Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-11-22
A SCENE IN VIRGINIA.

While travelling not long ago in one Of the south
western counties III Virginia, the following thrill
ing incident took place. Starting in the stage
coach, sOen after breakfast, the morning being a
delightful one in the latter part Of the month Of
May, | took my seat on the box by the side Of the
driver, and behind me-, ON the top, was seated a
bright, intelligeutloOking muiatto boy, apparent
" of Is or 10 years of age. After being on the
road a few minutes, | turned about and asked aim
where he was going. lie replied he was going
down a few miles TO live with Master -,
who kept the stage house at the west stand; that
he had lived with him the last Summer, and that
his master had sent him down to live with him the
coming season.
Turning from the hoy, the driver remarked to
me in an under tone, the boy IS deceived; l am
taking him down to the slave-pen, o few miles on,
where slaves are kept preparatory to being sent
to Louisiana; this deception is procticod to get hun
from his home and mother without creating a dis
turbance on the place.
Shortly after we drew near to the place where
the boy supposed he was to stop; he began to gath
or IN, preparatory to leaving the stage, the few
articles he had bought away from his home
The driver said to him in a decided tone of voice,
"You are not to get off the stage here" The boy
in astonishmcnt, roulied: "Yes, | is; Tse got a let
ter for Master -. Use going to live there this
Summer" BY this time we bad reached the house,
and Master - making his appearance, John
tfor that was the name of the boy}, delivered his
letter and appealed to Master - to he deiv-
eicd from the command of ihe driver. The Mas.
ter made no reply. o. this kind of deception was
no new thing to him. After reading the letter
and folding it up. he was about putting 1t IN his
pocket, when it flashed on the mind of the boy
that he was sold and was hound far the ~slavepen
lie exclaimed, in agony, Tell me Master, if Use
sold ~ No reply was made. lie exclaimed again
Tell me if Ise sold ~ This last appeal brought
the responses: "Yes, John, You are sold"
The boy threw himself back on the top of the
gtn,rn md r,1iiur in oV,py Cpnf nm gnph n NuI
of zoe as no one in the stage could endure; even
the hotel-keeper walked away in shame, and the
driver hurried into his box and drove of in haste
to drown the noise of his cry.
The passengers were all deeply moved by the
distress of the boy, and tried in various ways Il
sooth his wounded and crushed spirit, but his ago
ny ' as beyond the reach of their sympathy.
When his agony had somewhat abated, he ex
claimed, 30, if they had only let me bid my moth
er goodbye. They have lied to me! They hav,
lied TO me! IF they had told me | was sold and
could a bid my mother goodbye, I'd a gone with
out making Thorn trouble, hard as it is" BY thi'
time we had passed on some two or three miles
since leaving the last stand; when drawing peal
to q pretty thick wood, the boy became tranquil
Waiting till he had entered the wood n few rods
he darted from the top of tho stage and ran int
the woods, as agile as a deer, no doubt with the
feeling that it was for his life. The driver instant
ly dropped his reins and pursued the boy. Prov
ing himself no match, he returned cSclalming
you see, ! have done all that | could, to catcl
him."
lie mounted his box and drove on Il mile or so
when he refined up his horses at IL house, and call
ing to the keeper, asked, Where are your sons !
He replied, they left home this morning, with tn
dogs, to hunt a negro, and would not BE home be
fore night. The driver said to him that Mr.. -
had sent his boy JYhn Oh the stage that mornin!
to be delivered at the pen, and that he had jumE
ed from the top of the stage and taken to the wood
= His reply was: 1--WE will hunt him for you t
=, morrow" The driver said he wished only to n
tify him of his being in the woods.
4 As we drove on. l made the inquiry, GLOW lor
II have you driven a stage on this road?" He r
piled, About fifteen years" do you frequent
, take negroes down to the slave.pen % Yes, fr
quently." "What will become of this boy, John
lie replied, ale will skulk about the woods un
- he is nearly starved, and will some night make
u" way up to his masters house. and in about t'
. weeks l shall bring him down again to the slav
pen in hand-cuffs." After a pause, ever the d
yer, feeling his degradation in being the instr
ment Of such misery, broke out in the cxclan'
tor "This IL n cursed business; but in this ca
! this is not the worst feature IN it. The man W
sold him is his own father W-Nec York Ladepcn
et.