"Any person who shall mali- +ciously dismember or deprive a slave of life, shall +suffer such punishment as would be inflicted in +case the like offence had been committed on a free +white person, and on the like proof, except in case +of insurrection of such slave, and unless SUCH +DEATH SHOULD HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT IN GIVING +SUCH SLAVE MODERATE CORRECTION."--Prince's +Digest, 559. + +I have known slaves to be beaten to death, but +as they died under "moderate correction," it was +quite lawful; and of course the murderers were +not interfered with. + +"If any slave, who shall be out of the house or +plantation where such slave shall live, or shall be +usually employed, or without some white person +in company with such slave, shall REFUSE TO SUBMIT +to undergo the examination of ANY WHITE person, +(let him be ever so drunk or crazy), it shall be +lawful for such white person to pursue, apprehend, +and moderately correct such slave; and if such +slave shall assault and strike such white person, +such slave may be LAWFULLY KILLED."--2 Brevard's +Digest, 231. + +"Provided always," says the law, "that such +striking be not done by the command and in the +defence of the person or property of the owner, or +other person having the government of such slave; +in which case the slave shall be wholly excused." + +According to this law, if a slave, by the direction +of his overseer, strike a white person who is beating +said overseer's pig, "the slave shall be wholly +excused." But, should the bondman, of his own +accord, fight to defend his wife, or should his +terrified daughter instinctively raise her hand and +strike the wretch who attempts to violate her +chastity, he or she shall, saith the model republican +law, suffer death. + +From having been myself a slave for nearly +twenty-three years, I am quite prepared to say, +that the practical working of slavery is worse than +the odious laws by which it is governed. + +At an early age we were taken by the persons who +held us as property to Macon, the largest town in the +interior of the State of Georgia, at which place +we became acquainted with each other for several +years before our marriage; in fact, our marriage +was postponed for some time simply because one +of the unjust and worse than Pagan laws under +which we lived compelled all children of slave +mothers to follow their condition. That is to say, +the father of the slave may be the President of the +Republic; but if the mother should be a slave at the +infant's birth, the poor child is ever legally doomed +to the same cruel fate. + +It is a common practice for gentlemen (if I may +call them such), moving in the highest circles of +society, to be the fathers of children by their slaves, +whom they can and do sell with the greatest im- +punity; and the more pious, beautiful, and virtuous +the girls are, the greater the price they bring, and +that too for the most infamous purposes. + +Any man with money (let him be ever such a +rough brute), can buy a beautiful and virtuous +girl, and force her to live with him in a criminal +connexion; and as the law says a slave shall +have no higher appeal than the mere will of the +master, she cannot escape, unless it be by flight or +death. + +In endeavouring to reconcile a girl to her fate, +the master sometimes says that he would marry +her if it was not unlawful.* However, he will +always consider her to be his wife, and will treat +her as such; and she, on the other hand, may +regard him as her lawful husband; and if they +have any children, they will be free and well edu- +cated. + +I am in duty bound to add, that while a great +majority of such men care nothing for the happi- +ness of the women with whom they live, nor for +the children of whom they are the fathers, there +are those to be found, even in that heterogeneous +mass of licentious monsters, who are true to their +pledges. But as the woman and her children are +legally the property of the man, who stands in the +anomalous relation to them of husband and father, +as well as master, they are liable to be seized and +sold for his debts, should he become involved. + +There are several cases on record where such +persons have been sold and separated for life. I +know of some myself, but I have only space to +glance at one. + +I knew a very humane and wealthy gentleman, +that bought a woman, with whom he lived as his + + +* It is unlawful in the slave States for any one of purely +European descent to intermarry with a person of African ex- +traction; though a white man may live with as many coloured +women as he pleases without materially damaging his reputa- +tion in Southern society. +wife. They brought up a family of children, +among whom were three nearly white, well edu- +cated, and beautiful girls. + +On the father being suddenly killed it was found +that he had not left a will; but, as the family had +always heard him say that he had no surviving +relatives, they felt that their liberty and property +were quite secured to them, and, knowing the insults +to which they were exposed, now their protector +was no more, they were making preparations to +leave for a free State. + +But, poor creatures, they were soon sadly unde- +ceived. A villain residing at a distance, hearing of +the circumstance, came forward and swore that he +was a relative of the deceased; and as this man +bore, or assumed, Mr. Slator's name, the case +was brought before one of those horrible tribunals, +presided over by a second Judge Jeffreys, and +calling itself a court of justice, but before whom +no coloured person, nor an abolitionist, was ever +known to get his full rights. + +A verdict was given in favour of the plaintiff, +whom the better portion of the community thought +had wilfully conspired to cheat the family. + +The heartless wretch not only took the ordi- +nary property, but actually had the aged and +friendless widow, and all her fatherless children, +except Frank, a fine young man about twenty-two +years of age, and Mary, a very nice girl, a little +younger than her brother, brought to the auction +stand and sold to the highest bidder. Mrs. Slator +had cash enough, that her husband and master left, +to purchase the liberty of herself and children; but +on her attempting to do so, the pusillanimous +scoundrel, who had robbed them of their freedom, +claimed the money as his property; and, poor +creature, she had to give it up. According to law, +as will be seen hereafter, a slave cannot own any- +thing. The old lady never recovered from her sad +affliction. + +At the sale she was brought up first, and after +being vulgarly criticised, in the presence of all her +distressed family, was sold to a cotton planter, who +said he wanted the "proud old critter to go to his +plantation, to look after the little woolly heads, +while their mammies were working in the field." + +When the sale was over, then came the separa- +tion, and + + +"O, deep was the anguish of that slave mother's heart, + When called from her darlings for ever to part; + The poor mourning mother of reason bereft, + Soon ended her sorrows, and sank cold in death." + + +Antoinette, the flower of the family, a girl who +was much beloved by all who knew her, for her +Christ-like piety, dignity of manner, as well as her +great talents and extreme beauty, was bought by +an uneducated and drunken salve-dealer. + +I cannot give a more correct description of the +scene, when she was called from her brother to the +stand, than will be found in the following lines-- + + + +"Why stands she near the auction stand? + That girl so young and fair; + What brings her to this dismal place? + Why stands she weeping there? + + Why does she raise that bitter cry? + Why hangs her head with shame, + As now the auctioneer's rough voice + So rudely calls her name! + +But see! she grasps a manly hand, + And in a voice so low, + As scarcely to be heard, she says, + "My brother, must I go?" + + A moment's pause: then, midst a wail + Of agonizing woe, + His answer falls upon the ear,-- + "Yes, sister, you must go! + + No longer can my arm defend, + No longer can I save + My sister from the horrid fate + That waits her as a SLAVE!" + + Blush, Christian, blush! for e'en the dark + Untutored heathen see + Thy inconsistency, and lo! + They scorn thy God, and thee!" + +The low trader said to a kind lady who wished +to purchase Antoinette out of his hands, "I +reckon I'll not sell the smart critter for ten thou- +sand dollars; I always wanted her for my own use." +The lady, wishing to remonstrate with him, com- +menced by saying, "You should remember, Sir, +that there is a just God." Hoskens not under- +standing Mrs. Huston, interrupted her by saying, +"I does, and guess its monstrous kind an' him to +send such likely niggers for our convenience." Mrs. +Huston finding that a long course of reckless +wickedness, drunkenness, and vice, had destroyed +in Hoskens every noble impulse, left him. + +Antoinette, poor girl, also seeing that there was +no help for her, became frantic. I can never forget +her cries of despair, when Hoskens gave the order +for her to be taken to his house, and locked in an +upper room. On Hoskens entering the apart- +ment, in a state of intoxication, a fearful struggle +ensued. The brave Antoinette broke loose from +him, pitched herself head foremost through the +window, and fell upon the pavement below. + +Her bruised but unpolluted body was soon picked +up--restoratives brought--doctor called in; but, +alas! it was too late: her pure and noble spirit had +fled away to be at rest in those realms of endless +bliss, "where the wicked cease from troubling, and +the weary are at rest." + +Antoinette like many other noble women who +are deprived of liberty, still + +"Holds something sacred, something undefiled; +Some pledge and keepsake of their higher nature. +And, like the diamond in the dark, retains +Some quenchless gleam of the celestial light." + + +On Hoskens fully realizing the fact that his +victim was no more, he exclaimed "By thunder I +am a used-up man!" The sudden disappointment, +and the loss of two thousand dollars, was more +than he could endure: so he drank more than ever, +and in a short time died, raving mad with delirium +tremens. + +The villain Slator said to Mrs. Huston, the kind +lady who endeavoured to purchase Antoinette from +Hoskens, "Nobody needn't talk to me 'bout +buying them ar likely niggers, for I'm not going to +sell em." "But Mary is rather delicate," said Mrs. +Huston, "and, being unaccustomed to hard work, +cannot do you much service on a plantation." "I +don't want her for the field," replied Slator, "but +for another purpose." Mrs. Huston understood +what this meant, and instantly exclaimed, "Oh, +but she is your cousin!" "The devil she is!" said +Slator; and added, "Do you mean to insult me, +Madam, by saying that I am related to niggers?" +"No," replied Mrs. Huston, "I do not wish to +offend you, Sir. But wasn't Mr. Slator, Mary's +father, your uncle?" "Yes, I calculate he was," +said Slator; "but I want you and everybody to +understand that I'm no kin to his niggers." "Oh, +very well," said Mrs. Huston; adding, "Now what +will you take for the poor girl?" "Nothin'," he +replied; "for, as I said before, I'm not goin' to +sell, so you needn't trouble yourself no more. +If the critter behaves herself, I'll do as well by her +as any man." + +Slator spoke up boldly, but his manner and +sheepish look clearly indicated that + + + +"His heart within him was at strife + With such accursed gains; + For he knew whose passions gave her life, + Whose blood ran in her veins." + +"The monster led her from the door, + He led her by the hand, + To be his slave and paramour + In a strange and distant land!" + + +Poor Frank and his sister were handcuffed to- +gether, and confined in prison. Their dear little +twin brother and sister were sold, and taken where +they knew not. But it often happens that mis- +fortune causes those whom we counted dearest to +shrink away; while it makes friends of those +whom we least expected to take any interest in our +affairs. Among the latter class Frank found two +comparatively new but faithful friends to watch the +gloomy paths of the unhappy little twins. + +In a day or two after the sale, Slator had two fast +horses put to a large light van, and placed in it +a good many small but valuable things belonging +to the distressed family. He also took with him +Frank and Mary, as well as all the money for the +spoil; and after treating all his low friends and +bystanders, and drinking deeply himself, he started +in high glee for his home in South Carolina. But +they had not proceeded many miles, before Frank +and his sister discovered that Slator was too +drunk to drive. But he, like most tipsy men, +thought he was all right; and as he had with him +some of the ruined family's best brandy and wine, +such as he had not been accustomed to, and being +a thirsty soul, he drank till the reins fell from his +fingers, and in attempting to catch them he +tumbled out of the vehicle, and was unable to get +up. Frank and Mary there and then contrived +a plan by which to escape. As they were still +handcuffed by one wrist each, they alighted, took +from the drunken assassin's pocket the key, undid +the iron bracelets, and placed them upon Slator, +who was better fitted to wear such ornaments. As +the demon lay unconscious of what was taking +place, Frank and Mary took from him the large +sum of money that was realized at the sale, as well +as that which Slator had so very meanly obtained +from their poor mother. They then dragged him +into the woods, tied him to a tree, and left the +inebriated robber to shift for himself, while they +made good their escape to Savannah. The fugitives +being white, of course no one suspected that they +were slaves. + +Slator was not able to call any one to his rescue +till late the next day; and as there were no rail- +roads in that part of the country at that time, it +was not until late the following day that Slator was +able to get a party to join him for the chase. A +person informed Slator that he had met a man and +woman, in a trap, answering to the description of +those whom he had lost, driving furiously towards +Savannah. So Slator and several slavehunters on +horseback started off in full tilt, with their blood- +hounds, in pursuit of Frank and Mary. + +On arriving at Savannah, the hunters found that +the fugitives had sold the horses and trap, and +embarked as free white persons, for New York. +Slator's disappointment and rascality so preyed +upon his base mind, that he, like Judas, went and +hanged himself. + +As soon as Frank and Mary were safe, they +endeavoured to redeem their good mother. But, +alas! she was gone; she had passed on to the +realm of spirit life. + +In due time Frank learned from his friends in +Georgia where his little brother and sister dwelt. +So he wrote at once to purchase them, but the +persons with whom they lived would not sell them. +After failing in several attempts to buy them, +Frank cultivated large whiskers and moustachios, +cut off his hair, put on a wig and glasses, and +went down as a white man, and stopped in the +neighbourhood where his sister was; and after see- +ing her and also his little brother, arrangements +were made for them to meet at a particular place +on a Sunday, which they did, and got safely off. + +I saw Frank myself, when he came for the little +twins. Though I was then quite a lad, I well +remember being highly delighted by hearing him +tell how nicely he and Mary had served Slator. + +Frank had so completely disguised or changed +his appearance that his little sister did not know +him, and would not speak till he showed their +mother's likeness; the sight of which melted her +to tears,--for she knew the face. Frank might +have said to her + + + +"'O, Emma! O, my sister, speak to me! + Dost thou not know me, that I am thy brother? + Come to me, little Emma, thou shalt dwell + With me henceforth, and know no care or want.' + Emma was silent for a space, as if + 'Twere hard to summon up a human voice." +Frank and Mary's mother was my wife's own +dear aunt. + +After this great diversion from our narrative, +which I hope dear reader, you will excuse, I shall +return at once to it. + +My wife was torn from her mother's embrace +in childhood, and taken to a distant part of the +country. She had seen so many other children +separated from their parents in this cruel man- +ner, that the mere thought of her ever becoming +the mother of a child, to linger out a miserable +existence under the wretched system of American +slavery, appeared to fill her very soul with horror; +and as she had taken what I felt to be an important +view of her condition, I did not, at first, press +the marriage, but agreed to assist her in trying to +devise some plan by which we might escape from +our unhappy condition, and then be married. + +We thought of plan after plan, but they all +seemed crowded with insurmountable difficulties. +We knew it was unlawful for any public convey- +ance to take us as passengers, without our master's +consent. We were also perfectly aware of the +startling fact, that had we left without this consent +the professional slave-hunters would have soon +had their ferocious bloodhounds baying on our +track, and in a short time we should have been +dragged back to slavery, not to fill the more favour- +able situations which we had just left, but to +be separated for life, and put to the very meanest +and most laborious drudgery; or else have been +tortured to death as examples, in order to strike +terror into the hearts of others, and thereby pre- +vent them from even attempting to escape from +their cruel taskmasters. It is a fact worthy of +remark, that nothing seems to give the slaveholders +so much pleasure as the catching and torturing of +fugitives. They had much rather take the keen and +poisonous lash, and with it cut their poor trembling +victims to atoms, than allow one of them to escape +to a free country, and expose the infamous system +from which he fled. + +The greatest excitement prevails at a slave-hunt. +The slaveholders and their hired ruffians appear to +take more pleasure in this inhuman pursuit than +English sportsmen do in chasing a fox or a stag. +Therefore, knowing what we should have been +compelled to suffer, if caught and taken back, +we were more than anxious to hit upon a plan +that would lead us safely to a land of liberty. + +But, after puzzling our brains for years, we were +reluctantly driven to the sad conclusion, that it +was almost impossible to escape from slavery in +Georgia, and travel 1,000 miles across the slave +States. We therefore resolved to get the consent +of our owners, be married, settle down in slavery, +and endeavour to make ourselves as comfortable +as possible under that system; but at the same +time ever to keep our dim eyes steadily fixed +upon the glimmering hope of liberty, and earnestly +pray God mercifully to assist us to escape from our +unjust thraldom. + +We were married, and prayed and toiled on till +December, 1848, at which time (as I have stated) +a plan suggested itself that proved quite success- +ful, and in eight days after it was first thought of +we were free from the horrible trammels of slavery, +and glorifying God who had brought us safely out +of a land of bondage. + +Knowing that slaveholders have the privilege +of taking their slaves to any part of the country +they think proper, it occurred to me that, as +my wife was nearly white, I might get her to +disguise herself as an invalid gentleman, and +assume to be my master, while I could attend as +his slave, and that in this manner we might effect +our escape. After I thought of the plan, I sug- +gested it to my wife, but at first she shrank from +the idea. She thought it was almost impossible +for her to assume that disguise, and travel a dis- +tance of 1,000 miles across the slave States. How- +ever, on the other hand, she also thought of her +condition. She saw that the laws under which we +lived did not recognize her to be a woman, but a +mere chattel, to be bought and sold, or otherwise +dealt with as her owner might see fit. Therefore +the more she contemplated her helpless condition, +the more anxious she was to escape from it. So +she said, "I think it is almost too much for us to +undertake; however, I feel that God is on our side, +and with his assistance, notwithstanding all the +difficulties, we shall be able to succeed. There- +fore, if you will purchase the disguise, I will try to +carry out the plan." + +But after I concluded to purchase the disguise, I +was afraid to go to any one to ask him to sell me +the articles. It is unlawful in Georgia for a white +man to trade with slaves without the master's con- +sent. But, notwithstanding this, many persons will +sell a slave any article that he can get the money +to buy. Not that they sympathize with the slave, +but merely because his testimony is not admitted +in court against a free white person. + +Therefore, with little difficulty I went to dif- +ferent parts of the town, at odd times, and purchased +things piece by piece, (except the trowsers which +she found necessary to make,) and took them home +to the house where my wife resided. She being +a ladies' maid, and a favourite slave in the family, +was allowed a little room to herself; and amongst +other pieces of furniture which I had made in my +overtime, was a chest of drawers; so when I took +the articles home, she locked them up carefully in +these drawers. No one about the premises knew +that she had anything of the kind. So when we +fancied we had everything ready the time was +fixed for the flight. But we knew it would not do +to start off without first getting our master's con- +sent to be away for a few days. Had we left with- +out this, they would soon have had us back into +slavery, and probably we should never have got +another fair opportunity of even attempting to +escape. + +Some of the best slaveholders will sometimes +give their favourite slaves a few days' holiday at +Christmas time; so, after no little amount of per- +severance on my wife's part, she obtained a pass +from her mistress, allowing her to be away for a +few days. The cabinet-maker with whom I worked +gave me a similar paper, but said that he needed +my services very much, and wished me to return as +soon as the time granted was up. I thanked him +kindly; but somehow I have not been able to make +it convenient to return yet; and, as the free air of +good old England agrees so well with my wife and our +dear little ones, as well as with myself, it is not at all +likely we shall return at present to the "peculiar in- +stitution" of chains and stripes. + +On reaching my wife's cottage she handed me +her pass, and I showed mine, but at that time +neither of us were able to read them. It is not only +unlawful for slaves to be taught to read, but in +some of the States there are heavy penalties at- +tached, such as fines and imprisonment, which will +be vigorously enforced upon any one who is humane +enough to violate the so-called law. + +The following case will serve to show how per- +sons are treated in the most enlightened slavehold- +ing community. + +"INDICTMENT. + +COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, } In the Circuit + + NORFOLK COUNTY, ss.} Court. The +Grand Jurors empannelled in the body of the said +County on their oath present, that Margaret Doug- +lass, being an evil disposed person, not having the +fear of God before her eyes, but moved and insti- +gated by the devil, wickedly, maliciously, and +feloniously, on the fourth day of July, in the year +of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty- +four, at Norfolk, in said County, did teach a certain +black girl named Kate to read in the Bible, to the +great displeasure of Almighty God, to the per- +nicious example of others in like case offending, +contrary to the form of the statute in such case made +and provided, and against the peace and dignity of +the Commonwealth of Virginia. + +"VICTOR VAGABOND, Prosecuting Attorney." + + +"On this indictment Mrs. Douglass was arraigned +as a necessary matter of form, tried, found guilty +of course; and Judge Scalaway, before whom she +was tried, having consulted with Dr. Adams, or- +dered the sheriff to place Mrs. Douglass in the +prisoner's box, when he addressed her as follows: +'Margaret Douglass, stand up. You are guilty of +one of the vilest crimes that ever disgraced society; +and the jury have found you so. You have taught +a slave girl to read in the Bible. No enlightened +society can exist where such offences go unpun- +ished. The Court, in your case, do not feel for you +one solitary ray of sympathy, and they will inflict +on you the utmost penalty of the law. In any +other civilized country you would have paid the +forfeit of your crime with your life, and the Court +have only to regret that such is not the law in +this country. The sentence for your offence is, +that you be imprisoned one month in the county +jail, and that you pay the costs of this prosecution. +Sheriff, remove the prisoner to jail.' On the pub- +lication of these proceedings, the Doctors of +Divinity preached each a sermon on the necessity +of obeying the laws; the New York Observer noticed +with much pious gladness a revival of religion on +Dr. Smith's plantation in Georgia, among his +slaves; while the Journal of Commerce commended +this political preaching of the Doctors of Divinity +because it favoured slavery. Let us do nothing to +offend our Southern brethren." + +However, at first, we were highly delighted at +the idea of having gained permission to be absent +for a few days; but when the thought flashed +across my wife's mind, that it was customary for +travellers to register their names in the visitors' +book at hotels, as well as in the clearance or +Custom-house book at Charleston, South Carolina +--it made our spirits droop within us. + +So, while sitting in our little room upon the +verge of despair, all at once my wife raised her +head, and with a smile upon her face, which was a +moment before bathed in tears, said, "I think +I have it!" I asked what it was. She said, "I +think I can make a poultice and bind up my right +hand in a sling, and with propriety ask the officers +to register my name for me." I thought that +would do. + +It then occurred to her that the smoothness of +her face might betray her; so she decided to make +another poultice, and put it in a white handkerchief +to be worn under the chin, up the cheeks, and to +tie over the head. This nearly hid the expression +of the countenance, as well as the beardless chin. + +The poultice is left off in the engraving, because +the likeness could not have been taken well with +it on. + +My wife, knowing that she would be thrown +a good deal into the company of gentlemen, fancied +that she could get on better if she had something +to go over the eyes; so I went to a shop and +bought a pair of green spectacles. This was in the +evening. + +We sat up all night discussing the plan, and +making preparations. Just before the time arrived, +in the morning, for us to leave, I cut off my wife's +hair square at the back of the head, and got her to +dress in the disguise and stand out on the floor. +I found that she made a most respectable looking +gentleman. + +My wife had no ambition whatever to assume +this disguise, and would not have done so had it +been possible to have obtained our liberty by more +simple means; but we knew it was not customary +in the South for ladies to travel with male servants; +and therefore, notwithstanding my wife's fair com- +plexion, it would have been a very difficult task for +her to have come off as a free white lady, with me as +her slave; in fact, her not being able to write +would have made this quite impossible. We knew +that no public conveyance would take us, or any +other slave, as a passenger, without our master's +consent. This consent could never be obtained to +pass into a free State. My wife's being muffled in +the poultices, &c., furnished a plausible excuse for +avoiding general conversation, of which most +Yankee travellers are passionately fond. + +There are a large number of free negroes residing +in the southern States; but in Georgia (and I +believe in all the slave States,) every coloured per- +son's complexion is prima facie evidence of his +being a slave; and the lowest villain in the country, +should he be a white man, has the legal power to +arrest, and question, in the most inquisitorial and +insulting manner, any coloured person, male or +female, that he may find at large, particularly at +night and on Sundays, without a written pass, +signed by the master or some one in authority; or +stamped free papers, certifying that the person is +the rightful owner of himself. + +If the coloured person refuses to answer ques- +tions put to him, he may be beaten, and his defend- +ing himself against this attack makes him an +outlaw, and if he be killed on the spot, the mur- +derer will be exempted from all blame; but after the +coloured person has answered the questions put to +him, in a most humble and pointed manner, he may +then be taken to prison; and should it turn out, +after further examination, that he was caught +where he had no permission or legal right to be, +and that he has not given what they term a satis- +factory account of himself, the master will have to +pay a fine. On his refusing to do this, the poor +slave may be legally and severely flogged by +public officers. Should the prisoner prove to be a +free man, he is most likely to be both whipped +and fined. + +The great majority of slaveholders hate this class +of persons with a hatred that can only be equalled +by the condemned spirits of the infernal regions. +They have no mercy upon, nor sympathy for, any +negro whom they cannot enslave. They say that +God made the black man to be a slave for the white, +and act as though they really believed that all free +persons of colour are in open rebellion to a direct +command from heaven, and that they (the whites) +are God's chosen agents to pour out upon them +unlimited vengeance. For instance, a Bill has +been introduced in the Tennessee Legislature to +prevent free negroes from travelling on the rail- +roads in that State. It has passed the first reading. +The bill provides that the President who shall +permit a free negro to travel on any road within +the jurisdiction of the State under his supervision +shall pay a fine of 500 dollars; any conductor +permitting a violation of the Act shall pay 250 +dollars; provided such free negro is not under the +control of a free white citizen of Tennessee, who +will vouch for the character of said free negro +in a penal bond of one thousand dollars. The +State of Arkansas has passed a law to banish all +free negroes from its bounds, and it came into effect +on the 1st day of January, 1860. Every free negro +found there after that date will be liable to be sold +into slavery, the crime of freedom being unpardon- +able. The Missouri Senate has before it a bill +providing that all free negroes above the age of +eighteen years who shall be found in the State after +September, 1860, shall be sold into slavery; and +that all such negroes as shall enter the State after +September, 1861, and remain there twenty-four +hours, shall also be sold into slavery for ever. Mis- +sissippi, Kentucky, and Georgia, and in fact, I be- +lieve, all the slave States, are legislating in the same +manner. Thus the slaveholders make it almost im- +possible for free persons of colour to get out of the +slave States, in order that they may sell them into +slavery if they don't go. If no white persons travelled +upon railroads except those who could get some one +to vouch for their character in a penal bond of one +thousand dollars, the railroad companies would soon +go to the "wall." Such mean legislation is too low +for comment; therefore I leave the villainous acts to +speak for themselves. + +But the Dred Scott decision is the crowning act +of infamous Yankee legislation. The Supreme Court, +the highest tribunal of the Republic, composed of +nine Judge Jeffries's, chosen both from the free and +slave States, has decided that no coloured person, +or persons of African extraction, can ever become a +citizen of the United States, or have any rights +which white men are bound to respect. That is to +say, in the opinion of this Court, robbery, rape, and +murder are not crimes when committed by a white +upon a coloured person. + +Judges who will sneak from their high and +honourable position down into the lowest depths of +human depravity, and scrape up a decision like this, +are wholly unworthy the confidence of any people. +I believe such men would, if they had the power, +and were it to their temporal interest, sell their +country's independence, and barter away every +man's birthright for a mess of pottage. Well +may Thomas Campbell say-- + + + +United States, your banner wears, + Two emblems,--one of fame, +Alas, the other that it bears + Reminds us of your shame! +The white man's liberty in types + Stands blazoned by your stars; +But what's the meaning of your stripes? + They mean your Negro-scars. + + +When the time had arrived for us to start, we +blew out the lights, knelt down, and prayed to our +Heavenly Father mercifully to assist us, as he did +his people of old, to escape from cruel bondage; and +we shall ever feel that God heard and answered our +prayer. Had we not been sustained by a kind, and +I sometimes think special, providence, we could +never have overcome the mountainous difficulties +which I am now about to describe. + +After this we rose and stood for a few moments +in breathless silence,--we were afraid that some one +might have been about the cottage listening and +watching our movements. So I took my wife by +the hand, stepped softly to the door, raised the latch, +drew it open, and peeped out. Though there were +trees all around the house, yet the foliage scarcely +moved; in fact, everything appeared to be as still +as death. I then whispered to my wife, "Come, my +dear, let us make a desperate leap for liberty!" But +poor thing, she shrank back, in a state of trepidation. +I turned and asked what was the matter; she made +no reply, but burst into violent sobs, and threw her +head upon my breast. This appeared to touch my +very heart, it caused me to enter into her feelings +more fully than ever. We both saw the many +mountainous difficulties that rose one after the +other before our view, and knew far too well what +our sad fate would have been, were we caught and +forced back into our slavish den. Therefore on my +wife's fully realizing the solemn fact that we had to +take our lives, as it were, in our hands, and contest +every inch of the thousand miles of slave territory +over which we had to pass, it made her heart almost +sink within her, and, had I known them at that +time, I would have repeated the following en- +couraging lines, which may not be out of place +here-- + + +"The hill, though high, I covet to ascend, +The DIFFICULTY WILL NOT ME OFFEND; +For I perceive the way to life lies here: +Come, pluck up heart, let's neither faint nor fear; +Better, though difficult, the right way to go,-- +Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe." + + +However, the sobbing was soon over, and after a +few moments of silent prayer she recovered her +self-possession, and said, "Come, William, it is +getting late, so now let us venture upon our peril- +ous journey." + +We then opened the door, and stepped as softly +out as "moonlight upon the water." I locked the +door with my own key, which I now have before me, +and tiptoed across the yard into the street. I say +tiptoed, because we were like persons near a totter- +ing avalanche, afraid to move, or even breathe freely, +for fear the sleeping tyrants should be aroused, and +come down upon us with double vengeance, for +daring to attempt to escape in the manner which +we contemplated. + +We shook hands, said farewell, and started in +different directions for the railway station. I took +the nearest possible way to the train, for fear I +should be recognized by some one, and got into the +negro car in which I knew I should have to ride; +but my MASTER (as I will now call my wife) took a +longer way round, and only arrived there with the +bulk of the passengers. He obtained a ticket +for himself and one for his slave to Savannah, the +first port, which was about two hundred miles off. +My master then had the luggage stowed away, and +stepped into one of the best carriages. + +But just before the train moved off I peeped +through the window, and, to my great astonishment, +I saw the cabinet-maker with whom I had worked so +long, on the platform. He stepped up to the ticket- +seller, and asked some question, and then com- +menced looking rapidly through the passengers, +and into the carriages. Fully believing that we +were caught, I shrank into a corner, turned my +face from the door, and expected in a moment to +be dragged out. The cabinet-maker looked into +my master's carriage, but did not know him in his +new attire, and, as God would have it, before he +reached mine the bell rang, and the train moved +off. + +I have heard since that the cabinet-maker had a pre- +sentiment that we were about to "make tracks for +parts unknown;" but, not seeing me, his suspicions +vanished, until he received the startling intelligence +that we had arrived freely in a free State. + +As soon as the train had left the platform, my +master looked round in the carriage, and was +terror-stricken to find a Mr. Cray--an old friend of +my wife's master, who dined with the family the +day before, and knew my wife from childhood-- +sitting on the same seat. + +The doors of the American railway carriages are +at the ends. The passengers walk up the aisle, and +take seats on either side; and as my master was +engaged in looking out of the window, he did not see +who came in. + +My master's first impression, after seeing Mr. +Cray, was, that he was there for the purpose of +securing him. However, my master thought it was +not wise to give any information respecting him- +self, and for fear that Mr. Cray might draw him +into conversation and recognise his voice, my +master resolved to feign deafness as the only means +of self-defence. + +After a little while, Mr. Cray said to my master, +"It is a very fine morning, sir." The latter took +no notice, but kept looking out of the window. +Mr. Cray soon repeated this remark, in a little +louder tone, but my master remained as before. +This indifference attracted the attention of the +passengers near, one of whom laughed out. This, +I suppose, annoyed the old gentleman; so he said, +"I will make him hear;" and in a loud tone of +voice repeated, "It is a very fine morning, sir." + +My master turned his head, and with a polite +bow said, "Yes," and commenced looking out of +the window again. + +One of the gentlemen remarked that it was a +very great deprivation to be deaf. "Yes," replied +Mr. Cray, "and I shall not trouble that fellow any +more." This enabled my master to breathe a little +easier, and to feel that Mr. Cray was not his pur- +suer after all. + +The gentlemen then turned the conversation +upon the three great topics of discussion in first- +class circles in Georgia, namely, Niggers, Cotton, +and the Abolitionists. + +My master had often heard of abolitionists, but +in such a connection as to cause him to think that +they were a fearful kind of wild animal. But he +was highly delighted to learn, from the gentle- +men's conversation, that the abolitionists were +persons who were opposed to oppression; and +therefore, in his opinion, not the lowest, but the +very highest, of God's creatures. + +Without the slightest objection on my master's +part, the gentlemen left the carriage at Gordon, +for Milledgeville (the capital of the State). + +We arrived at Savannah early in the evening, +and got into an omnibus, which stopped at the +hotel for the passengers to take tea. I stepped +into the house and brought my master something +on a tray to the omnibus, which took us in due +time to the steamer, which was bound for Charles- +ton, South Carolina. + +Soon after going on board, my master turned in; +and as the captain and some of the passengers +seemed to think this strange, and also questioned +me respecting him, my master thought I had better +get out the flannels and opodeldoc which we had +prepared for the rheumatism, warm them quickly by +the stove in the gentleman's saloon, and bring them +to his berth. We did this as an excuse for my +master's retiring to bed so early. + +While at the stove one of the passengers said to +me, "Buck, what have you got there?" "Opodel- +doc, sir," I replied. "I should think it's opo- +DEVIL," said a lanky swell, who was leaning back +in a chair with his heels upon the back of another, +and chewing tobacco as if for a wager; "it stinks +enough to kill or cure twenty men. Away with it, +or I reckon I will throw it overboard!" + +It was by this time warm enough, so I took it to +my master's berth, remained there a little while, +and then went on deck and asked the steward +where I was to sleep. He said there was no place +provided for coloured passengers, whether slave +or free. So I paced the deck till a late hour, +then mounted some cotton bags, in a warm place +near the funnel, sat there till morning, and then +went and assisted my master to get ready for +breakfast. + +He was seated at the right hand of the captain, +who, together with all the passengers, inquired very +kindly after his health. As my master had one +hand in a sling, it was my duty to carve his food. +But when I went out the captain said, "You have +a very attentive boy, sir; but you had better watch +him like a hawk when you get on to the North. +He seems all very well here, but he may act quite +differently there. I know several gentlemen who +have lost their valuable niggers among them d----d +cut-throat abolitionists." + +Before my master could speak, a rough slave- +dealer, who was sitting opposite, with both elbows +on the table, and with a large piece of broiled fowl +in his fingers, shook his head with emphasis, and in +a deep Yankee tone, forced through his crowded +mouth the words, "Sound doctrine, captain, very +sound." He then dropped the chicken into the plate, +leant back, placed his thumbs in the armholes of +his fancy waistcoat, and continued, "I would not +take a nigger to the North under no consideration. +I have had a deal to do with niggers in my time, +but I never saw one who ever had his heel upon +free soil that was worth a d----n." "Now +stranger," addressing my master, "if you have +made up your mind to sell that ere nigger, I +am your man; just mention your price, and if it +isn't out of the way, I will pay for him on this +board with hard silver dollars." This hard-featured, +bristly-bearded, wire-headed, red-eyed monster, +staring at my master as the serpent did at Eve, +said, "What do you say, stranger?" He replied, +"I don't wish to sell, sir; I cannot get on well with- +out him." + +"You will have to get on without him if you +take him to the North," continued this man; "for +I can tell ye, stranger, as a friend, I am an older +cove than you, I have seen lots of this ere world, +and I reckon I have had more dealings with niggers +than any man living or dead. I was once employed +by General Wade Hampton, for ten years, in doing +nothing but breaking 'em in; and everybody knows +that the General would not have a man that didn't +understand his business. So I tell ye, stranger, +again, you had better sell, and let me take him +down to Orleans. He will do you no good if you +take him across Mason's and Dixon's line; he is +a keen nigger, and I can see from the cut of his +eye that he is certain to run away." My master +said, "I think not, sir; I have great confidence in +his fidelity." "FiDEVIL," indignantly said the dealer, +as his fist came down upon the edge of the saucer +and upset a cup of hot coffee in a gentleman's lap. +(As the scalded man jumped up the trader quietly +said, "Don't disturb yourself, neighbour; accidents +will happen in the best of families.") "It always +makes me mad to hear a man talking about fidelity +in niggers. There isn't a d----d one on 'em who +wouldn't cut sticks, if he had half a chance." + +By this time we were near Charleston; my master +thanked the captain for his advice, and they all +withdrew and went on deck, where the trader +fancied he became quite eloquent. He drew a crowd +around him, and with emphasis said, "Cap'en, if I +was the President of this mighty United States of +America, the greatest and freest country under +the whole universe, I would never let no man, I +don't care who he is, take a nigger into the North +and bring him back here, filled to the brim, as he is +sure to be, with d----d abolition vices, to taint all +quiet niggers with the hellish spirit of running +away. These air, cap'en, my flat-footed, every day, +right up and down sentiments, and as this is a free +country, cap'en, I don't care who hears 'em; for I +am a Southern man, every inch on me to the back- +bone." "Good!" said an insignificant-looking +individual of the slave-dealer stamp. "Three cheers +for John C. Calhoun and the whole fair sunny +South!" added the trader. So off went their hats, +and out burst a terrific roar of irregular but con- +tinued cheering. My master took no more notice +of the dealer. He merely said to the captain that +the air on deck was too keen for him, and he would +therefore return to the cabin. + +While the trader was in the zenith of his elo- +quence, he might as well have said, as one of his +kit did, at a great Filibustering meeting, that +"When the great American Eagle gets one of his +mighty claws upon Canada and the other into +South America, and his glorious and starry wings +of liberty extending from the Atlantic to the +Pacific, oh! then, where will England be, ye gen- +tlemen? I tell ye, she will only serve as a pocket- +handkerchief for Jonathan to wipe his nose with." + +On my master entering the cabin he found at the +breakfast-table a young southern military officer, +with whom he had travelled some distance the pre- +vious day. + +After passing the usual compliments the conver- +sation turned upon the old subject,--niggers. + +The officer, who was also travelling with a man- +servant, said to my master, "You will excuse me, Sir, +for saying I think you are very likely to spoil your +boy by saying 'thank you' to him. I assure you, +sir, nothing spoils a slave so soon as saying, 'thank +you' and 'if you please' to him. The only way to +make a nigger toe the mark, and to keep him in his +place, is to storm at him like thunder, and keep +him trembling like a leaf. Don't you see, when I +speak to my Ned, he darts like lightning; and if +he didn't I'd skin him." + +Just then the poor dejected slave came in, +and the officer swore at him fearfully, merely to +teach my master what he called the proper way to +treat me. + +After he had gone out to get his master's lug- +gage ready, the officer said, "That is the way to +speak to them. If every nigger was drilled in this +manner, they would be as humble as dogs, and +never dare to run away. + +The gentleman urged my master not to go to +the North for the restoration of his health, but to +visit the Warm Springs in Arkansas. + +My master said, he thought the air of Phila- +delphia would suit his complaint best; and, not +only so, he thought he could get better advice +there. + +The boat had now reached the wharf. The +officer wished my master a safe and pleasant jour- +ney, and left the saloon. + +There were a large number of persons on the +quay waiting the arrival of the steamer: but we +were afraid to venture out for fear that some +one might recognize me; or that they had heard +that we were gone, and had telegraphed to have us +stopped. However, after remaining in the cabin +till all the other passengers were gone, we had our +luggage placed on a fly, and I took my master by +the arm, and with a little difficulty he hobbled on +shore, got in and drove off to the best hotel, which +John C. Calhoun, and all the other great southern +fire-eating statesmen, made their head-quarters while +in Charleston. + +On arriving at the house the landlord ran out +and opened the door: but judging, from the poul- +tices and green glasses, that my master was an +invalid, he took him very tenderly by one arm and +ordered his man to take the other. + +My master then eased himself out, and with +their assistance found no trouble in getting up the +steps into the hotel. The proprietor made me +stand on one side, while he paid my master the +attention and homage he thought a gentleman of +his high position merited. + +My master asked for a bed-room. The servant +was ordered to show a good one, into which we +helped him. The servant returned. My master +then handed me the bandages, I took them down- +stairs in great haste, and told the landlord my +master wanted two hot poultices as quickly as +possible. He rang the bell, the servant came in, to +whom he said, "Run to the kitchen and tell the +cook to make two hot poultices right off, for there +is a gentleman upstairs very badly off indeed!" + +In a few minutes the smoking poultices were +brought in. I placed them in white handker- +chiefs, and hurried upstairs, went into my master's +apartment, shut the door, and laid them on the +mantel-piece. As he was alone for a little while, +he thought he could rest a great deal better with +the poultices off. However, it was necessary to have +them to complete the remainder of the journey. +I then ordered dinner, and took my master's +boots out to polish them. While doing so I en- +tered into conversation with one of the slaves. I +may state here, that on the sea-coast of South +Carolina and Georgia the slaves speak worse Eng- +lish than in any other part of the country. This +is owing to the frequent importation, or smug- +gling in, of Africans, who mingle with the natives. +Consequently the language cannot properly be +called English or African, but a corruption of +the two. + +The shrewd son of African parents to whom I +referred said to me, "Say, brudder, way you come +from, and which side you goin day wid dat ar little +don up buckra" (white man)? + +I replied, "To Philadelphia." + +"What!" he exclaimed, with astonishment, "to +Philumadelphy?" + +"Yes," I said. + +"By squash! I wish I was going wid you! I +hears um say dat dare's no slaves way over in dem +parts; is um so?" + +I quietly said, "I have heard the same thing." + +"Well," continued he, as he threw down the +boot and brush, and, placing his hands in his +pockets, strutted across the floor with an air +of independence--"Gorra Mighty, dem is de parts +for Pompey; and I hope when you get dare you +will stay, and nebber follow dat buckra back +to dis hot quarter no more, let him be eber so +good." + +I thanked him; and just as I took the boots up +and started off, he caught my hand between his +two, and gave it a hearty shake, and, with tears +streaming down his cheeks, said:-- + +"God bless you, broder, and may de Lord be wid +you. When you gets de freedom, and sitin under +your own wine and fig-tree, don't forget to pray +for poor Pompey." + +I was afraid to say much to him, but I shall +never forget his earnest request, nor fail to do +what little I can to release the millions of unhappy +bondmen, of whom he was one. + +At the proper time my master had the poultices +placed on, came down, and seated himself at a table +in a very brilliant dining-room, to have his dinner. +I had to have something at the same time, in order +to be ready for the boat; so they gave me my +dinner in an old broken plate, with a rusty knife +and fork, and said, "Here, boy, you go in the +kitchen." I took it and went out, but did not +stay more than a few minutes, because I was in a +great hurry to get back to see how the invalid was +getting on. On arriving I found two or three +servants waiting on him; but as he did not feel able +to make a very hearty dinner, he soon finished, paid +the bill, and gave the servants each a trifle, which +caused one of them to say to me, "Your massa is +a big bug"--meaning a gentleman of distinction-- +"he is the greatest gentleman dat has been dis way +for dis six months." I said, "Yes, he is some +pumpkins," meaning the same as "big bug." + +When we left Macon, it was our intention to +take a steamer at Charleston through to Phila- +delphia; but on arriving there we found that the +vessels did not run during the winter, and I have +no doubt it was well for us they did not; for on the +very last voyage the steamer made that we intended +to go by, a fugitive was discovered secreted on +board, and sent back to slavery. However, as we +had also heard of the Overland Mail Route, we +were all right. So I ordered a fly to the door, had +the luggage placed on; we got in, and drove down +to the Custom-house Office, which was near the +wharf where we had to obtain tickets, to take a +steamer for Wilmington, North Carolina. When +we reached the building, I helped my master into +the office, which was crowded with passengers. +He asked for a ticket for himself and one for +his slave to Philadelphia. This caused the prin- +cipal officer--a very mean-looking, cheese-coloured +fellow, who was sitting there--to look up at us very +suspiciously, and in a fierce tone of voice he said +to me, "Boy, do you belong to that gentleman?" +I quickly replied, "Yes, sir" (which was quite +correct). The tickets were handed out, and as my +master was paying for them the chief man said to +him, "I wish you to register your name here, sir, +and also the name of your nigger, and pay a dollar +duty on him." + +My master paid the dollar, and pointing to the +hand that was in the poultice, requested the officer +to register his name for him. This seemed to +offend the "high-bred" South Carolinian. He +jumped up, shaking his head; and, cramming his +hands almost through the bottom of his trousers +pockets, with a slave-bullying air, said, "I shan't +do it." + +This attracted the attention of all the passengers. +Just then the young military officer with whom +my master travelled and conversed on the steamer +from Savannah stepped in, somewhat the worse for +brandy; he shook hands with my master, and pre- +tended to know all about him. He said, "I know +his kin (friends) like a book;" and as the officer +was known in Charleston, and was going to stop +there with friends, the recognition was very much +in my master's favor. + +The captain of the steamer, a good-looking, jovial +fellow, seeing that the gentleman appeared to know +my master, and perhaps not wishing to lose us as +passengers, said in an off-hand sailor-like manner, +"I will register the gentleman's name, and take +the responsibility upon myself." He asked my +master's name. He said, "William Johnson." The +names were put down, I think, "Mr. Johnson and +slave." The captain said, "It's all right now, Mr. +Johnson." He thanked him kindly, and the young +officer begged my master to go with him, and have +something to drink and a cigar; but as he had not +acquired these accomplishments, he excused him- +self, and we went on board and came off to Wil- +mington, North Carolina. When the gentleman +finds out his mistake, he will, I have no doubt, be +careful in future not to pretend to have an intimate +acquaintance with an entire stranger. During the +voyage the captain said, "It was rather sharp +shooting this morning, Mr. Johnson. It was not +out of any disrespect to you, sir; but they make it +a rule to be very strict at Charleston. I have +known families to be detained there with their +slaves till reliable information could be received +respecting them. If they were not very careful, +any d----d abolitionist might take off a lot of valuable +niggers." + +My master said, "I suppose so," and thanked +him again for helping him over the difficulty. + +We reached Wilmington the next morning, and +took the train for Richmond, Virginia. I have +stated that the American railway carriages (or cars, +as they are called), are constructed differently to +those in England. At one end of some of them, in +the South, there is a little apartment with a couch +on both sides for the convenience of families and +invalids; and as they thought my master was +very poorly, he was allowed to enter one of these +apartments at Petersburg, Virginia, where an old +gentleman and two handsome young ladies, his +daughters, also got in, and took seats in the same +carriage. But before the train started, the gentle- +man stepped into my car, and questioned me respect- +ing my master. He wished to know what was the +matter with him, where he was from, and where he +was going. I told him where he came from, and +said that he was suffering from a complication of +complaints, and was going to Philadelphia, where +he thought he could get more suitable advice than +in Georgia. + +The gentleman said my master could obtain the +very best advice in Philadelphia. Which turned +out to be quite correct, though he did not receive +it from physicians, but from kind abolitionists who +understood his case much better. The gentleman +also said, "I reckon your master's father hasn't any +more such faithful and smart boys as you." "O, +yes, sir, he has," I replied, "lots on 'em." Which +was literally true. This seemed all he wished to +know. He thanked me, gave me a ten-cent piece, +and requested me to be attentive to my good +master. I promised that I would do so, and have +ever since endeavoured to keep my pledge. During +the gentleman's absence, the ladies and my master +had a little cosy chat. But on his return, he said, +"You seem to be very much afflicted, sir." "Yes, +sir," replied the gentleman in the poultices. +"What seems to be the matter with you, sir; may +I be allowed to ask?" "Inflammatory rheumatism, +sir." "Oh! that is very bad, sir," said the kind +gentleman: "I can sympathise with you; for I know +from bitter experience what the rheumatism is." +If he did, he knew a good deal more than Mr. +Johnson. + +The gentleman thought my master would feel +better if he would lie down and rest himself; and as +he was anxious to avoid conversation, he at once +acted upon this suggestion. The ladies politely +rose, took their extra shawls, and made a nice +pillow for the invalid's head. My master wore a +fashionable cloth cloak, which they took and covered +him comfortably on the couch. After he had been +lying a little while the ladies, I suppose, thought +he was asleep; so one of them gave a long sigh, and +said, in a quiet fascinating tone, "Papa, he seems to +be a very nice young gentleman." But before papa +could speak, the other lady quickly said, "Oh! +dear me, I never felt so much for a gentleman in +my life!" To use an American expression, "they +fell in love with the wrong chap." + +After my master had been lying a little while he +got up, the gentleman assisted him in getting on +his cloak, the ladies took their shawls, and soon +they were all seated. They then insisted upon Mr. +Johnson taking some of their refreshments, which +of course he did, out of courtesy to the ladies. +All went on enjoying themselves until they reached +Richmond, where the ladies and their father left +the train. But, before doing so, the good old +Virginian gentleman, who appeared to be much +pleased with my master, presented him with a +recipe, which he said was a perfect cure for the +inflammatory rheumatism. But the invalid not +being able to read it, and fearing he should hold it +upside down in pretending to do so, thanked the +donor kindly, and placed it in his waistcoat pocket. +My master's new friend also gave him his card, and +requested him the next time he travelled that way +to do him the kindness to call; adding, "I shall be +pleased to see you, and so will my daughters." +Mr. Johnson expressed his gratitude for the prof- +fered hospitality, and said he should feel glad to +call on his return. I have not the slightest doubt +that he will fulfil the promise whenever that return +takes place. After changing trains we went on a +little beyond Fredericksburg, and took a steamer +to Washington. + +At Richmond, a stout elderly lady, whose whole +demeanour indicated that she belonged (as Mrs. +Stowe's Aunt Chloe expresses it) to one of the +"firstest families," stepped into the carriage, and +took a seat near my master. Seeing me passing +quickly along the platform, she sprang up as if +taken by a fit, and exclaimed, "Bless my soul! +there goes my nigger, Ned!" + +My master said, "No; that is my boy." + +The lady paid no attention to this; she poked +her head out of the window, and bawled to me, +"You Ned, come to me, sir, you runaway rascal!" + +On my looking round she drew her head in, and +said to my master, "I beg your pardon, sir, I was +sure it was my nigger; I never in my life saw two +black pigs more alike than your boy and my +Ned." + +After the disappointed lady had resumed her +seat, and the train had moved off, she closed her +eyes, slightly raising her hands, and in a sanctified +tone said to my master, "Oh! I hope, sir, your +boy will not turn out to be so worthless as my Ned +has. Oh! I was as kind to him as if he had been +my own son. Oh! sir, it grieves me very much to +think that after all I did for him he should go off +without having any cause whatever." + +"When did he leave you?" asked Mr. Johnson. + +"About eighteen months ago, and I have never +seen hair or hide of him since." + +"Did he have a wife?" enquired a very respect- +able-looking young gentleman, who was sitting near +my master and opposite to the lady. + +"No, sir; not when he left, though he did have +one a little before that. She was very unlike him; +she was as good and as faithful a nigger as any one +need wish to have. But, poor thing! she became +so ill, that she was unable to do much work; so I +thought it would be best to sell her, to go to New +Orleans, where the climate is nice and warm." + +"I suppose she was very glad to go South for the +restoration of her health?" said the gentleman. + +"No; she was not," replied the lady, "for +niggers never know what is best for them. She +took on a great deal about leaving Ned and the +little nigger; but, as she was so weakly, I let her +go." + +"Was she good-looking?" asked the young pas- +senger, who was evidently not of the same opinion +as the talkative lady, and therefore wished her to +tell all she knew. + +"Yes; she was very handsome, and much whiter +than I am; and therefore will have no trouble in +getting another husband. I am sure I wish her +well. I asked the speculator who bought her to +sell her to a good master. Poor thing! she has my +prayers, and I know she prays for me. She was a +good Christian, and always used to pray for my +soul. It was through her earliest prayers," con- +tinued the lady, "that I was first led to seek for- +giveness of my sins, before I was converted at the +great camp-meeting." + +This caused the lady to snuffle and to draw from +her pocket a richly embroidered handkerchief, and +apply it to the corner of her eyes. But my master +could not see that it was at all soiled. + +The silence which prevailed for a few moments +was broken by the gentleman's saying, "As your +'July' was such a very good girl, and had served +you so faithfully before she lost her health, don't +you think it would have been better to have eman- +cipated her?" + +"No, indeed I do not!" scornfully exclaimed +the lady, as she impatiently crammed the fine +handkerchief into a little work-bag. "I have no +patience with people who set niggers at liberty. It +is the very worst thing you can do for them. My +dear husband just before he died willed all his +niggers free. But I and all our friends knew very +well that he was too good a man to have ever +thought of doing such an unkind and foolish thing, +had he been in his right mind, and, therefore we +had the will altered as it should have been in the +first place." + +"Did you mean, madam," asked my master, +"that willing the slaves free was unjust to yourself, +or unkind to them?" + +"I mean that it was decidedly unkind to the +servants themselves. It always seems to me such +a cruel thing to turn niggers loose to shift for +themselves, when there are so many good masters +to take care of them. As for myself," continued +the considerate lady, "I thank the Lord my dear +husband left me and my son well provided for. +Therefore I care nothing for the niggers, on my +own account, for they are a great deal more trouble +than they are worth, I sometimes wish that there +was not one of them in the world; for the un- +grateful wretches are always running away. I have +lost no less than ten since my poor husband died. +It's ruinous, sir!" + +"But as you are well provided for, I suppose you +do not feel the loss very much," said the pas- +senger. + +"I don't feel it at all," haughtily continued the +good soul; "but that is no reason why property +should be squandered. If my son and myself had +the money for those valuable niggers, just see what a +great deal of good we could do for the poor, and in +sending missionaries abroad to the poor heathen, +who have never heard the name of our blessed Re- +deemer. My dear son who is a good Christian minis- +ter has advised me not to worry and send my soul +to hell for the sake of niggers; but to sell every +blessed one of them for what they will fetch, and go +and live in peace with him in New York. This I +have concluded to do. I have just been to Rich- +mond and made arrangements with my agent to +make clean work of the forty that are left." + +"Your son being a good Christian minister," +said the gentleman, "It's strange he did not advise +you to let the poor negroes have their liberty and +go North." + +"It's not at all strange, sir; it's not at all +strange. My son knows what's best for the nig- +gers; he has always told me that they were much +better off than the free niggers in the North. In +fact, I don't believe there are any white labouring +people in the world who are as well off as the +slaves." + +"You are quite mistaken, madam," said the +young man. "For instance, my own widowed +mother, before she died, emancipated all her slaves, +and sent them to Ohio, where they are getting +along well. I saw several of them last summer +myself." + +"Well," replied the lady, "freedom may do for +your ma's niggers, but it will never do for mine; +and, plague them, they shall never have it; that is +the word, with the bark on it." + +"If freedom will not do for your slaves," replied +the passenger, "I have no doubt your Ned and +the other nine negroes will find out their mistake, +and return to their old home. + +"Blast them!" exclaimed the old lady, with +great emphasis, "if I ever get them, I will cook +their infernal hash, and tan their accursed black +hides well for them! God forgive me," added the +old soul, "the niggers will make me lose all my +religion!" + +By this time the lady had reached her destination. +The gentleman got out at the next station beyond. +As soon as she was gone, the young Southerner +said to my master, "What a d----d shame it is for +that old whining hypocritical humbug to cheat +the poor negroes out of their liberty! If she has +religion, may the devil prevent me from ever being +converted!" + +For the purpose of somewhat disguising myself, +I bought and wore a very good second-hand white +beaver, an article which I had never indulged in +before. So just before we arrived at Washington, +an uncouth planter, who had been watching me +very closely, said to my master, "I reckon, stranger, +you are 'SPILING' that ere nigger of yourn, by letting +him wear such a devilish fine hat. Just look at the +quality on it; the President couldn't wear a better. +I should just like to go and kick it overboard." +His friend touched him, and said, "Don't speak so +to a gentleman." "Why not?" exclaimed the fellow. +He grated his short teeth, which appeared to be +nearly worn away by the incessant chewing of +tobacco, and said, "It always makes me itch all +over, from head to toe, to get hold of every d----d +nigger I see dressed like a white man. Washington +is run away with SPILED and free niggers. If I had +my way I would sell every d----d rascal of 'em way +down South, where the devil would be whipped out +on 'em." + +This man's fierce manner made my master feel +rather nervous, and therefore he thought the less +he said the better; so he walked off without +making any reply. In a few minutes we were +landed at Washington, where we took a conveyance +and hurried off to the train for Baltimore. + +We left our cottage on Wednesday morning, the +21st of December, 1848, and arrived at Baltimore, +Saturday evening, the 24th (Christmas Eve). +Baltimore was the last slave port of any note at +which we stopped. + +On arriving there we felt more anxious than +ever, because we knew not what that last dark +night would bring forth. It is true we were near +the goal, but our poor hearts were still as if tossed +at sea; and, as there was another great and dangerous +bar to pass, we were afraid our liberties would be +wrecked, and, like the ill-fated Royal Charter, go +down for ever just off the place we longed to reach. + +They are particularly watchful at Baltimore to +prevent slaves from escaping into Pennsylvania, +which is a free State. After I had seen my master +into one of the best carriages, and was just about +to step into mine, an officer, a full-blooded Yankee +of the lower order, saw me. He came quickly up, +and, tapping me on the shoulder, said in his un- +mistakable native twang, together with no little dis- +play of his authority, "Where are you going, boy?" +"To Philadelphia, sir," I humbly replied. "Well, +what are you going there for?" "I am travelling +with my master, who is in the next carriage, sir." +"Well, I calculate you had better get him out; and +be mighty quick about it, because the train will +soon be starting. It is against my rules to let any +man take a slave past here, unless he can satisfy +them in the office that he has a right to take him +along." + +The officer then passed on and left me standing +upon the platform, with my anxious heart apparently +palpitating in the throat. At first I scarcely knew +which way to turn. But it soon occurred to me +that the good God, who had been with us thus far, +would not forsake us at the eleventh hour. So +with renewed hope I stepped into my master's +carriage, to inform him of the difficulty. I found +him sitting at the farther end, quite alone. As soon +as he looked up and saw me, he smiled. I also tried +to wear a cheerful countenance, in order to break +the shock of the sad news. I knew what made him +smile. He was aware that if we were fortunate we +should reach our destination at five o'clock the next +morning, and this made it the more painful to com- +municate what the officer had said; but, as there +was no time to lose, I went up to him and asked +him how he felt. He said "Much better," and that +he thanked God we were getting on so nicely. +I then said we were not getting on quite so well +as we had anticipated. He anxiously and quickly +asked what was the matter. I told him. He +started as if struck by lightning, and exclaimed, +"Good Heavens! William, is it possible that we +are, after all, doomed to hopeless bondage?" I +could say nothing, my heart was too full to speak, +for at first I did not know what to do. However +we knew it would never do to turn back to the +"City of Destruction," like Bunyan's Mistrust and +Timorous, because they saw lions in the narrow +way after ascending the hill Difficulty; but press +on, like noble Christian and Hopeful, to the great +city in which dwelt a few "shining ones." So, after +a few moments, I did all I could to encourage my +companion, and we stepped out and made for the +office; but how or where my master obtained +sufficient courage to face the tyrants who had +power to blast all we held dear, heaven only +knows! Queen Elizabeth could not have been +more terror-stricken, on being forced to land at +the traitors' gate leading to the Tower, than we +were on entering that office. We felt that our +very existence was at stake, and that we must +either sink or swim. But, as God was our present +and mighty helper in this as well as in all former +trials, we were able to keep our heads up and press +forwards. + +On entering the room we found the principal +man, to whom my master said, "Do you wish to +see me, sir?" "Yes," said this eagle-eyed officer; +and he added, "It is against our rules, sir, to allow +any person to take a slave out of Baltimore into +Philadelphia, unless he can satisfy us that he has a +right to take him along." "Why is that?" asked +my master, with more firmness than could be +expected. "Because, sir," continued he, in a voice +and manner that almost chilled our blood, "if we +should suffer any gentleman to take a slave past +here into Philadelphia; and should the gentleman +with whom the slave might be travelling turn out +not to be his rightful owner; and should the proper +master come and prove that his slave escaped on +our road, we shall have him to pay for; and, +therefore, we cannot let any slave pass here without +receiving security to show, and to satisfy us, that it +is all right." + +This conversation attracted the attention of the +large number of bustling passengers. After the +officer had finished, a few of them said, "Chit, chit, +chit;" not because they thought we were slaves +endeavouring to escape, but merely because they +thought my master was a slaveholder and invalid +gentleman, and therefore it was wrong to detain +him. The officer, observing that the passengers +sympathised with my master, asked him if he was +not acquainted with some gentleman in Baltimore +that he could get to endorse for him, to show that +I was his property, and that he had a right to take +me off. He said, "No;" and added, "I bought +tickets in Charleston to pass us through to Phila- +delphia, and therefore you have no right to detain +us here." "Well, sir," said the man, indignantly, +"right or no right, we shan't let you go." These +sharp words fell upon our anxious hearts like the +crack of doom, and made us feel that hope only +smiles to deceive. + +For a few moments perfect silence prevailed. My +master looked at me, and I at him, but neither of +us dared to speak a word, for fear of making some +blunder that would tend to our detection. We +knew that the officers had power to throw us into +prison, and if they had done so we must have been +detected and driven back, like the vilest felons, to +a life of slavery, which we dreaded far more than +sudden death. + +We felt as though we had come into deep waters +and were about being overwhelmed, and that the +slightest mistake would clip asunder the last brittle +thread of hope by which we were suspended, and +let us down for ever into the dark and horrible +pit of misery and degradation from which we were +straining every nerve to escape. While our hearts +were crying lustily unto Him who is ever ready and +able to save, the conductor of the train that we had +just left stepped in. The officer asked if we came +by the train with him from Washington; he said +we did, and left the room. Just then the bell rang +for the train to leave; and had it been the sudden +shock of an earthquake it could not have given +us a greater thrill. The sound of the bell caused +every eye to flash with apparent interest, and to +be more steadily fixed upon us than before. But, +as God would have it, the officer all at once thrust +his fingers through his hair, and in a state of great +agitation said, "I really don't know what to do; I +calculate it is all right." He then told the clerk +to run and tell the conductor to "let this gentleman +and slave pass;" adding, "As he is not well, it is +a pity to stop him here. We will let him go." +My master thanked him, and stepped out and +hobbled across the platform as quickly as pos- +sible. I tumbled him unceremoniously into one of +the best carriages, and leaped into mine just as +the train was gliding off towards our happy desti- +nation. + +We thought of this plan about four days before +we left Macon; and as we had our daily employ- +ment to attend to, we only saw each other at night. +So we sat up the four long nights talking over the +plan and making preparations. + +We had also been four days on the journey; +and as we travelled night and day, we got but +very limited opportunities for sleeping. I believe +nothing in the world could have kept us awake so +long but the intense excitement, produced by the +fear of being retaken on the one hand, and the +bright anticipation of liberty on the other. + +We left Baltimore about eight o'clock in the +evening; and not being aware of a stopping- +place of any consequence between there and Phila- +delphia, and also knowing that if we were fortu- +nate we should be in the latter place early the +next morning, I thought I might indulge in a +few minutes' sleep in the car; but I, like Bunyan's +Christian in the arbour, went to sleep at the wrong +time, and took too long a nap. So, when the train +reached Havre de Grace, all the first-class pas- +sengers had to get out of the carriages and into +a ferry-boat, to be ferried across the Susquehanna +river, and take the train on the opposite side. + +The road was constructed so as to be raised or +lowered to suit the tide. So they rolled the luggage- +vans on to the boat, and off on the other side; and +as I was in one of the apartments adjoining a bag- +gage-car, they considered it unnecessary to awaken +me, and tumbled me over with the luggage. But +when my master was asked to leave his seat, he found +it very dark, and cold, and raining. He missed me +for the first time on the journey. On all previous +occasions, as soon as the train stopped, I was at +hand to assist him. This caused many slaveholders +to praise me very much: they said they had never +before seen a slave so attentive to his master: and +therefore my absence filled him with terror and +confusion; the children of Israel could not have +felt more troubled on arriving at the Red Sea. +So he asked the conductor if he had seen anything +of his slave. The man being somewhat of an abo- +litionist, and believing that my master was really +a slaveholder, thought he would tease him a little +respecting me. So he said, "No, sir; I haven't +seen anything of him for some time: I have no +doubt he has run away, and is in Philadelphia, free, +long before now." My master knew that there +was nothing in this; so he asked the conductor if +he would please to see if he could find me. The +man indignantly replied, "I am no slave-hunter; +and as far as I am concerned everybody must look +after their own niggers." He went off and left +the confused invalid to fancy whatever he felt in- +clined. My master at first thought I must have +been kidnapped into slavery by some one, or left, +or perhaps killed on the train. He also thought +of stopping to see if he could hear anything of me, +but he soon remembered that he had no money. +That night all the money we had was consigned to +my own pocket, because we thought, in case there +were any pickpockets about, a slave's pocket would +be the last one they would look for. However, +hoping to meet me some day in a land of liberty, +and as he had the tickets, he thought it best +upon the whole to enter the boat and come off to +Philadelphia, and endeavour to make his way alone +in this cold and hollow world as best he could. +The time was now up, so he went on board and +came across with feelings that can be better +imagined than described. + +After the train had got fairly on the way to +Philadelphia, the guard came into my car and gave +me a violent shake, and bawled out at the same time, +"Boy, wake up!" I started, almost frightened out +of my wits. He said, "Your master is scared half +to death about you." That frightened me still +more--I thought they had found him out; so I +anxiously inquired what was the matter. The +guard said, "He thinks you have run away from +him." This made me feel quite at ease. I said, +"No, sir; I am satisfied my good master doesn't +think that." So off I started to see him. He had +been fearfully nervous, but on seeing me he at once +felt much better. He merely wished to know what +had become of me. + +On returning to my seat, I found the conductor +and two or three other persons amusing themselves +very much respecting my running away. So the +guard said, "Boy, what did your master want?"* +I replied, "He merely wished to know what had +become of me." "No," said the man, "that was +not it; he thought you had taken French leave, +for parts unknown. I never saw a fellow so badly +scared about losing his slave in my life. Now," +continued the guard, "let me give you a little +friendly advice. When you get to Philadelphia, +run away and leave that cripple, and have your +liberty." "No, sir," I indifferently replied, "I +can't promise to do that." "Why not?" said the + + +* I may state here that every man slave is called boy till he +is very old, then the more respectable slaveholders call him +uncle. The women are all girls till they are aged, then they +are called aunts. This is the reason why Mrs. Stowe calls her +characters Uncle Tom, Aunt Chloe, Uncle Tiff, &c. +conductor, evidently much surprised; "don't you +want your liberty?" "Yes, sir," I replied; "but +I shall never run away from such a good master as +I have at present." + +One of the men said to the guard, "Let him +alone; I guess he will open his eyes when he gets +to Philadelphia, and see things in another light." +After giving me a good deal of information, which +I afterwards found to be very useful, they left me +alone. + +I also met with a coloured gentleman on this +train, who recommended me to a boarding-house +that was kept by an abolitionist, where he thought +I would be quite safe, if I wished to run away +from my master. I thanked him kindly, but of +course did not let him know who we were. Late +at night, or rather early in the morning, I heard +a fearful whistling of the steam-engine; so I +opened the window and looked out, and saw a +large number of flickering lights in the distance, +and heard a passenger in the next carriage-- +who also had his head out of the window--say to +his companion, "Wake up, old horse, we are at +Philadelphia!" + +The sight of those lights and that announce- +ment made me feel almost as happy as Bunyan's +Christian must have felt when he first caught sight +of the cross. I, like him, felt that the straps that +bound the heavy burden to my back began to +pop, and the load to roll off. I also looked, and +looked again, for it appeared very wonderful to me +how the mere sight of our first city of refuge should +have all at once made my hitherto sad and heavy +heart become so light and happy. As the train +speeded on, I rejoiced and thanked God with all +my heart and soul for his great kindness and tender +mercy, in watching over us, and bringing us safely +through. + +As soon as the train had reached the platform, +before it had fairly stopped, I hurried out of my +carriage to my master, whom I got at once into a +cab, placed the luggage on, jumped in myself, and +we drove off to the boarding-house which was so +kindly recommended to me. On leaving the station, +my master--or rather my wife, as I may now say-- +who had from the commencement of the journey +borne up in a manner that much surprised us both, +grasped me by the hand, and said, "Thank God, +William, we are safe!" and then burst into tears, leant +upon me, and wept like a child. The reaction +was fearful. So when we reached the house, she +was in reality so weak and faint that she could +scarcely stand alone. However, I got her into the +apartments that were pointed out, and there we +knelt down, on this Sabbath, and Christmas-day,--a +day that will ever be memorable to us,--and poured +out our heartfelt gratitude to God, for his good- +ness in enabling us to overcome so many perilous +difficulties, in escaping out of the jaws of the +wicked. + + + + + +PART II. + +-------------- + + +AFTER my wife had a little recovered herself, +she threw off the disguise and assumed her own +apparel. We then stepped into the sitting-room, and +asked to see the landlord. The man came in, but +he seemed thunderstruck on finding a fugitive +slave and his wife, instead of a "young cotton planter +and his nigger." As his eyes travelled round the +room, he said to me, "Where is your master?" I +pointed him out. The man gravely replied, "I am +not joking, I really wish to see your master." I +pointed him out again, but at first he could not +believe his eyes; he said "he knew that was not +the gentleman that came with me." + +But, after some conversation, we satisfied him +that we were fugitive slaves, and had just escaped +in the manner I have described. We asked him if +he thought it would be safe for us to stop in Phila- +delphia. He said he thought not, but he would +call in some persons who knew more about the +laws than himself. He then went out, and kindly +brought in several of the leading abolitionists of +the city, who gave us a most hearty and friendly +welcome amongst them. As it was in December, +and also as we had just left a very warm climate, +they advised us not to go to Canada as we had +intended, but to settle at Boston in the United +States. It is true that the constitution of the Re- +public has always guaranteed the slaveholders the +right to come into any of the so-called free States, +and take their fugitives back to southern Egypt. +But through the untiring, uncompromising, and +manly efforts of Mr. Garrison, Wendell Phillips, +Theodore Parker, and a host of other noble aboli- +tionists of Boston and the neighbourhood, public +opinion in Massachusetts had become so much +opposed to slavery and to kidnapping, that it was +almost impossible for any one to take a fugitive +slave out of that State. + +So we took the advice of our good Philadelphia +friends, and settled at Boston. I shall have some- +thing to say about our sojourn there presently. + +Among other friends we met with at Philadel- +phia, was Robert Purves, Esq., a well educated and +wealthy coloured gentleman, who introduced us to +Mr. Barkley Ivens, a member of the Society of +Friends, and a noble and generous-hearted farmer, +who lived at some distance in the country. + +This good Samaritan at once invited us to go and +stop quietly with his family, till my wife could +somewhat recover from the fearful reaction of the +past journey. We most gratefully accepted the +invitation, and at the time appointed we took a +steamer to a place up the Delaware river, where our +new and dear friend met us with his snug little +cart, and took us to his happy home. This was the +first act of great and disinterested kindness we +had ever received from a white person. + +The gentleman was not of the fairest complexion, +and therefore, as my wife was not in the room +when I received the information respecting him +and his anti-slavery character, she thought of +course he was a quadroon like herself. But on +arriving at the house, and finding out her mistake, +she became more nervous and timid than ever. + +As the cart came into the yard, the dear good +old lady, and her three charming and affectionate +daughters, all came to the door to meet us. We got +out, and the gentleman said, "Go in, and make +yourselves at home; I will see after the baggage." +But my wife was afraid to approach them. She +stopped in the yard, and said to me, "William, I +thought we were coming among coloured people?" I +replied, "It is all right; these are the same." "No," +she said, "it is not all right, and I am not going to +stop here; I have no confidence whatever in white +people, they are only trying to get us back to +slavery." She turned round and said, "I am +going right off." The old lady then came out, with +her sweet, soft, and winning smile, shook her heartily +by the hand, and kindly said, "How art thou, my +dear? We are all very glad to see thee and thy +husband. Come in, to the fire; I dare say thou art +cold and hungry after thy journey." + +We went in, and the young ladies asked if she +would like to go upstairs and "fix" herself before +tea. My wife said, "No, I thank you; I shall only +stop a little while." "But where art thou going +this cold night?" said Mr. Ivens, who had just +stepped in. "I don't know," was the reply. "Well, +then," he continued, "I think thou hadst better +take off thy things and sit near the fire; tea will +soon be ready. "Yes, come, Ellen," said Mrs. Ivens, +"let me assist thee;" (as she commenced undoing +my wife's bonnet-strings;) "don't be frightened, +Ellen, I shall not hurt a single hair of thy head. +We have heard with much pleasure of the marvel- +lous escape of thee and thy husband, and deeply +sympathise with thee in all that thou hast under- +gone. I don't wonder at thee, poor thing, being +timid; but thou needs not fear us; we would as +soon send one of our own daughters into slavery as +thee; so thou mayest make thyself quite at ease!" +These soft and soothing words fell like balm upon +my wife's unstrung nerves, and melted her to +tears; her fears and prejudices vanished, and from +that day she has firmly believed that there are good +and bad persons of every shade of complexion. + +After seeing Sally Ann and Jacob, two coloured +domestics, my wife felt quite at home. After par- +taking of what Mrs. Stowe's Mose and Pete called +a "busting supper," the ladies wished to know +whether we could read. On learning we could not, +they said if we liked they would teach us. To +this kind offer, of course, there was no objection. +But we looked rather knowingly at each other, as +much as to say that they would have rather a hard +task to cram anything into our thick and matured +skulls. + +However, all hands set to and quickly cleared +away the tea-things, and the ladies and their good +brother brought out the spelling and copy books +and slates, &c., and commenced with their new and +green pupils. We had, by stratagem, learned the +alphabet while in slavery, but not the writing cha- +racters; and, as we had been such a time learning +so little, we at first felt that it was a waste of +time for any one at our ages to undertake to learn +to read and write. But, as the ladies were so anx- +ious that we should learn, and so willing to teach +us, we concluded to give our whole minds to the +work, and see what could be done. By so doing, +at the end of the three weeks we remained with the +good family we could spell and write our names +quite legibly. They all begged us to stop longer; +but, as we were not safe in the State of Pennsylvania, +and also as we wished to commence doing some- +thing for a livelihood, we did not remain. + +When the time arrived for us to leave for Boston, +it was like parting with our relatives. We have +since met with many very kind and hospitable +friends, both in America and England; but we have +never been under a roof where we were made to +feel more at home, or where the inmates took a +deeper interest in our well-being, than Mr. Barkley +Ivens and his dear family. May God ever bless +them, and preserve each one from every reverse +of fortune! + +We finally, as I have stated, settled at Boston, +where we remained nearly two years, I employed as +cabinet-maker and furniture broker, and my wife at +her needle; and, as our little earnings in slavery +were not all spent on the journey, we were getting +on very well, and would have made money, if we had +not been compelled by the General Government, at +the bidding of the slaveholders, to break up busi- +ness, and fly from under the Stars and Stripes to +save our liberties and our lives. + +In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave +Bill, an enactment too infamous to have been +thought of or tolerated by any people in the world, +except the unprincipled and tyrannical Yankees. +The following are a few of the leading features of +the above law; which requires, under heavy penal- +ties, that the inhabitants of the FREE States should +not only refuse food and shelter to a starving, +hunted human being, but also should assist, if +called upon by the authorities, to seize the unhappy +fugitive and send him back to slavery. + +In no case is a person's evidence admitted in +Court, in defence of his liberty, when arrested +under this law. + +If the judge decides that the prisoner is a slave, +he gets ten dollars; but if he sets him at liberty, he +only receives five. + +After the prisoner has been sentenced to slavery, +he is handed over to the United States Marshal, +who has the power, at the expense of the General +Government, to summon a sufficient force to take +the poor creature back to slavery, and to the lash, +from which he fled. + +Our old masters sent agents to Boston after us. +They took out warrants, and placed them in the +hands of the United States Marshal to execute. +But the following letter from our highly esteemed +and faithful friend, the Rev. Samuel May, of Bos- +ton, to our equally dear and much lamented friend, +Dr. Estlin of Bristol, will show why we were not +taken into custody. + + + +"21, Cornhill, Boston, +"November 6th, 1850. + +"My dear Mr Estlin, + +"I trust that in God's good providence this letter +will be handed to you in safety by our good friends, +William and Ellen Craft. They have lived amongst +us about two years, and have proved themselves worthy, +in all respects, of our confidence and regard. +The laws of this republican and Christian land +(tell it not in Moscow, nor in Constantinople) +regard them only as slaves--chattels-- +personal property. But they nobly vindicated their +title and right to freedom, two years since, by win- +ning their way to it; at least, so they thought. +But now, the slave power, with the aid of Daniel +Webster and a band of lesser traitors, has enacted +a law, which puts their dearly-bought liberties in +the most imminent peril; holds out a strong temp- +tation to every mercenary and unprincipled ruffian +to become their kidnapper; and has stimulated the +slaveholders generally to such desperate acts for +the recovery of their fugitive property, as have +never before been enacted in the history of this +government. + +"Within a fortnight, two fellows from Macon, +Georgia, have been in Boston for the purpose of +arresting our friends William and Ellen. A writ +was served against them from the United States +District Court; but it was not served by the United +States Marshal; why not, is not certainly known: +perhaps through fear, for a general feeling of indig- +nation, and a cool determination not to allow this +young couple to be taken from Boston into slavery, +was aroused, and pervaded the city. It is under- +stood that one of the judges told the Marshal that +he would not be authorised in breaking the door of +Craft's house. Craft kept himself close within the +house, armed himself, and awaited with remarkable +composure the event. Ellen, in the meantime, had +been taken to a retired place out of the city. The +Vigilance Committee (appointed at a late meeting +in Fanueil Hall) enlarged their numbers, held an +almost permanent session, and appointed various sub- +committees to act in different ways. One of these +committees called repeatedly on Messrs. Hughes +and Knight, the slave-catchers, and requested and +advised them to leave the city. At first they +peremptorily refused to do so, ''till they got hold of +the niggers.' On complaint of different persons, +these two fellows were several times arrested, car- +ried before one of our county courts, and held to +bail on charges of 'conspiracy to kidnap,' and of +'defamation,' in calling William and Ellen 'SLAVES.' +At length, they became so alarmed, that they +left the city by an indirect route, evading the +vigilance of many persons who were on the look-out +for them. Hughes, at one time, was near losing +his life at the hands of an infuriated coloured man. +While these men remained in the city, a prominent +whig gentleman sent word to William Craft, that +if he would submit peaceably to an arrest, he and +his wife should be bought from their owners, cost +what it might. Craft replied, in effect, that he was +in a measure the representative of all the other +fugitives in Boston, some 200 or 300 in number; +that, if he gave up, they would all be at the mercy +of the slave-catchers, and must fly from the city at +any sacrifice; and that, if his freedom could be +bought for two cents, he would not consent to com- +promise the matter in such a way. This event has +stirred up the slave spirit of the country, south and +north; the United States government is determined +to try its hand in enforcing the Fugitive Slave law; +and William and Ellen Craft would be prominent +objects of the slaveholders' vengeance. Under +these circumstances, it is the almost unanimous +opinion of their best friends, that they should quit +America as speedily as possible, and seek an asylum +in England! Oh! shame, shame upon us, that +Americans, whose fathers fought against Great Bri- +tain, in order to be FREE, should have to acknow- +ledge this disgraceful fact! God gave us a fair and +goodly heritage in this land, but man has cursed it +with his devices and crimes against human souls +and human rights. Is America the 'land of the +free, and the home of the brave?' God knows it +is not; and we know it too. A brave young man +and a virtuous young woman must fly the American +shores, and seek, under the shadow of the British +throne, the enjoyment of 'life, liberty, and the pur- +suit of happiness.' + +"But I must pursue my plain, sad story. All +day long, I have been busy planning a safe way for +William and Ellen to leave Boston. We dare not allow +them to go on board a vessel, even in the port of +Boston; for the writ is yet in the Marshal's hands, +and he MAY be waiting an opportunity to serve it; +so I am expecting to accompany them to-morrow to +Portland, Maine, which is beyond the reach of the +Marshal's authority; and there I hope to see them +on board a British steamer. + +"This letter is written to introduce them to you. +I know your infirm health; but I am sure, if you +were stretched on your bed in your last illness, and +could lift your hand at all, you would extend it to +welcome these poor hunted fellow-creatures. Hence- +forth, England is their nation and their home. It +is with real regret for our personal loss in their de- +parture, as well as burning shame for the land that +is not worthy of them, that we send them away, or +rather allow them to go. But, with all the resolute +courage they have shown in a most trying hour, +they themselves see it is the part of a foolhardy +rashness to attempt to stay here longer. + +"I must close; and with many renewed thanks +for all your kind words and deeds towards us, + +"I am, very respectfully yours, + +"SAMUEL MAY, JUN." + + + +Our old masters, having heard how their agents +were treated at Boston, wrote to Mr. Filmore, who +was then President of the States, to know what +he could do to have us sent back to slavery. Mr. +Filmore said that we should be returned. He gave +instructions for military force to be sent to Boston +to assist the officers in making the arrest. There- +fore we, as well as our friends (among whom was +George Thompson, Esq., late M.P. for the Tower +Hamlets--the slave's long-tried, self-sacrificing +friend, and eloquent advocate) thought it best, at +any sacrifice, to leave the mock-free Republic, and +come to a country where we and our dear little +ones can be truly free.--"No one daring to molest +or make us afraid." But, as the officers were +watching every vessel that left the port to +prevent us from escaping, we had to take +the expensive and tedious overland route to +Halifax. + +We shall always cherish the deepest feelings of +gratitude to the Vigilance Committee of Boston +(upon which were many of the leading abolitionists), +and also to our numerous friends, for the very +kind and noble manner in which they assisted +us to preserve our liberties and to escape from +Boston, as it were like Lot from Sodom, to a place +of refuge, and finally to this truly free and glorious +country; where no tyrant, let his power be ever so +absolute over his poor trembling victims at home, +dare come and lay violent hands upon us or upon +our dear little boys (who had the good fortune to +be born upon British soil), and reduce us to the +legal level of the beast that perisheth. Oh! may +God bless the thousands of unflinching, disin- +terested abolitionists of America, who are labouring +through evil as well as through good report, to +cleanse their country's escutcheon from the foul +and destructive blot of slavery, and to restore to +every bondman his God-given rights; and may God +ever smile upon England and upon England's good, +much-beloved, and deservedly-honoured Queen, for +the generous protection that is given to unfortunate +refugees of every rank, and of every colour and +clime. + +On the passing of the Fugitive Slave Bill, the +following learned doctors, as well as a host of lesser +traitors, came out strongly in its defence. + +The Rev. Dr. Gardiner Spring, an eminent +Presbyterian Clergyman of New York, well known +in this country by his religious publications, +declared from the pulpit that, "if by one prayer he +could liberate every slave in the world he would not +dare to offer it." + +The Rev. Dr. Joel Parker, of Philadelphia, in the +course of a discussion on the nature of Slavery, +says, "What, then, are the evils inseparable from +slavery? There is not one that is not equally +inseparable from depraved human nature in other +lawful relations." + +The Rev. Moses Stuart, D.D., (late Professor in +the Theological College of Andover), in his vindi- +cation of this Bill, reminds his readers that "many +Southern slaveholders are true CHRISTIANS." That +"sending back a fugitive to them is not like restor- +ing one to an idolatrous people." That "though +we may PITY the fugitive, yet the Mosaic Law does +not authorize the rejection of the claims of the +slaveholders to their stolen or strayed PROPERTY." + +The Rev. Dr. Spencer, of Brooklyn, New York, +has come forward in support of the "Fugitive +Slave Bill," by publishing a sermon entitled the +"Religious Duty of Obedience to the Laws," which +has elicited the highest encomiums from Dr. +Samuel H. Cox, the Presbyterian minister of +Brooklyn (notorious both in this country and +America for his sympathy with the slaveholder). + +The Rev. W. M. Rogers, an orthodox minister +of Boston, delivered a sermon in which he +says, "When the slave asks me to stand be- +tween him and his master, what does he ask? +He asks me to murder a nation's life; and I +will not do it, because I have a conscience,-- +because there is a God." He proceeds to affirm +that if resistance to the carrying out of the "Fugi- +tive Slave Law" should lead the magistracy to +call the citizens to arms, their duty was to obey +and "if ordered to take human life, in the name of +God to take it;" and he concludes by admonishing +the fugitives to "hearken to the Word of God, and +to count their own masters worthy of all honour." + +The Rev. William Crowell, of Waterfield, State +of Maine, printed a Thanksgiving Sermon of the +same kind, in which he calls upon his hearers not +to allow "excessive sympathies for a few hundred +fugitives to blind them so that they may risk +increased suffering to the millions already in +chains." + +The Rev. Dr. Taylor, an Episcopal Clergyman of +New Haven, Connecticut, made a speech at a +Union Meeting, in which he deprecates the agita- +tion on the law, and urges obedience to it; +asking,--"Is that article in the Constitution con- +trary to the law of Nature, of nations, or to the +will of God? Is it so? Is there a shadow of +reason for saying it? I have not been able to dis- +cover it. Have I not shown you it is lawful to +deliver up, in compliance with the laws, fugitive +slaves, for the high, the great, the momentous +interests of those [Southern] States?" + +The Right Rev. Bishop Hopkins, of Vermont, in +a Lecture at Lockport, says, "It was warranted by +the Old Testament;" and inquires, "What effect +had the Gospel in doing away with slavery? None +whatever." Therefore he argues, as it is expressly +permitted by the Bible, it does not in itself involve +any sin; but that every Christian is authorised by +the Divine Law to own slaves, provided they were +not treated with unnecessary cruelty. + +The Rev. Orville Dewey, D.D., of the Unitarian +connexion, maintained in his lectures that the +safety of the Union is not to be hazarded for the +sake of the African race. He declares that, for +his part, he would send his own brother or child +into slavery, if needed to preserve the Union +between the free and the slaveholding States; and, +counselling the slave to similar magnanimity, thus +exhorts him:--"YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE IS NOT ABSOLUTE, +UNQUALIFIED, IRRESPECTIVE OF ALL CONSEQUENCES. If my +espousal of your claim is likely to involve your race +and mine together in disasters infinitely greater +than your personal servitude, then you ought not +to be free. In such a case personal rights ought +to be sacrificed to the general good. You yourself +ought to see this, and be willing to suffer for a while +--one for many." + +If the Doctor is prepared, he is quite at liberty +to sacrifice his "personal rights to the general +good." But, as I have suffered a long time in +slavery, it is hardly fair for the Doctor to advise +me to go back. According to his showing, he ought +rather to take my place. That would be practically +carrying out his logic, as respects "suffering awhile +--one for many." + +In fact, so eager were they to prostrate them- +selves before the great idol of slavery, and, like +Balaam, to curse instead of blessing the people +whom God had brought out of bondage, that they +in bring up obsolete passages from the Old Tes- +tament to justify their downward course, overlooked, +or would not see, the following verses, which show +very clearly, according to the Doctor's own text- +book, that the slaves have a right to run away, and +that it is unscriptural for any one to send them +back. + +In the 23rd chapter of Deuteronomy, 15th and +16th verses, it is thus written:--"Thou shalt not +deliver unto his master the servant which is es- +caped from his master unto thee. He shall dwell +with thee, even among you, in that place which he +shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him +best: thou shalt not oppress him." + +"Hide the outcast. Bewray not him that wan- +dereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee. Be +thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler." +--(Isa. xvi. 3, 4.) + +The great majority of the American ministers are +not content with uttering sentences similar to the +above, or remaining wholly indifferent to the cries +of the poor bondman; but they do all they can to +blast the reputation, and to muzzle the mouths, of +the few good men who dare to beseech the God of +mercy "to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo +the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free." +These reverend gentlemen pour a terrible cannon- +ade upon "Jonah," for refusing to carry God's +message against Nineveh, and tell us about the +whale in which he was entombed; while they utterly +overlook the existence of the whales which trouble +their republican waters, and know not that they +themselves are the "Jonahs" who threaten to sink +their ship of state, by steering in an unrighteous +direction. We are told that the whale vomited up +the runaway prophet. This would not have seemed +so strange, had it been one of the above lukewarm +Doctors of Divinity whom he had swallowed; for +even a whale might find such a morsel difficult of +digestion. + + +"I venerate the man whose heart is warm, + Whose hands are pure; whose doctrines and whose life + Coincident, exhibit lucid proof + That he is honest in the sacred cause." + + +"But grace abused brings forth the foulest deeds, + As richest soil the most luxuriant weeds." + + + +I must now leave the reverend gentlemen in +the hands of Him who knows best how to deal with +a recreant ministry. + +I do not wish it to be understood that all the +ministers of the States are of the Balaam stamp. +There are those who are as uncompromising with +slaveholders as Moses was with Pharaoh, and, like +Daniel, will never bow down before the great false +God that has been set up. + +On arriving at Portland, we found that the +steamer we intended to take had run into a schooner +the previous night, and was lying up for repairs; so +we had to wait there, in fearful suspense, for two or +three days. During this time, we had the honour +of being the guest of the late and much lamented +Daniel Oliver, Esq., one of the best and most hospi- +table men in the State. By simply fulfilling the +Scripture injunction, to take in the stranger, &c., +he ran the risk of incurring a penalty of 2,000 +dollars, and twelve months' imprisonment. + +But neither the Fugitive Slave Law, nor any other +Satanic enactment, can ever drive the spirit of +liberty and humanity out of such noble and gene- +rous-hearted men. + +May God ever bless his dear widow, and eventu- +ally unite them in His courts above! + +We finally got off to St. John's, New Brunswick, +where we had to wait two days for the steamer that +conveyed us to Windsor, Nova Scotia. + +On going into a hotel at St. John's, we met the +butler in the hall, to whom I said, "We wish to +stop here to-night." He turned round, scratching +his head, evidently much put about. But think- +ing that my wife was white, he replied, "We have +plenty of room for the lady, but I don't know about +yourself; we never take in coloured folks." "Oh, +don't trouble about me," I said; "if you have room +for the lady, that will do; so please have the luggage +taken to a bed-room." Which was immediately done, +and my wife went upstairs into the apartment. + +After taking a little walk in the town, I returned, +and asked to see the "lady." On being conducted +to the little sitting-room, where she then was, I +entered without knocking, much to the surprise of +the whole house. The "lady" then rang the bell, +and ordered dinner for two. "Dinner for two, +mum!" exclaimed the waiter, as he backed out of +the door. "Yes, for two," said my wife. In a +little while the stout, red-nosed butler, whom we +first met, knocked at the door. I called out, "Come +in." On entering, he rolled his whisky eyes at +me, and then at my wife, and said, in a very solemn +tone, "Did you order dinner for two, mum?" +"Yes, for two," my wife again replied. This +confused the chubby butler more than ever; and, +as the landlord was not in the house, he seemed at +a loss what to do. + +When dinner was ready, the maid came in and +said, "Please, mum, the Missis wishes to know +whether you will have dinner up now, or wait till +your friend arrives?" "I will have it up at once, +if you please." "Thank you, mum," continued the +maid, and out she glided. + +After a good deal of giggling in the passage, some +one said, "You are in for it, butler, after all; so you +had better make the best of a bad job." But before +dinner was sent up, the landlord returned, and +having heard from the steward of the steamer by +which we came that we were bound for England, +the proprietor's native country, he treated us in the +most respectful manner. + +At the above house, the boots (whose name I for- +get) was a fugitive slave, a very intelligent and active +man, about forty-five years of age. Soon after his +marriage, while in slavery, his bride was sold away +from him, and he could never learn where the poor +creature dwelt. So after remaining single for many +years, both before and after his escape, and never ex- +pecting to see again, nor even to hear from, his long- +lost partner, he finally married a woman at St. John's. +But, poor fellow, as he was passing down the street +one day, he met a woman; at the first glance they +nearly recognized each other; they both turned +round and stared, and unconsciously advanced, till +she screamed and flew into his arms. Her first +words were, "Dear, are you married?" On his +answering in the affirmative, she shrank from his +embrace, hung her head, and wept. A person who +witnessed this meeting told me it was most +affecting. + +This couple knew nothing of each other's escape +or whereabouts. The woman had escaped a few +years before to the free States, by secreting herself +in the hold of a vessel; but as they tried to get her +back to bondage, she fled to New Brunswick for +that protection which her native country was too +mean to afford. + +The man at once took his old wife to see his new +one, who was also a fugitive slave, and as they all +knew the workings of the infamous system of +slavery, the could (as no one else can,) sympathise +with each other's misfortune. + +According to the rules of slavery, the man and +his first wife were already divorced, but not morally; +and therefore it was arranged between the three +that he should live only with the lastly married +wife, and allow the other one so much a week, as +long as she requested his assistance. + +After staying at St. John's two days, the steamer +arrived, which took us to Windsor, where we found +a coach bound for Halifax. Prejudice against colour +forced me on the top in the rain. On arriving +within about seven miles of the town, the coach +broke down and was upset. I fell upon the big +crotchety driver, whose head stuck in the mud; and +as he "always objected to niggers riding inside +with white folks," I was not particularly sorry to +see him deeper in the mire than myself. All of us +were scratched and bruised more or less. After the +passengers had crawled out as best they could, +we all set off, and paddled through the deep mud +and cold and rain, to Halifax. + +On leaving Boston, it was our intention to +reach Halifax at least two or three days before the +steamer from Boston touched there, en route for +Liverpool; but, having been detained so long at +Portland and St. John's, we had the misfortune to +arrive at Halifax at dark, just two hours after the +steamer had gone; consequently we had to wait +there a fortnight, for the Cambria. + +The coach was patched up, and reached Halifax +with the luggage, soon after the passengers arrived. +The only respectable hotel that was then in the +town had suspended business, and was closed; so +we went to the inn, opposite the market, where +the coach stopped: a most miserable, dirty hole +it was. + +Knowing that we were still under the influence +of the low Yankee prejudice, I sent my wife in with +the other passengers, to engage a bed for herself and +husband. I stopped outside in the rain till the +coach came up. If I had gone in and asked for a +bed they would have been quite full. But as they +thought my wife was white, she had no difficulty in +securing apartments, into which the luggage was +afterwards carried. The landlady, observing that I +took an interest in the baggage, became some- +what uneasy, and went into my wife's room, and said +to her, "Do you know the dark man downstairs?" +"Yes, he is my husband." "Oh! I mean the +black man--the NIGGER?" "I quite understand +you; he is my husband." "My God!" exclaimed +the woman as she flounced out and banged to the +door. On going upstairs, I heard what had taken +place: but, as we were there, and did not mean +to leave that night, we did not disturb ourselves. +On our ordering tea, the landlady sent word back +to say that we must take it in the kitchen, or in our +bed-room, as she had no other room for "niggers." +We replied that we were not particular, and that +they could sent it up to our room,--which they did. + +After the pro-slavery persons who were staying +there heard that we were in, the whole house +became agitated, and all sorts of oaths and fearful +threats were heaped upon the "d----d niggers, for +coming among white folks." Some of them said +they would not stop there a minute if there was +another house to go to. + +The mistress came up the next morning to know +how long we wished to stop. We said a fortnight. +"Oh! dear me, it is impossible for us to accom- +modate you, and I think you had better go: you +must understand, I have no prejudice myself; I +think a good deal of the coloured people, and have +always been their friend; but if you stop here we +shall lose all our customers, which we can't do no- +how." We said we were glad to hear that she had +"no prejudice," and was such a staunch friend to +the coloured people. We also informed her that +we would be sorry for her "customers" to leave +on our account; and as it was not our intention to +interfere with anyone, it was foolish for them to be +frightened away. However, if she would get us a +comfortable place, we would be glad to leave. The +landlady said she would go out and try. After +spending the whole morning in canvassing the +town, she came to our room and said, "I have been +from one end of the place to the other, but every- +body is full." Having a little foretaste of the +vulgar prejudice of the town, we did not wonder at +this result. However, the landlady gave me the +address of some respectable coloured families, whom +she thought, "under the circumstances," might be +induced to take us. And, as we were not at all +comfortable--being compelled to sit, eat and sleep, +in the same small room--we were quite willing to +change our quarters. + +I called upon the Rev. Mr. Cannady, a truly good- +hearted Christian man, who received us at a word; +and both he and his kind lady treated us hand- +somely, and for a nominal charge. + +My wife and myself were both unwell when we +left Boston, and, having taken fresh cold on the +journey to Halifax, we were laid up there under +the doctor's care, nearly the whole fortnight. I +had much worry about getting tickets, for they +baffled us shamefully at the Cunard office. They at +first said that they did not book till the steamer +came; which was not the fact. When I called +again, they said they knew the steamer would +come full from Boston, and therefore we had "bet- +ter try to get to Liverpool by other means." +Other mean Yankee excuses were made; and it +was not till an influential gentleman, to whom +Mr. Francis Jackson, of Boston, kindly gave us +a letter, went and rebuked them, that we were able +to secure our tickets. So when we went on board +my wife was very poorly, and was also so ill on the +voyage that I did not believe she could live to see +Liverpool. + +However, I am thankful to say she arrived; +and, after laying up at Liverpool very ill for two or +three weeks, gradually recovered. + +It was not until we stepped upon the shore at +Liverpool that we were free from every slavish +fear. + +We raised our thankful hearts to Heaven, and +could have knelt down, like the Neapolitan exiles, +and kissed the soil; for we felt that from slavery + + +"Heaven sure had kept this spot of earth uncurs'd, + To show how all lthings were created first." + + +In a few days after we landed, the Rev. Francis +Bishop and his lady came and invited us to be their +guests; to whose unlimited kindness and watchful +care my wife owes, in a great degree, her restoration +to health. + +We enclosed our letter from the Rev. Mr. May +to Mr. Estlin, who at once wrote to invite us to his +house at Bristol. On arriving there, both Mr. and +Miss Estlin received us as cordially as did our first +good Quaker friends in Pennsylvania. It grieves +me much to have to mention that he is no more. +Everyone who knew him can truthfully say-- + + + +"Peace to the memory of a man of worth, +A man of letters, and of manners too! +Of manners sweet as Virtue always wears +When gay Good-nature dresses her in smiles." + + +It was principally through the extreme kindness of +Mr. Estlin, the Right Hon. Lady Noel Byron, Miss +Harriet Martineau, Mrs. Reid, Miss Sturch, and +a few other good friends, that my wife and myself +were able to spend a short time at a school in this +country, to acquire a little of that education which +we were so shamefully deprived of while in the +house of bondage. The school is under the super- +vision of the Misses Lushington, D.C.L. During +our stay at the school we received the greatest atten- +tion from every one; and I am particularly indebted +to Thomas Wilson, Esq., of Bradmore House, Chis- +wick, (who was then the master,) for the deep +interest he took in trying to get me on in my +studies. We shall ever fondly and gratefully cherish +the memory of our endeared and departed friend, +Mr. Estlin. We, as well as the Anti-Slavery cause, +lost a good friend in him. However, if departed +spirits in Heaven are conscious of the wickedness +of this world, and are allowed to speak, he will +never fail to plead in the presence of the angelic +host, and before the great and just Judge, for down- +trodden and outraged humanity. + + +"Therefore I cannot think thee wholly gone; + The better part of thee is with us still; + Thy soul its hampering clay aside hath thrown, + And only freer wrestles with the ill. + + +"Thou livest in the life of all good things; + What words thou spak'st for Freedom shall not die; + Thou sleepest not, for now thy Love hath wings + To soar where hence thy hope could hardly fly. + + +"And often, from that other world, on this + Some gleams from great souls gone before may shine, + To shed on struggling hearts a clearer bliss, + And clothe the Right with lustre more divine. + + +"Farewell! good man, good angel now! this hand + Soon, like thine own, shall lose its cunning, too; + Soon shall this soul, like thine, bewildered stand, + Then leap to thread the free unfathomed blue." + + +JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. + + + + + +In the preceding pages I have not dwelt upon +the great barbarities which are practised upon the +slaves; because I wish to present the system in its +mildest form, and to show that the "tender mercies +of the wicked are cruel." But I do now, however, +most solemnly declare, that a very large majority +of the American slaves are over-worked, under-fed, +and frequently unmercifully flogged. + +I have often seen slaves tortured in every con- +ceivable manner. I have seen him hunted down +and torn by bloodhounds. I have seen them +shamefully beaten, and branded with hot irons. I +have seen them hunted, and even burned alive at +the stake, frequently for offences that would be +applauded if committed by white persons for similar +purposes. + +In short, it is well known in England, if not all +over the world, that the Americans, as a people, are +notoriously mean and cruel towards all coloured +persons, whether they are bond or free. + + + + "Oh, tyrant, thou who sleepest + On a volcano, from whose pent-up wrath, + Already some red flashes bursting up, + Beware!" + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom + + + + +Note: I have omitted the running heads [RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES +and FOR FREEDOM], the cedilla on "Macon" [pages 15, 55, 74, and +89], the acute accent on "Salome" [pages 3, 4, 5, and 6], and +the circumflex accent on "prima" [page 36], and the signatures +[B through H2, pages 1, 3, 17, 33, 35, 49, 51, 65, 67, 81, 83, 97, +and 99]. In addition I have made the following changes to the +text: +PAGE LINE ORIGINAL CHANGED TO + 14 21 "mode ate moderate + 22 18 Hoskins, Hoskens, + 22 22 I "I + 22 27 me me, + 29 15 sucess- success- + 39 6 villanous villainous + 40 27 "Come "Come, + 71 13 master," master, + 77 12 want?* want?"* + 80 8 to me. to me, + 84 18 come come, + 85 17 sculls. skulls. + 98 5 Baalam, Balaam, + 100 5 Baalam Balaam + 101 18 house." house. + 102 5 "Please "Please, + 103 27 long she long as she + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom + diff --git a/old/runng10.zip b/old/runng10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e282c6 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/runng10.zip |