E " 41
54-
19r~

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Gift of
Robin Winks

?fe~7y, Hrjvfc^^ffc: :({il m ^

THE
HORRORS OF SLAVERY

BY WM, "H, H, JOHNSON

1 90 1.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA.

(LC)

Co yrig/i/ applied for.

PREFACE.

With all of the books that have been published on slavery,
according to my knowledge, none have, in full detail, state 1 the
. horrors that my people were subjected to, and I believe there are
many p.ople at present, that will hardly credit the facts related in
ih:-. volume. Hut this is no fictitious matter. It is all true, from
my oiv.i experience, and froai the experience of others of my race
that were subjects of slavery for many years. Fifty years ago, I
well remember of hearing the awful account, of the horrors of the
war in Sau Domingo, on account of sias-ery. Black people were
natives of the country. Since that time, I have read a great deal
in histoiy about those horrors, and I have as near as possible
obtained the facts from there, as well as the slavery that was in
existence in the United Slates, and in Rome thousands of years
ag.i. .Many times have I seen my afflicted people, after they had
arrived at my father's house, making their escape from the horrors
i >f slaver)' to the land of freedom ; and, if what they relate be true,
sl.iwiv could not be less than a curse to all mankind, in the way it
was conducted, and yet good came out of it, in the way I think over
the matter. God, in 1 1 is wisdom favored that plan, to extend His
gospel to the heathen of my race in Africa, for them to be conveyed
to this continent, suffer untold hardships; suffer in the fiery furnace
of slavery, for our disobedience after being favored so highly bv
His holy hand, in Afi ica, and to become acquainted with the Saviour
of the world and embrace that true religion that is so essential to-
our salvation ; then return to our fatherland and teach our heathen

4 PREFACE HORRORS OF SLAVERY,
people about this wonderful God and Christianity, that they had
never heard of. This is my candid opinion, because thousands of
my race have returned to Africa as missionaries, and the result shows
good work. My readers will understand that I am not in favor
of slavery in no shape or form. God gave His only begotten
Son to be tortured and to die an ignominious death, to obtain
man's salvation. Horrible as slavery was, no one person of my
race experienced anything like the sufferings of our blessed Lord.
Africa was represented at the gratest event ofthewnld's history,
the crucitixtion of our blessed Saviour, in the person of Simon, the
Cyrenean, who assisted our Saviour to bear the cross up the hill of
Calvary. At the great day of judgment many of my people',
after meekly bearing the cross of contempt, will arise from
unknown graves, to thrones and crowns, for a day shall come
when God will appear and take His hiJden ones ; then they .hat
are "last shall be first, and the first last."

TIIH HORRORS OF SLAVERY

C H A PTEK I .
.,'.- •.'..•.•'.-,; .v/„- ,-,¦.»-. /usiirreetions, Burned Alive, Nat Tjiriicr, Under
,':,' 1 ".'!•¦•, Sail Domingo, Rather Die, Colonies, Vincent Oges'
Letter, Awfully Avenged, My People, Blood Hon mis.
The whole of slavery is a history of the struggles of the oppressed
t.o-vMi then liberty. The Romans hail their servile wirs, in
, UK' "I which firty thousand slaves were e nbodied in arms, con-
ti aiding for their God-given freedom The great rebellion ot the
Jamaica slaves in 1762 is well known and the destruction of pro-
jviiy in Jamaica in the insurrection of 1S32 was estimated by the
!< g.blure at near six millions of dollars. In 1712 and 1741, slave
ii:- unctions occurred in New York. My people were defeated.
t if tlie leaders of the last insurrection in New York, thirteen were
lunncd .dive, eighteen were hanged, and eighty said to be trans-
puied, but it is not generally known wliere In South Carolina
alone there have been no less than seven insurrections. In 1739
there were three rebellions of slaves in the British Colonies (now
United S'.ites). in w'veh many of the colonists were barbarously
put to death. [,1 1S16 there was a conspiracy of the slaves in
New Jersey. The deign was to murder the whites and get free.
The conspiracy in Charleston, South Caro'ina, in 1S22, and the
hoirible sacrifice of human life to which it led, are well known and
v. ill never be forgotten as long as history is re id. .In no period has
. the horrors and dangers of slavery been so plainly illustrated as the
insurrection of Southampton, County Virginia, United Slates in
uSji, the leader of which was Nat Turner, who started the work
of destruction with six other slaves on a certain nigh I. By daylight
1'ie number was swelled to fourteen, and by ten o'clock the s:1111 ,

6 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
morning to forty. Of course there was a terrible struggle at this
time between the wdiites and the blacks, and there were a hundred
and twenty-eight people that lost their lives in a few hours : fifty-
five whites and seventy-three blacks. The blacks were overpowered
and the greater nu nber taken prisoners. Nat Turner was not cap
tured for near two months after this horrible event. Being brought
to justice, he was asked "Guilty or not guilty?'' His answer was
"Not guilty." Nat then explained the reason why he did not feel
guilty, and that was, that he thought that every man thai was
oppressed under the yoke of slaveiy should strike a blow for his
freedom, the same as you did when you were under ihc British
yoke. Notwithstanding that wonderful answer from a man in his
circumstances, he was hanged by the neck until dead. [lis followers
when cap! i red were treated the same. There were many that
would not be captured and in the struggle they were shot dead on
the spot, but a few escaped to foreign lands.
There are a great many people who do not understand the nature
of the horrid war that took place in San Domingo in the year 1791.
In 1790 a law was passed by France granting to the Colonies the
right of holdi.ig representative assemblies and of legislative au
thority. On the 28th of March, in the same year, another law was
passed declaring " that all free black people in the Colonies who
were proprietors, and residents of two years' standing and who
contributed to the State, shall exercise the right of voting." The
slave owners would n jt submit to this law and said it did not apply
to the free blacks, and declared that they would rather die than
divide their political rights with a degenerated race. A portion of
the blacks resolved to maintain the rights given them by France
and took up arms under one of their own number, named Vincent
Oge. A letter addressed by Oge to the San Domingo Assembly
I will reproduce :

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. '
"Sirs,— A prejudice for along time upheld is at last about to
fall. Charged with a commission honorable to myself, I call upon
you to proclaim throughout the "Colony the decree of the National
Assembly of the 28th March, which gives, without distinction, to
every free citizen the right of being admitted to all duties and func
tions whatever. My pretentions are just and I do hope you wull
regard them. It is unnecessary and would be unworthy of me to
have recourse to raising of the slave gangs, so I wish you to appre
ciate duly the purity of my intentions. When I solicited of the
National Assembly the decree I obtained in favor of our American
Colonists, known under the hitherto injurious distinction of the
Mixed Race, I never comprehended in my claims the blacks in a
state of slavery. You and our adversaries have mixed this up with
my proceedings to destroy my estimation in the minds of all well
disposed people. But I have demanded only concessions for a class
of free men, who have endured the yoke of your oppression for two
centuries. We have no wish but*,i3r the e xecutiou of the decree of
the 28th of .March. We insist on its promulgation ; and we cease
not to repeat to our friends that our adversaries are not merely
unjust to us, but to themselves ; for they do not seem to know that
their interests are one with ours. Before employing the means at
my command, I will see what good temper will do; but if con
trary to my object, you refuse what is asked, I will not answer for
those disprders which may arise from merited revenge."
The war cry, was the answer to this letter. The blacks were
defeated, and the brave leader, taken piisoner, was broken alive on
the wheel; so a horrible struggle now commenced between the
blacks and the whites, and Oges' . death was awfully avenged
On the 15th of May, 1791, the French Convention issued a decree
that "all free black persons were entitled to all the rHits of
citizenship.'' The people of San Domingo refused to submit till two

o' ' THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY,
thousand whites and ten thousand blacks had been destroyed.
Then the Assemly of San Domingo became alarmed, and on. the
201I1 of September, 1791, issued a proclamation that they were
willing to submit to the proclamation of the 15th May, admitting
the free blacks to political equality with the whites. -On this
proclamation being put in force, peace was established at once.
But it was of short duration, because during the short interval the
French Convention in France had repealed the decree giving
political rights to the free blacks in San Domingo. The irritation.
caused by this measure threw the whole black population into a
very revengeful feeling, so the Colonial Assembly passed an order
for disarming the blacks. They did not surrender their arms, but
sent word to their oppressors to take them. The war was renewed
at once. Men were put to death in every conceivable way i that
desperate men could think of. Thousands of my people were
taken prisoners and disposed of in a fiendish manner. They would
excavate pits fifty feet in length and from twenty to thirty feet deep,
and shoot my people until one pit was full ; and, after getting tired
of that mode, would chain them by hundreds together and place
them in boats and convey them out to sea and drown them, until
all of their black prisoners were disposed of. I cannot say anything
in favor of the black people during that horrible \sar, for they were
just as cruel to their prisoners as the whites were : that was one of
the most cruel wars, that ever was known on earth. Then blood
hounds were transported from the Island of Cuba, and there were
arenas erected, where thousands of my people were torn to pieces
by those ferocious beasts. All of this barbarous treatment was
imposed upon my race to make them submit to the horrors of slavery.
Black women shared the same fate as the men. Of course black
men did retaliate, and when I was a boy, fifty years ago, I have
.heard people in regard to this awful war in San Domingo, who were

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 9
eye witnesses and natives of the country, declare that no pen could
pourtray the awful scenes that took place 'on both sides. Little
children were impaled on bayonets and spear heads, men were
sawed in two, bound with ropes between two planks, thousands we e
hanged by the neck. Others were burned alive by a slow fire, cut
to pieces with sharp knives, or joints dislocated wdiile alive. The
small rivers in different parts of the country were discolored with
the blood of the slain. Some black men, while torturing their
prisoners, would catch the blood in a cup and drink it and some
times the streets of the towns would be covered wdth blood and run
down the ditches the same as water,
The fluctuating policy of France, in 1792, allowed the free blacks
once more their political right and sent armed troops to sustain
them, with Commissioners for the same purpose. In 1793 the
Commissioners quarrelled with the Governor of San Domingo, and
each party took arms. The Commissioners called 3,000 black men
(revolted slaves) to their aid. By offering them their freedom and
under liberal promises of reward for former conflicts in battle, the
blacks accepted, and marched to Cape Francis, and e itered the
city. Indiscriminately thousands of people of both sexes of their
enemies were murdered. It was nothing less than a merciless
massacre, to get revenge for former treatment in slavery. This as
well as other lion id scenes, have ben related by my own people
in my time as facts. Whose fault was it that all of those people
were destroyed ? I will answer that question. It was the Com
missioners' fault at this particular time, for it was very wrons' for
white men when they cauld not settle their own affairs to make
overtures to several thousand agitated armed" blacks, in their rude
stale, to fight their own white people to get their revenge. Such
was the case, so my readers cannot altogether blame the blacks in
this case. They were acting under the authority of superior olficers

TO THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
of the Government. Nevertheless, my people were glad to avail
themselves of the opportunity to avenge past offences; but, horrible
to relate, at that period (1793) there were 600. 000 black people
and 49,0000 white people in San Domingo, less 10.000 whites
which had fled from the island. The Commissioners were success
ful with 3000 blacks to assist them; yet the planters were not
satisfied with the blacks having political rights with themselves.
There was a great struggle with the whites and blacks until 1798
when the war came to a close for the time being. The English
and the Commissioners left the Island after a long combat with the
blacks, so the island was left by France to govern itself. Under
these circumstances, GeneralToussaint L'Ouverture, in 1S01, called
a General Assembly together to advise a Republican form of
government, which was at once adopted, and the island dec'ared
independent with L'Ouverture supreme chief. Under the rule of
this black chief, San Domingo flourished and arose from her ashes
to a flower garden, until 1802. Then Buonaparte despatched a
fleet of war ships to San Domingo to re-establish the horrible
slavery that had passed away. The blacks would not submit to
come under the yoke of slavery again, after enjoying the sweet
blessings of freedom for several years, so the French went to war
again with the blacks to mike them submit to the yoke, and both
parties from the events that followed could prodace whole volumes
of horrors, for it was a war of extermination on both sides. My
people were fighting to maintain their freedon. The French were
fighting to re-enslave them,
The war progressed with all the fury that savage men could de-'
vise, until both parties favored a truce and it was agreed to retire to '
private life ; yet the French fleet of fifty-four ships remained in the
harbour. In the middle of the same month (the truce was favored
by both parlies) the French soldiers, under General Le Clerc, sur-

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. "
rounded the residence of L'Ouverture and captured his family and
himself and conveyed them to the warship "Hero." They were
conveyed to France as close prisoners. On their arrival at Brest,
L'Ouverture was separated from his family for ever and confined in
a cold 'dungeon at the fort of Joux, situated among the mountains
of Jura, in ice and snow for a few miserable months, when that
noble chief died, it is said, from hunger and cold. Madam L'Ou
verture and family were conveyed to the South of France, and Ihey
never beheld the face of husband and father again.
The invaders thought that by getting rid of the main chief then
they would be successful in their attempt to re-establsh slavery.
That was a great mistake, for when the sorrowful news Hashed over
the island that their chief had been captured, the whole country
was in arms. General Desalines, another black man. then took
command of the army and the war for freedom was renewed with
double fury from one end of the island to the other. Everyone
that could handle a gun, women as well, were armed and did good
service in the field of battle. Women are very brave in battle. I
have heard it stated that there were a' great many black women in
the San Domingo army, and that there was one Madam Balar that
only laughed when she shot one of the enemy through the heart,
and when she cried at all it M'as when there was a rumour of a
truce ; and, oft times she was so exasperated, that she declared
she would not cease fighting until her enemies were swept from the
face of the earth. It was a war of annibilatian with both parties.
There were many atrocities perpetrated in this horrible war I
learned from an eye witness, that I shall not mention in this work:
it is too horrible to present to the public. I have no reason to be
lieve it was anything like a Christian war. It was the cruelty to
my race that caused slavery lo be so cruel. I have information
from good source that in San Domingo, for the least offence thfs

12 'THE HORfeoKS OK SLAVERY'.
slave, woman or man, would receive from two to. five hundred
lashes on their nude backs, and that their backs would be raw flesh
and blood. In that condition their tormentors would prepare a
strong solution of salt brine and pour that over their victims while
they would be lying bound, exposed to torrid sun. Then they
would excavate a hole in the ground and place the suffering woman
or man into it, and shovel the loose earth around the sufferer, to
make the wounds heal as quickly as possible, in order that further
toil might be performed. If a black woman insulted a white
woman the dear husband would be informed at once and the black
woman wijuld be roughly lied to a post provided for the purpose
and receive sometimes two hundred stripes. Under certain cir
cumstances she would sometimes faint, then would she be unbound
and drop to the ground, and lay there helpless without the least
attention. If she suivivcd all well, and if she died all well.
Sometimes my people were placed in the stocks and would be left
in (bat position until death would relieve them. Other times they
would be placed in a dark dungeon and left to starve to death.
Children would lie torn from their mother's breast and sold may be
to Cuba, United States, or some other part of the world; or the
wife and husband will be sepaiatcd for life; or any members of a
family are only subjects to be separated at any time wl-n a chance
offered. There have been thousands of such cases. 1 have been
informed thai many white children have been kidnapped and sold
into slavery: that they would take chikhen and conceal them in a
cave that had been prepared for the purpose, then cut their hair
short and paint them over witlva colored paint that was indellible,
and, after arriving to a larger sbc, would be sold lo the far south.
The war in San Domingo between the whites and blacks closed
after an awful struggle in 1S03, and in November of the same
year the invadeis evacuated the island. Then the independence

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERV. !/i
of the French part of the island was proclaimed by Generals
Dessalines, Christophe and Clearveaux, which I will reproduce
here: "The independence of St. Domingo is proclaimed. Restored lo
our primitive dignity, we have asserted our rights. We swear
never to yield them to any power on earth. The frightful veil of
prejudice is torn to pieces. Be it so for ever. Woe be to them
„ who would dare put together its bio >dy tatlers. Landholders of
St. Domingo wandering in foreign countries, — By proclaiming our
independence, we do not forbid you all, without distinction, to
return to your property. Far be fiom us so unjust a thought. We
are not ignorant that there are some among you who have renoun
ced their former eriors, abjured the injustice of their exorbitant
pretentions, and acknowledged the lawfulness of the cause for
which we have been spilling our blood those twelve years.
Towards those men who do us justice, we will act as brothers. Let
them rely forever on our esteem and friendship; let them return
among us. The God who protects us, the God of free men, bids
us stretch out towards them our conquering arms. But as for those
wdio, intoxicated with foMish pride, interested slaves of guilty re
tentions, arc blinded so much as to believe themselves the essence
of human nature, and assert that they are destined by heaven to be
our masters and our tyrants, let them never come to St. Domingo,
Let them stay where they arc, tormented by their well-deserved
misery and the frowns of the just men whom they have too lone
mocked. Let them still continue to live unpitied and unnoticed by
nil. We have sworn not to listen with clemency to any who would
dare to speak to us of slavery. We will be inexorable: perhaps
even cruel: towards all .troops who, themselves fop'ofliii" the
object for which they have not ceased lighting since 1 7 So, should
come from Europe to bring among us death and servitude. No

14 TREFACE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
sacrifice is too cosily, and all means are lawful, to men from ivhoiti
it is wished to wrest the first of all blessings ; were they to cause
streams and torrents of blood to flow ; were they, in order to
maintain their liberty, to fire seven-eights of the globe, they are
innocent before the tribunal of Providence, which never created
men to groan under so harsh and shameful a servitude. In the com
motions that have taken place, some inhabitants against whom we
had no complaints have been victims of the cruelty ot a few soldiers
or cultivators ; too much blinded by the remembrance of their
past sufferings to be able to distinguish the good and humane land
owners from those who were unfeeling and cruel. We lament,
together with all wdio feel, so deplorable an end ; and declare to
the world, whatever maybe said to the contrary by wicked people,
that the murders were committed contrary to the wishes of our
hearts. It was impossible, especially in the crisis in which the
colony was, to prevent or stop those horrors. Those who are in
the' least acquainted with history know that a people, whe.i torn by
civil dissensions, though they may be the most civilized on earth,
give themselves up to every species of excess ; and the author ty of
the Chiefs, not yet firmly based, in a time of revolution cannot
punish all that are guilty without meeting perpetual difficulties.
But to-day the dawn of peace cheers us with glimpses of a less
stormy time. Now that the calm of victory has succeeded to the
tumult of a dreadful war, all affairs in St. Doming i ought to assume
a new face, and its Government henceforward be one of justice.
"Done at head quarters, Fort Dauphin, Nov. 291I1, 1S03. ,
"(Signed) Dkssalin'es.Chkistophe. Clear veaux.
"B. Alms, Secretary."

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. XS
- CHAPTER. II.
State of Ohio, Oppressed, The Climate, Prosecution, Free Stale,
Young People, Emma, What she must expect, In Distress,
A Good Plan, The Difficulty, Uncle Jaek, Aunt Sue, The River
Farm, Last Friday, The Horses, JVright Ray.
In South Carolina in the old days, if a free black was known to
shelter a slave, he would have to pay a fine of fifty dollars or be
sold as a slave for life. In 1827, a free black woman and her. three
children were thus sold for harboring two slave children. In Mis
sissippi every black person of African descent, not being able to
prove their freedom, would be sold as a slave. Often his free papers
were lost or stolen, but there could be no excuse and were sold into
hopeless bondage. In South Carolina, if my people were known
to meet for religious or any mental instruction, they could be dis
persed by any magistrate and twenty lashes inflicted on each free
black. In the City of Savannah, Georgia, anyone (white or black)
that would leach a free black person, the penalty would be thirty
dollars. Parents were not allowed to instruct their own children.
In the State of Maryland if any colored man should strike 'a white
man, a Justice of the Peace could have ordered his ears to be cut
off. In Kentucky, for a black woman or man to strike a white
person, would receive thirty lashes. In North Carolina black men
were not allowed to preach the gnsp;l. In Georgia, -they would
fine a white man five hindred dollars for the serious crime of teach-"
ing black people to read and write; and if a blaekm.111 should
assemble his people and preach the gospel, he would be arrest - 1
without a warrant and be whipped thirty-nine lashes, and the same
to each of his congregation. In the State of Virginia, if free blacb
people, or their children, should meet at a school to le.un reading
and writing, any Justice of the I'eace could dismiss the school an 1
each pupil would receive twenty lashes on the back. Many yea-

¦ l 6 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
ago the Christian State of Ohio had some very stringent laws
against the African race ; yet it claimed to be a free State. . They
passed a law that if a white hired a black man to labor for him one
hour, he would have to support the black man for life. Free black
people were as much oppressed in Ohio as they were in the Slave
States. This law in Ohio against my race was put in force to doom
us to idleness and poverty; to compel us to go to the colony of Libe
ria that was formed on the Western Coast of Africa. This measure
was adopted at the City of Washington, U. S. A., on the 23rd
December, 1S16. At that time there were about 2,215,144 slaves
in the United States of America. Several hundred of, my people
emigrated to Africa. Those that could stand the climate did well,
though a great number found it too unhealthy and died. The
Colonization Society, organized in the City of Washington in 1S16,
was for the purpose of cj'.nizing in Africa the free black people of
the United States. With the slave population there were some
three hundred thousand free people, so the whites became alarmed
as there was so much hatred between them and the blacks. The
means above stated were adopted to get rid of a portion of the
blacks, as they thought to secure their own preservation. To carry
out the object with success, there was inaugurated a general prose
cution throughout the Free States towards my race, in order to
compel them to emigrate. If a free black visited the State of
Maryland, he was fined fifty dollars for each week he remained ;
and, if not paid, he was. sold into slavery for life. In Lousiana, if
a white person were to instruct a black, the first offence would be
five hundred dollars ; second offence, death. By the laws of South
Carolina, slaves were chattels in the hands of their owners "lo all
intents and pnrposes whatever." So my readers will see that this
law was applied to both sexes and all their offspring were "declared
for ever absolute slaves, and shall follow the condition of the 1110-

tits. Horrors of slavery. *'/
ther." Slavery was by no means confined to color, for 1 have seen
and talked to many slaves that were of a lighter complexion than
the real European. That made no difference, if it were known that
one drop of the blood of an African was in their veins they Were
doomed to perpetual slavery. There were many black people who
owned and dealt in slaves of our race, both in the United States
and in the West Indies. I have often been told that they were
just as cruel to their slaves as the whites were if not mire so, and
I am very sorry to say, according to my own experience that I will
have to give it credit. A though born a slave in a Free State, I
was never a slave in practice, but I have been in a position to wit
ness its cruelties. One of the horro'S of slavery is the breaking up
of an estate, for instance: when the old owners are taken away by
death, then almost in every case the heirs in dividing the property
will order a sale of the slaves. The slaves being aware of the fact,
consternation will be visible in every face : mothers and fathers
moaning about the fate of themselves and their children ; other
relatives about the fate of those they were interested in. AH would
be confusion. During the interval of sale, many a heart-broken
mother and father would approach the great mansion of their
owners, which had been purchased by the price of their labor, and
humbly ask for young master. On being admitted to an audience
with the young master, something like the following conversation
would take place:
"Well, Su, what do you want?"
"Well, Master, we heard that we were all to be sold."
"Ves, Su, that is the intention. Father and mother are dead
and we have to sell the greater number of you Su.''
"Master, you know I have been with you a long time and always
tried to do my duty. It was nte, Master, that looked after you and
Miss Emma, when yot'i were little babies, before you could walk or

lo I HE HORRORS OF sl.AVERi'.
- ¦ s '-:'<f': _
talk, and your father and mother, who arc gone, always said that I
was a good woman to work."
"Yes, Su, that is; true'} you have always been a good woman and
your husband, Jack, good loo. '" .
"Master, for the good Lord's sake, you are not going to .separate
us, are you? There are my five children, my husband and myself.
We have ail been so happy together since we have been married,
and how, please Master, don't separate us'."
"Well, Su, I will try and sell you all in a lot together to one
man. When the sale takes place I will do the best I can for you."
"-Master it will be the death of me, if you sell my children' from
me, for I cannot live no way if you do; the Lord knows I can't.
Master, do spaie us for' God's sake, that we' may live together, as
we have been living together so long. We will i e good people ami
work hard as we have done for you, so that I "may have a chance to
raise' my children."
"Su, I will try and do it, if my sisters will agreeto.it. I will
speak to them to-morrow. I think it wiil be alright."
"Thank you Master, and may God bless you. I will go to the
cabin and reil my old man what you say. He will be so glad loo.
Good bye and may God bles's you and Miss Enuna and Miss Jane.':
But Miss'Emma and Miss. Jane were not so liberal in their views
as their brother George and would'riot'agree lo the terms of leaving
Su and Jack on the plantation, because they, like a number of
others, had a large family; and, as the children were not of much
service yet, it 'would 'lie' better in a financial point of view to sell
those with the large -t families and lc'tsui those who had no family.
"Do not you think so, George?"
' ' Well, yes \ its \ ic\\ it in that' s\ ay, E'mm'a, but' I had not thought
of that. I was thinking of the service Su and Jack had been to the
family for so long." "; "

THE HORRORS. OF. SLAVERY- \9
"That is true, George, A>ut it is the children now^hat will bring
such a high price that it would be a great sacrifice for us .to-, keep,.
them and sell those with less or no families."
"Well, Emma, ypu are the eldest of the family. Of course. we
will have to submit to your wishes-, but I am very sorry for Su arid.
Jack. I am really, because, they have been with us so long as, we
can remember and have been faithful and true. Then again, they,
were mother and father's favorites." v.
"Our parents are gone, George, and Su and Jack are getting old
and it is be'.ter to let them go than keep them. They. have four .
quite large boys and one smart girl. You know, Cjeorge, how the
price of slaves has advanced lately in Lqusiana and Mississippi too.
You know in our paper there, : the Pycaune, y.o.u can see the price
for boys of that size: from four to five hundred dollars a piece. I
am sure we can get the latter, that would be two thousand for. the
for the four boys; the girl , Ileltie, would sell for. three hundred any,.
way. Su would fetch seven hundred dollars. .Then there, is Jack , ..
a fine blacksmith and wagon maker. We can- easily get fiyejyg ,
hundred dollars for him, and that will total four thousand and two...
hundred dollars for that one family. If .we keep them,, we will
have to risk a loss, by death or otherwise.''
"Of course, Emma, that is very plain indeed. Well, I will just
tell Su what she must expect. I had better tell her to-morrow; but
when will the sale be Emma?"
"It will take place a month from now."
"I will be very glad when it. is all over."
"Why so, George?"
"Oh, I feel rather sad about the matter, Emma, because .they are
ly human beings and I do not think it right to sell people."
"Well, George, what in the world has come over you any way?"
"F.inm.i,- I will tell you, do you remember the time that I went

sure

20 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
with father to New Orleans? I witnessed something that I have
never forgotten."
"What was it, George?"
"I will tell you, Emma. Father and I went to a slave auction
one day, and there were a lot of Slaves being sold to different
buyers. The slaves were all in a crowd together, near a large
block, on Which they would get to be sold. The men and boys
were sold first. There were a lot of women and children a few
feet away. They were very quiet until they began to take their
children to be sold. It did appear that the hearts of the mothers
of those children would break. Such lamenting I never heard
before and I hope to never hear agiin. When they took, little
children, Mothers would hold on to them and beg and cry not to
take their babies from them, but to buy them too. 'Master, do
buy me too, for Heaven's sake ; I can't live no way without my
child.' They would get down on their knees and moan and appeal
with the hot tears trickling down their faces, that would melt the
strongest heart. After all the children had been disposed of,. the
mothers, one after the other, would be ordered on to the block to
be sold, bat their children had been disposed of to different buyers
and some of them were on their way to different homes. Some to
to Lousiana, others to Virginia or Missouri. In a general way those
slave mothers were promised that at the sale they would be allowed
to retain their little children, but they were cruelly deceived and in
many cases doomed to separation for life. When those poor slave
mothers discovered the fact of their separation from their children,
it was the most sorrowful sight I ever witnessed. Wringing their
hands, weeping bitterly, and pleading with their owners at the top
of their voices, 'Oh, Master, I thought you told me that you were
going to sell my baby with me. -Oh, how can I live any longer
without my child. I shall die. I can't live this way. Oh, God in

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY, 21
Heaven, do help me now. I am in distress about my only child.
Oh, what shall I do?' Emma, I have been a witness to such a sad
scene and I very much dread to see it repeated at my own home
here in Kentucky."
"Of course, George, I have never experienced anything like that,
but I have heard of the like, and I suppose it is a very sad thing to
' witness. Of course, we never had occasion to make a general sale
before. If, George, we could manage not to sell any of our slaves
it would be the better way may be, but I cannot' understand how
that can be done."
"I will tell you, Emma, how it can be done. By selling a por
tion of the stock, because the place is overrun now."
"My objection to that is, George, stock is at its lowest figure now
and it would be a far greater sacrifice to sell stock than the slaves."
"But, Emma, I think it would be more charitable to sell the
stock and avoid the heartrending scenes that I witnessed at New
Orleans." "We could adopt this plan, George. When the time conies, let
each family with their parents be put up for sale to one man, in
order not to separate them. Would not that be a good plan?"
"Yes, Emma, that is a plan that I would favor, if we are com
pelled to sell at all, but the greatest difficulty is that they seldom
purchase slaves in that manner. Some do it, it is true; but in a
general way their sympathy is very weak in their transactions; they
do not take time to consider the mother and father's feelings in
regard to their children; for it is just like a man going to market to
buy a lot of pigs, where there would be several mothers with their
little ones, lie may select one from one mother for its size and
quality, and two from the next, then four from the next, according
to f.oiey. The purchaser will convey his property into the State
of Missouri, or any other State. Who has a right to interfere? It

22 PREFACE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
is the law. 'I am acting according to law, ''"won, d be. the reply if
interrogated. 'But, my friend, how the mothers of those pigs do
take on now at losing their little ones.' 'Oh yes, that is their na
ture you know, but they will soon get over that and be alright
again.' So, Emma, you now have some idea of what would be the
difficulty in selling the father and mother -and all of a family to any
one buyer."
"Vcs, George, I understand it. better now. It would be very
painful too, George, to see them -separated in that way."
"Yes, Emma, I really do not believe that I could witness it .at
all, after what I witnessed in New Orleans."
"Well, George, what is best for us to <\o?':
"I think, Emma, the best plan for us is to keep them all and not
sell any slaves, for I believe we can get along without."
"George, I will tuink over the matter and devise the best plan
that can be adopted. Since our conversation on the matter I feel
sad enough and it has s unewhat changed my mind about selling
our slaves at oil. If it is so very wicked to sell and buy slaves,, why
do ministers defend slaver)'?"
"Slavery cannot be right in my opinion, Envm. The reason
why ministers preach in the Siavc Sates in favor of slavery is that
they do not want to create hard feelings. Yet slavery is not right
in the way it is conducted. There are some exceptions, but I mean
in a general way."
"How do you think, George, that slavery should be conducted?"
"The most trying part, Emma, in regard to slavery is the sacred
feelings of the father and mother. For instance, one child is taken
from the family and sold to go east, another west, another north,
and three in a lot to the south, very likely never to meet again on v
earth. Tha' is hard indeed. In all cases of slavery sales it is likely
to be done. I have known them to take the last child, the only

1HE HOKRORS OF SLAVERY. -J
„sumvor of a large family! and sell that child to the far south, not
leaving one to comfort' father and mother in their old age, after
toiling too for the same ownes for sixty or seventy years."
"George, that does iuok kind of hard."
"Emma, do not say kind of hard. It is stir.-ty the most-grievous
lo the feelings of anything else in the world."
"I hope, George, we can get along without selling any of the
slaves. Did you inform Su and Jack, the next day, as to how it
would be?"
"Yes, Emma, I to'.d them the next evening."
"What did they say, George?"
"They did not say very much. Jack looked very much hurt. Su
look it very hard and wept bitterly. She asked me, for the good
Lord's sake, to try and save them, as they did not want to be sepa
rated. I told them that 1 would do fill I could for them."
"But, George, where are Sue and Jack? I have not seen either
of them for some days."
"Emma, I think Jack is away down on some, of the other farms,
-hoeing some mules and h uses and fixing up some of the old
wagon?, at least there is where he shoul 1 be. Yon know Su gene
rally goes too.
"i'ut, Gcoige, Sa would return every second or third day hereto
fore, to see if she were wanted, or send one of the children."
"Has she not done' the same this f':ee, Emma?"
"No Conge: th -t is veiy .strange. There is Will over there in
the field plow ing. B:ow the horn, so that-he can. conic. We will
«ciio him to the Fiver 1'ari;1."
"Will, take a hor.e i.id iide down to the River Farm and see if
Uncle Jack, 'Aunt Su and the children are there. If they are, tell
Aaint-Su that MissoEmini wants her". Hurry, and do not be lo'i-^ '>'
"Yes, Master George," '":.".- 5- ,. -¦.•¦<"•:•¦:

24 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
"He will not be long, for it is only two and half miles, Emma."
"It would be well to know, George, as Su and Jack are so very
faithful. It looks rather strange. Neither of them are sick surely,
or they would have sent word by the children or some of the people.
I feel queer about it, something is wrong. Four days have passed
since they left here and none of the other farms wanted repairing
done, did they George?"
"No, Emma, not that I know of."
"It is very strange, George, but we will soon know. Will is
there by now."
"Yes, and on his way back by this time."
" George, Will is coming now. I wonder what news he is bring
ing. I hope it is good news."
"I do,' too. Now, hear the news that Will has brought. Here
Will. Are they at the River Farm?"
"Uncle Jack and Aunt Su were at the River Farm, Master
George, last Friday evening and remained there until Saturday.
evening, for Uncle Jack was shoeing horses all day Saturday and
they left that night and said they were coming home here. The
folks on the River Farm say they have not seen them since, for
they all thought they were come here, Master George."
"What do you think of it, Geoige? Do not you think they may
be at some of the other farms?"
"No, Emma, for I have been to all the other farms, and they are
not at either."
"Then I suppose they are off som where, George?"
"That is my opinion. I wonder if they ever heard of Canada?"
"I don't think so. Do you, George?"
"It may be possible, Emma, knowing that they were to be sold.
I suppose that they have taken the underground railway to Canada."
"Do you think so, George?"

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 2j
"That is my opinion about the matter. This is the fourth day
since they left the River Farm. They left here on Friday evening
and on Saturday, Jack was busy repairing and shoeing the horses
and left the same evening. It is now Wednesday and we have not
seen them since."
"If they have gone to Canada, George, it will be a great loss lo
us. You estimated their value at four thousand two hundred dollars,
children included."
"Emma, it cannot be a loss to us. They have earned that much
a dozen times over. If they have made their escape to Canada, I
feed disposed to let them alone."
"George, how-queer you talk. I would not think of such a thing."
"They are gone lo Canada, I am confident, Emma, and we can
not recover them from there."
"But we may recover them before their arrival, for you know
that all the States in the Union assent to slavery and they will
deliver them over to us by law. I had better let Wright Ray look
after the matter, George. He is very successful in such cases."
"In such cases, Emma, a retaining fee is required, likely of two
or three hundred dollars, for his trouble in case he is not successful.
Should he be successful, then the amount paid as retainer would be
deducted from the eight hundred to which he would be entitled.
I think that we should be satisfied. Just think of what we have
now: five thousand acres of land, two hundred horses, one hun
dred and fifty mules, three thousand sheep, two hundred other
horned cattle, a large number of goats, the hundred hogs, arid
hundreds of different kinds of poultry; als, > a plenty "of deer in the
woods. Remember, Emma, thai Su and Jack assisted in getting
all this wealth. They were with father and mother before any of
us were born ; they have been toiling for forty or fifty years without
pay, so I think we should be satisfied to let them go and enjoy free-

¦26 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
dom for the remainder of their days. Don't you think so?"
"I suppose we shall have to now, George, for _I know no help for
it now. Besides we have two hundred slaves left yet, and another
thing I suppose they are in Canada by now. Ten days have passed
since they left and we have not heard anything of them. I never
thought Su and Jack would go away in that manner. Did you?"
"I hardly thought so, Emma. Had we been placed in the same
position very likely we should have done the same. You hive a
husband and three children, and su posing you were all to be sold
and separated, the time for sale being announced, would not your
husband and you take your children and escape to a land of safety?"
"Yes, it is natural to do so, George, but I never thought that
that they had the same feelings we have."
"You are very much mistaken about that, Emma, for I have
seen enough to convince me that slaves have the greatest feelirgs
for, their families and relatives. My trip to New Orleans wiTl, as
long as I live, confirm m: in that, for I discovered enough to break
any humane person's heart. Had you been in a position to view
that scene your mind would have been quite different now."
"Don't you think, George, it would be better to keep all our
slaves and not sell any?"
"That is my opinion, Emma. I think we can get along very
well without selling and it would be a great pleasure to me not to
do so, for they have made us a vast fortune, and I think it would
be a very small return to let all the different families live together
the remainder of their days."
"That is a good idea, George. Jane and I will agree to that,
won't you, Jane?"
Jane replied in the affirmative, and so the two sisters and brother
agreed to an action of mercy.

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY, 2?
CHAPTER III.
Wild Animals, True Friends, Some Excitement, Well Educated,
Some Excitement, A Strict Report, Slave Quarters, Sad Meeting,
Barrels of Blood, Hung to Lamp Post, Horrible Sight, Well-
dressed Person, The Discovery , Their Victims, Christian Manner,
Close Quarters, Human Freight, Fine Horses, Slave Market.
While Emma and George were calculating probabilities at home,
Su and Jack, with their children, were travelling as fast as circum
stances would allow ; and, on the Saturday night spoken of, they
crossed the Ohio River, into the State of Indiana, said to be a free
State. After landing from the little boat on which tjiey persuaded
a fellow-slave to take them across, they started on their long jour
ney for freedom, and travelled many miles the same dark night,
through ihe wild wilderness, guided by the north star. There were
at that time a great many wild animals to contend with in the
State of Indiana and Ohio too. So the horrors they had to ex
perience were intensified, for many times during their travelling,
the wolf, the bear, and panther, also wild cat, would make their
appearance, and frighten them and their children. No doubt they
would have been destroyed, had not Jack taken the precaution to
provide himself with two large bowie knives and a six-shooter,
because in a struggle they had with a large bear, his bowie knife
saved them from a horrible death. After this event, they, on the
next day, arrived at the City of Indianapolis, the capitol of Indiana,
where they found a great many black people ami true friends
indeed. They did everything thai could be done for the weary
travellers. After lakinga good needed rest, they were conveyed
to Richmond, a town situated in the same Stale, and from
Richmond to Toledo, Ohio, situated on Lake Erie ; from thence by
ship to the town of Amherstburg, Canada, situated on the Detroit
River, where they were safe from all harm. So Su, Jack, and

2S 'THE HORRORS OF SLAVE**.
their children were free, for ever free. After residing in Amherst--
burg a short time they moved to. Chatham, in Kent County, and,
through their industry, they were soon able to buy a farm, and
greatly improve their condition from slaves to landholders. But
they did not forget the people at their old home in Kentucky, for
they .wrote them a letter after they were settled, informing them
where they were. Many years after Su and Jack left Kentucky,
Mr. George Webster received a letter from Chatham, Canada. It
was a great surprise indeed to get a letter from Canada, as they
were not known there they, thought at the time. They were very
much puzzled, and Emma spoke with some excitement and said,
" Oh, George, it may be from Su and Jack. Open it and see.
It may be from them." When the letter was opened they found
that it was indeed from Su and Jack, after an absence of twenty
years. The letter read thus : " To Mr. George Webster, Sir, —
I thought I would write you to inform you where we are. We live
three mies from Chatham, Canada, in this free and happy land.
We did not know whether to write or not, thinking that likely you
all had sold out and left that part of Kentucky, but we thought we
would write and ascertain. We are in good health, and the child
ren are all grown up to maturity and well educated. We have a
nice farm and well stocked. Our oldest son wrote this letter. Su
wishes to say something to you all. No more now, Jack Weuster."
"Mr. Webster, Sir,---I felt very bad to leave you all, but I
could not help it, for I was aware that if you were going to separate
us, that I could not live no way, so we thought that we would just
leave. I hope you will not be angry with us for doing so, and I
hope the Lord will always bless you all for your kindness lo us
while with you. Please give our regards, to Miss Emma and Miss
Jane, also to yourself.— Susannah Webster. P. O. Box 72, Chat
ham, Canada, June 20th, 1840."

TilE HORRORS OF SLAVERY; a9
After the excitement had somewhat subsided, this answer was
returned them : " Louisville, Kentucky, June 30th, 1S40. To
Su and Jack, --We received your letter and were surprised to hear
from you, but thought you had gone to Canada. We are all glad
to hear that you are doing well. For my part, Su, I was glad that
you all made your escape. My two sisters were u. little ditcrcnl
then, but they feel as I do now. We did not have the sale as we
expected. We changed our minds, and will not sell any more of
our slaves, Su. Wo missed Jack and you very much after you left,
but it is all right now. If ever you come to Louisville be sure to
call and see us. \Ye would all like to see. you. Our best wishes,
George Webster."
So Su and Jack and their children, after their brave efforts in
making their escape to Canada, and many years. of freedom, died
fiee. The horrors of slavery were not confined lo the black people
by any means. The thoughtful owners were always in dread of an
uprising, and were always on the alert. I am told that in New
Orleans and other slave cities, that owners went armed to the
teeth, and that each dwelling was a storehouse of arms and
aimmilion, all ready in case of need. Some of the slaves were en
couraged to watch the others, and make a strict report to the
owners. What was said in the field, or in the cabin, about making
their escape, raising an insurrection, or forming a plot to kill the
overseer, or whatever it might be, the owner would try to contrive
some plan to be kept posted. The man that had the office of over
seer was generally a white man. Al no time would he go into the
field among the slaves without six -shooters and a great whip. Of
course women would have to work in the fields as well as the men,
and under all circumstances. Sometimes a woman would faint
while toiling under a tropical sun, and fall. After some lime, other
slaves would be allowed to convey her to her hut, and they would

30 PREFACE HORRORS OF SLAVE'ftY.
place her on the dirt floor until she survived or died. There would
be no one left at the slaves' quarters in the mornings if all were
able at all to work, so the women thai had children would take
their babies with them to the fields during the working hours, and
set them down on the ground. Some parts of the United States
were infested with dangerous reptiles, and mothers would be on the
nlert about their little babies. Often one of the poor mothers would
cast her eyes towards her child and see it struggling in the folds
of a cruel snake. Very often, I have been informed, the overseer
would not allow her to leave her work to go and protect her baby.
The mother would scream at the top of her voice, " My God, my
child, my child, what shall I do," and would drop her hoe and
start to her child ; the overseer would stop her and drive her back
to work, -while her child would be screaming and struggling with
the gieat snake. Then the horn would blow for noon, and all
hands were allowed a short time for lunch, so the poor heart-broken
mother would make good use of those short moments to see to her
child, and release it, with the help of others, from the great strong
, snake but too late. When the heart-broken mother took the child
into her arms the spirit 'had left the little body, for God had taken
it to Himself in Heaven. The serpent had squeezed the life out,
and that was the death scream the poor mother with the rest heard
a short time before. The father and husband, who was at work in
another part of the large cornfield at this sad moment, soon made
his appearance. It was a sad meeting, and the father and mother
could only shed bitter tears. The little child was buried in a little
grave near the slave quarters, on a piece of land half covered with
low mounds, the slaves' burying ground. The mother and father
must not make too much noise in their deep sorrow, that will never
do in the world: They have not feelings like slave owners ; they
are no more than hogs, sheep, cows, horses, or any beast of the

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 31 ,
field, or the fowls of the air. Let all people remember that the
same God who has numbered the hairs of our heads, who watches
over the fate of the sparrow, is the God of my race as well as of
other races. The barrels of blood that were shed in the United
States during the war from 1S61-5 and other parts of the world, on
account of slaveiy, is an awful warning of how fearful a thing it is
to oppress the humblest being. The great mob that took possession
of New York in 1863, will somewhat illustrate the horrors of
slavery too. The mob visited all localities inhabited by black
people, and murdered all they could lay hands on, without regard
to age or sex. Every place where black people were known to be
employed was searched : steamboats leaving the city and railroad
depots were watched, lest some of my people should escape their
vengeance. Hundreds were driven from their own homes and
hunted and chased through the streets ; the orphan asylum for
colored children situated on Fifth Avenue was destroyed by the
mob. It was a charitable institution, and at the time it contained
six hundred orphan colored children. It was plundered, set on
fire and burnt to the ground, and it is said that several people got
badly bruised by falling walls. It was also stated that fifty ot my
people were killed by the mob in their homes or on the public
streets. Only a few weeks before, many regiments of black men
had passed through the great city on their way South to fight for
the Union, but the mob went on with all its horrors for over a week
before they made up their minds to relent. Many black people
were chased to the docks, and thrown into the river and drowned ;
while some, after being murdered, were hung lo lamp-posts. Well
do I remember reading the account of that mob in the City of New-
York in 1863. At thai time war was raging in the South. Vicks-
burg and Port Hudson had been taken by the Northern troops a
short time before, and as the black soldiers had assisted in their

32 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
capture, the colored people of the North must be made to suffer for
it. The horrors of slavery was the foundation of it all. Then
there was a mob which caused great distress for several days in
Chicago, the same year, against my people. The mob in Detroit,
Michigin, too, the same year, caused other horrible scenes. As
my residence was just across the river at that time, in Windsor,
Canada, I had a sad chance to see some of the effects of it. I say
here it was a horrible sight lo behold. They would take my
people's furniture from their houses put it in heaps, then set fire to
it and burn to ashes. While the mob would be firing the houses,
/ '
hundreds of us would stand powerless in Windsor at night and see
the great fire destroying our people's goods. Many of my people
made their escape across the river to Windsor, Canada, where they
would b" safe under Britain's Christian laws. Some had been shot,
others had iheir heads cut in different parts, some stabbed with
knives, and others would be bruised on their bodies in a fearful
manner. All of this cruelty was done to my race on account of the
influence the horrors of slavery had on the minds of a certain class
of people. The most wonderful part in this disagreeable matter is
this. Some people appear to think, through their ignorance, that
after our sorrows in this life we have no right to go to heaven when
we die. One of our ministers was interrogated by a very well
dressed person thus : "Do you expect to go to heaven?" Of
course the minister answered in the affirmative. " Well," said the
supposed gentleman, " If you go to heaven, I don't want to go
there.'' 'So. this gentleman, as we will call him, illustrated the
bitter feelings against the black race, not only of himself, but of
hundreds of thousands of others ; for I know, by the experience that
I have had through life, the hostile disposition that is put in force
against us. As I have stated a number of limes, there are a great
many thousands of white people who are true Christians, and who

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. ^
have never thought of trying to injure my race in the least thing.
If these good Christian people had not been in existence, the black
race in America would have been swept from the face of the earth.
The author will ask one question : " Who is to blame for our
being on the continent of America, or is it our fault ? " Of course
the answer will have to be in the negative, " No." My opinion is,
there would not have been a black man on the continent of Amer ca
if he had nol been brought by force. I mean of the African race,
of course. There were colored people found here on the discovery
oi this continent, and they were supposed to be Indians, as
Columbus thought that he had landed in Asia or some part of India.
The natives of America ever since have been known by an assumed
name, through a mistake that Columbus made in calling them
Indians. Il is not our fault that we. are here, by no means,
because we have heard our forefathers say that Africa is far superior
tp America. I have learned by reading different histories that
Africa is a paradise, with its fine fruits, gorgeous flowers, great
animals, beautiful birds, and sunny climate ; with its gold, dia
monds, and gems, and fine looking people. I have heard of all
these things spoken of by my people that came from there, long
before I read of it.
With all of our sorrows in America, as I have before stated, good
will be the result. Many African people were slaves in Rome,
when the world was much younger than now, and they suffered
many hardships. The Romans punished the slaves very bar
barously, when they were captured after running away. Often, it
is stated, they would place the captured slave in the arena, and then
let a hungry lion in to tear him to pieces. At other times they
would bind their victim alive to a dead person, and let him remain
in that position until death would relieve him ; or they would tor
ture their victims with hot irons. The Romans would also crucify

34 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
their victims, by driving the iron nails through the hands and feet
into the solid wood, and let them remain in that position until death
would relieve them. In my opinion many African slaves have
received at different times this barbarous treatment, as well as other
races that have been under the Roman yoke of slavery. It does
appear to me, in a general way, that man has a very hard heart
when he gets control over others; all human sympathy departs
from him, for he will carry his authority ti the last degree.
Understand, reader, I do not say this in regard to all men, for
there are many exceptions. It is surely the case with a great many
of all classes : just give them the power and that is enough.
There were thousands of slaveholders that treated their slaves in a
very Christian manner ; ihey looked after their comfort, and main
tained them in old age ; gave them 'Comfortable houses to live in,
and had them put away at death in a Christian manner. I have
learned this information from my own people after their arrival in
Canada. They said also that they did hate to leave their owners,
because they were always so kind to them, but the reason they left
was that they were afraid Something might happen, and cause them
to be sold down South to some mean person. Had they been sure
that would never happen, they never would have left. They had a
nice lime, and when they had a ball, their owners would give them
plenty of cake and wine, and sometimes they would give them all a
great supper, and furnish them with plenty to eat too. Every man
that was able could by law own slaves, no difference what the dis
position was, white or black. There were mean as well as good
colored slave owners ; there are some men that are not fit to have a
horse under their control, let alone a human being. It is so
throughout the world, among all nations of the earth, but the slave
trade between Africa and America, in the way 'it was managed,
would appal the heart of a Fiji cannibal. A slave ship would sail

Tl'tE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 35
along the coast until a convenient place was discovered, and there
drop anchor, and take on board sometimes six hundred black
people and store them below in close quarters. There they would
remain until they arrived at some port of the West Indies or of the
United States. During that voyage, through being crowded and
the limitation of air, or through starvation or thirst, there would be
many deaths. The only sorrow manifested was the financial loss to
the pirates. There was no sympathy for the loss of human life.
On those sad occasions the dead were hoisted up and dragged to
the ship's side and hove overboard, just as they would a hog, dog,
or an ox. The sick of either sex were neglected ; if they lived,
they got so much more money; if they died, so much less, wilh an
angry oath. When the time came to land their cargo, there would
be more hundreds of human stock to add to the internal slave trade,
which was just as horrible as the external. They would place the
black people in long rows, sometimes fifty feet in length, two side
by side, the inside hand of each pair would be handcuffed together;
then they would pass a long iron chain the whole length between
the victims and attach the hands that were handcuffed. Thus they
were driven to the slave markets to be sold to different planters.
The journies sometimes were performed under great cruelties. In
driving cattle and mules they were allowed freedom of limbs, but
the poor slaves were chained and in that cruel position would travel
many days under a tropical sun and many barefooted and bare
headed. When crossing creeks and rivers, boats would be too ex
pensive, but by going up ordiwn the shore, u. ford would be found,
across which the slaves would be diiven and placed in order on the
other shore. The owners, of course, would be upon fine horses
during the march and would have a fine time, as there were regular
stopping places for those engaged in the internal slave trade. When
the.shades of night closed down, the owners would be accommo-

J6

(IE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.

dated in one of those fine hotels and lay on flowery beds of ease1,
and their fine horse's have the best of care. The slaves, on the other
hand, would be chained and laying in groups in some old shed on
the bareground, or some barn that had been erected for their ac
commodation. When a novice who was poor entered into the
business, he would buy at first two or three slaves and rise by de
grees until he bought larger numbers. Often the small buyer]" ould
be seen-with two or three slaves chained together and himself in
the rear, holding the chain and driving ihe slaves before him to the
slave market. Sometimes the price of slaves would be away down,
and, being poor and the market overrun, could not afford to wait
until another boom set in. Unlike rich dealers he would be in
great straits for something to eat and drink, for he had paid all the
money he had for human stock, and if he had to wait in Washington
for higher prices it would be awful. During the moments of his
me Illation, he hears footsteps. On looking up he discovers a well-
dressed man full of business, but he passed down the street and was
lost sight of.

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. if
C H A PTEK IV.
His own horse, First Revolt, Sister and Brother, Separated,
Married Couple, Four Sisters, Deaf Ears, Much Affected,
Transported lo Cuba, George Loomis, My Daughter, Put on her
Glasses, William was my name, George took off the boot, In
Vicksburg, Happy Life, Kentucky Mountains, Holding on to me,
Hunting one day, Fight of us, The Hounds, Black Soldiers,
The Revelation, Great Mistake, Many Exceptions, His Armory,
North Star.
I have often thought how men will abuse their power in this
world' when they have the least chance.- I was employed with a
man at one time in the City of Detroit, Michigan, and I saw that
man one day whip his horse with a heavy whip until jts flesh was
raw ; he then took a great knife from his pocket and was just in the
act of plunging the long blade into the horse's side, when I inter
fered, and prevailed on him to abstain from killing his own horse
while in a mad uncontrollable rage. -There were such men who
were slave owners in the West Indies, who had not any more
feeling for their slaves than that man for his horse. I was informed
6n good authority that black women were treated very cruelly in
the West Indies as well as men. On one occasion an owner was
• going to punish a woman for nothing ; the woman would not be
imposed on and did resist. When the owner could not subdue her
with a whip, he drew his sharp knife, and. while she was advancing
to strike him with a club, in her rage did not heed his warning to
stand back, but kept advancing until he plunged the knife into her
side, and she, not quite a mother, dropped dead on the spot. So
there were two murders committed to satisfy a fiendish disposition.
My people were treated very cruelly in the West Indies as well as
the natives of the country. It is said that three millions of the
natives were destroyed on the island of St. Domingo alone through

3$ PREFACE HORRORS OF SLAVERY,
the horrors of slaveiy. The first revolt by the African people look
place in 1522, which was put down by the troops. In 1510, when
the first blacks were brought to St. Domingo from Africa, nearly
all of the natives had been destroyed through the horrors of
slavery; so it was the natives that were slaves first. They ex
perienced such unrelenting cruelty that hundreds destroyed them
selves with their children, rather than suffer the terrible yoke of
bondage. As self-destruction was their only hope, they availed
themselves of every opportunity to do so, until the whole native
population were swept from the face of the earth. Slavery died
a hard death in St. Dom.ngo, as well as other parts of the world.
Slavery was always a series of troubles even with the best of
owners, for the slaves were always looking into the future, at what
might happen at any time in case of death of their owner. It was
a very serious thought too, because when those sad events did take
place, in many cases the estate would be broken up, and the slaves
sold to different parties, never to meet again in this life. Some
times they would meet, and, through conversation, would find that
they were sister and brother, or mother and son, or son and father,
or some distant relative to each other. One instance that I know
of I -will relate here. Missouri is, I believe, where they were sold
at a public auction to different owners. Some were taken to New
Orleans, some to Texas, others to Mississippi. A sister and brother
of this family met by chance in Ohio after over thirty years ; they
did not recognize each other, became acquainted, and kept each
other company for a long time, and finally married. They often
spoke about each, other's homes during their young days before they
were sold South, and about people that each knew, but it never
appeared to them for a moment that they were sister and brother.
My readeis may not credit this, but I will explain the matter,
People in slavery were never favored with any surname like other:

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 39
people. It was Jack, Bill, Joe, Neb, Nat, Tom, Ned, Het,
Dinah, S.i, etc. No father or mother's name was attached. Little
children were sold and separated from each other, and some did
not meet for thirty, forty, or fifty years. They never knew what
their father or mother's true name was. It is very plain that they
would forget the features of each other in that length of time.
After being married a considerable time, a friend called on them
one day ; this friend was from the neighbourhood where they were
sold and separated, in Missouri. Being much older than this
married couple, he could remember the different slave auctions
that took place many years before, and also the sale of this very
married couple, together with their mother, father, and family.
After conversing with this neivly married couple, he asked th;m if
they could remember the names they were called in Missouri?
Both answered in the affirmative. The woman said they called her
Het, as near as she could remember. Her husband replyed ,
"They called me Tom." "Well, well," replied the caller, "I
am sure I know you both. But do either of you remember your
father's name ? " The woman did not remember her father nor
mother's name ; but the husband, being older, did, and told the
caller that his father's name was Joe. " Well," says the caller,
" that is all that I will ask you now, for I know them all and you
too. I have the saddest part yet to relate of your history. It is
sad indeed, and I do not like to tell you ; nor will I do so, unless
you both desire it." " Well," says Tom and Het, which were the
names of the married couple in Missouri, " Do tell us, Mr. Brown,
all about our people, also the auction sale at which we were sold.
We would like very much lo hear it." Mr. Brown, in reply, told
them, that under the circumstances, he would be very sorry to ex
plain what he knew about their unhappy lot and would rather be
excused, because the horror in the case would be on those two

40. THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
alone. "Well,. Mr. Brown, tell us, we can hear it any way."
"Tom," said Mr. Brown, "you had four sisters?" "Yes,"
said Tom, "and two brothers, and my youngest sister they called
Het." " That was it," said Mr. Brown, "and I was near by the
same, sale at which you were all sold, and looked at your poor
mother and father, and discovered what anguish they were in,
when they were selling their little children. Little Het was the
last of'all of your sisters and brothers put on the block to be sold.
How your poor mother did hold on lo little Het, her baby, and beg
the man that had bought her to buy her last baby too, that she
could just have one of her little children with her. She fell to her
knees before her owner, and begged him to pity her for the good
Lord's sake. ' Do buy my las', baby. Do hear me, master, just
this once, and I will work for you night and day as long as I can
stand on my feet, and be a good woman, if you will only buy my
little baby, that she may be with me.' But the heart-broken
mother was talking to deaf ears ; her last baby was sold from her,
and taken to the far South."
After Mr. Brown's explanation, the married couple wanted to
know, with tears in their eyes, if that was all, or did he have some-
thin" more to explain in regard to the slave auction ? " Yes,"
replied Mr. Brown " I have the saddest part to explain yet."
': Oh "dear, what can it be I wonder?" replied Het. "Well,
since it must be so, I will explain this sad case. You know, Tom,
you informed me a short while ago that your youngest sister was
called Het, when she was sold in St. Louis, Missouri ?" " Yes."
" Your wife said, as near as she could remember, they called her
Met?" "Yes." "Now I will relate the saddest part of this
matter : you aad your wife are two of the children of this same
family that I have been describing, who were sold in St. Louis by
auction forty years ago or more. Your wife and you are ^brother

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY, 4*
and sister. Your mother and father were sold at the same auction,
and were separated the same as you children were ; but I know
and feel that neither of you were aware of the fact, so what I have
related is the part I so dreaded to tell."
The wife and husband were very much affected and wept bitter
tears. "What shall I do?" said the wife, "I have married my own
brother." Tom did not say much, but he had a sore heart,; he
bore the shock better than his sister. Poor 1 let went out of her
mind and never recovered. She became a raving maniac and con
tinued to the remainder of her life. Tom was somewhat effected
in the same way. Mr. Brown, after giving the sad couple all the
consolation in his power, bid them good bye and departed. This
was no singular case during the centuries of slavery. There were
many such cases I have heard of. It could not be otherwise, for
children were often sold when only one, two or three years old.
Those children would in many cases be sold to different parties and
taken hundreds of miles apart and only by chance see each other
again, as in the case of Het and Tom. Being separated so young
and in many cases not receiving any name, they would be like
wandering nigs. After being separated thirty or forty years, they
would have no idea of their father or mother, sisters or brothers;
their identity would be as completely lost, as if they had been
thrown down the crater of Vesuvius; they would no more be able
to recognise each other after that length of time, than they would
Rip-Van Winkle after his long sleep. It was not only on the
mainland of the United States that slave families were separated,
but often they were transported to Cuba, the West Indies, South
America, Brazil and other parts. There would be little or no like
lihood that they would ever meet again. George Loomis was a
slavejn Missouri and made his escape to Canada in 1832; he was
a mere lad at that time and settled near the city of Toronto. By

42 THE HORRORS OP SLAVERY.
industry he did well. When war commenced in the United States
in 1S61, Loomis was eager to take part in the struggle and enlisted
in a Michigan regiment in 1S63, and was with General Grant's
army at the siege ofVicksburg. Mississippi. After the surrender of
the city, the regiment that George Loomis belonged to was stationed
in the city, when he had the opportunity of frequently conversing
with his people. On visiting a house one day, he got into conver
sation with an old colored, lady, lie was informed that she was
originally from the State of Kentucky and lastly from Missouri;
both discovered that they came from the same neighbourhood. As
each related the experience through which they passed, the inter
view became more interesting. They would eye each other, but
there was nothing to indicate that they had ever met before. This
was not to last long, for George, in describing the parting scene
from his mother, father, sisters and brothers, rivetted the attention
of the old lady, who, at its close, said "that description appears
like that of my daughter. You surely cannot be any relati >n to
her." You see, reader, George Loomis was known in Missouri by
the name of \\ ill before his relatives were sold away from him.
"What is your name?" enquired the old lady. George replied,
"William was my name in Missouri, but I adopted the name I am
now known by." "Well, well, you don't mean to say that you
are William?" "Yes, that was the nun; I was known by."
"Well, continued the old lady, I had a son by the name of William
but he ran away and his owner went after him. He was captured
and sold to a cotton planter in New Orleans, so he said when he
returned home." The features of the two aid changed so much in
fotly years that Ihey could not trace even an acquaintance. "My
son," said the old lady, "had a scar on his right hand." George
sprang from his seat and held out his right hand. The old lady
put on her glasses, sei2ed the hand and screamed "Oh! oh! oh! I

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 43"
*
can't believe this is you." Then she said, "My son had a scar, a
deep scar on the side of the left foot." Quick as thought, George
took off his boot and held up his foot. During intervals the old
lady was busy wiping her glasses, for they were wet with tears, and
soon mother and son were locked in each other's arms: the lost
was found. The bitter sorrows that had visited the two since they
last met it would be hard to relate. Great was the rejoicing at this
chance meeting. The old lady would, for several days, have
Loomis take off his boot and shew her the scar which had assisted
her to identify her son. She would exclaim, the tears trickling
down her face, "This is the work of the Lordl and you are my
dear boy that I left in Missouri so long ago. I would never have
known you but for the conversation and scars. Now I know that
you are my long lost son." "Well, mother, I hardly expected ever
to see you again in this life when I made my escape to Canada."
"I was very much troubled about you, George Our owner started
after you and was gone two weeks. When he returned home, he
informed us that he o\ertook you away off in the woods and that
he had you conveyed to Nov, Orleans and sold to a colton planter."
"That was not so, mother, for I arrived in Canada about three
weeks after I left -Missouri,. and remained there until 1863. I then
joined the army and that is the reason lam here in Yicksburg. ''
"My son, I am very glad to see you. I have not seen your father
nor any of the remainder of my children since we. were separated
so long ago. I thank God, that through his mercies, we have met
to-day." "I am very thankful loo, mother, that I have been per
mitted to meet you once more. I will have to leave you now and
return to my regiment. If I can make it convenient, I will visit
you again, mother, and I would like you vciy much to spend the
remainder of your days with me at my home in Canada." "Surely
I will, my son. and will be glad to do so," George bid his mother

44 THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
farewell and with a hearty kiss, such as only mothers and fathers'
can give, the long lost mother and son parted. The parting was
not for long. After the fall of Yicksburg the war came to a close,
and he was honorably discharged at Hartford, Connecticut. He
returned to Vicksburg and had another pleasant meeting with his
dear mother, and true to his promise, after due preparations, started
with his mother for Canada, where in due time Ihey safely arrived.
The old lady enjoyed a peaceful and happy life the remainder of
her days under the care' of a kind and ever dutiful sin. The loss
of her husband and remainder of her children would often distress
her, but gradually she gave up ever meeting them again in this life,
and, being a Christian woman, she submitted her troubles to God.
By the Christian treatment of her son, contentment was promoted
to the greatest extent.
The foregoing is not a singular'case, for there were many. When
Richmond fell and the black troops were marching through the
city, hundreds of them would meet their mothers, fathers, sisters,
brothers, or other relatives, that they had not met for many years.
There were a great number of slaves that made their escape to
the mountains and enjoyed freedom: they were never recaptured.
Twenty years before the emancipation in the United States, there
was one black man, named Green, who made his escape and dwelt
among the Kentucky mountains with other slaves. When war was
declared against the Southern States, his dwelling place was a short
distance fiom the public highway, but several hundred feet above
the level. Several times he heard reports of cannon and small
arms, but did not know what it meant. At other times he would
hear a great number of men, horses and wagons passing, but was
afraid to descend to the road to ascertain the cause. Then he
thought he would remove his hiding place nearer the highway, in
order to learn what all this activity was about. All the slaves who

i in; ifORRORS of slavery.- 4f>
were with him were just as ignorant as himself. They had not had
conversation with others during the whole twenty years they had
dwelt in different mountains, and were not aware of the great war
that was then raging between the North and the South that was te
sweep lawful slavery from the face of the earth.. Not long after
they had been in their new hiding place, close to the highway, a
very loud noise was heard: it appeared as if thousands of men were
singing at a distance. A great cornfield, which was nearly matured,
intervened between them and the road, and they proceeded close
to the highway through the corn, so that they could not be discov
ered. To their great surprise, they saw thousands of black men
with guns; some had swords. There were a few white men with
them, All were singing loud and appeared to be happy. One of
the boldest of the black men in the cornfield advanced to the high
way and waited until this great army arrived. On being interro
gated, he informed the soldiers that heand the other slaves had run
away twenty years ago and had dwelt in different mountains ever
since, and that they knew nothing of the war or the emancipation.
"What is your name?" enquired a soldier. '* They called me
Green," answered the slave. "Was that your father's name?" "No.
I don't know my father. I have a slight memory of my mother. I
was to be sold, and on the day the sale took place I remember my
poor mother was silling on the ground with many oth. r black
people. Just before the sale commenced, she was holding on to me
and trying to persuade the owner not to sell her little boy. All her
lamenting, crying and begging, as only a mother can do, was in
vain. I was sold and taken to Natchez, Mississippi, and after re
maining there a few years I became a young man. With other
slaves, I made my escape and arrived in Kentucky, where I have
been ever since, the same State from which I was sold. My fellow-
slaves nor I, knew not that we were back in Kentucky until several

>\t> 1'kEFACE HORRORS OF SLAVERY.
years after our return, because we travelled by night along the high
way and through the woods by day. We crossed the Mississippi
once or twice too in a small boat. " " How did you learn at last that
you were back in Kentucky?" said one of the soldiers. The slave
replied, "We were hunting one day and had wandered near the
base of the mountain in search of game. We were surprised to
hear the report of a gun and not a little frightened either, for we
well knew that if we were discovered, whether in a free or a slave
State, we would be arrested and confined in jail. We could not
at first discover how many men were with the gun, but to our satis
faction and delight there was but one man. He was a white man
and we did not feel afraid of him. The man's back was towards
us and we approached to within a dozen feet of him before he dis
covered us. When he turned his head in our direction, and we
being in such close proximity, he was so much frightened that he
almost let his gun fall. 'Well, boys,' said the white man, 'where
in the world are you going?' 'We are just out a hunting,' we replied.
'I have not had such a fright since I have been in old Kentucky,
nor before. ' That was how we learned that we were back in Ken
tucky. " "How did the white man treat you all, Green?" asked a
soldier. "He treated us very nicely; there were eight of us and
we were all armed, but I do not think that made any difference.
He appeared a nice white man and never asked about our history
or to whom we belonged. He gave us a lot of leaf tobacco, which
we much needed." "That was very kind," said a soldier, "but
how did you manage to live during your long journey from Missis
sippi?" "We lived very well. We had our guns, ammunition and
knives and you know that there were quantities of all kinds of game,
so we did not suffer for want of anything to cat. After we had left
Natchez a week, the bloodhounds came up with us and we had a
terrible fight with them. Our owners were several miles in the

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 47
rear, as is often the case, so we killed every one of the hounds with
our long knives and heavy clubs. We did not use our guns, fearing
that our owners would locate us. We had no more trouble after
that and I have no idea what our owners thought when they dis
covered all the dogs dead! After the hounds were destroyed we
made the best time we could away from there and crossed the river
again the same night. We had no idea where we were." "Well,
Green," said the soldier, "you need not be afraid now. Legal
slavery has passed away for ever and that is the reason you see so
many of us in arms to sustain the cause of the Government of the
United States." Green and his companions were much surprised
to hear the good news and hardly knew whether to credit it at first.
The soldiers camped in that vicinity and by numerous visits to the
camp the slaves were firmly convinced that they were free indeed.
So the eight black men who had dwelt among the mountains twenty
years learnt that they were no longer goods and chattels, but free
men. Oh, how thankful those eight men were to receive the glo
rious news! Something that they had never heard of before. They
danced, they sung and made the old woods ring with the echoes of
their merry voices, while the white officers and black soldiers looked
on with delight. When the first exuberant burst of feelings were
over, one of the white officers walked to where the eight black men
were and said, ' Boys, you are all free now and every black person
in the United States. You can remain here in Kentucky, or go
with the army. We expect to break up camp in a few days." After
this speech the whole army, with the eight black men, gave three
rousing cheers. From what I could learn, it was heard several
miles away. The eight black men thought it would be their best
policy to go with the army, as they were on their way to Richmond
and would be more safe than in Kentucky for awhile. In a few
days the army received orders lo proceed, and they did so with the

4^ THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY,
eight black men with them, who were well-pleased with the happy
change that had fallen to their lot. Those men were then willing
to die to sustain that glorious freedom that God wished every
righteous man on earth to have.
ft was not only in the United States that my people made their
escape to the mountains to find a hine on ace rant of the horrors of
slavery. They did the same in St. Domingo during the time of the^
Revolution, which separated St. Domingo from France. Thousands
of black people came down lo the plains from the great mountains,
where they had made their homes for two generations. When they
descended to the plains to fight for their liberty, they would leave
their families with the mothers. Many had married and they had
organised themselves into a Republic, and maintained themselves
unconquered. The slaves of Rom • were treated quite differently
to what they were in America, asagmeral rule. They were not
only employed in domestic service, but in various trades and manu
factures. Sometimes they were high'y educated and instructed in
the liberal arts and professions., as that of physic, etc. During the
feast of Saturn, white or black slaves were allowed great liberty
and the owners at that time would wait upon their slaves at table.
Notwithstanding this, the Romans were cruel, and, in my opinion,
they destroyed the effects of all kindness.
I have often heard men remark that they were slaves through the
difficulties which they had to overcome in their labor to make a
livinc That is a great mistake. What they think to be slavery
is not even a prelude to the horrors of slavery that the African was
subject lo. The former have their individual liberty to get an edu
cation and to educate their children. They have the rights of the
franchise and are protected by law when they labor. They receive
wan-es and are not compelled by law to labor all their lives for no
reward. 'Their families and themselves are protected by law. The

THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY. 49
wife is not taken from the husband and sold to go north, and the
husband sold to other parties to go south, and some of the children
sold to go east and the remainder to go west, never to meet again
during this life. Neither is the husband prohibited from protecting
his wife and daughters from insult, nor from furnishing his children
with books and teaching them at home. They can own land,
horses, wagons, buggies, or anything they are able to buy, and be
protected bylaw in their rights. Yet, with all these- God-given
rights, many men are not satisfied and say they are slaves. The
African slave were victims to everything just now enumerated, be
cause the laws then existing in a Christian land did not allow my
people the rights of man. There were "inany exceptions, but in
general the slaves in the United States were treated as brutes. If
white people, with all the favorable circumstances they enjoy, say
they are slaves, what would they say if they were under the yoke
of African slavery as practised iD the United States? Man, with
few exceptions, is dissatisfied even under favorable circumstances.
I have often noticed men who were said to be "born with a golden
spoon in their hand," that is they were supplied with everything
that heart could wish for— heirs to great fortunes and never nad to
labor— and who could and did enjoy themselves, yet with such
golden privileges, they destroyed themselves to meet a worse lot
after death.
Many people know of the ferocity of Spanish bloodhounds: those
ferocious beasts were imported into the United Stales during the
time of slavery and trained to hunt my afflicted people in case they
should run away. Many times have I heard sad stories from
fugitive slaves, who were chased by the hounds. One case I will
relate here. This black man. was making his escape from Missouri
and after travelling several days and crossing the Ohio river into
Indiana, he was shocked one night by heating the bloodhounds

5° THE HORRORS OF 3LAVERY.
near. Fortunately, at this critical juncture, he was near the base
of the mountains, to which he bent his way through the woods as
fast as possible. He had ascended quits a distance before the
hounds came up to him ; he was well armed; his armoury consist-'
ing of a large bowie knife, a six shooter, and a sword made from a
scythe blade. Yet he was terror stricken at the idea of being at
tacked by several ferocious bloodhounds, so he could only trust in
God, which he did. At that horrible moment his supplications
were not in vain, for God was with him as he was with Daniel in
the lion's den in Babylon. The High and Holy One delivered
this black man from his awful enemies. While resting from his
tiresome journey, the hounds came up with him and instead of
taking hold of him, simply looked at him and walked around. He
sat on a log and snapped his fingers and all the hounds came to
him, looke I at him and laid down at his feet. They did him no
harm and were' soon in sound sleep. This may seem strange to my
readers, but we must remember that our God will never change,
for He is the same now as in the days of Daniel and the other
Hebrew children we read of in holy writ. Bloodhounds were
trained to obey the sound of the horn. When at a great distance,
the owner would blow his horn and the hounds would habitually
return to their master at once. This black man heard the horn
several times while the hounds lay at his feet snoring. The hounds
did not' move and the black man, after getting a good rest, pro
ceeded on his journey towards Canada, the land of freedom; the ¦
dogs neve'r attempted to follow him. The north star was the only
guide of this man, and the best of all is the very man that acted
this part is now a resident of this city of Vancouver. The circum
stances were related to me by himself, therefore I do not hesitate
to insert this with many other 'thrilling events I know to be true.
There was another man who related his experience. He staled

THE HORRORS "OF SLAVERY. 51
that during his exodus he went without food five days and nights.
' The victuals he started with gave out and he was afraid to venture
near a house, fearing that he would meet enemies instead of friends.
During his wanderings on the fifth day of starvation, he arrived at
a small creek in the wilderness and while refreshing himself with a
cool drink a large fish made its appearance and swam towards him.
A stick of wood was close at hand with which he knocked the fish
and disabled it. It was soon in his hands and he was so near
starved that he did not build a fire although material was at hand;
with his bowie knife he flayed the fish and devoured it raw. Mr.
Jones felt grateful for it in that state and when he finished his meal
he felt much better and resumed his journey towards Canada. He
was then in the Slate of Pennsylvania and was trying to get to the
Alleghany Mountains, which he could see at a distance. After re
maining among the mountains for several days, late one night he
was attracted to a large farmhouse, situated near the highway.
After some observation, he passed around the house and entered
the barnyard. Close at hand there were several large stacks of bay
and wheat. It was then near morning, and the thought occurred
to him, as he would have to lay by anyway by day in that part of
the State of Pennsylvania, on account of numerous habitations, and
travel only at night, that he would climb to the top of one of the
stacks and burrow down and rest for that day. He was so situated
that he had a good view of everything that took place. In a very
short time he was in the land of dreams, but the slumber was dis
turbed by the bark of a small dog. He discovered that this little
dog was making a great to do about the stack that concealed him,
and he was very much frightened. In a few moments, said
Mr. Jones, the fright became intensified, because I discovered a ¦
white man in the next field, and thought from his actions, that he -
was the landlord reviewing his fine stock, He loo.k no notice of .

5^ I'HE HORRORS OF SLAVERY1..
his meddlesome little dog making such a parade around the stack
I was hid in, but the dog seemed determined to let his master know
that there was something wrong, and would stand and bark and
look up, then turn and look towards his master to draw his atten
tion. As luck would have it, he failed to do so, for the white man
did not come close to the stacks where his meddlesome dog was,
and soon took his departure for the house. As soon as the little
dog found that his master had left, he left also and I maintained
my position until a little after dark, when I resumed my journey.
During the early part of the night, I met a true friend : this was a
white man. He was connected with the underground railroad and
and I had no more trouble, because I took his branch of the road.
In a few days I arrived in Detroit, Michigan, and was conveyed
the same evening across the Detroit River to Windsor, Canada, to
the land of freedom. Il is well said, by Prof. Sampson, thai the
Afri- American is a new race, and is not the direct descendant of
any people that have ever flourished ; that the glory of the black
race is yet to come. In a general way it would be useless for us to
try to trace our descent back to our fatherland. Some few can.
In my opinion, as I have stated before in this work, the Africans
were conveyed to this continent, through the v.ise Providence of
God; in order to receive the light of His holy word and then return ¦
and proclaim the glad tidings through our fatherland and bid them
to 'arise and shine for the light is come and the glory of the Lord
is arisen upon them." It is the black races of America and other
countries that are destined to Christianise the dark continent of
Africa. In a general way there has been proof enough lo convince
the world of this fact. In 1S16, the African Methodist Episcopal
Ghurch of America was organized in the city of Philadelphia. The
Rev. Richard Allen was ordained and made the first bishop, April
jlth, the same year, with only seven itinerants. This small nunv ¦

6UR DOTY. eio
ber of Christian heroes travelled from one city to another preaching
the gospel, and God blessed their good work. They crossed the
Alleghany Mountains and travelled along the Mongahela Valley,
preaching the light of the gospel, until they arrived at Pittsburgh,
where they set up the banner of God From th :re they proceeded
to the State of Ohio, and from that small beginning the African
Methodist Episcopal Church has been established in every State'in
the Union and many territories. They have crossed the sea many
limes since they first organized and proclaimed the glad tidings on
the shores of Africa. The Rev. E. W Blyden, one of the most
distinguished linguists of the African race, was born in St. Thomas,
West Indies, and, after residing in the United States for several
years, went to Liberia in 1854. He represented Liberia at
the Court of St. James. In reading Dr. BIyden's Methods of
Africa's Conversion, he speaks as I do, that the African himself is ¦
the Instrument by which Africa is to become Christianized and
refers to the incident of the Ethiopian eunuch coining up to Jerusa
lem in search of the truth, and on his returning home was baptised
by Philip and received the holy light of the gospel and conveyed it
back to Ethiopia. He became the founder of the Abyssinian
Church, which continues to this day. This Ethiopian was a high
officer in the Court of Candace, or the black Queen of Ethiopia, at
that period. There were several black Queens that ruled Ethiopia
at different times, but they were each called Candace of Sheba, or
Ethiopia ; that was the title in place of Queen. This same black
Lady Sovereign visited the great King Solomon at one time at
Jerusalem in search of truth, and it is said she carried the true light
to the uttermost parts of the earth to her subjects. Abyssinia is a
portion of'Ethiopia that was ruled by the Candace or Queen of
Sheba. Dr. Blyden also says : — The Abyssinian church is the only
real African Church yet founded, whose priests and people are of

54 OCR' DUTY.
the African race, that is in the land of Africa. I have thought for
many years that the African race of America is destined to convey
the light of the gospel to Africa, and since I have read Dr. BIyden's
remarks on the subject, I am satisfied that I am right. I feel very
much elated to know that one of the most distinguished men of my
race have the same ideas as myself in regud to this important mat
ter. I hope those ideas will continue to foment in America, and
that those of my race who do not proceed to Africa will be willing
to contribute to those who do.

FINIS.

YALE UNIVERSITY