The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-02-26
A Slaves Christmas.

was born and bred slave. NY par
cnts worked on an estate in Virginia, and
rs soon as ever | was able to hold hoe
in my hand | was sent into the cotton
field. My master was kind one for a
stakeholder. in fact, he was 80 good to
his people that his neighbors dislikeJ
him. 1t was said that on his property
no slave had ever been sold or bad run
away, and that we were the best fed and
best cared for slaves on any of the planta
tions Of the state lie never worked US
too hard, and whenever he required any
extra labor TO be performed, or wanted
us to continue in the fields after the reg
ular hours, he invariably paid US something
for our work ] lie did not openly object
to our learning to read. for although it
was strictly forbidden by the laws Of the
state to teach us either to read or write,
there were several hands on the farm
who could do both; and he knew it and
winked at it, On Sunday he would have
us all attend church.
The parson was Il good old gentleman
who used to preach so simply that the
most ignorant amongst US could under
him, and when | used to sit in our part
of the sacred cdfce, aud look at the
finely dressed ladies and gentlemen who
had the pews for their devotons, ! used
to wonder if they liked the old man who
spoke 50 kindly, so hopefully to us who
had black skins.
1t was our minister speaking to us
one day Of the pleasure of reading in the
good book, and understanding scripture
history that first made me desire to
learn to read. An old man, whom we
used to call Father White, taught mo my
letters. There was no candle allowed Us
in our cabin, and often during a long
winters evening have sat trying to spell
long words by the Pickering light of II log
fire.
| had been contentcd with my lot un-
til | was taught to read but then, when
learnt about people who were their own
masters, who could 90 where they pleased,
and do what they liked, sighed for the
day when could see something more Of
the beautiful earth that the Almighty had
created for all mcn. The cider | grew
tue sti onger did this idea bccOmc-my
work grew wcarisOme, my task was irk-
somc-lhe company of my companions
grew painful; their pitiful jokes, their
loose conduct, their immoral habits, all
became repui,ivc to me. | became mel
ancl oily, neglected my duties, and soor
obtained the reputation of being an idlo,
morose hand. The overseer marked me-
and mere than once | came in for sever.
pun shmcnt.
On my twenty first birthday I was or
dered to be hogged for some tritiing ne
glect cf duty the punishment WIS abou;
to be carried out when my master inter.
tcred. AMI was let off with warning
for the future. Old Father White said
that | was pardcned because troublesome
times were coming on, for just then We
first heard OF the stir there was in the
northern states, and that there was q
prospect Of war breaking ont. Most of the
hands said that we should win and that the
northern gentlemen wanted to take us of
the plantation and send US far away
across the waters on purpose to ruin the
planters. But Father White said no
they would make us free and let US q
wherever we pleased; and that il Mr.
Lincoln was president he would sent
sol'liers down into Virginia to make Il,
free. tiunght Father White was righ
not because knew anything at al! about
the quarrel, for we never saw news
paper, but because | wanted to be free
and the hope that dwelt within me aidct
my convictions.
No sooner did the war really break on
than Mr. Lowell, my master, became
quite a ditf,reut man. The ovcrscer, too
became twice as strict. AT night we wcr,
closely watched, and in the daytime we
were kept very hard at work If any
irregnlarity did occur, or if we did moi
comply so readily as we ought to Do, tn,
overseer always punished us severely
Once he flogged me because did not say
"Sr' TO him when he spoke to me, am
on another occasion he whipped my sister
because he heard her say she would lik,
to be free.
On the Goth Of December, 1851, | wa,
sitting in the evening talking TO Father
White about great battle that had beer
fought, and wondering if ever the tim,
woull come when we should see the
northern soldiers amongst us, when Mr.
Williams, the oversecr, came up and sait
that was discontented dog, and tha
he would member me in the morning
lie kept his word, for before breakfast til,
next morning he had me down at the
triangle, and gave me twenty-five lashes
Father White, he said, was too old fol
him TO fog, so he kept him in the "hole,
prison house, and when had received
my Punishment | was put in there witt
him. Both of us were fed on nothing
bat corn meal and water.
The next day | asked to be let out
when Williams told me again that wa,
a dog who deserved hanging, and struck
me over the head with his walking stick
Ny blood was reused, and hardly know
ing what was doing l sprung on hiu
and felled him to the ground. dar,
say | should have killed him had no
our Young master come to his assistance