But the more I thought of the trap laid by Mrs. Price to make me
satisfied with my new home, by getting me a wife, the more I determined
never to marry any woman on earth until I should get my liberty. But
this secret I was compelled to keep to myself, which placed me in a
very critical position. I must keep upon good terms with Mrs. Price and
Eliza. I therefore promised Mrs. Price that I would marry Eliza; but
said that I was not then ready. And I had to keep upon good terms with
Eliza, for fear that Mrs. Price would find out that I did not intend to
get married.
I have here spoken of marriage, and it is very common among slaves
themselves to talk of it. And it is common for slaves to be married;
or at least to have the marriage ceremony performed. But there is no
such thing as slaves being lawfully married. There has never yet a case
occurred where a slave has been tried for bigamy. The man may have as
many women as he wishes, and the women as many men; and the law takes
no cognizance of such acts among slaves. And in fact some masters, when
they have sold the husband from the wife, compel her to take another.
There lived opposite Captain Price's, Doctor Farrar, well known in St.
Louis. He sold a man named Ben, to one of the traders. He also owned
Ben's wife, and in a few days he compelled Sally (that was her name)
to marry Peter, another man belonging to him. I asked Sally "why she
married Peter so soon after Ben was sold." She said, "because master
made her do it."
Mr. John Calvert, who resided near our place, had a woman named
Lavinia. She was quite young, and a man to whom she was about to be
married was sold, and carried into the country near St. Charles, about
twenty miles from St. Louis. Mr. Calvert wanted her to get a husband;
but she had resolved not to marry any other man, and she refused. Mr.
Calvert whipped her in such a manner that it was thought she would die.
Some of the citizens had him arrested, but it was soon hushed up. And
that was the last of it. The woman did not die, but it would have been
the same if she had.
Captain Price purchased me in the month of October, and I remained with
him until December, when the family made a voyage to New Orleans, in a
boat owned by himself, and named the "Chester." I served on board as
one of the stewards. On arriving at New Orleans, about the middle of
the month, the boat took in freight for Cincinnati; and it was decided
that the family should go up the river in her, and what was of more
interest to me, I was to accompany them.
The long looked for opportunity to make my escape from slavery was near
at hand.
Captain Price had some fears as to the propriety of taking me near a
free state, or a place where it was likely I could run away, with a
prospect of liberty. He asked me if I had ever been in a free state.
"Oh yes," said I, "I have been in Ohio; my master carried me into that
state once, but I never liked a free state."
It was soon decided that it would be safe to take me with them, and
what made it more safe, Eliza was on the boat with us, and Mrs. Price,
to try me, asked if I thought as much as ever of Eliza. I told her
that Eliza was very dear to me indeed, and that nothing but death
should part us. It was the same as if we were married. This had the
desired effect. The boat left New Orleans, and proceeded up the river.
I had at different times obtained little sums of money, which I had
reserved for a "rainy day." I procured some cotton cloth, and made me
a bag to carry provisions in. The trials of the past were all lost
in hopes for the future. The love of liberty, that had been burning
in my bosom for years, and had been well-nigh extinguished, was now
resuscitated. At night, when all around was peaceful, I would walk the
decks, meditating upon my happy prospects.
I should have stated, that, before leaving St. Louis, I went to an
old man named Frank, a slave, owned by a Mr. Sarpee. This old man was
very distinguished (not only among the slave population, but also
the whites) as a fortune-teller. He was about seventy years of age,
something over six feet high, and very slender. Indeed, he was so small
around his body, that it looked as though it was not strong enough to
hold up his head.
Uncle Frank was a very great favorite with the young ladies, who would
go to him in great numbers to get their fortunes told. And it was
generally believed that he could really penetrate into the mysteries
of futurity. Whether true or not, he had the _name_, and that is about
half of what one needs in this gullible age. I found Uncle Frank
seated in the chimney corner, about ten o'clock at night. As soon as I
entered, the old man left his seat. I watched his movement as well as
I could by the dim light of the fire. He soon lit a lamp, and coming
up, looked me full in the face, saying, "Well, my son, you have come
to get uncle to tell your fortune, have you?" "Yes," said I. But how
the old man should know what I came for, I could not tell. However, I
paid the fee of twenty-five cents, and he commenced by looking into a
gourd, filled with water. Whether the old man was a prophet, or the son
of a prophet, I cannot say; but there is one thing certain, many of his
predictions were verified.
I am no believer in soothsaying; yet I am sometimes at a loss to know
how Uncle Frank could tell so accurately what would occur in the
future. Among the many things he told was one which was enough to pay
me for all the trouble of hunting him up. It was that I _should be
free_! He further said, that in trying to get my liberty I would meet
with many severe trials. I thought to myself any fool could tell me
that!
The first place in which we landed in a free state was Cairo, a small
village at the mouth of the Ohio river. We remained here but a few
hours, when we proceeded to Louisville. After unloading some of the
cargo, the boat started on her upward trip. The next day was the first
of January. I had looked forward to New Year's day as the commencement
of a new era in the history of my life. I had decided upon leaving the
peculiar institution that day.
During the last night that I served in slavery I did not close my
eyes a single moment. When not thinking of the future, my mind dwelt
on the past. The love of a dear mother, a dear sister, and three dear
brothers, yet living, caused me to shed many tears. If I could only
have been assured of their being dead, I should have felt satisfied;
but I imagined I saw my dear mother in the cotton-field, followed by a
merciless taskmaster, and no one to speak a consoling word to her! I
beheld my dear sister in the hands of a slave-driver, and compelled to
submit to his cruelty! None but one placed in such a situation can for
a moment imagine the intense agony to which these reflections subjected
me.