Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-05-14
Frori the N. Y. Evening Post.
A SLAVE GIRLS NARRATIVE.
CORDELIA LONEY, SLAVE OF MRS. JOSEPH
CAllELL. OF FREDERICKSBURG, VA
CORDELIA'S ESCAPE FROM uER MIS-,
TRESS IN PHILADELPHIA.

TO lie Editors Qfthe Ereqing Post.
With the hopo that your readers may be inter-
ested and tho cause of freedom promoted, l wish
to present very brief narrative of Cordela Lo
ney, as | received it from her own lips, candidly
and truthfully TOLD, as have every reas on to be-
lieve.
little over month ago in the capacity Of ser
want, Cordelia Loney, colored woman, was
brought to this city by her mistress, (Mrs. Joseph
Cahell, widow of the late Hon. Joseph Cahell, of
Virginia. with the hope, obviously, Of holding
her as securely in bonds in Philadelphia, during
her stay, as in Virginia
Having engaged board for q month at o fashion
able private boarding house on Chestnut street
she took an early opportunity to caution Gordelia
against going into the streets, and against having
anything to say or do with free niggers in par
a tiouar;s she appeared unusually Kind, 3,
much SO thatbefore retiring to bed in the evening
sao would call COrdelia to her chamber, and b.
her side would take her Prayer.bcok and Bible
and so through the forms of devotional service
For she etood very high both as church commu
meant and a lady in society ,,. .,,
For a fortnight it seemed as though her prayers
were to be answered, for Cordelia acted as submis
accepted invitations from some of the elite of the
city, without suspectng an intention on the part
of Cordea to escape. But Cordelia could not for.
get how her children had all been sold by her mis-.
tress
She is about ffy'seven years of age with about
an equal proportion of colored and white blood in
her veins very neat respectful and pre- repossessing
in manner.
From her birth to the hour of her escape she had
worn the yoke under Mrs. c. as her most efficient
and reliable maid servant. She had been at her
mistreSs's beck and call as seamstress, dressing
maid, nurse in the sck-room, &C., &c under cir.
cumstances that might appear to the casual obser.
yer as beirg uncommonly favorable for slave.
Indeed, on my first interview, was so forcibly
mpressed with the belieft that her condition in Vir.
gnia had been favorable that hessated to ask her
lf she did not desire her liberty. A few moments
conversation with her, however, convinced me of
her good sense and decision of purpose with re.
gard to this matter. For, in answer to the first
question put to her, she answered me that she
"wanted to be free," and was bound to leave ,,
that she had been treated very cruelty !" that her
children had "all been sold away" from her that
she had been threatened with sale herself ION the
first insult" &c.
She was willing to take upon herself the entire
responsibility of taking care of herself On the
suggestion of friend, before leaving her mistress
she was disposed to aue for her freedom, but upor
reconsideration Of the matter she chose rather tC
accept the hospitality of the Underground Rail
road, and leave in quiet way and 60 to Canada
where she would be free indeed. Accordingly sh,
thus left her mistress and was soon free woman
The following sad experience she reisted calm
Ily, in the presence of several friends, an evening
or two after she left her mistress;
Two sons and two daughter had been sold from
her by her mistress within the last three years
since the death of her master. Three of her chill
dren had been sold to the Richmond market and
the other TO Nelson county.
Paulina was tho first sold, two years ago last
MAY. Nat was the next; he sold to Abram
Warrick, of Richmond Paulina was sold before
it was named TO her neither that it bad entered her
MISTRESS mind to dispose of her. Nancy from
infancy had been in poor health. Nevertheless,
she had been obliged to take her pa,e in the field
with the rest of the slaves, of more rugged conssi
tuition, until she had passed her twentieth year,
aud had become mother. Under these circum'
stances, the oyerseer and his wife planned to
the mistress that her health was really too bad for
field hand, and begged that she might be taken
where her duties would be less oppressive. Ac.
ccrdingly she was Withdrawn from the field, and
was set to spinning and weaving. When too, sick
to work. her mistress Invariably took ,he ground
that "uothipg was she matter" Notwithstanding
the fact that her family physician, Dr. Ellsom, had
pronounced her quite weakly and sick"
In an angry mood one day, Mrs. Cahell declar,