The Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave | Page 9

had to be at their
work, and master did all the praying. My master and mistress were
great lovers of mint julep, and every morning, a pitcher-full was made,
of which they all partook freely, not excepting little master William.

After drinking freely all round, they would have family worship, and
then breakfast. I cannot say but I loved the julep as well as any of them,
and during prayer was always careful to seat myself close to the table
where it stood, so as to help myself when they were all busily engaged
in their devotions. By the time prayer was over, I was about as happy as
any of them. A sad accident happened one morning. In helping myself,
and at the same time keeping an eye on my old mistress, I accidentally
let the pitcher fall upon the floor, breaking it in pieces, and spilling the
contents. This was a bad affair for me; for as soon as prayer was over, I
was taken and severely chastised.
My master's family consisted of himself, his wife, and their nephew,
William Moore. He was taken into the family, when only a few weeks
of age. His name being that of my own, mine was changed, for the
purpose of giving precedence to his, though I was his senior by ten or
twelve years. The plantation being four miles from the city, I had to
drive the family to church. I always dreaded the approach of the
Sabbath; for, during service, I was obliged to stand by the horses in the
hot broiling sun, or in the rain, just as it happened.
One Sabbath, as we were driving past the house of D.D. Page, a
gentleman who owned a large baking establishment, as I was sitting
upon the box of the carriage, which was very much elevated, I saw Mr.
Page pursuing a slave around the yard, with a long whip, cutting him at
every jump. The man soon escaped from the yard, and was followed by
Mr. Page. They came running past us, and the slave perceiving that he
would be overtaken, stopped suddenly, and Page stumbled over him,
and falling on the stone pavement, fractured one of his legs, which
crippled him for life. The same gentleman, but a short time previous,
tied up a woman of his, by the name of Delphia, and whipped her
nearly to death; yet he was a deacon in the Baptist church, in good and
regular standing. Poor Delphia! I was well acquainted with her, and
called to see her while upon her sick bed; and I shall never forget her
appearance. She was a member of the same church with her master.
Soon after this, I was hired out to Mr. Walker; the same man whom I
have mentioned as having carried a gang of slaves down the river, on

the steamboat Enterprize. Seeing me in the capacity of steward on the
boat, and thinking that I would make a good hand to take care of slaves,
he determined to have me for that purpose; and finding that my master
would not sell me, he hired me for the term of one year.
When I learned the fact of my having been hired to a negro speculator,
or a "soul-driver" as they are generally called among slaves, no one can
tell my emotions. Mr. Walker had offered a high price for me, as I
afterwards learned, but I suppose my master was restrained from selling
me by the fact that I was a near relative of his. On entering the service
of Mr. Walker, I found that my opportunity of getting to a land of
liberty was gone, at least for the time being. He had a gang of slaves in
readiness to start for New Orleans, and in a few days we were on our
journey. I am at a loss for language to express my feelings on that
occasion. Although my master had told me that he had not sold me, and
Mr. Walker had told me that he had not purchased me, I did not believe
them; and not until I had been to New Orleans, and was on my return,
did I believe that I was not sold.
There was on the boat a large room on the lower deck, in which the
slaves were kept, men and women, promiscuously--all chained two and
two, and a strict watch kept that they did not get loose; for cases have
occurred in which slaves have got off their chains, and made their
escape at landing-places, while the boats were taking in wood;--and
with all our care, we lost one woman who had been taken from her
husband and children, and having no desire to live without them, in the
agony of