One day the Captain commenced complaining of the expense of so large a
family, and proposed to my mother that we should work out and he take
part of the pay. My mother told him she would need what she earned for
my little brother's support. Finally the Captain consented, and I was
the first to be disposed of. The Captain took me in his buggy and
carried me to the Depot, and I was put into a Union family, where I
remained five months. Previous to my leaving, however, my mother and
the Captain entered into a contract--he agreeing not to sell us, and
mother agreeing not to make her escape. While she was carrying out her
promise in good faith, he was plotting to separate us. We were all
divided except mother and my little brother, who remained together. My
sister remained with one of the rebels, but was tolerably treated. We
all fared very well; but it was only the calm before the rending
tornado. Captain T. was Captain of the boat to Memphis, from which the
Union soldiers had rescued us. He commenced as a deck hand on the
boat, then attained a higher position, and continued to advance until
he became her Captain. At length he came in possession of slaves. Then
his accomplishments were complete. He was a very severe slave master.
Those mushroom slaveholders are much dreaded, as their severity knows
no bounds
Bondage and torture, scourges and chains
Placed on our backs indelible stains.
I stated previously, in relating a sketch of my mother's history, that
she was married twice, and both husbands were to be sold and made
their escape. They both gained their freedom. One was living,--the
other died before the war. Both made every effort to find us, but to
no purpose. It was some years before we got a correct account of her
second husband, and he had no account of her, except once he heard
that mother and children had perished in the woods while endeavoring
to make their escape. In a few years after his arrival in the free
States he married again.
When about sixteen years of age, while residing with her original
master, my mother became acquainted with a young man, Mr. Adams,
residing in a neighboring family, whom she much respected; but he was
soon sold, and she lost trace of him entirely, as was the common
occurrence with friends and companions though united by the nearest
ties. When my mother arrived at Captain Tirrell's, after leaving the
boat, in her excitement she scarce observed anything except her little
group so miraculously saved from perhaps a final separation in this
world. She at length observed that the servant who was waiting to take
her to the Captain's residence in the country was the same man with
whom she formed the acquaintance when sixteen years old, and they
again renewed their acquaintance. He had been married and buried his
wife. It appeared that his wife had been in Captain Tirrell's family
many years, and he also, for some time. They had a number of children,
and Capt. Tirrell had sold them down South. This cruel blow, assisted
by severe flogging and other ill treatment, rendered the mother
insane, and finally caused her death.
In agony close to her bosom she pressed,
The life of her heart, the child of her breast--
Oh love from its tenderness gathering might
Had strengthed her soul for declining age.
But she is free. Yes, she has gone from the land of the slave;
The hand of oppression must rest in the grave.
The blood hounds have missed the scent of her way,
The hunter is rifled and foiled of his prey.
After my mother had left the Captain to take care of herself and
child, according to agreement with the Captain, she became engaged to
Mr. Adams. He had bought himself previously for a large price. After
they became acquainted, the Captain had an excellent opportunity of
carrying out his stratagem. He commenced bestowing charity upon Mr.
Adams. As he had purchased himself, and Capt. T. had agreed not to
sell my mother, they had decided to marry at an early day. They hired
a house in the city and were to commence housekeeping immediately. The
Captain made him a number of presents and seemed much pleased with the
arrangement. The day previous to the one set for the marriage, while
they were setting their house in order, a man called and enquired for
a nurse, pretending he wanted one of us. Mother was absent; he said he
would call again, but he never came. On Wednesday evening we attended
a protracted meeting. After we had returned home and retired, a loud
rap was heard at the door. My Aunt enquired who was there. The reply
was, "Open the door or I will break it down." In a moment in rushed
seven men, four watchmen and three traders, and ordered mother to take
my brother and me and follow them, which she hastened to do as fast as
possible, but we were not allowed time to put on our usual attire.
They thrust us into a close carriage. For fear of my mother alarming
the citizens they threw her to the ground and choked her until she was
nearly strangled, then pushed her into a coach. The night was dark and
dreary; the stars refused to shine, the moon to shed her light.
'Tis not strange the heavenly orbs
In silence blushed neath Nature's sable garb
When woman's gagged and rashly torn away
Without blemish and without crime.
Unheeded by God's holy word:--
Unloose the fetters, break the chain,
And make my people free again,
And let them breath pure freedom's air
And her rich bounty freely share.
Let Eutopia stretch her bleeding hands abroad;
Her cry of anguish finds redress from God.
We were hurried along the streets. The inhabitants heard our cries and
rushed to their doors, but our carriage being perfectly tight, and the
alarm so sudden, that we were at the jail before they could give us
any relief. There were strong Union men and officers in the city, and
if they could have been informed of the human smuggling they would
have released us. But oh, that horrid, dilapidated prison, with its
dim lights and dingy walls, again presented itself to our view. My
sister was there first, and we were thrust in and remained there until
three o'clock the following afternoon. Could we have notified the
police we should have been released, but no opportunity was given us.
It appears that this kidnapping had been in contemplation from the
time we were before taken and returned; and Captain Tirrell's kindness
to mother,--his benevolence towards Mr. Adams in assisting him to
furnish his house,--his generosity in letting us work for
ourselves,--his approbation in regard to the contemplated marriage was
only a trap. Thus instead of a wedding Thursday evening, we were
hurled across the ferry to Albany Court House and to Kentucky through
the rain and without our outer garments. My mother had lost her bonnet
and shawl in the struggle while being thrust in the coach,
consequently she had no protection from the storm, and the rest of us
were in similar circumstances. I believe we passed through
Springfield. I think it was the first stopping place after we left
East St. Louis, and we were put on board the cars and secreted in the
gentlemen's smoking car, in which there were only a few rebels. We
arrived in Springfield about twelve o'clock at night. When we took
the cars it was dark, bleak and cold. It was the 18th of March, and as
we were without bonnets and clothing to shield us from the sleet and
wind, we suffered intensely. The old trader, for fear that mother
might make her escape, carried my brother, nine years of age, from one
train to the other. We then took the cars for Albany, and arrived at
eight o'clock in the morning. We were then carried on the ferry in a
wagon. There was another family in the wagon, in the same condition.
We landed at Portland, from thence to Louisville, and were put into
John Clark's trader's yard, and sold out separately, except my mother
and little brother, who were sold together. Mother remained in the
trader's yard two weeks, my sister six, myself four.