two previous to getting there, our provisions were used up, and I had
the misery to hear the cry of hunger and exhaustion from those I loved
so dearly. It was necessary to run the risk of exposure by day-light
upon the road; so I sprung upon it boldly from our hiding place one
morning, and turned towards the south, to prevent the suspicion of my
going the other way. I approached the first house I saw, and asked if
they would sell me a little bread and meat. No, they had nothing for
black fellows. At the next I succeeded better, but had to make as good
a bargain as I could, and that was not very successful, with a man who
wanted to see how little he could give me for my quarter of a dollar.
As soon as I had succeeded in making a purchase, I followed the road,
still towards the south, till I got out of sight of the house, and then
darted into the woods again, and returned northward, just out of sight
of the road. The food which I bought, such as it was, put new life
and strength into my wife and children when I got back to them again,
and we at length arrived safe at Cincinnati. There we were kindly
received and entertained for several days, my wife and little ones were
refreshed, and then we were carried on our way thirty miles in a wagon.
We followed the same course as before, of travelling by night, and
resting by day, till we arrived at the Scioto, where we had been told
we should strike the military road of General Hull, in the last war
with Great Britain, and might then safely travel by day. We found the
road, accordingly, by the large sycamore and elm which marked its
beginning, and entered upon it with fresh spirits early in the day.
Nobody had told us that it was cut through the wilderness, and I had
neglected to provide any food, thinking we should soon come to some
habitation, where we could be supplied. But we travelled on all day
without seeing one, and laid down at night, hungry and weary enough.
I thought I heard the howling of wolves, and the terror inspired by
this, and the exertions I used to keep them off, by making as much
noise as I could, took away all power of sleeping, till daylight, and
rendered a little delay inevitable. In the morning we were as hungry as
ever, but had nothing to relieve our appetites but a little piece of
dried beef. I divided some of this all round, and then started for a
second day’s trip in the wilderness. It was a hard trial, and this day
is a memorable one in my life. The road was rough, of course, being
neglected, and the logs lying across it constantly; the underbrush was
somewhat cleared away, and that was about all to mark the track. As we
went wearily on, I was a little ahead of my wife and the boys, when I
heard them call to me, and, turning round, saw that my wife had fallen
over a log, and was prostrate on the ground. “Mother’s dying,” cried
Tom; and when I reached her, it seemed really so. She had fainted. I
did not know but it might be fatal, and was half distracted with the
fear and the uncertainty. In a few minutes, however, she recovered
sufficiently to take a few mouthfuls of the beef, and this, with a
little rest, revived her so much that she bravely set out once more.
We had not gone far, and I suppose it was about three o’clock in the
afternoon, when we discerned some persons approaching us at no great
distance. We were instantly on the alert, as we could hardly expect
them to be friends. The advance of a few paces showed me they were
Indians, with packs on their shoulders; and they were so near that
if they were hostile, it would be useless to try to escape. So I
walked along boldly, till we came close upon them. They were bent down
with their burdens, and had not raised their eyes till now; and when
they did so, and saw me coming towards them, they looked at me in a
frightened sort of way for a moment, and then, setting up a peculiar
howl, turned round, and ran as fast as they could. There were three or
four of them, and what they were afraid of I could not imagine, unless
they supposed I was the devil, whom they had perhaps heard of as black.
But even then one would have thought my wife and children might have
reassured them. However, there was no doubt they were well frightened,
and we heard their wild and prolonged howl, as they ran, for a mile or
more. My wife was alarmed too, and thought they were merely running
back to collect more of a party, and then to come and murder us, and
she wanted to turn back. I told her they were numerous enough to do
that, if they wanted to, without help; and that as for turning back,
I had had quite too much of the road behind us, and that it would be
a ridiculous thing that both parties should run away. If they were
disposed to run, I would follow. We did follow on, and soon the noise
was stopped; and, as we advanced, we could discover Indians peeping at
us from behind the trees, and dodging out of our sight, if they thought
we were looking at them. Presently we came upon their wigwams, and saw
a fine looking, stately Indian, with his arms folded, waiting for us
to approach. He was apparently the chief, and, saluting us civilly,
he soon discovered that we were human beings, and spoke to his young
men, who were scattered about, and made them come in, and give up their
foolish fears. And now curiosity seemed to prevail. Each one wanted to
touch the children, who were shy as partridges, with their long life in
the woods; and as they shrunk away, and uttered a little cry of alarm,
the Indian would jump back too, as if he thought they would bite him.
However, a little while sufficed to make them understand what we were,
and whither we were going, and what we needed; and as little, to set
them about supplying our wants, feeding us bountifully, and giving us
a comfortable wigwam for our night’s rest. The next day we resumed our
march, and found, from the Indians, that we were only about twenty-five
miles from the lake. They sent some of their young men to point out
the place where we were to turn off, and parted from us with as much
kindness as possible.
In passing over the part of Ohio near the lake, where such an extensive
plain is found, we came to a spot overflowed by a stream, across which
the road passed. I forded it first, with the help of a sounding-pole,
and then taking the children on my back, first, the two little ones,
and then the others, one at a time, and, lastly, my wife, I succeeded
in getting them all safely across, where the ford was one hundred to
one hundred and fifty yards wide, and the deepest part perhaps four
feet deep. At this time the skin was worn from my back to an extent
almost equal to the size of my knapsack.
One night more was passed in the woods, and in the course of the next
forenoon we came out upon the wide plain, without trees, which lies
south and west of Sandusky city. We saw the houses of the village, and
kept away from them for the present, till I should have an opportunity
to reconnoitre a little. When about a mile from the lake, I hid my
companions in the bushes, and pushed forward. Before I had gone far,
I observed on the left, on the opposite side from the town, something
which looked like a house, between which and a vessel, a number of
men were passing and repassing with activity. I promptly decided to
approach them; and, as I drew near, I was hailed by one of the number,
who asked me if I wanted to work. I told him yes; and it was scarcely
a minute before I had hold of a bag of corn, which, like the rest, I
emptied into the hold of the vessel lying at anchor a few rods off.
I got into the line of laborers hurrying along the plank next to the
only colored man I saw engaged, and soon entered into conversation with
him; in the course of which I inquired of him where they were going,
the best route to Canada, who was the captain, and other particulars
interesting to me, and communicated to him where I came from, and
whither I wished to go. He told the captain, who called me one side,
and by his frank look and manner soon induced me to acknowledge my
condition and purpose. I found I had not mistaken him. He sympathized
with me, at once, most heartily; and offered to take me and my family
to Buffalo, whither they were bound, and where they might arrive the
next evening, if the favorable wind continued, of which they were
hurrying to take advantage. Never did men work with a better will, and
soon two or three hundred bushels were thrown on board, the hatches
were fastened down, the anchor raised, and the sails hoisted. The
captain had agreed to send a boat for me, after sundown, rather than
take me on board at the landing; as there were Kentucky spies, he
said, on the watch for slaves, at Sandusky, who might get a glimpse
of me, if I brought my party out of the bush by daylight. I watched
the vessel, as she left her moorings, with intense interest, and began
to fear that she would go without me, after all; she stretched off
to so great a distance, as it seemed to me, before she rounded to.
At length, however, I saw her come up to the wind, and lower a boat
for the shore; and, in a few minutes, my black friend and two sailors
jumped out upon the beach. They went with me, immediately, to bring my
wife and children. But what was my alarm when I came back to the place
where I had left them, to find they had gone! For a moment, my fears
were overpowering; but I soon discerned them, in the fading twilight,
at no great distance. My wife had been alarmed by my long absence, and
thought I must have been discovered by some of our watchful enemies,
and had given up all for lost. Her fears were not removed by seeing
me returning with three other men; and she tried to hide herself. It
was not without difficulty that I satisfied her all was right, for her
agitation was so great that she could not, at once, understand what I
said. However, this was soon over, and the kindness of my companions
facilitated the matter very much. Before long, we were all on the way
to the boat, and it did not require much time or labor to embark our
luggage. A short row brought us to the vessel, and, to my astonishment,
we were welcomed on board, with three hearty cheers; for the crew
were as much pleased as the captain, with the help they were giving
us to escape. A fine run brought us to Buffalo the next evening, but
it was too late to cross the river that night. The next morning we
dropped down, to Black Rock, and the friendly captain, whose name I
have gratefully remembered as Captain Burnham, put us on board the
ferry-boat to Waterloo, paid the passage money, and gave me a dollar
at parting. He was a Scotchman, and had done enough to win my enduring
gratitude, to prove himself a kind and generous man, and to give me a
pleasant association with his dialect, and his country.
When I got on the Canada side, on the morning of the 28th of October,
1830, my first impulse was to throw myself on the ground, and giving
way to the riotous exultation of my feelings, to execute sundry
antics which excited the astonishment of those who were looking on.
A gentleman of the neighborhood, Colonel Warren, who happened to be
present, thought I was in a fit, and as he inquired what was the matter
with the poor fellow, I jumped up and told him _I was free_. “O,” said
he, with a hearty laugh, “is that it? I never knew freedom make a man
roll in the sand before.” It is not much to be wondered at, that my
certainty of being free was not quite a sober one at the first moment;
and I hugged and kissed my wife and children all round, with a vivacity
which made them laugh as well as myself. There was not much time to
be lost, though, in frolic, even at this extraordinary moment. I was
a stranger, in a strange land, and had to look about me at once, for
refuge and resource. I found a lodging for the night; and the next
morning set about exploring the interior for the means of support. I
knew nothing about the country, or the people; but kept my eyes and
ears open, and made such inquiries as opportunity afforded. I heard,
in the course of the day, of a Mr. Hibbard, who lived some six or
seven miles off, and who was a rich man, as riches were counted there,
with a large farm, and several small tenements on it, which he was
in the habit of letting to his laborers. To him I went, immediately,
though the character given him by his neighbors was not, by any means,
unexceptionably good. But I thought he was not probably any worse than
those I had been accustomed to serve, and that I could get along with
him, if honest and faithful work would satisfy him. In the afternoon I
found him, and soon struck a bargain with him for employment. I asked
him if there was any house where he would let me live. He said yes,
and led the way to an old two story sort of shanty, into the lower
story of which the pigs had broken, and had apparently made it their
resting-place for some time. Still, it was a house, and I forthwith
expelled the pigs, and set about cleaning it for the occupancy of a
better sort of tenants. With the aid of hoe and shovel, hot-water and
a mop, I got the floor into a tolerable condition by midnight, and
only then did I rest from my labor. The next day I brought the rest of
the Hensons to _my house_, and though there was nothing there but bare
walls and floors, we were all in a state of great delight, and my old
woman laughed and acknowledged that it was worth while, and that it was
better than a log-cabin with an earth-floor. I begged some straw of Mr.
Hibbard, and confining it by logs in the corners of the room, I made
beds of it three feet thick, upon which we reposed luxuriously after
our long fatigues.
Another trial awaited me which I had not anticipated. In consequence of
the great exposures we had gone through, my wife and all the children
fell sick; and it was not without extreme peril that they escaped with
their lives.
My employer soon found that my labor was of more value to him than
that of those he was accustomed to hire; and as I consequently gained
his favor, and his wife took quite a fancy to mine, we soon procured
some of the comforts of life, while the necessaries of food and fuel
were abundant. I remained with Mr. Hibbard three years, sometimes
working on shares, and sometimes for wages; and I managed in that time
to procure some pigs, a cow, and a horse. Thus my condition gradually
improved, and I felt that my toils and sacrifices for freedom had
not been in vain. Nor were my labors for the improvement of myself
and others, in more important things than food and clothing, without
effect. It so happened that one of my Maryland friends arrived in this
neighborhood, and hearing of my being here, inquired if I ever preached
now, and spread the reputation I had acquired elsewhere, for my gifts
in the pulpit. I had said nothing myself, and had not intended to say
any thing, of my having ever officiated in that way. I went to meeting
with others, when I had an opportunity, and enjoyed the quiet of the
Sabbath when there was no assembly. I would not refuse to labor in this
field, however, when desired to do so; and I hope it is no violation
of modesty to state the fact that I was frequently called upon, not
by blacks alone, but by all classes in my vicinity, the comparatively
educated, as well as the lamentably ignorant, to speak to them on their
duty, responsibility, and immortality, on their obligations to their
Maker, their Saviour, and themselves.
It may, nay, I am aware it must, seem strange to many that a man so
ignorant as myself, unable to read, and having heard so little as
I had of religion, natural or revealed, should be able to preach
acceptably to persons who had enjoyed greater advantages than myself.
I can explain it, only by reference to our Saviour’s comparison of the
kingdom of heaven to a plant which may spring from a seed no bigger
than a mustard-seed, and may yet reach such a size, that the birds of
the air may take shelter therein. Religion is not so much knowledge,
as wisdom;--and observation upon what passes without, and reflection
upon what passes within a man’s heart, will give him a larger growth
in grace than is imagined by the devoted adherents of creeds, or the
confident followers of Christ, who call him Lord, Lord, but do not the
things which he says.
Mr. Hibbard was good enough to give my eldest boy, Tom, two quarters’
schooling, to which the schoolmaster added more of his own kindness,
so that my boy learned to read fluently and well. It was a great
advantage, not only to him, but to me; for I used to get him to read
much to me in the Bible, especially on Sunday mornings when I was
going to preach; and I could easily commit to memory a few verses, or
a chapter, from hearing him read it over. One beautiful summer-Sabbath
I rose early, and called him to come and read to me. “Where shall I
read, father?” “Anywhere, my son,” I answered, for I knew not how to
direct him. He opened upon Psalm ciii. “Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me bless his holy name;” and as he read this
beautiful outpouring of gratitude which I now first heard, my heart
melted within me. I recalled, with all the rapidity of which thought is
capable, the whole current of my life; and as I remembered the dangers
and afflictions from which the Lord had delivered me, and compared my
present condition with what it had been, not only my heart but my eyes
overflowed, and I could neither check nor conceal the emotion which
overpowered me. The words “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” with which the
Psalm begins and ends, were all I needed, or could use, to express the
fulness of my thankful heart. When he had finished, Tom turned to me
and asked, “Father, who was David?” He had observed my excitement, and
added, “He writes pretty, don’t he?” and then repeated his question.
It was a question I was utterly unable to answer. I had never heard of
David, but could not bear to acknowledge my ignorance to my own child.
So I answered evasively, “He was a man of God, my son.” “I suppose so,”
said he; “but I want to know something more about him. Where did he
live? What did he do?” As he went on questioning me, I saw it was in
vain to attempt to escape, and so I told him frankly I did not know.
“Why, father,” said he, “can’t you read?” This was a worse question
than the other, and if I had any pride in me at the moment, it took
it all out of me pretty quick. It was a direct question, and must
have a direct answer; so I told him at once I could not. “Why not,”
said he. “Because I never had an opportunity to learn, nor anybody to
teach me.” “Well, you can learn now, father.” “No, my son, I am too
old, and have not time enough. I must work all day, or you would not
have enough to eat.” “Then you might do it at night.” “But still there
is nobody to teach me. I can’t afford to pay anybody for it, and of
course no one can do it for nothing.” “Why, father, _I’ll teach you_.
I can do it, I know. And then you’ll know so much more, that you can
talk better, and preach better.” The little fellow was so earnest,
there was no resisting him; but it is hard to describe the conflicting
feelings within me at such a proposition from such a quarter. I was
delighted with the conviction that my children would have advantages
I had never enjoyed; but it was no slight mortification to think of
being instructed by a child of twelve years old. Yet ambition, and a
true desire to learn, for the good it would do my own mind, conquered
the shame, and I agreed to try. But I did not reach this state of mind
instantly. I was greatly moved by the conversation I had had with
Tom--so much so that I could not undertake to preach that day. The
congregation were disappointed, and I passed the Sunday in solitary
reflection in the woods. I was too much engrossed with the multitude
of my thoughts within me to return home to dinner, and spent the
whole day in secret meditation and prayer, trying to compose myself,
and ascertain my true position. It was not difficult to see that my
predicament was one of profound ignorance, and that I ought to use
every opportunity of enlightening it. I began to take lessons of Tom,
therefore, immediately, and followed it up, every evening, by the light
of a pine knot, or some hickory bark, which was the only light I could
afford. Weeks passed, and my progress was so slow, that poor Tom was
almost discouraged, and used to drop asleep, sometimes, and whine a
little over my dulness, and talk to me very much as a schoolmaster
talks to a stupid boy, till I began to be afraid that my age, my want
of practice in looking at such little scratches, the daily fatigue,
and the dim light, would be effectual preventives of my ever acquiring
the art of reading. But Tom’s perseverance and mine conquered at last,
and in the course of the winter I did really learn to read a little.
It was, and has been ever since, a great comfort to me to have made
this acquisition; though it has made me comprehend better the terrible
abyss of ignorance in which I had been plunged all my previous life. It
made me also feel more deeply and bitterly the oppression under which
I had toiled and groaned; but the crushing and cruel nature of which
I had not appreciated, till I found out, in some slight degree, from
what I had been debarred. At the same time it made me more anxious than
before to do something for the rescue and the elevation of those who
were suffering the same evils I had endured, and who did not know how
degraded and ignorant they really were.
After about three years had passed, I improved my condition again by
taking service with a gentleman by the name of Riseley, whose residence
was only a few miles distant, and who was a man of more elevation of
mind than Mr. Hibbard, and of superior abilities. At his place I began
to reflect, more and more, upon the circumstances of the blacks, who
were already somewhat numerous in this region. I was not the only one
who had escaped from the States, and had settled on the first spot in
Canada which they had reached. Several hundreds of colored persons were
in the neighborhood; and in the first joy of their deliverance, were
going on in a way which, I could see, led to little or no progress in
improvement. They were content to have the proceeds of their labor at
their own command, and had not the ambition for, or the perception of
what was within their easy reach, if they did but know it. They were
generally working for hire upon the lands of others, and had not yet
dreamed of becoming independent proprietors themselves. It soon became
my great object to awaken them to a sense of the advantages which
offered themselves to their grasp; and Mr. Riseley, seeing clearly
the justness of my views, and willing to coöperate with me in the
attempt to make them generally known among the blacks, permitted me
to call meetings, at his house, of those who were known to be among
the most intelligent and successful of our class. At these meetings we
considered and discussed the subject, till we were all of one mind; and
it was agreed, among the ten or twelve of us who assembled at them,
that we would invest our earnings in land, and undertake the task,
which, though no light one certainly, would yet soon reward us for our
effort, of settling upon wild lands which we could call our own; and
where every tree which we felled, and every bushel of corn we raised,
would be for ourselves; in other words, where we could secure all the
profits of our own labor.