My Life in the South | Page 3

the
summer. As I stood trembling before my merciless superior, who had a
switch in his hand, thousands of thoughts went through my little mind
as to how to get rid of the whipping. I finally fell upon a plan which I
hoped would save me from a punishment that was near at hand. There
were some carpenters in the woods, some distance from us, hewing
timber; they were far away, but it was a clear morning, so we could

hear their voices and the sound of the axes. Having resolved in my
mind what I would do. I commenced reluctantly to take off my shirt, at
the same time pleading with Gilbert, who paid no attention to my
prayer, but said, "Jake, I is gwine to wip you to-day as I did dem toder
boys." Having satisfied myself that no mercy was to be found with
Gilbert, I drew my shirt off and threw it over his head, and bounded
forward on a run in the direction of the sound of the carpenters. By the
time he got from the entanglement of my garment, I had quite a little
start of him. Between my starting point and the place where the
carpenters were at work I jumped over some bushes five or six feet
high. Gilbert soon gained upon me, and sometimes touched me with his
hands, but as I had on nothing for him to hold to, he could not take hold
of me. As I began to come in sight of the carpenters, Gilbert begged me
not to go to them, for he knew that it would be bad for him, but as that
was not a time for me to listen to his entreaties, I moved on faster. As I
got near to the carpenters, one of them ran and met me, into whose
arms I jumped. The man into whose arms I ran was Uncle Benjamin,
my mother's uncle. As he clasped me in his arms, he said, "Bres de Lo,
my son, wat is de matter?" But I was so exhausted that it was quite a
while before I could tell him my trouble; when recovered from my
breathless condition, I told him that Gilbert had been in the habit of
stripping the boys and whipping them two or three times a week, when
we went into the woods, and threatened them with greater punishment
if they told. I said he had never whipped me before, but I was cautioned
to keep the secret, which I had done up to this time; but he said he was
going to whip me this morning, so I threw my shirt over his head and
ran here for protection. Gilbert did not follow me after I got in sight of
the carpenters, but sneaked away. Of course my body was all bruised
and scratched by the bushes. Acting as a guide for Uncle Benjamin, I
took him to where I had left my garment.
At this time the children were scattered around in the woods, waiting
for what the trouble would bring; They all were gathered up and taken
to the sand-hill house, examined, and it was found, as I have stated, that
their backs were all scarred. Gilbert was brought to trial, severely
whipped, and they made him beg all the children to pardon him for his
treatment to them. But he never was allowed to go into the woods with
the rest of the children during that season. My sand-hill associates

always thanked me for the course I took, which saved them and myself
from further punishment by him.
MASTER AND MISTRESS VISITING.
When master and mistress were to visit their little negroes at the
sand-hill, the news was either brought by the overseer who resided at
the above named place, and went back and forth to the plantation, or by
one of master's house servants, a day ahead. The preparation required
to receive our white guests was that each little negro was to be washed,
and clad in the best dress he or she had. But before this was done, the
unsuccessful attempt was made to straighten out our unruly wools with
some small cards, or Jim-Crows as we called them.
On one occasion an old lady, by the name of Janney Cuteron, attempted
to straighten out my wool with one of those Jim-crows; as she hitched
the teeth of the instrument in my unyielding wool with her great
masculine hand, of course I was jerked flat on my back. This was the
common fate of most of my associates, whose wools were of the same
nature, but with a little water and the strong application of the Jim-crow,
the old lady soon combed out my wool into some sort of shape.
As our preparations were