Not sent to hell by Wilson--Mrs. Wilson protects me, to whom I
belong--Sent to school with the children--The school-children teach me
to read and write--What came of it--Mount that mule or I'll shoot you--I
mounted the mule--A start for the railroad to work--I dismount and take
to the woods--I owe allegiance to God and my country only.
The monotonous tedium of routine slave-labor was very often broken by
some scene of cruelty to one or another of the poor blacks, either by
the master or his overseer; and woe unto the luckless one if the master
should happen to be in a good mood to break bones. Although slaves were
worth money in the South at that time, yet the ungovernable passions of
some if not most masters found free vent in cruelty to their own
property--that is, their slaves. This was the case with Wilson, and no
opportunity was missed by him to make a poor black feel the effects of
his brutish nature and passions. His wife, on the other hand, made every
effort to protect the blacks on the plantation as much as possible. When
Wilson threatened to send me to hell, as he had tried to send uncle
Ben, Mrs. Wilson came forward in my behalf and saved me from her
husband's unwarranted wrath by telling him that she wished "Charles to
accompany her children to school and take such care of them as might be
required." It was customary in the South for families who owned slaves
to send one or more of them with their children when they attended
school as waiters, or personal servants, and as I belonged to Mrs.
Wilson, being an inherited chattel, Wilson acceded to her demand, and I
was sent along with the children when they went to school. I was not
allowed to sit with the white children in school, but I "loafed around
handy," ready for a call from either of my young mistresses.
The "laws," the enlightened laws of the southern states, prohibited,
under heavy penalties, the education of a slave, or even a negro,
although free; yet some of us, under very disadvantageous circumstances,
learned to read and write.
It has always been a kind of habit with me to "be doing something" all
the time, and when not actually employed in some active work I would
make use of my time for some good purpose; and while "loafing around"
that school-house it occurred to me as being strange that the white
children should be compelled to sit and study hour after hour, while us
little darkies "loafed around" and did nothing. Why couldn't we lighten
our young masters and mistresses of that labor as well as other kinds of
labor? I determined that my young mistresses should not be made slaves
of by the school-master, but that I would do that work for them, as they
were generally so kind to me. So I proposed the matter to them, and they
were tremendously pleased; at least they laughed and chatted a great
deal about me getting their lessons for them, which so elated me that I
could not avoid turning handsprings and somersaults all the way home
that evening, my joy being so great at the idea of doing my mistresses
the favor of taking such great labor off their hands as getting their
lessons. I did not doubt my ability to perform the work, for I was
stout, hearty, and large for my age, and could almost make a full hand
in the field. Such was my idea at that time of getting lessons. However,
the next day my young mistresses told me the school-master would not
allow me to study their lessons for them, but that I might take a book
and sit outside of the school-house and study there, but that I must be
sure and not let any one see me. Why not? Why should _I_ not study
lessons in the school-house for my young mistresses? Because it is
against the "law" for slaves to learn to read and write. Well, that is
curious. A person, because he is a slave, must not study lessons; must
not learn to read and write because it is against the "law." What law?
My mistress used often to read to the children from a book which told
about Jesus, and Mary, and Lazarus, and Peter, and Paul; and how Jesus
was our Savior, and shed his precious blood for the redemption of all
who believed him and would obey his commands; and how Jesus said,
"Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven." Did the "law" prohibit me from studying lessons out of a book
about Jesus, and learning to read about Jesus as my mistress did? When
my mistress sent my young mistresses to Jesus wouldn't she send me along
with them just the same as she sent me to school with them? I reckon so.
Such was my reasoning; and I determined to assist my young mistresses in
getting their lessons, law or no law, let the consequences be what they
may.
I received the book and went out from the school-house a short distance,
and secured myself from observation in a shady place. I opened the
book--a spelling-book it was. Hallo! here's a dog and a cat, and here's
a sheep too, and right here in the corner is a yoke--a regular ox-yoke.
Well, now, this _is_ nice. So I got my first idea of what a book
contained by the pictures in a spelling-book. The print in the book
meant something, I was sure, and my mind was employed until recess in
endeavors to make out what the print and pictures were intended for. The
scholars came out at recess, and my mistresses gave me such instructions
as they were able, which gave me a start ahead that enabled me to
memorize the first six letters of the alphabet by the time school
dismissed for noon.
I began to be deeply interested in "studying lessons," and was soon,
after hard study, complete master of the alphabet. I could repeat it
forwards and backwards, and could instantly tell the name of any letter
pointed out to me. My mistresses seemed to take great pleasure in
teaching me, and I was very anxious to learn. I soon found that I could
understand in a great measure the instructions the teacher gave to the
different scholars, by which I profited. I sat in the back part of the
house, behind the scholars, with my young mistress' old book in my hand,
and held it so that nobody could see it, and studied constantly day
after day, which soon advanced me beyond some of the white children
older than myself in learning. I learned to spell and read; and my
appetite for knowledge increasing, my young mistress set copies for me,
and by the time the school-term was out I could spell, read, and write.
Slaves on large plantations in the South were worked in gangs, under the
general supervision of the overseer or slave-owner. The gangs were
placed under the immediate supervision of a trusty and intelligent
slave, whose duty it was to see that each hand performed his or her
allotted task, to weigh cotton during the picking season, and to direct
the slaves in their labor, and were called field superintendents or
bosses. This was my position on the plantation a short time after school
was out for the term.
For the first few days after my term at school as waiter for my young
mistresses, I was ordered into the field to pick cotton, but was shortly
placed over the hands as "boss" and cotton-weigher. Each picker had a
"stint" or daily task to perform; that is, each of them was required to
pick so many pounds of cotton, and when in default were unmercifully
whipped. I had the cotton of each hand to weigh, three times each day,
and had to keep the weights of each hand separate and correctly in my
mind and report to Wilson every night. I dare not let Wilson or any of
the slaves know that I knew anything about figures or could read or
write, for a knowledge of those rudiments of education was considered
criminal in a slave. The slaves were nearly always jealous and envious
of a "boss" of their own color, and left no pretext untried to bring a
"boss" into disrepute with the master and consequent corporal
punishment. And should I make a misstatement of the weight of any one
hand's cotton, that hand would know it. Therefore at the time I am now
writing of I had the weights of about three hundred baskets of cotton to
report to Wilson every day. This was hard mind-work for me, but I
mastered the situation and escaped supersedure and punishment. I held
the position of field-superintendent about nine years, and performed my
duties faithfully and honestly, to the satisfaction of my master and the
hands under me generally.
Why was I so faithful and dutiful to my slave master? Simply because I
was doing my duty to God and acting in obedience to the commands of
Christ; for my book taught me to do good and shun evil--to obey the
revealed will of God no matter what position I might be placed in. As a
slave I loved to do the will of the Master in heaven; as a responsible
human being I could do no less.
I improved my knowledge, whenever opportunity occurred, and it was but a
short time, comparatively, until I found out for myself, by searching
the Scriptures clandestinely, the great truths that Jesus taught. I
read, pondered, and began the work of self-regeneration. I read that God
required of me to do certain things; that unless I obeyed the commands
of Jesus I could expect no help from God. I found that I was commanded
to "do," and not stand still and wait for others to "do" for me. The way
seemed to open before me plainly and unmistakably, and engraved the
command to "do" firmly in my heart, in the simple words, "Do the will of
God." I obeyed the commands of our Savior in all the essentials of
repentance, baptism, and in everything, and began the real work of my
life--of living and being a servant of God and a faithful follower of
Jesus Christ. My field of labor was my own heart, which I endeavored to
render pure in the sight of God. But a short time elapsed when my work
within myself began to bear fruit in my efforts to redeem my
fellow-slaves from sin and make them children of God. I labored with
them in a spirit of brotherly love, and urged them, in season and out
of season, to come to Jesus. My labors were not in vain, for a great
many were brought to the altar of prayer through my exertions, and were
forgiven.
Wilson found out that I could read and write. During the time of
cotton-picking, the last season I was superintendent, a protracted
meeting was held in the neighborhood, and my master and mistress
attended regularly. The only time I could go was on Sunday, and I looked
forward to that day with hope and pleasure. On Saturday evening my
master stayed to church, and did not expect to return home until Sunday
evening. My report of weights were on my mind, and I became somewhat
uneasy about the result if I should attempt to remember them until the
following Monday. What to do under the circumstances I did not know; yet
I knew that "where there was a will there was a way." I was afraid to
set the weights down for fear of detection and punishment. I hesitated
and tried to think of some safe way out of the dilemma. I knew if I let
the matter rest over Sunday I would not remember the weights, for the
reason that my mind was so employed and taken up with the religious
revival that was then going on in the neighborhood, in which I was very
much interested on my own account and on account of my fellow-slaves. I
prayed to God to direct me right. The overseer used a slate on which to
set down the weights of cotton, which was hanging in his cabin. I took
the slate down, made the entries of weights with the names of the
pickers, and hung it up again. During the next day (Sunday) the overseer
came home, and found the slate with the entries on it I had made. He was
somewhat surprised. When Wilson came home he was duly informed of the
fact. I was called, and ordered into _the presence_. I knew it was
unlawful for me to know how to write, and I dreaded the consequences of
my rash act, yet I unhesitatingly, and with a courage that surprised me,
went to the house.
"Who wrote these names and weights on this slate, Charles?" asked Mr.
Wilson.
"I did it, sir," I answered.
"How and when did you learn to write?"
"During the time I attended my young mistresses to school, sir."
Wilson looked at me long and angrily, and remarked that I had kept that
fact secret for a long time, and that as I had learned to read and write
he could not help it. "But you must remember, Charles," he continued,
"that the law is that if any negro shall be found writing, his
forefinger shall be cut off at the first joint."
My time had now come for my first punishment, I thought. A day or two
after I heard Wilson, while in conversation with the overseer, say, "It
will not do to let Charles stay with the rest of the negroes, or he will
learn them all to read and write, and then we might as well set them
free."
What was to be done with me for my unpardonable crime? All kinds of
surmises and speculations entered my mind. What was to be my fate?
Belonging to Mrs. Wilson--her property--I was placed in charge of her
son James, who employed me at teaming, that is, hauling cotton, lumber,
etc.
In this occupation I became pretty well acquainted with the surrounding
country and the people, and was very well satisfied with matters
generally as they then stood. But I was soon to learn that my young
master was only anxious to carry out the plans of his father, and was
determined to punish, or, as they pleased to term it, "break me," merely
because I was related to Ben--because I was able to read and write as
well if not better than James Wilson himself.
I was told one day by James that he had hired me to a man in Pontotoc to
work in a livery-stable, and that I must come to his plantation without
delay. When I arrived I was informed that instead of going to Pontotoc I
should go to the railroad then building through Mississippi, and work
for Mr. Leadbitter. I expostulated with my master, and urged him, with
all the pleas and arguments at my command, to allow me to remain on the
plantation or go to Pontotoc, but to no avail. He whipped out his
six-shooter, raving and swearing, and bade me mount one of two mules
instanter or he would shoot me on the spot. I mounted the mule.
My reasons for not wanting to go to the railroad to work were good.
There was plenty to do on the plantation, and there was no good cause
for sending me away. I feared rough usage at the railroad, and rougher
associations. I had by this time become the religious teacher of all the
well-disposed slaves in the neighborhood, and I was so much interested
in my labors that I doomed my great Master's work of too much importance
to be driven away from it without a struggle. I was no coward, and was
always ready to stand out to the end against all opposition, when my
duty as a humble follower of Jesus was in question. Therefore my
reluctance to be driven from my place of usefulness. However, I got on
the mule and started, in company with a colored man who was going with
me to bring the mules back. After traveling four or five miles, and when
at a convenient place, I dismounted from the mules and told my companion
I was going no farther with him, and that if Wilson wanted any one to go
to the railroad to work he might go himself; and I "took to the woods."
This was the first time I ever attempted to escape and gain my freedom.
Whether I was right or wrong I shall not say, only I ask you to put
yourself in my place as I was then situated, and draw your own
conclusions. It is true I had formed dear and near associations, and the
old neighborhood had been the scene of my trials and triumphs. My master
had been uniformly kind, as much so at least as his disposition would
allow, yet I felt, although my skin was black, I was entitled to and
deserved freedom to worship God according to the dictates of my own
conscience, and to teach others the way to everlasting life. I felt that
I was a man made after God's own image, and that no one had any right to
a property in me as a mere chattel, all human laws to the contrary
notwithstanding. I did not deem that I was a criminal, and that I was
escaping from penal servitude; but that I was one of God's children,
escaping from a worse than Egyptian bondage. I rightfully owed
allegiance to God and my country only. So I run away.