Autobiography, including also reminiscences of slave life, recollections of the war, education of freedmen, causes of the exodus, etc

Front matter

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY

TAMES L.SMITH,

Chapter I. Birth And Childhood

Birthplace — Parentage — Accident from disobedience — Sickness — Crippled for life — Death of master, and change of situation — Cecilia — Jealousy, and attempt to take the life of my father by poisoning — Discovery and punishment — Removal to Northern Neck — Mode of living in old Virginia — Experiences of slave life — A cruel mistress — Work on plantation — Feigning sickness — Death of father and mother — Bound out to a trade — A brutal master, - - i

Chapter II. Youth And Early Manhood

Cook on board a ship — A heartless master — An unsavory breakfast, and punishment — A difficult voyage — Tired <>( life, and attempt at suicide — Escape — Life on plantation — A successful ruse — Removal to Heathsville, - - - *l6

Chapter III. Life In Heathsyille

Hired out — Religious experience, conversion — Work as an exhorter — A slave prayer meeting — Over worked — A ludicrous accident — Love of dress — Love of freedom — Death of my master — Religious exercises forbidden — A stealthy meeting — The surprise — Fairfield Church — Quarterly meeting — Nancy Merrill — A religious meeting and a deliverance — Sleeping at my post, ------ 2 xii. CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. Escape From Slavery

Change of master— Plans of escape— Fortune telling— Zip — A lucky man — Farewell— Beginning of the escape — A prosperous sail— Arrival at Frenchtown— Continuing foot— Exhausted — Deserted by companions— Hesitating — Terrible fright — A bold resolve and a hearty breakfast — Re-union at New Castle — Passage to Philadelphia — A final farewell — Trouble and anxiety — A friend— Passage to New York, Hartford and Springfield — A warm welcome— Dr. ( ivrood, ---------

Chapter V. Life In Freedom

Employment in a shoe shop — Education at YVilbrahatn — Licensed to preach — John M. Brown — Mrs. Cecelia Piatt — Elizabeth Osgood — Sabbath and Mis-ion Schoi I — Return to Springfield — Engagement with Dr. Hudson — Experience at Saybrook — Persecutions of Abolitionists — 1 ing — Courtship and marriage, -----

Chapter VI. Life In Norwich, Conn

Came to Norwich — Started business — Purchase a house — Persecutions and difficulties— Ministerial labors— Church troubles— Formation of a new Methodist Church — I ing from ministerial work — Amos B. Herring — Mary i phreys— Sketches of life and customs in Africa, ' -

Chapter VII. The War Of The Rebellion

Desire to return to Virginia— Opening of the War— Disdain of the aid of colored men— Defeat — Progress of the War —Employing colored men— Emancipation Proclamation- Celebration— Patriotism of Colored Soldiers— Bravery ai Port Hudson— Close of the War— Death of Lincoln— A tribute to Senator Sumner— Passage of the Civil Rights Bill— Our Standard Bearers, •

CONTENTS. Xlll.

Chapter VIII. After The War

Page.

— \ visit to Heathsville — Father Christmas, children'-; festival — Preaching at Washington — My to my old home — Joy and rejoicing — Meeting my

1 mistre My old cabin home — The old spring — Change

—The old doctor— Improvement in the con- I 'he colored people — Buying homes — Industry, - go

Chapter XII. The Exodus

in Washington— Hospitality of Washingand privation— Education of the nigration— Cruelty at the South— rth— Hopes for the future. . - 140

ILLUSTRATIONS.

James L. Smith, - Frontx

"I Made a Desperate Effort," 44

My Old Cabin Home,

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

OF

JAMES L. SMITH

Chapter I. Birth And Childhood

Birthplace — Parentage — Accident from disobedience — Sicknes — Crippled for life — Death of master, and change of situation — Cecilia — Jealousy, and attempt to take the life of my father by poisoning — Discovery and punishment — Removal to Northern Neck — Mode of living in old Virginia — Experieni life — A cruel mistress — Work on plantation — Feigning sickness — Death of father and mother — Bound out to a trade — A brutal master.

5*3 Y birthplace was in Northern Neck, Northumberland County, Virginia. My mother V name was Rachel, and my father's was Charles.

Our cabin home was just across the creek. 'This creek formed the head of the Wycomco River. Tho Langsdon, my master, lived on one side of the creek, and my mother's family— which was very large — on the opposite side. Every year a new comer was added to our humble cabin home, till she gave birth, I eleventh child. My mother had just so much i to spin every day as her stint. I lived here till 1 was quite a lad.

I AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH.

There was a man who lived near us whose name was Haney, a coach maker by trade. He always had his timber brought up to the creek. One day he ordered one of his slave women to go down and bring up some of the timber. She took with her a small lad, about my size, to assist her. She came along by our cabin, as it was near the place where the timber was, and asked me to go along with her to help her. I asked mother if I could go. She decidedly said "No!" As my mother was sick, and confined to her bed at that time, I took this opportunity to steal away, unknown to her. We endeavored, at first, to carry a large piece of timber — the woman holding one end, I the other, and the boy in the middle. Before we had gone far her foot struck something that caused her to fall, so that it jarred my end, causing it to drop on my knee. The boy being in the middle, the full weight of the timber fell on his foot, crushing and mangling it in a most shocking manner. After this accident, the woman and boy started for home, carrying some smaller pieces of tim- . ber with them.

After a few days of painful sickness, mortification took place in the little boy's foot, and death claimed him for his own. My grandmother hearing my voice of distress came after me and brought me home. At the time she did not think I was hurt very seriously. My mother called me to her bedside and punished me for disobeying her. After a day or two my knee began to contract, to shrink. This caused my mother to feel that there was something very serious about it, and as soon as she was able to get around, she went to the " great house," the home of Thos. Langsdon, and told him that I was badly hurt, and that something musl be done for me. He asked hei what was the matter. She told him what had happened to me, and how seriously I was hurt with the timber. After hearing this sad news, he said he had niggers enough \\ r me; I was not worth much any how, and he did care if I did die. He positively declared that he should not employ a physician for me. As there was no medical remedy applied to my knee, it grew w and worse until I could not touch my foot to the ground without the most intense pain. There v. doctor in the neighborhood at this time, and mother knowing it sent me to see him, unknowingly to my master. He examined my knee and said, as it had been out of joint so long it would be a difficult matter to break it over again and then set it. He told my mother to take me home and bathe it in cold spring water to prevent it from ulcerating, for if it should it would kill me.

When I was able to walk around with my lameness, Thomas Langsdon took me across the creek to his house to do chores. I was then quite a boy. After a while my leg commenced swelling, and after that ulcerating. It broke in seven places. I was flat on my back for seven or eight weeks before I could raise myself without help. I suffered everything but death itself, and would have died if it had not been for Miss Ayers, who was house-keeper in the "great house." She came into the kitchen every day to dress my knee, till I could get around. Not having any shoes, and being exposed to the weather, I took a heavy cold which caused my knee to ulcerate. When I was able to get around the father of my young master was taken sick, and was confined to his bed for months. I, with another boy about my size and age— six or seven years —sat by his bedside. We took our turns alternately, the boy so many hours and I so many, to keep the flies off from him. After a while the old man died, then I was relieved from fighting or contending with flies.

After this I went across the creek to help my mother, as I was not large enough to be of any service on the plantation. In the course of time my young master died, also his wife, leaving two sons, Thomas and John Langsdon. My young master chose for us (slaves) a guardian, who hired us all out. As my mother gave birth to so many children, it made her not very profitable as a servant, and instead of being let out to the highest bidder, was let out to the lowest one that would support her for the least money. Hence my father, though a slave, agreed to take her and the children, and support them for so much money.

My father's master had a brother by the name of Thad. Guttridge, who lived in Lancaster County, who died, leaving his plantation to his brother, (my father's master). My father was then sent to take charge of this new plantation, and moved my mother and the children with him into the " great house ; " my mother as mistress of the house.

This Thad. Guttridge had a woman by the name of Cecilia, or Cella, as she was called, whom he kept as house-keeper and mistress, by whom he had one child, a beautiful girl almost white. After this new arrangement was made for my father to take charge of the new plantation, this woman Cella, was turned out of

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD.

her position as house-keeper to a field hand, to work on the plantation in exchange with my mother.

This was not very agreeable to Cella, so she sought or contrived some plan to avenge herself. So om urday night Cella went off, and did not return till Sunday night. When she did return she brought with her some whiskey, in two bottles. She asked father if he would like to take a dram ; and, not thinking there would be any trouble resulting from it, he replied : "Yes." Giving him the bottle, he took a drink. Sh<_- then gave the other bottle to my mother, and she took a drink. Afterwards, Cella gave us children some out of the same bottle that my mother drank from. Father went to bed that night, complaining of not feeling very well. The next morning he was w and continued to grow worse until he was very low. His master was immediately sent for, who came in great haste. On his arrival he found father very low, not able to speak aloud. My master, seeing in what a critical condition he was, sent for a white doctor, who came, and gave father some medicine. He grew v every time he took the medicine. There was an old colored doctor, who lived some ten miles off. Some one told Bill Guttridge that he had better see him, and perhaps he could tell what was the matter with my father. Bill Guttridge went to see this colored doctor.

The doctor looked at his cards, and told him that his Charles was poisoned, and even told him who did it, and her motive for doing it. Her intention was to get father and mother out of their place, so that she could get back again. Little did she think that the course she took would prove a failure. The doctor

D AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH.

Guttridge a bottle of medicine, and told him to return in haste, and give father a dose of it. He did so. I saw him coming down the lane towards the house, at full speed. He jumped off his horse, took his saddle-bags and ran into the house. He called my mother to give him a cup, so he could pour out some of the medicine. He then raised my father up and gave him some of it out of the cup. After he had laid him down, and re placed the covering over him again, he took his hickory cane and went out into the kitchen — Cella sat here with her work — with an oath told her : " You have poisoned my Charles." He had no sooner uttered these words, than he flew at her with his cane. As he was very much enraged, he commenced beating her over the head and shoulders till he had worn the cane out. After he had stopped beating her in this brutal manner her head was swollen or puffed to such size that it was impossible to recognize who she was ; she did not look like the same woman. Not being satisfied with this punishment, he told her that he intended repeating it in the morning. In the morning, when he went to look for her, she was gone. He stayed with father till he was able to sit up. When he returned home — which was about ten miles — he left word with father that if Cella came home, to bind her and send her down to him.

This was in the fall of the year. Some months passed before we saw Cella again. The following spring, while the men were cleaning up the new land, Cella came to them ; they took and brought her to the house. Father was then able to walk about the house, but was unable to work much. He had her tied, and

P.IRTH AND CHILDHOOD put behind a man on horseback and carried down to his master, who took her and put her on board a sel to be sent to Norfolk. He sold her to somi there. This was the last time we ever saw, or heard from her.

We lived here quite a number of years on Lai ter plantation. Finally my father's master sold it, and also his brother's daughter, Cella's child. We then returned from Lancaster plantation to Northern N Va., and lived nearly in the same place, called Point; we lived here quite a number of years. Mr. Dick Mitchell, my master's guardian took me away from my mother to Lancaster County, on his plantation, where I lived about six months. I used to do chores about the house, and card rolls for the women. Being lame unfitted me for a field hand, so I had to do work about the house, to help the women.

Our dress was made of tow cloth ; for the children, nothing was furnished them but a shirt ; for the older ones, a pair of pantaloons or a gown, in addition, cording to the sex. Besides these, in the winter son an overcoat, or a round jacket ; a wool hat once in two or three years for the men, and a pair of coarse brogan shoes once a year. We dwelt in log cabins, and on the bare ground. Wooden floors were an unknown luxury to the slave. There were neither furniture nor bedsteads of any description ; our beds were collections of straw and old rags, thrown down in the corners ; some were boxed in with boards, while others were'old ticks filled with straw. All ideas of de< and refinement were, of course, out of the question.

Our mode of living in Virginia was not unlike all

O AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JAMES L. SMITH.

other slave states. At night, each slept rolled up in a coarse blanket ; one partition, which was an old quilt or blanket, or something else that answered the purpose, was extended across the hut ; wood partitions were unknown to the doomed slave. A water pail, a boiling pot, and a few gourds made up the furniture. When the corn had been ground in a hand-mill, and then boiled, the pot was swung from the fire and the children squatted around it, with oyster shells for spoons. Sweet potatoes, oysters and crabs varied the diet. Early in the morning the mothers went off to the fields in companies, while some women too old to do any thing but wield a stick were left in charge of the strangely silent and quiet babies. The field hands having no time to prepare any thing for their morning meals took up hastily a piece of hoe-cake and bacon, or any thing that was near at hand, and then, with rakes or hoes in the hand, hurried off to the fields at early dawn, for the loud horn called them to their labors. Heavy were their hearts as they daily traversed the long cotton rows. The overseer's whip took no note of aching hearts.

The allowance for the slave men for the week was a peck-and-a-half of corn meal, and two pounds of bacon. The women's allowance was a peck of meal and from one pound-and-a-half to two pounds of bacon ; and so much for each child, varying from one-half to a peck a week, and of bacon, from one-half to a pound a week. In order to make our allowance hold out, we went crabbing or fishing. In the winter season we used to go hunting nights, catching oysters, coons and possums. When I was home the slaves

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD.

used to bake their hoe-cakes on hoes— these hoes wenlarger than those used in the northern states. Another way for cooking them was to rake the ashes and then put the meal cake between the ashes and the fire — this was called ash pone; and still another way \va bake the bare cake in a Dutch oven, heated for the purpose— that was called oven pone. Hi is latter way of baking them was much practiced, or custom i the home of the slave-holders.

The "great house," so called by the plant,, hands, was the home where the master and his family lived. The kitchen was an apartment by itself in the yard, a little distance from the "great house," so ; face the front part of the house ; others were built in the back yard. The kitchens had one bed-room attached to them.

One night I went crabbing, and was up most all night ; a boy accompanied me. We caught a large mess of crabs, and took them home with us. The next day I had to card for one of the women to spin, and, being up all night, I could hardly keep my eyes open ; every once in a while I would fall asleep. Mr-. Mitchell could look through her window into the kitchen, it being in front of the "great house." She placed herself in the portico, to see that I worked. "\\ "hen I fell into a quiet slumber she would hallo'* and threaten to cowhide me ; but, for all that I could not keep awake. Seeing that I did not heed her threatenings, she took her rawhide and sewing and seated herself close by me, saying she would see if she could keep me awake. She asked me what was the matter; I told her I felt sick. (1 was a great hand to feign sickness). She asked me what kind of sickness; I told her I had the stomach ache and could not work. Thinking that something did ail me, she sent Alfred, the slave boy, into the house after her medicine chest ; she also told him to bring her the decanter of whisky. She then poured out a tumbler most full of whisky and then made me drink all of it. After drinking it I was worse than I was before, for I was so drunk I could not see what I was doing. Every once in a while when I fell asleep she would give me a cut with the rawhide. At last, night came and I was relieved from working so steady. When I was not carding I was obliged to knit ; I disliked it very much ; I was very slow ; it used to take me two or three weeks to knit one stocking, and when I had finished it you could not tell what the color was.

I had also to drive the calves for the milk-woman to milk. One afternoon, towards night, I stopped my other work to hunt up the calves and have them at the cow-pen by the time the milk-woman came with the cows ; I went in one of the quarters, and being tired, I sat down on a bench, and before I knew it I fell asleep and slept till after dark. The milk-woman came with the cows, but there were no calves there. She hallooed for me, but I was not within hearing. As the cow-pen was not far from the "great house " the mistress heard her. At last the milk-woman came to the " great house " to see what had become of me, but no Lindsay could be found. She went to the kitchen where the milk pails were kept, took them, and then drove the calves up herself and went to milking. Before she had finished, I awoke and started for the kitchen for the

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. 1 i

pails. When I got there, Mrs. Mitchell was standing

up in the middle of the kitchen floor. Slu- asked me where I had been ; I told her I fell asleep in the quarters and forgot myself. She said she would learn me how to attend to my business ; so she told Alfred to go into the "great house " and bring her the rawhide. I stood there trembling about mid-way of the floor. Taking the rawhide, and lifting her large arms as high as she could, applied it to my back. The sharp twang of the rawhide, as it struck my shoulders, raised me from the floor.

Jinny, the cook, told me afterwards, that when Mrs. Mitchell struck me I jumped about four feet, and did not touch the floor again till I was out doors. She followed me to the door and just had time to see me turn the corner of the " great house." I then ran down towards the cow-pen. The cook told me the way I was running as I turned the corner, that she did not believe that there was a dog or horse on the plantation that could have caught me. I went to the cow-pen and helped the woman to finish milking, and stayed around till I thought that Mrs. Mitchell had gone into the " great house." But to my astonishment when I went to the kitchen again, behold, there she was still waiting for me. She asked me why I ran from her ; 1 told her that it hurt me so bad when she struck me that I did not know that I was running. She said the next time she whipped me that she would have me tied, then she guessed I would not run. She let me off that night by promising her that I would do better, and never run from her again.

Mrs. Mitchell was a very cruel woman ; 1 have seen her whip Jinny in a very brutal manner. There was a large shade tree that stood in the yard ; she would make Jinny come out under this tree, and strip her shoulders all bare ; then she would apply the rawhide to her bare back until she had exhausted her own strength, and was obliged to call some of the house servants to bring her a chair. While she was resting, she would keep Jinny still standing. After resting her weary arms she commenced again. Thus she whipped and rested till she had applied fifty blows upon her suffering back. There was not a spot upon her naked back to lay a finger but there would be a gash, gushing forth the blood; every cut of the rawhide forced an extraordinary groan from the suffering victim ; she then sent her back to the kitchen, with her back sore and bleeding, to her work. We slaves often talked the matter over amongst ourselves, and wondered why God suffered such a cruel woman to live. One night, as we were talking the matter over, Jinny exclaimed : " De Lord bless me, chile, I do not believe dat dat devil will ever die, but live to torment us."

After a while I left there for Hog Point, to live with my mother. In the course of a year or two old Mrs. Mitchell sickened, and died.

After she died I went down to see the folks on the plantation. After my arrival, they told me that just before she breathed her last, she sent for Jinny to come to her bedroom. As she entered, she looked up and said: "Jinny, I am going to die, and I suppose you are glad of it." Jinny replied: u No, I am not." After pretending to cry, she came back to the kitchen and exclaimed : " Dat old devil is going to die, and I

BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD. L3

am glad of it." When her mistress died her poor back had a brief respite for a while. I do not what took place upon the plantation after this.

As my young master became of age about this time, Mr. Mitchell gave the guardianship to him. During this time my mother died; then I was bound out to his uncle, John Langsdon, to learn the shoe-maker's trade. John Langsdon was a very kind man, and struck me but once the whole time I was with him in Fairfield, and then it was my own fault. One day, while I was at work in the shop, I put my work down and went out; while I was out, I stepped into the " great house." His two sons were in the house shelling corn ; some words passed between his eldest son and me, which resulted in a fight. Mr. Langsdon was looking out of the shop window and saw us fighting; so he caught up a stick and struck me three or four times, and then drove me off to the shop to my work. I took hold ot shoe-making very readily; I had not been there a great while when I could make a shoe, or a boot— this I acquired by untiring industry. He used to give me my stint, a pair of shoes a day. I remained with him four years.

The first cruel act of my master, as soon as he became of age, and took his slaves home, was to sell one of my mother's children, whose name was Cella, who was carried off by a trader. We never saw or heard from her again. Oh ! how it rent my mother's heart ; although her heart was almost broken by grief and despair, she bore this shock in silent but bitter a Her countenance exhibited an anxious and sorrowful expression, and her manner gave evidence of a deep settled melancholy. This, and other troubles which she was compelled to pass through, and constant toil and exposure so shattered her physical frame that disease soon preyed upon her, and hastened her to the grave. Ah ! I saw not the death-angel, as with white wings he approached. When the hour came for her departure from earth there was but a slight struggle, a faint gasp, and the freed spirit went to its final home. Gone where there are neither bonds nor tortures, sorrow and weeping are unknown.

My mother was buried in a field where there was no other dead deposited ; no stone marks her resting place ; no fragrant flowers adorn the sod that covers her silent house.

My father soon followed my mother to the grave ; then we children were left fatherless and motherless in the cold world. My father's death was very much felt, as a good servant, being quick and energetic, rendered him a favorite with his master. When my father was about to die he called his children, those who were at home, around him, as no medicine could now retard the steady approach of the death -angel. When we assembled about him he bade us all farewell, saying, there was but one thing that troubled him, and that was, not one of us professed religion. When I heard that, and saw his sunken eye and hollow cheek, my heart sank within me. Oh ! how those words did cut me like a two-edged sword. From that day I commenced to seek the Lord with all my heart, and never stopped till I found Him. After my father's death my eldest sister took charge of the younger children, until her master took her home

One cold morning, while I lived at Hog Point, we looked out and saw three men coming towards the house. One was Mr: Hana^the other one was one of

his neighbors, and the last one was his slave. Near our cabin home was a large oak tree ; they took this doomed slave down to this tree, and stripped him entirely naked ; then they threw a rope across a limb and tied him by his wrists, and drew him up so that his feet cleared the ground. They then applied the lash to his bare back till the blood streamed and reddened the ground underneath where he hung. After whipping him to their satisfaction, they took him down, and led him bound through our yard. I looked at him as he passed, and saw the great ridges in his back as the blood was pouring out of them, and it was as a dagger to my heart. They took him and forced him to work, with his back sore and bleeding. He came to our cabin a night or two afterwards. My mother asked him what Mr. Haney beat him for. He said it was for nothing only because he did not work enough for him; he did all he could, but the unreasonable master demanded more. I never saw him any more, for shortly after this we moved away.