But few could tell of having been eye-witnesses to outrages more
revolting and disgraceful than Washington Somlor. He arrived per steamer
Pennsylvania (secreted), directly from Norfolk, Virginia, in 1855. He
was thirty-two years of age--a man of medium size and quite intelligent.
A merchant by the name of Smith owned Washington.
Eight and a half months before escaping, Washington had been secreted in
order to shun both master and auction-block. Smith believed in selling,
flogging, cobbing, paddling, and all other kinds of torture, by which he
could inflict punishment in order to make the slaves feel his power. He
thus tyrannized over about twenty-five head.
Being naturally passionate, when in a brutal mood, he made his slaves
suffer unmercifully. Said Washington, "On one occasion, about two months
before I was secreted, he had five of the slaves (some of them women)
tied across a barrel, lashed with the cow-hide and then cobbed--this was
a common practice."
Such treatment was so inhuman and so incredible, that the Committee
hesitated at first to give credence to the statement, and only yielded
when facts and evidences were given which seemed incontestible.
The first effort to come away was made on the steamship City of
Richmond. Within sixty miles of Philadelphia, in consequence of the ice
obstruction in the river, the steamer had to go back. How sad Washington
felt at thus having his hopes broken to pieces may be imagined but
cannot be described. Great as was his danger, when the steamer returned
to Norfolk, he was safely gotten off the boat and under the eye of
officers walked away. Again he was secreted in his old doleful quarters,
where he waited patiently for the Spring. It came. Again the opportunity
for another trial was presented, and it was seized unhesitatingly. This
time, his tried faith was rewarded with success. He came through safely
to the Committee's satisfaction as well as his own. The recital of his
sufferings and experience had a very inspiring effect on those who had
the pleasure of seeing Wash. in Philadelphia.
Although closely secreted in Norfolk, he had, through friends, some
little communication with the outside world. Among other items of
information which came to his ears, was a report that his master was
being pressed by his creditors, and had all his slaves advertised for
sale. An item still more sad also reached his ear, to the effect that
his wife had been sold away to North Carolina, and thus separated from
her child, two years old. The child was given as a present to a niece of
the master. While this is only a meagre portion of his interesting
story, it was considered at the time sufficient to identify him should
the occasion ever require it. We content ourselves, therefore, simply
with giving what was recorded on the book. Wash. spent a short while in
Philadelphia in order to recruit, after which, he went on North, where
colored men were free.
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