James stated to the Committee that he was about forty-three years of
age, that he was born a slave in Nelson county, Ky., and that he was
first owned by a widow lady by the name of Ruth Head. "She (mistress)
was like a mother to me," said Jim. "I was about sixteen years old when
she died; the estate was settled and I was sold South to a man named
Vincent Turner, a planter, and about the worst man, I expect, that ever
the sun shined on. His slaves he fairly murdered; two hundred lashes
were merely a promise for him. He owned about three hundred slaves. I
lived with Turner until he died. After his death I still lived on the
plantation with his widow, Mrs. Virginia Turner." About twelve years ago
(prior to Jim's escape) she was married to a Mr. Charles Parlange, "a
poor man, though a very smart man, bad-hearted, and very barbarous."
Before her second marriage cotton had always been cultivated, but a few
years later sugar had taken the place of cotton, and had become the
principal thing raised in that part of the country. Under the change
sugar was raised and the slaves were made to experience harder times
than ever; they were allowed to have only from three to three and a half
pounds of pork a week, with a peck of meal; nothing else was allowed.
They commenced work in the morning, just when they could barely see;
they quit work in the evening when they could not see to work longer.
Mistress was a large, portly woman, good-looking, and pretty well liked
by her slaves. The place where the plantation was located was at Point
Copee, on Falls River, about one hundred and fifty miles from New
Orleans. She also owned property and about twenty slaves in the city of
New Orleans.
"I lived there and hired my time for awhile. I saw some hard times on
the plantation. Many a time I have seen slaves whipped almost to
death--well, I tell you I have seen them whipped to death. A slave named
Sam was whipped to death tied to the ground. Joe, another slave, was
whipped to death by the overseer: running away was the crime.
"Four times I was shot. Once, before I would be taken, all hands, young
and old on the plantation were on the chase after me. I was strongly
armed with an axe, tomahawk, and butcher knife. I expected to be killed
on the spot, but I got to the woods and stayed two days. At night I went
back to the plantation and got something to eat. While going back to the
woods I was shot in the thigh, legs, back and head, was badly wounded,
my mind was to die rather than be taken. I ran a half mile after I was
shot, but was taken. I have shot in me now. Feel here on my head, feel
my back, feel buck shot in my thigh. I shall carry shot in me to my
grave. I have been shot four different times. I was shot twice by a
fellow servant; it was my master's orders. Another time by the overseer.
Shooting was no uncommon thing in Louisiana. At one time I was allowed
to raise hogs. I had twenty-five taken from me without being allowed the
first copper.
"My mistress promised me at another time forty dollars for gathering
honey, but when I went to her, she said, by and by, but the by and by
never came. In 1853 my freedom was promised; for five years before this
time I had been overseer; during four years of this time a visit was
made to France by my owners, but on their return my freedom was not
given me. My mistress thought I had made enough money to buy myself.
They asked eleven hundred and fifty dollars for me. I told them that I
hadn't the money. Then they said if I would go with them to Virginia
after a number of slaves they wished to purchase, and would be a good
boy, they would give me my freedom on the return of the trip. We started
on the 8th of June, 1857. I made fair promises wishing to travel, and
they placed all confidence in me. I was to carry the slaves back from
Virginia.
"They came as far as Baltimore, and they began to talk of coming farther
North, to Philadelphia. They talked very good to me, and told me that if
they brought me with them to a free State that I must not leave them;
talked a good deal about giving me my freedom, as had been promised
before starting, etc. I let on to them that I had no wish to go North;
that Baltimore was as far North as I wished to see, and that I had
rather be going home than going North. I told them that I was tired of
this country. In speaking of coming North, they made mention of the
Alleghany mountains. I told them that I would like to see that, but
nothing more. They hated the North, and I made believe that I did too.
Mistress said, that if I behaved myself I could go with them to France,
when they went again, after they returned home--as they intended to go
again.
"So they decided to take me with them to Philadelphia, for a short
visit, before going into Virginia to buy up their drove of slaves for
Louisiana. My heart leaped for joy when I found we were going to a free
State; but I did not let my owners know my feelings.
"We reached Philadelphia and went to the Girard Hotel, and there I made
up my mind that they should go back without me. I saw a colored man who
talked with me, and told me about the Committee. He brought me to the
anti-slavery office," etc., etc., etc.
The Committee told Jim that he could go free immediately, without saying
a word to anybody, as the simple fact of his master's bringing him into
the State was sufficient to establish his freedom before the Courts. At
the same time the Committee assured him if he were willing to have his
master arrested and brought before one of the Judges of the city to show
cause why he held him a slave in Pennsylvania, contrary to the laws of
the State, that he should lack neither friends nor money to aid him in
the matter; and, moreover, his freedom would be publicly proclaimed.
Jim thought well of both ways, but preferred not to meet his
"kind-hearted" master and mistress in Court, as he was not quite sure
that he would have the courage to face them and stand by his charges.
This was not strange. Indeed not only slaves cowed before the eye of
slave-holders. Did not even Northern men, superior in education and
wealth, fear to say their souls were their own in the same presence?
Jim, therefore, concluded to throw himself upon the protection of the
Committee and take an Underground Rail Road ticket, and thereby spare
himself and his master and mistress the disagreeableness of meeting
under such strange circumstances. The Committee arranged matters for him
to the satisfaction of all concerned, and gave him a passport for her
British majesty's possession, Canada.
The unvarnished facts, as they were then recorded substantially from the
lips of Jim, and as they are here reproduced, comprise only a very
meagre part of his sadly interesting story. At the time Jim left his
master and mistress so unceremoniously in Philadelphia, some excitement
existed at the attempt of his master to recover him through the Police
of Philadelphia, under the charge that he (Jim) had been stealing, as
may be seen from the following letter which appeared in the "National
Anti-Slavery Standard:"