horses we could discover were getting very much fagged. There was a
farm at the ferry, and so we went out through a lane. We did not travel
far before day, and we soon reached the outskirts of the woodland and
came again to the open prairie. Wages then stopped and said we had
better leave the road and lay-by again. We left the road, and went in
a westerly direction, up the river, on the border of the woodland and
prairie, about two miles, and then stopped. We stripped our horses and
hampered them, as usual, to graze. Wages complained of being sick; was
low spirited; I told him and the negro to lie down and take a nap.
They eat some of my turkey, laid down, and soon went to sleep. I took
a good dram and eat as much turkey as I wanted, and there was but
little left. I then took my gun and hunted around a short distance; I
found we were not more than one mile from a plantation; I saw plenty of
stock, hogs and cattle, but was afraid to shoot one so early in the
day; I hunted around for water, and above the plantation I came to the
river, about one mile and a half from where our horses were. I went
back to the camp; Wages and the negro were still asleep; the horses had
filled themselves and were lying down under the shade of a tree. I took
another dram, a little water and laid down to rest. In about an hour
Wages awoke and got up; said he felt better. I then related to him my
discovery; he said we must be very cautious, and told me to lie down
and take a nap. I showed him the direction where the water was, and he
rode one of the horses at a time, until he gave them all water; he then
took the negro and they went and killed a small beef, and about sunset
brought in the hind quarters. We soon had a fire of wood that did not
make much smoke; roasted as much beef as we could eat; cut up the
balance and dried it; took with us what we could conveniently carry,
and about dark set out again, not knowing where we would get the next
water. Our salt, too, had given out.
We traveled that night about twenty miles before we came to water,
and that was a small creek that scarcely run, and had very little
timber land about it. Wages said our safest course would be to conceal
ourselves there until he could reconnoitre. We remained there until
near daylight, gave our horses water and started. We soon struck the
prairie, and again turned to the west and went some two miles along a
trail to a piece of woodland, where we again stripped our horses and
hampered them to graze. We built a fire and barbecued our meat. Wages
then told me and the negro to lie down and sleep, and he would take a
look around. I went to sleep, and about twelve or one o’clock Wages
awoke me, and when I opened my eyes there was another man with him—a
large, dark-skinned, coarse-looking fellow. Wages introduced me to Mr.
James; Wages had known Ben James for many years. James then told me
that he was settled there for the same business we were in, and that
we would be safer with him than by going on; by remaining with him we
could rest and refresh ourselves and horses, and that he would go with
us to another of our clan, about one hundred miles from San Antonio,
where our negro and horses would be safe until we left again for the
Mississippi river. This other man’s name was Scott, from Mississippi.
James advised us not to sell the negro or horses in Texas; that there
were plenty of men in Texas who followed hunting and trailing thieves
and robbers, and that they had dogs of the bloodhound breed that would
be certain to overtake us if they got after us.
We went to James’ place; concealed our horses and negro, and remained
with him five days, during which time Wages and I watched the road
closely to see if any person passed in pursuit of us, particularly at
the ford of the creek.
James provided his family with meat and bread for the two weeks trip
he intended to make with us. He advised us to leave the main road and
go with him to the house of the man Scott. He piloted us through. We
traveled the most of the way by night, and arrived at Scott’s the
fourth night. After making the proper arrangement with Scott, we sent
our horses out in the mountains and the negro to take care of them,
with a man that Scott had employed for that purpose, for we understood
afterward from James that they always had from one to two hundred head
of stolen horses there, which it was the business of this man James to
steal and drive and sell. We paid him fifty dollars for piloting us
through.
After we had rested and all things were arranged, Wages and I took our
bridles and lassoes, with a few clothes in a small bundle, and left
in a direction for San Antonio. It was now about the first of August.
We traveled about twenty miles the first day; the weather was very
hot, water was scarce, and we suffered a great deal. We changed our
course so as to pass through a section of country where water was more
plentiful, and on the evening of the second day we reached a settlement
where there was plenty of water and the inhabitants were thickly
settled. At the house of a very respectable farmer we stopped and
inquired if we could rest two or three days, and were told we could.
A great many questions were asked us about our journey, where we were
from, where we were going, and the object of our journey; to which we
answered them we were South Carolina planters looking for good land;
that we were large slave holders, etc., and that we came in summer
and took it on foot leisurely to ascertain the health of the country.
We inquired if there were any churches in the vicinity, and were told
there were none, but that traveling preachers sometimes preached at
private houses. We were then informed that there was to be a large camp
meeting about the middle of August about twenty miles from there. We at
once agreed to attend, because we were almost certain we should meet
McGrath there.
We accordingly attended, and sure enough we met that reverend
gentleman. Through some of the brethren we obtained an introduction
to the Rev. Mr. McGrath, and after the preliminary conversation
we became very strict members of the church. We obtained a short
private interview with McGrath, and made an appointment for a private
conference that night; and accordingly that night, after supper,
preaching and prayer meeting were over and the patrol was out and
stationed, and all things were still, McGrath, Wages and I went outside
of the patrol lines to hold private prayer. No one suspected anything.
After we were alone McGrath inquired what success we had met with, and
we related to him all we had done, in a condensed form, which seemed
to astonish him when we told him we had a negro and three line horses
yet concealed and not disposed of. We then inquired his success. He
had made a raise out of the religious brethren of about one thousand
dollars, by begging, and they had paid for four fine horses for him,
which was equivalent to about five hundred dollars more. He would sell
his horse, saddle and bridle, and go to his congregation and tell them
he had been robbed of his horse and all his money and clothes. The
people would throw into the “hat,” and buy another horse, and fit him
out with new clothes and money. The horse he then had was given him
about fifty miles from there, and if we would steal his horse and hide
him the brethren would soon give him another. Wages did this the next
night, and concealed the horse in the woods not far from a plantation,
where he procured green corn to feed him, about five miles from the
camp ground. Next day there was found a piece of broken rope to the
tree, and the preacher’s horse was gone. There was a great noise about
it. McGrath told the brethren he thought he knew the place the horse
would go to, and that he could obtain him if he had another horse. They
furnished him with one, which he was to return if he obtained his own.
The one furnished was a splendid young horse. Wages, about an hour
before sunset, would stroll off and go to where the horse was, and
water and feed him about dark, and back to supper and then to prayer.
The meeting lasted four days. The night before the meeting broke up,
there was another preacher’s horse that went the same way. He was a
remarkable fine horse, and belonged to an old preacher who lived about
seventy miles from the camp ground. We now had ourselves again on
horseback. It was then understood between Wages, McGrath and myself
that it would not be safe for us to go to San Antonio, and that we
had better leave Texas as soon as possible. We arranged with McGrath
to meet us at Scott’s in three days. Wages and I called on some of
the preachers to pray for us, announcing to them our departure on our
exploring expedition on foot. Many of the brothers and sisters joined
in this prayer. After receiving the benedictions of the elders of the
church, Wages and I left about three o’clock. We had left our guns at
a house about two miles distant from the camp ground. We took them,
procured some bread and meat, and a bottle to carry some water, and
then went to the place where Wages had concealed the horses, found
them safe, and more green corn around them than they could have eaten
in two days. We then took out our bridles from our bundles and fitted
them on. Wages had stolen blankets with the horses, and two bed quilts.
We arranged these to ride on, and with our ropes or lassoes, we made
substitutes for stirrups. By this time it was sundown. We took our guns
and looked around to see if there were any spies out. We saw no one
except the people on the farm, driving in their stock. We returned to
the horses, and about dark set out. Wages took the lead on McGrath’s
horse, a fine traveler, and I, on the other, just walked right up to
him. We traveled about six miles an hour and did not push. Before day
sometime, we had traveled some forty-five miles to a creek, and knew we
were within twenty or twenty-five miles of Scott’s. We laid by all next
day. About sundown, we again started, and reached Scott’s before that
night.
Long before daylight next morning, our horses were sent off to the
mountains with the others. The next day up rolled the Rev. Mr. McGrath.
We introduced him as the Rev. Mr. McGrath, whom we had seen in South
Carolina. Mr. Scott and family invited him to spend two or three days,
during which time Wages, McGrath and I had a full consultation.
Having been with Wages so long, I knew his judgment to be superior to
mine, and I knew that McGrath was wanting in stability; that he was
too wild and uncertain in his actions; I therefore proposed to let
Wages plan out our future course, which McGrath agreed to. Wages then
said: “Boys, it is time some of us were leaving Texas—particularly
James and I. Mac, you can remain here as a striker for us, until we
get those negroes you have described to us. You say there are seven of
them—two men and their wives, one of them with one and the other with
two children, and the youngest child is about four years old. They will
have to be carried away by water. We never can get them away by land,
and the Christmas holidays will be the only time that we can effect
that with safety.”
“Now,” said Wages, “my plan is this: You leave here before we do,
one or two days, and wait for us at some point and pilot us through
to Red river, above Shreveport, where we can cross with our negro and
horses and land in the Indian Nation. You can then remain and preach
around until Christmas; you appoint a two or three days’ meeting for
the negroes near Red River; pretend to prevent frolic and drunkenness,
and about that time James and I will be on hand, with a boat to effect
our object; and it will be policy,” said Wages to McGrath, “for you to
remain some weeks after we are off with the negroes, and meet us at
Natchez or Vicksburg.”
McGrath agreed to this; directed us what route to take; promised that
he would meet us at a river, about sixty miles from Scott’s, on the
fifth night from that time, and that he would wait there for us. On the
morning of the fourth day McGrath bid farewell to Mr. Scott and family,
promising to call and see them again, God willing. We remained two days
longer; prepared ourselves with some packs and provisions, and went to
the mountains where our horses were. We paid Scott fifty dollars for
his trouble. We packed our horses and led them; Scott sent a pilot with
us, to conduct us through the mountains, a by-way, about forty miles,
which we traveled in two days; he then put us in the road to go to
where we were to meet McGrath, and we met him on the night appointed.
He had all things in readiness. We crossed the river and laid by in
daytime and traveled by night, McGrath with us.
He would go ahead to houses, lay by and sleep, and pray for the people;
and tell them that he traveled of a night from choice, on account of
the heat. On the third morning after McGrath joined us, we arrived
at a good place, where there was plenty of water, about thirty-five
miles from Red river. There we told McGrath to ride on ahead, get his
horse fed, and breakfast, and then go on to the ferry. This he did; he
crossed over and stopped near the landing. The ferryman was a negro;
McGrath procured a bottle of whiskey, to which he had added plenty of
opium, and treated the ferryman liberally. He tied his horse up, got
corn from the ferryman, and by eleven o’clock he had the ferryman as
limber as a cotton rag. He then took the ferry flat and crossed over
to meet us. We got to the ferry about two o’clock, crossed over and
traveled until daylight, McGrath with us. After day we turned off from
the road to a place where some Indian families lived, and there bought
some corn, meat and bread, and fed our horses and ourselves, and rested
that day, and started again that night, McGrath with us. That night we
traveled about forty miles; next morning we traveled until we found a
place off the main road where we could rest secure. Here we stopped
again with Indians. We procured plenty for ourselves and horses, and
rested that day. Here we made our arrangements permanent, and reduced
them to black and white, in our usual mystic character. We were to meet
above Shreveport a few miles, on the 20th of December coming, with a
proper skiff, prepared with provisions, etc.
All matters thus arranged, McGrath took off his traveling hunting shirt
and straw hat; put on his long, straight-breasted bombazine coat and
his broad-brimmed black beaver, and gave us a sound of his colloquial
benediction of, “Hark from the tombs, gentlemen,” and steered his
course southeast, into Louisiana towards Alexandria; whilst we steered
our course to the northeast in the direction for the Washita below
Monroe, some fifty miles.
We soon got into the settlements and began to feed and rub our horses
and blanket them. It was now September; cotton was to pick out, plenty;
we persuaded our negro he had better pick out cotton a while, until
we could sell the horses and get money to carry us to Cincinnati; he
agreed. We cautioned him about answering questions, which he had his
instructions how to answer. We hired him to a man in an obscure place
on Black River or Bayou; we traveled out through the country and soon
sold our fine horses and for a fine price. We got from one hundred and
seventy-five to two hundred and thirty dollars apiece. We sold all the
horses before the first of October; they averaged us a little short
of a thousand dollars. While selling, we met with a man by the name
of Harden; he said he was a distant relation of John Harden. He had
been selling negroes from Tennessee; he soon made us know, and we soon
made him know, that we were all of the same family; we then conversed
freely. He told us that he was clear—that he had sold out, and was
overrun with money. We told him we had one darkey on hand; he said he
would go with us and look at our negro; and did go. He told the negro
that he lived in Cincinnati; was agent for an Abolition society, and
that he would like to take him there. The negro agreed, and was very
anxious. Harden then told Wages and myself that if we would deliver
him the negro at Napoleon, Arkansas, he would give us one thousand
dollars for him. We agreed, and the day was set to deliver him. Harden
then told the negro that he had to go to Natchez, and would meet us at
the mouth of the Arkansas river. We now disposed of our saddles and
bridles, and took our negro and packs, and made for the Mississippi
river at Vicksburg, where we got on a steamboat for Napoleon. We
landed, and again set our darkey to picking out cotton. Harden came in
a few days, paid the thousand dollars, and took the negro. He requested
us to remain there a few days. We made him a bill of sale in the name
of the negro’s master—Smith, by which name I passed. Wages passed
as Mr. Jones and Harden by the name of John Newton. He was the same
man that afterward, in 1843, murdered old Robert Lott. Harden then
went with me to take his negro. I told the negro that his master had
just landed in pursuit of him, and that he must go with Mr. Newton;
it was his only chance to escape; that if he was found we should all
be hanged, and he carried back to Texas. He agreed, and Harden went
up the Arkansas river about twenty-five miles and sold the negro for
twelve hundred and fifty dollars; got a draft on New Orleans for his
money, payable in ninety days; was gone only four days, and returned to
Napoleon.
Wages and I then informed him of our contemplated trip to Louisiana,
about Christmas, and consulted with him as to the mode of operation. He
and Wages both agreed in opinion, and Harden suggested to us that the
best plan would be to go to Cincinnati and procure a good skiff, large
enough to carry twenty persons, and fit her out with six row-locks and
six good oars; pretend her for a peddling boat on Red river; lay in
some whiskey, bacon, flour and other articles to trade upon; and have
the boat towed down to the mouth of Red river or Bayou Sara; land the
freight; take the first Red river boat up to Shreveport; there fit out
the skiff and go up the river trading, until the opportunity to steal
the negroes is offered.
This arrangement understood, Harden proposed to join us; go to
Cincinnati with us, and take chances. We all took the first boat that
passed, the “Tribune,” bound to Pittsburg, and passed Louisville and
landed in Cincinnati the ninth day. We immediately made a contract
to have the skiff built; it was to be ready in two weeks, and was to
be large enough to carry twenty-five barrels of freight, and to be
long and narrow, so as to row swift. During the time the boat was
building, we made some purchases of whiskey, flour, bacon and other
produce, and during our stay in Cincinnati we all pretended to be
strong Abolitionists, attended several private meetings, and formed
acquaintance with several free negroes, to whom we communicated our
intention to steal the seven negroes near Shreveport, and bring them
to Cincinnati. They very much approved the idea. We then proposed for
two of them to go with us and assist in bringing the negroes away.
There were two of them, that had been employed as stewards on board of
steamboats, that agreed to go, and they took situations on a steamboat
for that purpose.
Our skiff being finished and all accounts settled, we contracted with
the captain of a steamboat on which our two free darkies were employed,
to take our freight and tow our skiff to Bayou Sara. The passage was
long, on account of low water. We arrived at Bayou Sara about the tenth
of November, and landed our freight and skiff. Wages and I stopped;
Harden and the two free negroes went on. Harden to get his draft
accepted, and the free darkies to get on a Red river boat; and they
were all to make an arrangement for a boat bound to Shreveport, to call
and take us and our freight.
After they left, Wages went to see our old friend, Mr. Welter, relative
to the arrangement and disposal of our two free darkies. An arrangement
was soon made, for our old friend W., knew the ropes too well to
hesitate long.
About the twentieth of November a small steamboat landed (on board were
Harden and our two darkies,) which had been specially employed to take
our freight. We shipped our freight and took the skiff in tow and put
off. On the way up, Wages, Harden and I made the necessary arrangement
for our future plan of action. Harden was to go with us to Shreveport,
and there feign himself sick; and let Wages and I take our two darkies
in the skiff and our freight, and start up the river. Accordingly, we
reached Shreveport about the fifth of December, and Harden was taken
sick; Wages and I hurried our darkies, loaded our skiff and left for
up the river. We went up the river to the ferry we had crossed with
McGrath, and there we stopped. I went to selling, sometimes to Indians,
sometime to whites, and very often to negroes. Wages procured a horse
and saddle and put out in pursuit of McGrath, and found him at the
house of the old Methodist that owned the seven negroes we were after.
McGrath was sick; had been very sick; but was then able to walk about
and take occasional rides. Wages and McGrath got an opportunity to have
a private interview for a few minutes. They were to meet the next day
on the road, five miles from that place. Wages staid all night, paid
his bill next morning and left after breakfast, enquiring for some
stray mules. McGrath started for the residence of a brother Methodist,
some ten miles distant—and they both met at the place appointed and
held their consultation.
The negro camp meeting had been already appointed, about ten or twelve
miles above Shreveport and about two miles from the river. Wages and
McGrath having fully understood how to act, Wages told him where the
boat could be found, ten days before Christmas, and they parted, and
Wages returned.
Accordingly, at the time appointed, McGrath was at the boat. We had him
and his horse provided for; he was made acquainted with our two free
darkies, and all things were arranged and understood well that night.
McGrath left next morning to prepare for the camp meeting, which was to
commence in eight days. We loitered away our time; and two days before
the commencement of the camp meeting, we dropped our skiff to a landing
opposite the camp ground, where we lay trading. We had sold almost
everything we had.
On the morning of the commencement of the meeting, we set our two free
darkies over the river, and they went to the place early in the day.
Wages and I cleared out our skiff of all barrels, boxes and dunnage
of every description, and had everything in complete trim, row locks,
oars and all ready. The meeting commenced. We had instructed our free
darkies to what landing place to conduct these seven negroes we were
stealing; and on the first night of the meeting, sure enough they all
came to us. Their master had furnished them with two mules and a wagon,
to haul their bedding, etc., to the camp ground, and they had brought
all their clothing, bedding, and everything they had. They informed us
that they had sold all their poultry and crop, and had got money to
support them for the year. They had procured another negro to drive the
mules and wagon back to the camp ground; and by nine o’clock that night
we were under way down stream.
WELTER AND HARDEN’S DECEPTION—WELTER ACTING AS UNITED STATES MARSHAL.