_Containing an account of his life, from the time of his purchasing his
freedom to the present day._
My wife and children were yet in bondage to Mr. Thomas Stanton. About
this time I lost a chest, containing besides clothing, about thirty-
eight pounds in paper money. It was burnt by accident. A short time
after I sold all my possessions at Stonington, consisting of a pretty
piece of land and one dwelling house thereon, and went to reside at
Long-Island. For the first four years of my residence there, I spent
my time in working for various people on that and at the neighboring
islands. I the space of six months I cut and corded upwards of four
hundred cords of wood. Many other singular and wonderful labors I
performed in cutting wood there, which would not be inferior to those
just recited, but for brevity sake I must omit them. In the
aforementioned four years what wood I cut at Long-Island amounted to
several thousand cords, and the money which I earned thereby amounted
to two hundred and seven pounds ten shillings. This money I laid up
carefully by me. Perhaps some may enquire what maintained me all the
time I was laying up money. I would inform them that I bought nothing
which I did not absolutely want. All fine clothes I despised in
comparison with my interest, and never kept but just what clothes were
comfortable for common days, and perhaps I would have a garment or two
which I did not have on at all times, but as for superfluous finery I
never thought it to be compared with a decent homespun dress, a good
supply of money and prudence. Expensive gatherings of my mates I
commonly shunned, and all kinds of luxuries I was perfectly a stranger
to; and during the time I was employed in cutting the aforementioned
quantity of wood, I never was at the expense of six-pence worth of
spirits. Being after this labor forty years of age, I worked at
various places, and in particular on Ram-Island, which I purchased
Solomon and Cuff, two sons of mine, for two hundred dollars each.
It will here be remembered how much money I earned by cutting wood in
four years. Besides this I had considerable money, amounting in all
to near three hundred pounds. After this I purchased a negro man, for
no other reason than to oblige him, and gave him sixty pounds. But in
a short time after he run away from me, and I thereby lost all that I
gave for him, except twenty pounds which he paid me previous to his
absconding. The rest of my money I laid out in land, in addition to a
farm which I owned before, and a dwelling house thereon. Forty four
years had then completed their revolution since my entrance in to this
existence of servitude and misfortune. Solomon my eldest son, being
then in his seventeenth year, and all my hope and dependence for help,
I hired him out to one Charles Church, of Rhode Island, for one year,
on consideration of his giving him twelve pounds and an opportunity of
acquiring some learning. In the course of the year, Church fitted out
a vessel for a whaling voyage, and being in want of hands to man her,
he induced my son to go, with the promise of giving him, on his
return, a pair of silver buckles, besides his wages. As soon as I
heard of his going to sea, I immediately set out to go and prevent it
if possible. But on my arrival at Church's, to my great grief, I
could only see the vessel my son was on almost out of sight going to
sea. My son died of the scurvy on this voyage, and Church has never
yet paid me the least of his wages. In my son, besides the loss of
his life, I lost equal to seventy-five pounds.
My other son being but a youth, still lived with me. About this time
I chartered a sloop of about thirty tons burthen, and hired men to
assist me in navigating her. I employed her mostly in the wood trade
to Rhode-Island, and made clear of all expenses above one hundred
dollars with her in better than one year. I had then become something
forehanded, and being in my forty-fourth year, I purchased my wife
Meg, and thereby prevented having another child to buy, as she was
then pregnant. I gave forty pounds for her.
During my residence at Long-Island, I raised one year with another,
ten cart loads of water-melons, and lost a great many every year
besides by the thievishness of the sailors. What I made by the water-
melons I sold there, amounted to nearly five hundred dollars. Various
other methods I in order to enable me to redeem my family. In the
night-time I fished with set-nets and pots for eels and lobsters, and
shortly after went a whaling voyage in the service of Col. Smith.
After being seven months, the vessel returned, laden with four hundred
barrels of oil. About this time, I became possessed of another
dwelling-house, and my temporal affairs were in a pretty prosperous
condition. This and my industry was what alone saved me from being
expelled that part of the island in which I resided, as an act was
passed by the select-men of the place, that all negroes residing there
should be expelled.
Next after my wife, I purchased a negro man for four hundred dollars.
But he having an inclination to return to his old master, I therefore
let him go. Shortly after I purchased another negro man for twenty-
five pounds, who I parted with shortly after.
Being about forty-six years old, I bought my oldest child Hannah, of
Ray Mumford, for forty-four pounds, and she still resided with him. I
had already redeemed from slavery, myself, my wife and three children,
besides three negro men.
About the forty-seventh year of my life, I disposed all my property at
Long-Island, and came from thence into East-Haddam. I hired myself
out at first to Timothy Chapman, for five weeks, the earnings of which
time I put carefully by me. After this I wrought for Abel Bingham
about six weeks. I then put my money together and purchased of said
Bingham ten acres of land, lying at Haddam neck, where I now reside.
On this land I labored with great diligence for two years, and shortly
after purchased six acres more of land contiguous to my other. One
year from that time I purchased seventy acres more of the same man,
and paid for it mostly with the produce of my other land. Soon after
I bought this lot of land, I set up a comfortable dwelling house on my
farm, and built it from the produce thereof. Shortly after I had much
trouble and expense with my daughter Hannah, whose name has before
been mentioned in this account. She was married soon after I redeemed
her, to one Isaac, a free negro, and shortly after her marriage fell
sick of a mortal disease; her husband a dissolute and abandoned
wretch, paid but little attention to her in her illness. I therefore
thought it best to bring her to my house and nurse her there. I
procured her all the aid mortals could afford, but notwithstanding
this she fell a prey to her disease, after a lingering and painful
endurance of it.
The physician's bills for attending her during her illness amounted to
forty pounds. Having reached my fifty-fourth year, I hired two negro
men, one named William Jacklin, and the other Mingo. Mingo lived with
me one year, and having received his wages, run in debt to me eight
dollars, for which he gave me his note. I procured a warrant, took
him, and requested him to go to Justice Throop's of his own accord,
but he refusing, I took him on my shoulders, and carried him there,
distant about two miles. The justice asking me if I had my prisoner's
note with me, and replying that I had not, he told me that I must
return with him and get it. Accordingly I carried Mingo back on my
shoulders, but before we arrived at my dwelling, he complained of
being hurt, and asked me if this was not a hard way of treating our
fellow creatures. I answered him that it would be hard thus to treat
our honest fellow creatures. He then told me that if I would let him
off my shoulders, he had a pair of silver shoe-buckles, one shirt and
a pocket handkerchief, which he would turn out to me. I agreed, and
let him return home with me on foot; but the very following night, he
slipped from me, stole my horse and has never paid me even his note.
The other negro man, Jacklin, being a comb-maker by trade, he
requested me to set him up, and promised to reward me well with his
labor. Accordingly I bought him a set of tools for making combs, and
procured him stock. He worked at my house about one year, and then
run away from me with all his combs, and owed me for all his board.
Since my residence at Haddam neck, I have owned of boats, canoes and
sail vessels, not less than twenty. These I mostly employed in the
fishing and trafficking business, and in these occupations I have been
cheated out of considerable money by people whom I traded with taking
advantage of my ignorance of numbers.
About twelve years ago, I hired a whale-boat and four black men, and
proceeded to Long-Island after a load of round clams. Having arrived
there, I first purchased of James Webb, son of Orange Webb, six
hundred and sixty clams, and afterwards, with the help of my men,
finished loading my boat. The same evening, however, this Webb stole
my boat, and went in her to Connecticut river, and sold her cargo for
his own benefit. I thereupon pursued him, and at length, after an
additional expence of nine crowns, recovered the boat; but for the
proceeds of her cargo I never could obtain any compensation.
Four years after, I met with another loss, far superior to this in
value, and I think by no less wicked means. Being going to New-London
with a grand-child, I took passage on an Indian's boat, and went there
with him. On our return, the Indian took on board two hogsheads of
molasses, one of which belonged to Capt. Elisha Hart, of Saybrook, to
be delivered to his wharf. When we arrived there, and while I was
gone, at the request of the Indian, to inform Captain Hart of his
arrival, and receive the freight for him, one hogshead of the molasses
had been lost overboard by the people in attempting to land it on the
wharf. Although I was absent at the time, and had no concern whatever
in the business, and was known to a number of respectable witnesses, I
was nevertheless persecuted by this conscientious gentleman, (the
Indian not being able to pay for it) and obliged to pay upwards of ten
pounds lawful money, with all the costs of court. I applied to
several gentlemen for counsel in this affair, and they advised me, as
my adversary was rich, and threatened to carry the matter from court
to court till it would cost me more than the first damages would be,
to pay the sum and submit to the injury; which I accordingly did, and
he has often since insultingly taunted me with my unmerited
misfortune. Such a proceeding as this, committed on a defenseless
stranger, almost worn out in the hard service of the world, without
any foundation in reason or justice, whatever it may be called in a
christian land, would in my native country be branded a crime equal to
highway robbery. But Captain Hart was a _white gentleman_, and I a
_poor African,_ and therefore it was _all right, and good enough for
the black dog._
I am now sixty nine years old. Though once straight and tall,
measuring without shoes six feet one inch and an half, and every way
well proportioned, I am now bowed down with age and hardship. My
strength which was once equal if not superior to any man whom I have
ever seen, is now enfeebled so that life is a burden, and it is with
fatigue that I can walk a couple of miles, stooping over my staff.
Other griefs are still behind; on account of which some aged people,
at least, will pity me. My eye-sight has gradually failed, till I am
almost blind, and whenever I go abroad one of my grand-children must
direct my way; besides for many years I have been much pained and
troubled with an ulcer on one of my legs. But amidst all my griefs and
pains, I have many consolations; Meg, the wife of my youth, whom I
married for love, and bought with my money, is still alive. My
freedom is a privilege which nothing else can equal. Notwithstanding
all the losses I have suffered by fire, by the injustice of knaves, by
the cruelty and oppression of false-hearted friends, and the perfidy
of my own countrymen whom I have assisted and redeemed from bondage, I
am no possessed of more than two hundred acres of land, and three
habitable dwelling houses. I gives me joy to think that I _have_ and
that I _deserve_ so good a character, especially for _truth_ and
_integrity._ While I am now looking to the grave as my home, my joy
for this world would be full--IF my children, Cuff for whom I paid two
hundred dollars when a boy, and Solomon who was born soon after I
purchased his mother--If Cuff and Solomon--O! that they had walked the
way of their father. But a father's lips are closed in silence and
grief! Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!
F I N I S.
CERTIFICATE.
Stonington, November 3, 1798.
These certify that VENTURE, a free negro man, aged about 69 years, and
was, as we have ever understood, a native of Africa, and formerly a
slave to Mr. James Mumford, of Fisher's-Island, in the state of New-
York, who sold him to Mr. Robert Stanton, 2d, of Stonington, in the
state of Connecticut, and said Stanton sold said VENTURE to Col.
Oliver Smith, of the aforesaid place. That said VENTURE hath
sustained the character of a faithful servant, and that of a
temperate, honest and industrious man, and being ever intent on
obtaining his freedom, he was indulged by his masters after the
ordinary labour on the days of his servitude, to improve the nights in
fishing and other employments of his own emolument, in which time he
procured so much money as to purchase his freedom from his late master
Col. Smith; after which he took upon himself the name of VENTURE
SMITH, and has since his freedom purchased a negro woman, called Meg,
to whom he was previously married, and also his children who were
slaves, and said VENTURE has since removed himself and family to the
town of East-Haddam, in this state, where he has purchased lands on
which he hath built a house, and there taken up his abode.
NATHAN MINOR, Esq.
ELIJAH PALMER, Esq.
Capt. AMOS PALMER,
ACORS SHEFFIELD,
EDWARD SMITH.