Fiddling and dancing being done away with among the slaves, by the
disappearance of Martin’s fiddle, Christianity seemed to gain ground,
and a glorious revival of religion sprang up, which required another
legal provision to suppress. This was the new provision: that the
patrollers should search the slave quarters, on every plantation,
from whence, if they found any slaves absent after night fall, they
should receive, when found, thirty-nine lashes upon the naked back.
When the slaves were caught, if a constable were present, he could
administer the punishment immediately. If no constable were present,
then the truant slave must be taken before a justice of the peace,
where he must receive not less than five, nor more than thirty-nine
lashes, unless he could show a pass, either from his master or his
overseer. Many were thus whipped, both going to and returning from
night meetings; or, worse still, often taken from their knees while
at prayer, and cruelly whipped.
But this did not stop the progress of God’s mighty work, for he had
laid the foundation for the building, and his workmen determined to
carry on the work until the capstone was laid.
Many slaves were sold farther south, for going to meetings. They
would sometimes travel four or five miles, attend meeting and return
in time for the overseer’s horn.
Mr. Wagar had a valuable slave named Aaron, a carpenter by trade,
and an excellent workman; a man of true piety and great physical
strength. He never submitted to be flogged, unless compelled by
superior force; and although he was often whipped, still it did not
conquer his will, nor lessen his bravery; so that, whenever his
master attempted to whip him, it was never without the assistance of,
at least, five or six men. Such men there were who were always ready
to lend their aid in such emergencies. Aaron was too valuable to
shoot, and his master did not wish to sell him; but at last, growing
tired of calling on help to whip a slave, and knowing that neglecting
to do this would appear like a submission to the negro, which in time
might prove dangerous, since other slaves, becoming unruly, might
resist him, until he could not flog any of them without help. He
finally concluded to sell Aaron, much as he disliked it.
The slave was at work at the time, sawing heavy timber, to build a
barn. The manner of sawing such timber, at the South, is by what they
call a whip saw. A scaffold, about ten feet high, being erected,
the logs to be sawed are placed thereon, when one man is placed
above, and another below, who alternately pull and push the saw, thus
forcing it through the logs.
Aaron was busy at this kind of work, when he observed several strange
visitors approaching him, whose business he did not at first suspect.
He was requested to come down from the scaffold, as one of the
gentlemen wished to talk with him about building a barn. He at once
refused to comply with the request, for having seen the same trader
before, he soon surmised his business, and supposed that he, himself,
was sold.
At this refusal, they commenced pelting him with stones, chips, or
whatever else they could find to throw at him, until they finally
forced him down. He sprang from the scaffold, axe in hand, and
commenced trying to cut his way through them; but, being defeated, he
was knocked down, put in irons, taken to the drove yard, and beaten
severely, but not until he had badly wounded two of his captors.
His wife, being at the house spinning wool, did not hear of this
until night. In the anguish of her heart, she ran, weeping bitterly,
from one plantation to another, in search of some kind slaveholder
who would buy her husband. But, alas, she could find none.
Aaron was kept confined in the jail yard two weeks, during every day
of which he was whipped. Finally he broke jail and made his escape.
The trader came early next morning to his jail, but Aaron was not
there. At that time the slaves knew little of the friendly guidance
of the north star, and therefore lingered about in swamps and among
bushes, where they were fed by their fellow servants during the
night, instead of fleeing to the north.
In this way Aaron remained concealed nearly one year, after which his
wife got a man to purchase him, a running. Then Uncle Aaron came home
to his new master, where he was when I left the South.
Matters continued in about the same course until the year 1822,
when a change took place on our plantation, caused by the death of
old Mistress, which event happened in October of that year. Now her
slaves must be divided among her children and grand children. Now we
must pass into other hands, some for better, some for worse.
The estate was divided the same month in which old Mistress died.
The slaves were also divided, and each one was to go to his new home
on the first of January, 1823. My father’s family fell to Mr. George
Thomas, who was a cruel man, and all the slaves feared much that they
should fall to him. He was a very bad man. He fed his slaves well,
but drove and whipped them most unmercifully, and not unfrequently
selling them.
The time drew near for our departure, and sorrowful it was. Every
heart was sad; every countenance downcast. Parents looking upon
their darling children would say, “is it possible that I must soon
bid them adieu, possibly forever!” Some rejoiced in hope of a better
situation, while others mourned, fearing a worse one. Christmas came,
but without bringing the usual gladness and joy. We met together in
prayer meeting, and petitioned for heavenly strength to sustain
our feeble frames. These were continued during holiday week, from
Christmas to New Year’s day, when slaves are not to be molested;
consequently, no patrollers annoyed us.
New Year’s, that sorrowful day for us, at length arrived. Each one
weeping while they went round, taking leave of parents or children,
for some children and parents were separated, as were also husbands
and wives. Our meetings were now broken up, and our separation
accomplished.