Charles Thompson - Biography of a Slave

It was converted from clean and standard xhtml/xml files.
It uses metatags to identify content, and other data.
The available resources specific to each ebook format were used togive the reader a pleasant reading experience.
More details available at the ebookslib.com website.
Any suggestions that help us improve these editions arewelcome.

2011 ebookslib.com

eBook Version
eBooksLib.com
eBooksLib, eBooksLib.com are Registered trademarks owned byeBooksDistrib S.A.R.L (LLC)
___________________
November-2011

ISBN : 978-1-4121-7616-3

B IOGRAPHY OF A SLAVE
Being The Experiences Of Rev. Charles Thompson,
A Preacher Of The United Brethren Church,
WHILE A SLAVE IN THE SOUTH.
Together With Startling Occurrences Incidental To Slave Life.
1875.

I n publishingthis book I hope to do good not only to my own race, but to all whomay read it. I am not a book-maker, and make no pretensions toliterary attainments; and I have made no efforts to create formyself a place in the literary, book-making ranks. I claim for mybook truthfulness and honesty of purpose, and upon that basis itmust succeed or fail. The Biography of a Slave is called for by avery large number of my immediate acquaintances, and, I am assured,will meet with such reception as to justify the expense I haveincurred in having it printed and bound. To the members of theUnited Brethren Church, white as well as colored, I look for helpin the sale and circulation of my work, yet I am satisfied I willreceive commendable patronage from members of all Christianchurches everywhere.

The book is written in the narrative style, as beingmuch better suited to the tastes and capacities of my coloredreaders, and I have used simple and plain English language,discarding the idiomatic and provincial language of the southernslaves and ignorant whites, expecting thereby to help educate theblacks in the use of proper language.

I am indebted to William H. Rhodes, Esq., attorneyat law, of Newman, Douglas County, Illinois, for his valuableassistance in the preparation of my manuscript for the printer. Hehas re-written the whole of it for me, and has otherwise assistedme in the matter of placing the book before the public.

CHARLES THOMPSON.

Newman, Illinois, Aug., 1874.

C HAP. I.

Charles Thompson, born in Atala County, Mississippi- Division of Kirkwood's slaves among his six Children - The writerand his two sisters fall to Mrs. Wilson - The parting betweenmother and child - Deprived of a fond mother forever - Old UncleJack - Wilson buys Uncle Ben from Strucker - Uncle Ben runs awayand is hunted with blood-hounds - Two hundred dollars reward.

CHAP. II.

Not sent to hell by Wilson - Mrs. Wilson protectsme, to whom I belong - Sent to school with the children - Theschool-children teach me to read and write - What came of it -Mount that mule or I'll shoot you - I mounted the mule - A startfor the railroad to work - I dismount and take to the woods - I oweallegiance to God and my country only.

CHAP. III.

Caught, tried, and taken back home to James Wilson -My mistress saves me from being whipped - I go to the railroad andwork one month precisely - Go back home - Wilson surprised - Leftthe railroad at 3 o'clock A.M. - Did not want to disturbLeadbitter's rest - Sent to Memphis with a load of cotton - Afraidof the slave-pens and slave-auction - Start for home - Not sold -Pray, sing, and shout - Get home and ordered to hire myselfout.

CHAP. IV.

Start out on my travels to hunt a new master - FindMr. Dansley - Hire to him - Thirty dollars per month for my masterand five dollars for myself - Wilson astonished - Appointedsuperintendent of Dansley's farm - Rules and regulations - Peaceand tranquillity - My moral labors successful - Prayer and socialmeetings - Meetings in the woods - Quarrel and fight like verybrothers - Time comes to be moved to another field of labor.

CHAP. V.

James Wilson comes along - Wants me to go with himto Saulsbury, Tennessee, to help build a house for a grocery-store- Takes me along with him - Wilson taken sick - I take care of him- He gels well - I make another attempt to escape from slavery -What came of it.

CHAP. VI.

Was hired to Mr. Thompson, and adopted his name -Opened regular meetings, and preached on the plantation and otherplaces - Took unto myself a wife - Was purchased by Thompson, dulyinstalled on the plantation, and invested with authority - Variousmeans and plans resorted to by the overseer to degrade me in theeyes of Mr. Thompson - Driven, through persecution, to run away -Return back to my master.

C harles Thompson,born in Atala County, Mississippi - Division of Kirkwood's SlavesAmong his Six Children - The Writer and his Two Sisters Fall toMrs. Wilson - The Parting Between Mother and Child - Deprived of aFond Mother Forever - Old Uncle Jack - Wilson Buys Uncle Ben fromStrucker - Uncle Ben Runs Away and is Hunted with Blood-Hounds -Two Hundred Dollars Reward.

I was a slave, and was born in Atala County,Mississippi, near the town of Rockford, on the third day of March,1833. My father and mother both being slaves, of course my pedigreeis not traceable, by me, farther back than my parents. Our familybelonged to a man named Kirkwood, who was a large slave-owner.Kirkwood died when I was about nine years old, after which, uponthe settlement of the affairs of his estate, the slaves belongingto the estate were divided equally, as to value, among the sixheirs. There were about seventy-five slaves to be divided into sixlots; and great was the tribulation among the poor blacks when theylearned that they were to be separated.

When the division was completed two of my sistersand myself were cast into one lot, my mother into another, and myfather into another, and the rest of the family in the other lots.Young and slave as I was, I felt the pang of separation from myloved and revered mother; child that I was I mourned for mother,even before our final separation, as one dead to me forever. Soearly to be deprived of a fond mother, by the "law," gave me myfirst view of the curse of slavery. Until this time I did not knowwhat trouble was, but from then until the tocsin of freedom wassounded through the glorious Emancipation Proclamation by theimmortal Abraham Lincoln, I passed through hardship after hardship,in quick succession, and many, many times I have almost seen andtasted death.

I bade farewell to my mother, forever, on thisearth. Oh! the pangs of that moment. Even after thirty years haveelapsed the scene comes vividly to my memory as I write. A gloomy,dark cloud seemed to pass before my vision, and the very air seemedto still with awfulness. I felt bereaved, forlorn, forsaken, lost.Put yourself in my place; feel what I have felt, and then say, Godis just; he will protect the helpless and right the wronged, andyou will have some idea of my feelings and the hope that sustainedme through long and weary years of servitude. My mother, my poormother! what must she have suffered. Never will I forget her lastwords; never will I forget the earnest prayers of that motherbegging for her child, and refusing to be comforted. She had fallento the lot of Mrs. Anderson, and she pleaded with burning tearsstreaming down her cheeks, "He is my only son, my baby child, myyoungest and the only son I have; please let me have him to go withme!"