The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-09-06
Ben HILL,g AuToBIoaRApHY.
The Late Senator's Simple story of His
Own Life Struggle Against Poverty
"A SIaTe-OWner.

8
Three years ago Senator Ben Hill sent the
/ following terse autobiography to his friend
DR.. II. ". White. of Atlanta: Il was borf
in Jasper county, Ga, September, Is, 1928
/ was the seventh Of nine children and the
/ fifth of six brothers. Ny father was small
/ farmer, owning few slaves only. All his
sons, therefore, did all the farm work, and
all his daughters did all the household work
/ Ny mother cut and made the clothes we wore,
and most of them were spun aud 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.
| Ny father was a man of common education,
but was extensively read and of great in
fiuence in his neighborhooe!. When / was
ter years old Tin 1881 my f4ther moved to
the county of Troup, new county. and his
lands were all in the woods, and | helped
clear them. [ walked tile entire distance
from the old to the new home, over 100
miles, helping TO drive the cattle. My
father would always have a school-house, a
church and a temperance society near his
house. He was always trustee of the school,
class-leader and steward ia the church. and
President of the temperance society. Some
of my earliest and sweetest rec0llections are
connected with these institutions and my
fathers zeal in them. The black people al
ways attended church with the whites, and
all of US, black and white, 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 it was gathered; after the
crop Was gathered, 60 to sehol again until |
planting time for another crop.
''This was my life until | was sixteen |
wars old I than oanttpuaI snho,I /
all the time with view TO a collegiate edu-
cation. Ny father was not able to send all /
his children to college; only one beside NY
self desired a college course, and | alone
graduated. After I was pronounced pre-
pared to enter college my father decided he
was not able to send me. 4 family consul
tation was held. My mother insisted on
my going. She had always had what was
called her patch which was near the house,
and was cultivated by her house.hands when
cot needed at houseWork This patch had
always been my mothers pin-money,
amounting to from $50 to SI00 NY moth |
n said she would contribute this to nv
college expenes, and would make my clothes
It home besides. An old aunt Of mothers,
Who lived in small house in my fathers
'ard, and had some means (smalD and no ,
children, agreed to contribute as much .
more. Ny father agreed to add the balance, !
nd promised that all my college expenses
f any kind should not exceed $500 per q
mum. I promised my mother | would t
axe the first honor in my class. | redeemed i
his promise. The proudest day of my life
'as when wrote to my parents that had +
AIKEN the first honor in my class and all =
he honors of the literary society of which :
was q member.
"The cook, Mariah, came by my mother, r
nd was near her age. She also raised nine z
hildren, just the number my mother raised d
me of the cooks children from birth was 4
ssigned to one of my mothers children q
rom our childhood we played together, 2
orked together, and would fight for each :,
-her against all the world Stronger ties !!
ian these were never formed. 1t was an L
liance offensive and defensive. a.
| married in 1915. Ny wife had seven c.
aves, large and small, left her by her father, T
no died when she was an infant. We /.
lus began life with eight slaves When
y father and mother died the slaves Sc
cted their owners among the children, and
had to take two more, who would go with no -
her child, ,and paid for them. My wife had '"
le other brother left an orphan with her IL
e married several years after we did, and to
3termined not to keep his slaves They Il
ere not willing to go out of the family, 50
I'd I bought them. now had fourteen f0
aves. was professional man living in co
wn, and did not need them. I was not y
illing to hire them out. The result was, !,
bought some land near the town, and Ut
owed on it with the slaves, and told them m
support themselves under my protection. In
he slaves increased and married wives and w
islands and raised children, and to keep it;
EN- together | bought them all. [ also or
ught several others who had to be sold, -.
d who selected me as their owner. In 8
" years my small place was insufficient
, them bought larger plantation in the ge
untry and placed them on it, and re- pe
oved with my family back TO town. N,
IS thus STAKEHOLDER from 1915 to 1866, -
it twenty years. My slaves increased -
IN eight to sixty-seven, and during all oe
at time there were but two deaths among sp
en- | realized no profit from them, aud ele
of them will testify that | cared better LC
them than they have been able to care of
themselves "since freedom came" at II
TIA Dispatch to the Philadelphia Press. H.