New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-06

sudden like streak Of lightnin' he jumpe
out, and the do was shut ON ms. Do Of
9ps of US saw den how twas, an Of all d
j1mpin' an boltln' an boiler in an rOariI
dar ever was in dis world, y GU bet dar va
muffin like what was on dat al boat. Som
of dem big, double tinted African mel
struck de ship like they d break it in two
T wa MT no use, We could n't git ont, an
fore many minutes was over We felt d.
ship movin' over de water. We heer'
since, she hung about de sho'. skirtin' 'roun
Africay a good while, fraid Of anodde
ship huntin' of her, and that it wa
about two months fore we got compass
right, and Off for de United States. Ell d.
ship had been caught. dey'd have fastened
cuffs an pitched US overheard. Twas
bad time, anyhow; we was packed SO clos
we couldn't hardly breathe, and de food
beef an sich, was forked in to us fro d.
rails. Oar was fghtin' den, you bet. Eff j
hadn't ha' been fur my big, ouble TINTED
brudder Alfred, we'd ha' died, fader an
mudder and me. He fit de others and saved
enutf to keep us alive. Deg was a gooe
many deaths, more'n half; good many
sailed inter New Orleans. Hundora wal
her name. l heern afterwards che wat
burnt on de high seas, strOyed for de busi
ness she was in, carr in niggers.
| DE tust ting arter we came to land derf
came down lot Of strappin' big niger
drivers, all dressed out in white coats and
pants and bats, and carr'in' mighty big
whips. And dey came and looked at us fro
de rails; we had mt never been let out; cause
de sailors was 'fraid of us. by dis time we
was too weak to fight much, but we was that
! vicious that it wouldn't have been safe for
| any OF EN- to come amongst us widOut benz
| mighty keerful. AFTER time dey got MS
out on deck. We was all naked and bare
foot, in course, all on US. De nigger-drivers
| brought out, tust ting. plenty Of hominy
| and coarse Indian meal and milk. Dey put
it in a big trought on deck, an we helped
ourselves. When we was all full, den come
de tug of war, cause dey brought along
shirts and shoes and pants and hats, and
begun to put 'em on US. Well, of all de
rippin' an tearin', when dem ar clo'es got
| on, you bet, mist, you never seen muffin to
beat it. Dem ar clOes went lickety split;
hats and shirts, dey was all ripped and
feared Pears like de feelin' oh de clO'es
jus drove us crazy. We was all sold in one
lot-me. an my brudder Alfred, an my
fader and mudder. Dey all died in slavery
too, 'ceptin me. Dey had to treat ALT like
a beast, he was that desprit and strong, and
some of de others peared like their hearts
was busted in 'em. When We got to de plan
tation, orders was give to de niger driver
to teach us how to hoe, 'ceptin' me. was
too little. an was let run along OF de odder
pickaninnies. Dey put clean shirt on me
tust ting. and l tore mine inter strings.
Feared like l couldn't bar clo'es nohow.
Den dey put on anOdder shirt, and dat l
dursnt take Off Dat shirt tormented me
SO was off my feed nigh two days, and
den went fort like tiger.
De fust work ever done was scrapin cot
ton. broke down over dat, an den / was
set to tote water. l used to car it on my
head. had to go down to de ribber to git
1t, an mos alters used to git 10 an have q
good royal battle. used ter stay in good
while, till I'd see de Niger driver buntin'
of me with a whip. He did tan me mis'able
one time, an arter dat l wasn't good
water toter no more. l was mighty lazy an
mischieyous in dem days, and de Judge
Judge Annesley was our bOss-he tole
Essex to timber me well, SOS ter teach
me ter behave. | fit Essex when he
done it, and de Judge larted ter see me
pitch into him. Finally l ran away, and
stayed in the hay until got starved out,
and arter dat had a real nice time, cause
de Judge he wouldn't let me be tanned 80
hard ag'in. Judge Annesley was real
kind man, good to all his hands. Dere
home, but the gardeen,* he was a croes
man. When I'd been growed up few
years, de judge was tuck sick: he was sick
a good long time and finally he tuck to his
bed. l was 'roun' about him a good deal,
and de day fore he died he had nue. IN ter
lift him, and he shuck hands with me-
Good by, joe" says he: "yor'ye been a
good, faithful boy, Joe" he says, He died
next day, and arter the death Of him nv
days began to get kind of ashy.
AFTER he'd been buried bout week,
madam had us all, field hands and all, up to
lie house; the new oberseer she'd engaged,
be was dar too, stan'in' lOngside of her |
chair and lookn' mighty fierce. Soon as we
was all dar, madam spoke up. "Now, boys |
and girls, says she. "do you know what you |
are!' she says. You're JUS de LATEST,
good for -nuffinest set of hands in Louisiana.
Now. Pm goin' ter make workin' niggers of |
Is II manage things, and I'm agoin' to make |
money by my cotton: and if ye don't work |
your stent you'll get the stick" With that |
he made us all stan up in row fore de |
,berseer, and den she give her orders fust, |
md arter dat she sung out in angry voice,
Will you all obey''
Den de oberseer spoke up, and saws he.
Now, Mrs. Annesley," says he, ppm de |
nan to fulfill your orders. III keep 'em all |
Up ter time. but don't want no questionin' |
Tor interterin' bout de way l deal wild 'em.
bopo you IL dSIco W ul5, maUdm, says ne.
Well, she didn't like it, but she said she'd |
gree to it; and little while after dat she
vent off summerin' and left all her keys in
le keepin' OBJ favOrite nigger.driver named
caleb. She told Caleb not to let on to any,
'Ody, specially de Oberseer, that he had
en-, and Caleb was mighty faithful hand,
nd he didn't; but de Oberseer suspicioned
{, and Caleb he alters told him no: course
10 did, cause de mist tole him not to let
Howsomdever, spite oh de oberseer's sus-
icionings, eberyt'ing went along tol'able
mOoth till de mist come home. was dar. |
p 'rOun' dc house. when she arrove. AN |
lass Matthews, de oberseer. he was dar
90. De mist asked him eff eberyt'ing was
DIN on we'll, and de hands all well and be-
avin' themselves, and he says yes, cherry.
ing gOin' along fust-rate. Well dis yer
leased de mist, and she gin Mr.. Matthews
ute fiatteration on his engagement; but
lght on top OF it she sung out loud, Joe,
AXE de pony, an 60 down to de south plan
alton and ask Caleb to send me my KEYS"
lass Matthews gave mist de BLACKLIST look
ever did see, but he didn't say muffin, oDly
talked away quick. He didn't say muffin
, Caleb neither, but from dat day
utn dat poor niger done was
ghJ. He'd give him orders mortal
ian couldn't fill, an den he'd be down |
Ii hlH causo he ulu IL 90 DC scent OBJ four |
len: Ye see, mis-, dat ar key was in his
lind all de time, an dis yer fault-findin'
bout pickin' cotton and SIGH was ter drown
9 toughts OBJ it out OBJ our minds But We
rendered of it all de time. AFTER mist |
ad been home most 4sweek, de oberseer
anne down ter de colt & field whar Caleb
nd me war workin'. se damned, law,
God for nothin' niger, ,tsays he to Caleb
; soon as he came Closeup to us, I'VE have
t done yer stent, seed I'll teach We ter
lsobey my orders. I'll give We some lie ter
mber yer j'ints, ye lazyidog." Wild dat he
allied up four OBJ de biggest and savagest