St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-13
BILLY BOYD'S STORY.
His Thrilling Experiences as
a Slave and as a War;
Pior.
a Very Exciting Race With a
Great Pack Of Blood
hounds.
Whipped and Salt and Pepper
Put on His Wounded
Back.
He Is Suspended by the
Thumbs for Not Shooting
a Rebel.

i
ginia, and. according to his story, his
history, if written out, would make a
thrilling volume of many pages, brist-
ling with hair-breath escapes, blood
curdling adventures and ludicrous Incl
dents.
Billy is a typical colored man. and
takes considerable pride in recounting
his numerous and varied exploits. In a
brief article like this it would be impos-
sible to reproduce his life story as he
related it the other day to the Tele-
graph. He was fighter in his younger
days, and as an Introductory remark he
said that he had no skin on his back
that was there when he was born. 1t
was early removed by the bull whip, the
strap and the rawhide.
William Carpenter, an easy-going sort
of a man, was Boyd's first master. Billy
was sort of house servant to his mas
ter. and Jared well every day and had
plenty to wear He grew and thrived
in this way until he was twelve years
old, when his master died, in the mean
time having moved to Madison county.
At that time Billy was feeling pretty
we'll. He had been treated humanely,
and he thinks now he was perhaps a
little saucy.
About that time his master died. and
young Boyd was put upon the auction
block and sold to slave speculator for
$3.50. Then he was taken to MOntgOm-
cry, Ala, and sold to DR.. Charles Boyd,
a cotton planter, for $1,000. He was
then taken out on the plantation to
work, and this was when his rough ex-
periences began.
A few mornings after his arrival at
the plantation he was called up by the
overseer, who remarked: "Well. Billy,
I'll have to whip you this morning"
''What for?" asked Boyd, surprised
and frightened.
''JuSt to let you know who is master.
We always whip new hands the first
thing. answered the driver, bringing out
his whips.
Boyd objected, and manifested a dis
position to resent a punishment which
he thought was not merited. The result
was rough and tumble fight between
the driver and the slave, in which the
slave was victorious. He put the driver
to flight and ran him into the house with
field noe.
This caused an uproar, which brought
the other darkies pouring out of their
ment Boyd took to his heels and fed
toward the woods. He was closely pur-
sued by fieet-footed son of his master,
but he out-winded the white boy and
got safely into the woods. Boyd's blood
was up then, and he dared his purSuer
to follow him further. The white boy
turned OH his heel and started back,
with the remark that lin less than two
hours the bloodhounds will have you
safe enough"
This frightened Boyd. and he dashed
into the woods and made circuit of
two miles and came back within hear
ing of the plantation to see what would
take place next. After waiting while
he heard the horn blow for the dogs.
They were brought out where he went
trail. They set off in full cry. followed
by half dozen men on horseback.
Then Boyd made another circuit as
long as the first, and got in ahead of the
dogs on the first round. Then he SCI
put i'm an opposite direction on straight
run of sixteen miles. He knew maj
ut that point who he thought would give
him shelter. He had made half the dis
lance, when he came to a plantation
and stopped near a shed filled
with mules. While sitting there
he heard his purSuerS close be
hind him, and lodged in among thu
mules and secreted himself. The dog
came up with rush, which caused ;
stampede among the mules. The mules
fought the dogs, and finally drove then
out of the inclosuae, while Boyd did hi!
best to keep quiet. just then the mer
came up and called the dogs away
Boyc heard them say that he was hid
den in the c0lored quarters connected
with the plantation, and they woult
soon have him.
1t was getting dark then, and whel
the men and dogs started toward tn
''nigger quarters" Boyd crawled into
crevice beside wall and waited to Sc
what would be the next move. In a.
hour they came back to the mule sheds
and one of them stood leaning agains
the wall not foot from Boyd's head
He heard one of them say that they ha
killed two horses in the pursuit, an
threatened him with severe punishment
when captured.
1t was finally concluded to stay at tn
plantation until break of day, when
was expected that they'd catch Boyd il
all hour by putting the dogs Oh his fires
trail. Boyd held his position all night
however, and just at sun up he hear
the horn call the dogs out. They nose
around awhile and then set off towar
another plantation five miles away a
full speed. The men mounted and 70
lowed, and were gone nearly all the fore
noon. When they returned they wer
asked by the owner of the plantatio
whether or not they 'had caught him.
The answer was that they had no
They had chased another "nigger
home who had been out counting tn
inhf l,nf nd vrrhn haI LOFT l.,
sweetheart rather late. He was folowe
five miles, and the dogs were about 1
close i'm on him when he reached hi
masters plantation.
After a long consultation it was cor
cluded to let Boyd go for the tim
being. They said they would pick hiI
up in day or two. When they ha
gone Boyd crawled out, and befor
night that day had reached the point
first started for. He was caught insid
of three weeks, however. and take
back under promise that he should NJ
be punished if he would behave hin
self.
From that time to the beginning G
the war things went pretty smooth
with Boyd. AT that time, however, hi
master sickened and died from worryin
over the prospective loss of his slave
DOyu tilCil 1Oll W OuO VI tuO oouot WI
was an exceedingly hard master.
was not long until he was In troub
again. One morning it was d.
cided to administer severe puI
ishment to Boyd, and three owe
seers undertook to do the worl
Boyd backed into fence corner with
hoe in his hands, and threatened |
Stay the first man that came near hin
A large dog was put at him, but Boy
succeeded in dispatching it with I'll
hoe. Then the men parleyed with hi
for while, but he would not surrende
Finally one of them struck him over tt
head with a piece of fence rail al
knocked him down. When he came
himself his clothes had been remove
and he was fastened to the groun
by means of forked sticks driven in
the ground over his wrists and ankle
He was then whipped with a strap fro
the neck to his ankces, which cause
large blisters to raise in welts. The!
blisters were then cut open with ray
hide, and salt and pepper was then a
piled to the wounds. This caused e