This party found no very serious obstacles in their travels, as their
plans were well arranged, and as they had at least natural ability
sufficient for ordinary emergencies.
Perry reported that he left "a man by the name of John M. Williams, of
Georgetown, D.C., who was in the wood business, and kept a wharf." As to
treatment, he said that he had not been used very hard, but had been
worked hard and allowed but few privileges. The paltry sum of
twenty-five cents a week, was all that was allowed him out of his hire.
With a wife and one child this might seem a small sum, but in reality it
was a liberal outlay compared with what many slaves were allowed. Perry
being a ready-witted article, thought that it was hardly fair that Mr.
Williams should live by the sweat of his brow instead of his own; he was
a large, portly man, and able to work for himself in Perry's opinion.
For a length of time, the notion of leaving and going to Canada was
uppermost in his heart; probably he would have acted with more
promptness but for the fact that his wife and child rested with great
weight on his mind. Finally the pressure became so great that he felt
that he must leave at all hazards, forsaking wife and child, master and
chains. He was a young man, of about twenty-five years of age, of a dark
shade, ordinary build, and full of grit. His wife was named Amelia;
whether she ever afterwards heard from her husband is a question.
Jim, who accompanied Perry, brought the shoe-making art with him. He had
been held a slave under John J. Richards, although he was quite as much
a white man as he was black. He was a mulatto, twenty-nine years of age,
well-made, and bore a grum countenance, but a brave and manly will to
keep up his courage on the way. He said that he had been used very well,
had no fault to find with John J. Richards, who was possibly a near
relative of his. He forsook his mother, four brothers and three sisters
with no hope of ever seeing them again.
Charles bore strong testimony in favor of his master, Blooker W.
Hansborough, a farmer, a first-rate man to his servants, said Charles.
"I was used very well, can't complain." "Why did you not remain then?"
asked a member of the Committee. "I left," answered C., "because I was
not allowed to live with my wife. She with our six children, lived a
long distance from my master's place, and he would not hire me out where
I could live near my wife, so I made up my mind that I would try and do
better. I could see no enjoyment that way." As the secret of his
master's treatment is here brought to light, it is very evident that
Charles, in speaking so highly in his favor, failed to take a just view
of him, as no man could really be first-rate to his servants, who would
not allow a man to live with his wife and children, and who would
persist in taking from another what he had no right to take.
Nevertheless, as Charles thought his master "first-rate," he shall have
the benefit of the opinion, but it was suspected that Charles was not
disposed to find fault with his kin, as it was very likely that the old
master claimed some of the white blood in his veins.