In our paper of the 21st of January we inserted a communication from a
correspondent giving an account of an aged colored woman who emigrated
with her husband from New Orleans to this city last summer, bringing
with her another colored woman whom she had rescued from slavery at the
expense of _her little all_. The object of these poor people in coming
to New York was simply to enjoy the privileges of the gospel without
interruption.
A benevolent gentleman of our acquaintance whose feelings were much
interested in the account which we published, and who has since
repeatedly visited this interesting family, has put into our hands the
following particulars of their history for publication. The name of
the husband is _Reuben_, that of his wife, _Betsey_, and that of their
companion, _Fanny_.
_Reuben Madison_, the husband, was born in Virginia, near Port Royal,
about the year 1781. His parents, and all his connections in this
country, were slaves. His father died when he was about seven years
old. His mother is now living in Kentucky, enjoying freedom in her old
age, through the filial regard of Reuben, who purchased her liberty
for seventy dollars. She is seriously disposed, but not a professor of
religion.
He has now eight brothers and sisters living in Frankfort, Franklin
county, Kentucky, all slaves, and all, excepting one, members of a
Baptist church in that place. About a year after his conversion Reuben
was married to a slave, who had been kidnapped in Maryland and sold to
a planter in his neighborhood. She was also hopefully pious.
While they lived together she became the mother of two children; but
about four years after their marriage she and one of the children,
aged eight months, were sold without his knowledge, and transported to
a distant Spanish territory, and with so much secrecy that he had no
opportunity even to bid her a last farewell. "This," said he, "was the
severest trial of my life, a sense of sin only excepted. I mourned and
cried, and would not be comforted.
"After several months, however, the hope of meeting her and my children
again in the kingdom of God, when we should never be separated,
together with a promise from my master that I should at some future
time go to see her, in some measure allayed my grief, and permitted me
to enjoy the consolations of religion." The other child is now a slave
in Kentucky, though the father has often endeavored in vain to purchase
his freedom.
About six years since, having hired his time of his master for five
years previous, at 120 dollars a year, Reuben succeeded, by trafficking
in rags, and in other ways, in collecting a sum sufficient for the
purchase of his own freedom, for which he paid 700 dollars, and not
only so, but he was enabled, with his surplus earnings, to build a
brick house, and to provide it with convenient accommodations. By the
dishonesty of his former master, however, all was taken from him.
Thus stripped of his property, he left Kentucky and went to New
Orleans, that he might learn something from his wife, and, if possible,
find and redeem her; but he only succeeded in gaining the painful
intelligence that she was dead. He there formed an acquaintance with
his present wife, whose former name was Betsey Bond, and they were soon
married. The circumstances of her life were briefly these:
Betsey was born a slave, near Hobb's Hole, Essex county, Virginia,
about 1763, and was married to a slave at about the age of twenty
years. By him she had three children, one of which, together with
her husband, died a few years after their marriage. Soon after their
death, she was led to reflect on her lost state as a sinner, and after
about seven months of deep anxiety was enabled, as she trusts, to
resign herself into the hands of her Saviour, and experience those
consolations which He deigns to grant to the broken-hearted penitent.
She gained the confidence and attachment of her mistress, who treated
her with much kindness, and she was married to a pious servant of the
family, where she remained about nine years. At the close of this
period a planter from the vicinity of Natchez, coming to Alexandria in
Virginia, where she then lived, for slaves, she was sold, and carried,
with eight others, to his plantation, leaving her husband behind.
Her new master treated her with great severity, and she was compelled
to labor almost incessantly every day of the week, Sabbath not
excepted. With this man she lived nineteen years. He then died, and
left his slaves, by will, to another planter, who also dying soon
after, she was again sold and transported to New Orleans, where she
arrived about the year 1812.
At the end of two years this master also died; and when his slaves were
about to be sold, Betsey succeeded with some difficulty in hiring her
time, and in a little more than a year, by washing and other labor, she
acquired sufficient property to purchase her freedom, for which she
paid 250 dollars. Her youngest son and his wife being also slaves in
New Orleans, she hoped to obtain, by her industry and economy, money
sufficient to purchase them also; but their master refused to part with
them.
Several years after a large number of slaves were brought to New
Orleans from Virginia, and were about to be offered for sale, and Fanny
was among the number. Having accidentally become acquainted with her,
previous to the sale, and finding her a sister in Christ, Betsey's
feelings were deeply interested, and she resolved to purchase her, and
to treat her not as a slave, but as a child and companion.
This determination she communicated to Fanny, and with the aid of a
gentleman she succeeded in accomplishing her object. The price was 250
dollars. She paid 200, _her all_, and obtained a short credit for the
remainder. Soon after this her present husband, coming to New Orleans,
as before stated, they were married, and the payment for Fanny was then
completed.
By their united industry they were soon able to build a comfortable
house, in which they set apart a room for religious purposes. Here
they assembled with others every Sabbath, for the worship of God. But
being constantly exposed to disturbance in their worship, they felt a
great desire to go to a free State, where they might enjoy religious
privileges unmolested; where they could unite with Christian friends in
social prayer and conversation, without a soldier with a drawn sword
stationed at their door.
They fixed upon New York as the desired asylum; and having arranged
their concerns, rented their house, and collected their effects,
they engaged and paid their passage, which was seventy dollars, and
sailed from New Orleans about the 12th of July, 1825, with pleasing
anticipations, for a land of freedom and religious privileges.
They suffered much on the voyage, through the cruelty of the captain;
being exposed without shelter, during the whole of the passage, either
on deck or in the longboat. In consequence of this exposure, both of
the women were taken sick; and in this condition they arrived at New
York, and were landed on the wharf in a land of strangers, their money
almost expended, and none to commiserate their sufferings.
After a few days, however, Reuben succeeded in obtaining a miserable
cellar in Chapel Street, at sixty dollars annual rent, where he
remained for some time, supporting the family in their sickness, by his
labor as a shoemaker, and by the sale of some of his effects.
On his arrival at this port his first act was to grant entire freedom
to Fanny, giving her liberty to live with him, or to go where she
pleased. She chose to remain with him; and she assisted in the support
of the family by washing and other labor, and nursed her mistress, who
was evidently declining with the consumption, occasioned doubtless by
the severity of her treatment on the passage from New Orleans.
Not being able to pay their rent in advance, owing to their sickness
and other expenses, their landlord compelled them to quit their
residence; and they have since been obliged to put up with still more
miserable accommodations in a cellar in Elm Street.
They appeared to put their trust and confidence in God, and expressed
their entire belief that all their trials were designed for their
good. They seemed to be one in sentiment and feeling, and to manifest
a spirituality of mind rarely to be found. Every little attention was
most gratefully received, and the best of blessings were implored on
him who bestowed it.
With some assistance from the benevolent, and with what they may
receive from New Orleans for rent, it is believed they may be provided
with a comfortable house, and be introduced to those privileges which
they so ardently desire. No one of the family can read, though they are
all desirous to learn, and from a little attention which their friends
have given them it appears that they may be taught without difficulty.
It is an affecting thought, that the wrongs of this poor woman, which
commenced at her birth, and were inflicted without interruption during
the long years of slavery, still followed her on her passage to the
land of freedom, and have been finally consummated in this city, the
city of her hopes, her fancied asylum from the oppressor.