Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-06-12
BRANDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE .ls, 1898.

4 3f &ss
! know about slavery, in order. if nossi.
bic, to awaken more feeling at the North
"a behalf of the slave. The treatment Of
the slaves on the plantation where had
the greatest opportunity of getting knowl-
ca ge, aoas not So bad as that on some
nelghberlng estates, where the owners
were noted for their cruelty. There were.
however, other estates in the vicinity.
wnere the treatment was better; the slaves
were better clothed and fed, were not
worked so hard, and more attention was
paid to their quarters. t lah
The scenes that have witnessed are
enough.to harrow1up the soul; but could
the slave be permitted to tell the. story of
ms sufterlngs, which no white man, not
linked with slavery, IS 0lloaoed to kaoao
the land would vomit out the horrible.sys.
TEN. shareholders and all, if they would
not .uneling their grasp upon their de-
fenceless victims. 49,. ssx-
spent eleven winters, between the.
years 1920 and 1885, in the State of N.
Carolina, mostly in the vicinity of Will
mlngton; and four out of the eleven on
the estate OF Mr.. John Swan, i've or six
miles from that place. There were on.
his plantation about seventy slaves, male
and female: some were married, and 9TH
ers lived together; as man and wife, with
out even a mock ceremony. With their
owners generally, II is a matter of indif-
ference; the marriage OF slaves not being
recognized by the slave code. The slaves.
however, think much of being married by
a clergyman.
The cabins or hu.s of the slaves were
small, and. were built principally by the
slaves themselves, as they could find time
on Sundays and moonlight nights; they
|ATent into the swamps, cut the logs, back
ed or hontsd them to the quarters, and
put up their cabins. 49,.
| When first knew Mr.. Swans planta-
ton, his overseer was a man who had
been Methodist minister. He treated
the slaves with great cruelty. His reason
for leaving the ministry and becoming an
overseer, as was informed, was this:-
his wife died ,at which proyidenceehe was
so enraged, that he siVore he would not
lpreach for the Lord another day. This
man continued on the plantation about
three years; at the close of which, on set
tfernent of accounts, Mr.. Swan owed him
labout $500, for which he turned him out
a negro woman, and about. twenty acres
4 OF land. He built log hat, and took the
woman to live with him; since which, |
} have been at his hut, and seen four OF
five mulatto children. He has been APP
: pointed justice of the peace, and his
/ place as oFerseer was afterwards occupied
by Mr. Galloway st.- =
1t is customary in,that part of the coun.
try, TO let the hogs run,in the woods. On
one occasion slave caught a pig about
; Two months old. which he carried to his
tquartcrs. The overseer. getting informa.
: ]tion ofthe TACT, went to the field where be
D was at work, and ordered him to come tt
him. The slave at once suspected it wa
something about the pig, and.feafed pun
ishment, dropped his hoe and ran for tn
: woods. He had got but few rods, whel
+ the overseer raised his gun, loaded wit
buck shot, and brought him down. It i
b a common practice for overseers to go in
i to the field armed witha gun or pistol;
t. and sometimes both. He was taken al
IT by the slaves and carried to,the planta
d ton hospital, and The physician sent for
81 A physician was employed by the year;
=, take care of the sick or wounded slaves
In about six weeks this slave got bette
. and was able to come out Of the liospita
% He came to the. mill where | was at worl
:, and asked me TO examine his body, whic
re did, and counted twenty-six buck sh,
still remaining in. his flesh, though th
doctor had removed a number while
was laid up.
Ell There was a slave on Mr.. Swan
p plantation, by the name of Harry, wh
during the absence of his master, ran ava
40 and secreted himself in the woods TIL
q the slaves sometimes do, when the mast,
! is absent for several weeks. TO escape Il
cruel treatment of the overseer. It
10 common for them.to make preparation
~ by secreting mortar, a Ratchet, son
>. cooking utensils, and whatever Thin
Il they can get that will enable them TO Ii
:, while they are in The woods or swamr
al Harry staid about three months. and liV
bo by robbing the rice grounds, and by su
= other means as came in his way. T.
: slaves generally know where the run
y. way is secreted, and visit him at mig
= and on Sundays. On the return of
f &c master, some Of the slaves wefe'sent
Harry. When he came home he "
II siezed and confined in the stocks. t
lss stocks were built in the barn, and consi
-. ed OF two heavy pieces of timber, ten
- more feet in length, and about seven Inc
ch cs wide; the lower one, on the floor,
~ number of holes or places cut in it,
M m the ANGLES; the upper piece, being Oft
- same dimentions, is fastened at one end
Ae' q b;nra arJ 20 brou0ht down af;ar Tho