The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-09-06
pen. H,n,. story Of HIS own Life.

Three years ago Senator Ben Hill sent
the following terse autobiography to his
friend, DIR. II. w. White, Of Atlanta:
was born in Jasper county, Georgia,
September 10, 1898. | was the seventh OF
nine children, and the fifth of six brothers.
My father was small farmer, owning a
few slaves only. All his sons, therefore,
did all the teamwork, and all his daugh-
tiers did all the househould work. My
mother cut and made all the clothes we
wore, and most of them were spun and
wove ON the plantation. worked on the
farm from the time was eight years old,
and black and white came and went alike
IN all work. My father was q man ofcom-
mon education, but was extensively read
and OF great influence in his neighborhood
When was ten years old I'm 1889 father
moved to the county OF Troup, a new
county, and his lands were all In the woods,
and helped clear them. | walked the
entire distance from the old to the new
home, over one hundred miles, helping to
drive the cattle. My father would always
have a dollhouse a church, and tenn
perance society near his house. He was
always trustee OF the school, class leader
and steward In the church and president
of the temperance society. Some of my
earliest and sweetest recollectlons are con-
nected with these Institutions, and my faith
er's zeal IN them. The black people al.
ways attended church with the whites,
were encouraged to become members at
very early ages. The rule was for the
children to work on the farm until the crop
was made, and then go to school until 1t
was ready to gather; after the crop was
gathered 60 to school again until planting
time for another crop.
This was my lite until l was I6 years
old. was then continued at school all
the time with view to collegiate ed.
ucation. My father was not able to send
all his children to college; only one be-
side myself desiring college course and
alone graduated. After was pronounced
prepared to enter college my father dc.
cided he was not able to send me. A tam
lily consultation was held My mother in
sisted on my going. She had always had
what was called her patch" which was
near the house and which was cultivated
by her house hands when not needed at
homework. This patch had always been
my mothers pin money, amounting from
$50 to 500. My mother said she would
contribute this to my college expenses,
and would make my clothes besides. An
old aunt Of my mothers, who lived in a
small house in my fathers yard, and had
some means (smalD and no children,
agreed to contribute as much more. My
father agreed to add the balance, and
agreed that my college expenses Of any
kind should not exceed $500 per annum
promised my mother / would take the
first honor in my class. | redeemed this
promise. The proudest day of my life was
when wrote to my parents that | had
taken the first honor in my class, and all
the honors OF the literary society of which
was member.
The cook, Mariah, camo by my mother |
and was near her age. She had raised |
nine children, just the number my mother |
raised. One of the cooks children from |
birth was assigned to one of my mothers |
children. From our childhood we played |
together, worked together, and would fight |
for each other against all the world Ties |
stronger than ours were never formed. 1t |
was an alliance offensive and defensive.
married IN 1915. My wife had seven |
slaves, large and small, left her by her |
father, who died when she was an infant. |
We thus began life with eight slaves. |
When my father and mother died the |
slaves selected their owners among the |
and | had to take two more, who |
would go with no other children, and paid !
for them.
My mother had one brother, an orphan,
left with her. He married some years at |
ter we did, and determined not to keep his |
slaves. They were not willing to go out
of the family, and / bought them. | now
man living in town, and did not need
them. was not willing to hire them out.
The result was, bought some land near
the town and moved on it with the slaves,
and told them to support themselves un-
der my protection. The slaves increased |
and married wives and husbands and |
raised children, and to keep them together
| bought them all. | also bought several |
others who had to be sold, and who selec-
ted me as their owner. In few years my
small place was insufficient for them, and |
rather than part with them | bought a |
larger plantation IN the country and |
placed them on it, and removed with my
family back to town.
was thus stakeholder from 1915 TO |
1866, just twenty years. My slaves in
creased from eight to sixty.seven, and dur |
ing that time there were but two deaths
among them. | realized no profit from
them, and all OF them will testify that |
cared better for them than they have been
able to care tor themselves "slnce freedom
came" -Atlanta diSpatch to tie Ph5la9cl- |