The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-02-04
From tho Boston Daily Mall.
Narrative of Henry Bib.
CONCLUDED.


of the most respectable looking audiences CIV
or assembled in the city, to hear the concldd
ing portion of the narrative Of Henry Blbb
the fugitive slave. His narrative at Fancui
Hall brought him down to the time that h(
was sold to Deacon Whitfield, and taken t.
his plantation in Claiborne parish, far up or
the Red River, in Louisiana.
At the appointed hour Mr. Bib rose and
remarked that when he found hmselfin such
position, and before such an audience, he
almost doubted his identity. When he
thought what he had been, and where he was
now, he could hardly realize his position. g
cam" said he, hardly believe it is me-" The
audience, he said, must not expect howery,
eloquent speech. All the education he had
was the little he had boon able to obtain since
he procured his freedom-within the last five
wears He believed his intellectual capacity
was naturally as good as the mass of those be-
fore him, but it had been crushed in his youth
BY the whitening degradation Of his position
the humiliaGing sense that he was not man
bat cba'tel He could only give simple
narrative Of facts; and God was MS Judge as
10 the truth Of those facts,
Deacon Whitfield, notwithstanding his re-
lgious professions and position, was a hard
and cruel master. BIB one Sabbath day,ask-
ci the privilege Of attending a religious meet
ing of slaves on another plantation-a thing
prohibited by the laws Of the State, but still
permitted by some masters His request was
refused, but he determined to go, and did 90.
The oYer5ccr asccrtained his absence, and
prepared to give him the usual reception in
such eases on his retarn. He however re-
tbrnc3 in the night, and learning from his
wife that he had been missed from the plan
tation, they boEh concluded to take their child
and elope They went into the swamps and
concealed themselves for several days, expos
ed to the algators, snakes and wolves-the
latter as plenty as squirrels in New England,
and by their howlings in the night frequently
frightened them from their bed of leaves
But they feared not these SO much as the hui
man wolves from whom they had escaped.
They were, however, captured and carried
to their master, and Bib was whipped, in his
. own expressive language, {" almost to death"
His back still retains marks Of the whip, and
would retain them to the day of his DEATH
He was then ironcd with a heavy collar and
chain. About this time company of gam
b!er5 and horsc-raccrs came along, and pro-
master, glad to get rid OF him, sold him for
some $3.50. His new masters took off his
irons, and treated him comparatively well, |
gamblers though they were. He accompa-
MED them to Texas, and over q large region
Of country; they allowed him to hunt up a
new master if he could find one to purchase
hilH. Slave purchasers, however, played |
Bny; they knew by his eye they said, that he
knew too much, and was great runaway
which, says Bib, was great fact. Finally, |
not finding 4 market for him, his new masters |
took hin back to Deacon Whitfield, and of
tered to sell him back, or to purchase his wife !
and chiLd Bib promising them that il not |
separated he could find a market for the |
whole. While they chaiIering, his wife |
discovered him, and ran ami threw her arms
around his neck, beaocching her master not !
again TO separate them. But the hard heart !
cd brute refused to buy or sell-told the gam F,
bers to clear out-and caused his wife to be !
whipped mostunmercifuly. They could hear
her screams until they were drowned in the |
dis!ance,Nnd the blacllegs remarked that "hei |
was full Of such Deacons as that" This was
the last time he ever saw his wife, but he has
learned that she WAS afterwards sold and com
PEELED to become a concubine to Frenchman !
in Mississippi.
Bi5b's owners then took him to the Choro-
kee country, on the west border of the State of !
Arkansas. They told him if he would find |
Il good market for himself they would give him |
saaded wealthy old Cherokee Indian to pur-
chase him, at price of about 5000. One of
his previous owners then gave him $40, and |
intimatcd TO him he wished to run away, he |
had better take the line of Arkansas, and tray-
81 north through the State Of Missouri. His |
Indian master was afflicted with dropsy, and
bude him accompany him some 40 miles north |
to an Indian doctor. This doctor soon finish |
ed his master and Bib, after taking care of
the body bcthought himself Of chance to
make his escape. He appears to have felt
some reluctance, for the old Indian had been
Kind to him but not knowing into what kind
OF hands he might next fall, he concluded to
~ cut dirt" He kept the Arkansas line and
travelled night and day, for some time. FL
na!ly lie reached log tavern in Missouri,
kept by a hall In Ian, aal stopped for the
night. The landlord appeared little sus-
picious bat Bib asked him how far it was to
various places with which he was familiar,
and II proved that he was acquainted with
people in northern Ohio whom tie landlord
had formerly known, and the latter treated
him cordially as an old frend-inquircd how
the HoIisters--Sam, Joe, John, Severe
getting along, and appeared to be well pleas
ed when Bib told him they were doing
we'll. He had not seen them for three
years J
The landlord recommended him to tav-
,crn at the next place where he wished to STOP,
and by taking line from one landlord to an
other he passed through Missouri to Jcllcr-
son without nlcoting with any difficulty. But
now his troubles ut heart commenced. He |
wished 10 90 aboard one Of the Ohio steam |
boats, bur no negro, unless accompanied by
master could leave tie state without showing |
his free papers, and Bib had none to show.-
Finally he purchased large leather trunk,
and Juggling it aboard steamer az though it
was heavy lit was in fact empty directly be-
hind Il gentleman and lady, he passed off for
the time being as their servant, aud no quc3-
TORS Mnrc nslsel bin But WHOM the time |