The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-08
The AFRICAN.
His Fidelity and HerOism in
the Rebellion.
A Lecture Delivered at National
Hall Last Evening" by William
Wells Brown, with some
Account Of the Lee
turer, Etc.

lsPEo1AL REPORT FOR THE EVENING rELEeRAPH.l
The fifth lecture of the course before the
Social Civil, and Statistical Association of the
Colored People OF Philadelphia was delivered
at National Hall, last evening, by William Wells
Brown, q colored orator of considerable
culture who has gained for himself a reputa-
ton as an author as well as a public speaker.
Inasmuch as the story of bis life presents con-
vincing proof OF the negro's capacity for culture
and refinement, we here with present it TO the
public.
sketch OF william w. Brown.
Mr.. Brown is native of Lexington, Kentucky,
and is said TO be grandson, on his mothers
side, of the great backwoodsmaD, Daniel Boone.
His father was member OF the Wlckllffe family,
and he can thus boast OF some OF the best and
most aristocrGtic blood OF Kentucky, as well as
of that of the desplsed and down.trodden race
with which he is not ashamed to affiliate. Until
the age OF nine his life passed in savish mOnO-
tony on the plantation of Dr. John Young, a
gentleman of considerable standing in the COM
munity, and a most precise member of the
Church. AT nine years of age, as he informs us
In sketch of his lite prehxed to one of his
works, he was one night ''put to soak, and after
that was scraped, scrubbed, washed, and dried;"
and then, having exchanged his simple bag ofa
dress for tull suit of tow linen, he was duly
promoted from "the quarters" to the "big
house to become the attendant of a nephew of
his master, then but two years old.
Three years afterwards the entire family re-
moved to Central Missouri, where DR.. Young,
who had lost most of his property by misman-
agement, resumed the practice of medicine.
While residing here he was on one occasion
severely fogged because visitor mistook him
for legitimate son of his master.
Dr. Young subsequently removed to st. Louis,
and put several of his slaves out to work.
Young William was among the number, his
lot being cast rs an attendant upon the work
men in the Office of the St. Louis Times which
was edited by Elijah p. Lovejoy, the brother of
! the late Owen Lovejoy who was assassinated
| by frantic proslavery mob in Missouri some
years after. William was suffered TO remain
here but short time, and was then consigned
| to the tender mercies of a slave.trader by the
name of Walker, whom he describes as a "heart-
less, cruel, ungodly man, who neither loved his
Maker nor feared Satan" He remained one
year with this wretch, beholding scenes which,
| Independently of his own condition of servi-
tude, thoroughly disguised him with the pecu-
liar institution. He was then hired out as an
under-steward on the steamer Patriot, running
between st. Louis and New Orleans. Here he
led quite an exciting lite, variegated at one
time by an explosion, in which nineteen lives
were lost. While In this service, young William
picked up great deal of information concern
ing the free States and Canadas, from the edu-
Gated travellers with whom he came in contact,
and by his intercourse with whom he became
thoroughly possessed with yearning for free
| dom.
In company with his mother he made
an attempt at escape, but without sue
cess; and then his ownership was trans
TERED, first to merchant tailor, and
! subsequently TO a Captain Price of the
steamer Chester. He then made another at
tempt to escape. Leaving, the steamer on
| which he had been at work, he started north
ward, travelling by night and hiding away by
| day, not daring to appeal to any one for food or
shelter. After many days and nights of ex-
posure in winter, he was at last forced TO apply
for assistance to an old Quaker gentleman by
| the name of Wells Brown. By this klnd-hearted
| man he was sheltered for fortnight, and when
| he left his house he took with him his family
/ Ho
spent the remainder Of the winter in Cleveland,
| and IN the following spring obtained situation
on board a Lake Erie steamer. While thus
/ employed he assisted many fugitives from
| slavery in their escape to Canada, In one year
| alone participating in no less than sixty of
| these hazardous adventures. The winters at
this time were passed in Buffalo,
| Meantime Mr.. Brown had been picking up
| what he could in the way of an education, and
] III the autumn of 1S43 he commenced his career
| as lecturer, by invitation of the Western New
he has continued until the present time. In
| lS49 he was elected delegate to the Peace Con-
| gress at Paris, and visited the Old World under
the auspices OF several prominent English abO-
! ntlonists. On the adjournment of the Peace
| Congress, he returned to Great Britain, and
| during the hye years that he remained abroad,
ne wrote and published three books, lectured
In every considerable town in the three king
doms, and visited the Continent four times.
Since his return to this country Mr..
| Brown mas been engaged in lecturing prlnci-
| Peily II NeW InSihnu ana Cne western STATES,
In giving dramatic readings, and in writing
books and dramas. OF the latter two created
something OF a sensation, being entitled 'sIhe
Escape" published in 1858; and '.The Backbone
! Drama" burlesque on the Rev. DR.. Adams
,SoNuth-side View of Slavery" first publshedin
Mr.. Brown is undoubtedly the most vOIumi-
nous writer the colored race has thus far pro-
| duced in this country, and two Of his works
| nave met with very hattering success.
Sketches of Places and People Abroad" which
I was published in Boston by J. p. Jewett Co.,
in 1866, has passed through Ave editions of a
| thousand copies each, OF his next important
| work-"The Black Man, his Antecedents, his
| Genius, and his achievements" Boston, Robert
| f. Wallcut, ls6S-at least eighteen thousand
| of Boston, have just published fresh volume
! by Mr.. Brown, bearing the following title;-
| ''The Negro in the American Rebellion: his
Heroism and his Fidelity" which is valuable
addition to the current history of the great civil
/ war.
Mr.. Browns Lecture Last Evening,
was listened to with profound attention. and
! with frequent outbursts of applause by large
audience in which the two races were about
equally represented. The speaker was intro.
| duced by Mr.. William Still, Chairman of the
Lecture Committee, and proceeded to address
the audience as follows:-
At the breaking out of the Rebellion there
We're four millions of slaves in the South, and
| four hundred thousand free cOlored persons IN
| the Northern States, The social and political
condition of the latter at that time was any
thing but encouraging. They were dIstfan-
States, and whitening and a blighting prelq'
dice existed against them in every State in tla
Union. They had no rights that white mel
were bound to respect.