A Slave Girls Story

A Slave Girl's Story

The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Slave Girl's Story, by Kate
Drumgoold This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost
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Title: A Slave Girl's Story Being an Autobiography of Kate
Drumgoold.
Author: Kate Drumgoold
Release Date: February 27, 2006 [EBook #17871]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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GIRL'S STORY ***

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A Slave Girl's Story
Being an Autobiography of KATE DRUMGOOLD.
BROOKLYN--NEW YORK.

1898
CHAPTER I
Once a slave girl, I have endeavored to fill the pages with some of the
most interesting thoughts that my mind is so full of, and not with
something that is dry.
This sketch is written for the good of those that have written and
prayed that the slaves might be a freed people, and have schools and
books and learn to read and write for themselves; and the Lord, in His
love for us and to us as a race, has ever found favor in His sight, for
when we were in the land of bondage He heard the prayers of the
faithful ones, and came to deliver them out of the Land of Egypt.
For God loves those that are oppressed, and will save them when they
cry unto him, and when they put their trust in Him.
Some of the dear ones have gone to the better land, but this is one of
the answers to their prayers.
We, as the Negro Race, are a free people, and God be praised for it. We
as the Negro Race, need to feel proud of the race, and I for one do with
all my heart and soul and mind, knowing as I do, for I have labored for
the good of the race, that their children might be the bright and shining
lights. And we can see the progress that we are making in an
educational way in a short time, and I think that we should feel very
grateful to God and those who are trying to help us forward. God bless
such with their health, and heart full of that same love, that this world
can not give nor taketh away.
There are many doors that are shut to keep us back as a race, but some
are opened to us, and God be praised for those that are opened to the
race, and I hope that they will be true to their trust and be of the
greatest help to those that have given them a chance.
There are many that have lost their lives in the far South in trying to get
an education, but there are many that have done well, and we feel like

giving God all the praise.
I was born in Old Virginia, in or near the Valley, the other side of
Petersburg, of slave parents, and I can just call to mind the time when
the war began, for I was not troubled then about wars, as I was feeling
as free as any one could feel, for I was sought by all of the rich whites
of the neighborhood, as they all loved me, as noble whites will love a
child, like I was in those days, and they would send for me if I should
be at my play and have me to talk for them, and all of their friends
learned to love me and send me presents, and I would stand and talk
and preach for some time for them.
My dear mother was sold at the beginning of the war, from all of her
little ones, after the death of the lady that she belonged to, and who was
so kind to my dear mother and all of the rest of the negroes of the place;
and she never liked the idea of holding us as slaves, and she always
said that we were all that she had on the earth to love; and she did love
me to the last.
The money that my mother was sold for was to keep the rich man from
going to the field of battle, as he sent a poor white man in his stead, and
should the war end in his favor, the poor white man should have given
to him one negro, and that would fully pay for all of his service in the
army. But my God moves in a way unknown to men, and they can
never understand His ways, for He can plant