This party stated that Dr. Anthony Thompson had claimed them as his
property. They gave the Committee a pretty full report of how they had
been treated in slavery, especially under the doctor. A few of the
interesting points were noted as follows: The doctor owned about twenty
head of slaves when they left; formerly he had owned a much larger
number, but circumstances had led him to make frequent sales during the
few years previous to their escape, by which the stock had been reduced.
As well as having been largely interested in slaves, he had at the same
time been largely interested in real estate, to the extent of a dozen
farms at least. But in consequence of having reached out too far,
several of his farms had slipped out of his hands.
Upon the whole, Benjamin pronounced him a rough man towards his slaves,
and declared, that he had not given him a dollar since the death of his
(the master's) father, which had been at least twenty years prior to
Benjamin's escape. But Ben. did not stop here, he went on to speak of
the religious character of his master, and also to describe him
physically; he was a Methodist preacher, and had been "pretending to
preach for twenty years." Then the fact that a portion of their children
had been sold to Georgia by this master was referred to with much
feeling by Ben and his wife; likewise the fact that he had stinted them
for food and clothing, and led them a rough life generally, which left
them no room to believe that he was anything else than "a wolf in
sheep's clothing." They described him as a "spare-built man, bald head,
wearing a wig."
These two travelers had nearly reached their three score years and ten
under the yoke. Nevertheless they seemed delighted at the idea of going
to a free country to enjoy freedom, if only for a short time. Moreover
some of their children had escaped in days past, and these they hoped to
find. Not many of those thus advanced in years ever succeeded in getting
to Canada.
* * * * *