After the death of Mr. Munger, I married a wife and lived in Norfolk
a few years; we had two children. We went to Hartford after a while;
I worked for the then known firm of E. & R. Terry. There was a man
came to Hartford from Savannah, with his family; he came to school his
daughter. He brought a slave girl with him to care for the smaller
children. My wife washed for the family. All went on well for about two
years. The Southern man’s name was Bullock, and the slave’s name was
Nancy. One day when I was at work in the store, a gentleman came where
I was; he asked if this was deacon Mars. I said “Yes, sir.” He said
Mr. Bullock was about to send Nancy to Savannah, “and we want to make
a strike for her liberty, and we want some man to sign a petition for
a writ of habeas corpus to bring Mr. Bullock before Judge Williams;
they tell me that you are the man to sign the petition.” I asked him
who was to draw the writ; he said Mr. Wm. W. Ellsworth. I went to Mr.
Ellsworth’s office with the man. I signed the petition. I then went to
my work. I told Mr. Ellsworth that it would cause an excitement; if he
wanted me at any time, I would be on hand. The writ was served on Mr.
Bullock, and he was brought before Judge Williams, but Nancy could not
be found. The court adjourned till eight o’clock the next morning. At
night Nancy came to the house where they were boarding; she had been
out as she was accustomed to go with the children. Mrs. Bullock told
Nancy to go to bed. She somehow had an idea that all was not right; she
opened the door, and gave it a swing to shut, but it did not shut, as
she said afterwards. She thought she would see what they were talking
about. She said Mrs. B. told Mr. Bullock to start in the morning at 4
o’clock with Nancy for New York; “never mind the bond, and send Nancy
South.” I omitted to mention that the court put Mr. Bullock under a
bond of $400 to appear the next morning at 8 o’clock. The plan to send
Nancy South was fixed on. Nancy said to herself, “When you come where
I be, I wont be there.” She went out of the house, and went to the
house of a colored man and stopped for the night. The next morning the
court sat; master and slave were both there. The court said it was the
first case of the kind ever tried in the State of Connecticut, and the
Supreme Court of Errors was to meet in ten days, and was composed of
five judges; he would adjourn the trial until the session of that court.
During those ten days I had a fair opportunity to see how strong a hold
slavery had on the feelings of the people in Hartford. I was frowned
upon; I was blamed; I was told that I had done wrong; the house where
I lived would be pulled down; I should be mobbed; and all kinds of
scarecrows were talked about, and this by men of wealth and standing.
I kept on about my work, not much alarmed. The ten days passed away;
the Supreme Court of Errors sat; Judge Williams was chief judge. The
case was argued on both sides. When the plea was ended, then came the
decision:――two of the court would send Nancy back to slavery; two were
for her release; we shall hear from Williams to-morrow at eight o’clock.
At the time appointed all were in attendance to hear from Judge
Williams. The Judge said that slavery was tolerated in some of the
States, but it was not now in this State; we all liked to be free. This
girl would like to be free; he said she should be free,――the law of
the State made her free, when brought here by her master. This made a
change in the feelings of the people. I could pass along the streets in
quiet. Nancy said when she went into the court-house on the last day
she had two large pills of opium; had she been sentenced to go back,
she should have swallowed both of them before she left the court-house.
Now to my family. I have said I had two children born in Norfolk, and
six in Hartford. One died in infancy. I lived in Hartford about sixteen
years. I took a very prominent part in the organization of the Talcott
Street Church. I moved from Hartford to Pittsfield, Mass. When I had
been there three years and a half, my wife died in November; the May
following I lost a son sixteen years of age. My oldest son enlisted
in the U. S. Navy when he was eighteen, and has followed the sea ever
since. I had another that went to sea, that I have not heard from for
eight years. My oldest daughter went to Africa, to Cape Palmas; she
went out a teacher, and has been there five years. I have one son
who, when the war broke out, when the first gun was fired on Sumter,
wanted to enlist, and did enlist in the navy, and went out on the brig
Bainbridge, and served until she was stopped for repairs. He then went
on the Newbern and served his time, and has an honorable discharge.
Another, and the last one, enlisted in the artillery and went to New
Orleans, but never, no, never came back, nor will he ever come again.
I have a daughter in Massachusetts, of a frail constitution. She has
a family to care for. I have none to care for me that has anything to
spare, yet my children are willing to help as far as they are able. As
they are not able I feel willing to do all that I can to help to get
my living. The question is sometimes asked me if I have not any means
of support. The fact is, I have nothing but what I have saved within
the last three years. I have spent a portion of that time with my book
about the country. I am now in my eightieth year of age, I cannot labor
but little, and finding the public have a desire to know something of
what slavery was in the State of Connecticut, in its time, and how long
since it was at an end, in what year it was done away, and believing
that I have stated the facts, many are willing to purchase the book to
satisfy themselves as to slavery in Connecticut. Some told me that they
did not know that slavery was ever allowed in Connecticut, and some
affirm that it never did exist in the State. What I have written of my
own history, seems to satisfy the minds of those that read it, that the
so called, favored state, the land of good morals and steady habits,
was ever a slave state, and that slaves were driven through the streets
tied or fastened together for market. This seems to surprise some that
I meet, but it was true. I have it from reliable authority. Yes, this
was done in Connecticut.
August 22d, 1866, I had a fall and uncapped my knee, that laid me by
ten months, so that I was unable to travel or do anything to help
myself, but by the help of Him that does all things well, I have got so
as to be able to walk with a staff. During the time that I was confined
with my knee, I met with kind treatment, although I was away from home.
I was in the state of New York at the time of my misfortune, away from
any of my relations, still I was under the watchful care of a Friend
that sticketh closer than a brother. He has thus far provided for me,
and I feel assured that He will if I trust Him, with all my heart and
soul and strength, and serve Him faithfully, which is my duty, the few
years or days that are allotted to me, and it is my prayer that I may
have grace to keep me, that I may not dishonor the cause of Christ, but
that I may do that which will be acceptable in the sight of my Heavenly
Father, so that I may do good to my fellow-men.
One thing in my history I have not mentioned, which I think of
importance. Although born and raised in Connecticut, yes, and lived
in Connecticut more than three-fourths of my life, it has been my
privilege to vote at five Presidential elections. Twice it was my
privilege and pleasure to help elect the lamented and murdered Lincoln.
I am often asked when slavery was abolished in Connecticut; my answer
is, the Legislature in 1788, passed an act that freed all that were
born after 1792, those born before that time that were able to take
care of themselves, must serve until they were twenty-five; my time
of slavery expired in 1815. Connecticut I love thy name, but not thy
restrictions. I think the time is not far distant when the colored man
will have his rights in Connecticut.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).
――Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.
――Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
――Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.