Thirty Years a Slave - Louis Hughes
* * * * *
PROFUSION OF FLOWERS.
Flowers grew in profusion everywhere through the south, and it has,
properly, been called the land of flowers. But flowers had no such sale
there as have our flowers here in the north. The pansy and many of our
highly prized plants and flowers grew wild in the south. The people
there did not seem to care for flowers as we do. I have sold many
bouquets for a dime, and very beautiful ones for fifteen and twenty
cents, that would sell in the north for fifty to seventy-five cents.
* * * * *
THE FRUIT ORCHARD.
The new place had an orchard of about four acres, consisting of a
variety of apple, peach, pear and plum trees. Boss hired an expert
gardener to teach me the art of grafting, and, after some practice, I
became quite skilled in this work. Some of the pear trees that had been
grafted had three different kinds of fruit on them, and others had three
kinds of apples on them besides the pears. This grafting I did myself,
and the trees were considered very fine by Boss. Another part of my work
was the trimming of the hedge and the care of all the shrubbery.
* * * * *
I PRACTICE MEDICINE AMONG THE SLAVES.
McGee had a medicine chest built into the wall of the new house. The
shelves for medicine were of wood, and the arrangement was very
convenient. It was really a small drug store. It contained everything in
the way of drugs that was necessary to use in doctoring the slaves. We
had quinine, castor-oil, alcohol and ipecac in great quantities, as
these were the principal drugs used in the limited practice in the home
establishment. If a servant came from the field to the house with a
chill, which was frequent, the first thing we did was to give him a dose
of ipecac to vomit him. On the evening after, we would give him two or
three of Cook's pills. These pills we made at home, I always had to
prepare the medicines, and give the dose, the Boss standing by
dictating. Working with medicine, giving it and caring for the sick were
the parts of my work that I liked best. Boss used Dr. Gunn's book
altogether for recipes in putting up medicines. He read me the recipe,
while I compounded it.
* * * * *
A SWELL RECEPTION.
In celebration of the opening of the new house, McGee gave an elaborate
reception and dinner. The menu embraced nearly everything that one could
think of or desire, and all in the greatest profusion. It was a custom,
not only with the McGees but among the southern people generally, to
make much of eating--it was one of their hobbies. Everything was cooked
well, and highly seasoned. Scarcity was foreign to the homes of the
wealthy southerners.
* * * * *
RELATIVES VISIT AT THE MANSION.
After the family had been settled about a month in the new home, their
relatives in Panola Co., Miss., Mr. Jack McGee, known among the servants
as "Old Jack," Mrs. Melinda McGee, his wife, Mrs. Farrington, their
daughter who was a widow, and their other children Louisa, Ella and
William, all came up for a visit, and to see the wonderful house. Mr.
Jack McGee was the father of madam and the uncle of Boss. My master and
mistress were therefore first cousins, and Boss sometimes called the old
man father and at other times, uncle. Old Master Jack, as he alighted,
said to those behind him: "Now be careful, step lightly, Louisa, this is
the finest house you ever set foot in." When all had come into the
house, and the old man had begun to look around, he said: "I don't know
what Edmund is thinking about-out to build such a house-house." He was
very old, and had never lost all of his Scotch dialect, and he had a
habit of repeating a part or all of some words, as in the foregoing
quotation. The other members of the visiting family were well pleased
with the house, and said it was grand. They laughed and talked merrily
over the many novel things which they saw. Mrs. Farrington, who was a
gay widow, was naturally interested in everything. I busied myself
waiting upon them, and it was late that night before I was through. So
many made extra work for me.
* * * * *
ONE OF THE VISITORS DISTRUSTS ME.
The next morning, after breakfast, Boss and old Master Jack went out to
view the grounds. They took me along so that if anything was wanted I
could do it. Boss would have me drive a stake in some place to mark
where he desired to put something, perhaps some flowers, or a tree. He
went on through the grounds, showing his father how everything was to be
arranged. The old man shook his head, and said: "Well, it's good, but I
am afraid you'll spoil these niggers-niggers. Keep you eye on that boy
Lou, (meaning me) he is slippery-slippery, too smart-art." "Oh! I'll
manage that, Father," said Boss. "Well, see that you do-oo, for I see
running away in his eyes." One of the things that interested old Master
Jack was the ringing of the dinner bell. "Well, I do think," said the
old man, "that boy can ring a bell better than anybody I ever heard. Why,
its got a regular tune." I used to try to see how near I could come to
making it say, come to dinner.
* * * * *
THE MADAM IN A RAGE.
The four days soon passed, and all the company gone, we were once more
at our regular work. Delia, the cook, seemingly had not pleased the
madam in her cooking while the company were there; so, the morning
after they left, she went toward the kitchen, calling: "Delia, Delia."
Delia said: "Dah! I wonder what she wants now." By this time she was in
the kitchen, confronting Delia. Her face was flushed as she screamed
out: "What kind of biscuits were those you baked this week?" "I think
they were all right, Mis Sarh." "Hush!" screamed out the madam, stamping
her foot to make it more emphatic. "You did not half cook them," said
she; "they were not beat enough. Those waffles were ridiculous," said
the madam. "Well, Mis Sarh, I tried." "Stop!" cried Madam in a rage,
"I'll give you thunder if you dictate to me." Not a very elegant display
in language or manner for a great lady! Old Aunt Delia, who was used to
these occurrences, said: "My Lord! dat woman dunno what she wants. Ah!
Lou, there is nothing but the devil up here, (meaning the new home);
can't do nothin to please her up here in dis fine house. I tell you
Satan neber git his own til he git her." They did not use baking powder,
as we do now, but the biscuits were beaten until light enough. Twenty
minutes was the time allotted for this work; but when company came there
was so much to be done--so many more dishes to prepare, that Delia
would, perhaps, not have so much time for each meal. But there was no
allowance made. It was never thought reasonable that a servant should
make a mistake--things must always be the same. I was listening to this
quarrel between madam and Delia, supposing my time would come next; but
for that once she said nothing to me.
* * * * *
THE MADAM'S SEVERITY.
Mrs. McGee was naturally irritable. Servants always got an extra
whipping when she had any personal trouble, as though they could help
it. Every morning little Kate, Aunt Delia's little girl, would have to
go with the madam on her rounds to the different buildings of the
establishment, to carry the key basket. So many were the keys that they
were kept in a basket especially provided for them, and the child was
its regular bearer. The madam, with this little attendant, was
everywhere--in the barn, in the hennery, in the smokehouse--and she
always made trouble with the servants wherever she went. Indeed, she
rarely returned to the house from these rounds without having whipped
two or three servants, whether there was really any cause for the
punishment or not. She seldom let a day pass without beating some poor
woman unmercifully. The number and severity of these whippings depended
more upon the humor of the madam than upon the conduct of the slaves. Of
course, I always came in for a share in this brutal treatment. She
continued her old habit of boxing my jaws, pinching my ears: no day ever
passing without her indulging in this exercise of her physical powers.
So long had I endured this, I came to expect it, no matter how well I
did my duties; and it had its natural effect upon me, making me a
coward, even though I was now growing into manhood. I remember once, in
particular, when I had tried to please her by arranging the parlor, I
overheard her say: "They soon get spirit--it don't do to praise
servants." My heart sank within me. What good was it for me to try to
please? She would find fault anyway. Her usual morning greeting was:
"Well, Lou, have you dusted the parlors?" "Oh, yes," I would answer.
"Have the flowers been arranged?" "Yes, all is in readiness," I would
say. Once I had stoned the steps as usual, but the madam grew angry as
soon as she saw them. I had labored hard, and thought she would be
pleased. The result, however, was very far from that. She took me out,
stripped me of my shirt and began thrashing me, saying I was spoiled. I
was no longer a child, but old enough to be treated differently. I began
to cry, for it seemed to me my heart would break. But, after the first
burst of tears, the feeling came over me that I was a man, and it was an
outrage to treat me so--to keep me under the lash day after day.
* * * * *
A SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
Not long after Mrs. Farrington had made her first visit to our house,
she came there to live. Celia had been acting as her maid. When Mrs.
Farrington had been up some months, it was decided that all the family
should go down to old Master Jack's for a visit. Celia, the maid, had
been so hurried in the preparations for this visit that she had done
nothing for herself. The night before the family was to leave,
therefore, she was getting ready a garment for herself to wear on the
trip; and it was supposed that she sewed until midnight, or after, when
she fell asleep, letting the goods fall into the candle. All at once, a
little after twelve o'clock, I heard a scream, then a cry of "fire!
fire!" and Boss yelling: "Louis! Louis!" I jumped up, throwing an old
coat over me, and ran up stairs, in the direction of Mrs. Farrington's
room, I encountered Boss in the hall; and, as it was dark and the smoke
stifling, I could hardly make any headway. At this moment Mrs.
Farrington threw her door open, and screamed for "Cousin Eddie," meaning
McGee. He hurriedly called to me to get a pitcher of water quick. I
grasped the pitcher from the stand, and he attempted to throw the water
on Celia, who was all in a blaze, running around like a mad woman; but
the pitcher slipped from his hand and broke, very little of the water
reaching her. She was at last wrapped in an old blanket, to extinguish
the flames; but she was burned too badly to recover. Boss, being a
physician, said at once: "Poor girl, poor girl! she is burned to death."
He did all he could for her, wrapped her in linen sheets, and endeavored
to relieve her sufferings, but all was of no avail--she had inhaled the
flame, injuring her internally, and lived only a few days.
* * * * *
MASTER'S NEW COTTON PLANTATION.
Shortly after Boss bought his home in Memphis, he bought a large farm in
Bolivar, Miss. It was a regular cotton farm, on the Mississippi river,
embracing 200 acres. The houses built for the slaves were frame,
eighteen in number, each to contain three or four families, and arranged
on each side of a street that ran through the farm. This street was all
grassed over, but there were no sidewalks. All the buildings--the barn,
gin-house, slaves' quarters and overseers' house--were whitewashed, and
on this grass-grown street they made a neat and pretty appearance. The
house where the Boss and the madam staid, when they went down to the
farm, was about two hundred yards from the slaves' quarters. It was
arranged in two apartments, one for the overseer and wife, and the other
for the master and mistress upon the occasion of their visits. This
building was separated from the other buildings by a fence. There was
what was called the cook house, where was cooked all the food for the
hands. Aunt Matilda was cook in charge. Besides the buildings already
named, there were stables, a blacksmith shop and sawmill; and the
general order of arrangement was carried out with respect to all--the
appearance was that of a village. Everything was raised in abundance, to
last from one crop to the next. Vegetables and meat were provided from
the farm, and a dairy of fifty cows furnished all the milk and butter
needed.
The cane brakes were so heavy that it was common for bears to hide
there, and, at night, come out and carry off hogs. Wolves were plenty in
the woods behind the farm, and could be heard at any time. The cane was
so thick that when they were clearing up new ground, it would have to be
set on fire, and the cracking that would ensue was like the continuous
explosion of small fire crackers.
About one hundred and sixty slaves, besides children, all owned by
McGee, were worked on the farm. Instead of ginning two or three bales of
cotton a day, as at Pontotoc, they ginned six to seven bales here.
* * * * *
INCIDENTS.
I remember well the time when the great Swedish singer, Jenny Lind, came
to Memphis. It was during her famous tour through America, in 1851. Our
folks were all enthused over her. Boss went in and secured tickets to
her concert, and I was summoned to drive them to the hall. It was a
great event. People swarmed the streets like bees. The carriages and
hacks were stacked back from the hall as far as the eye could reach.
On another occasion, when the great prodigy, Blind Tom, came to
Memphis, there was a similar stir among the people. Tom was very young
then, and he was called the Blind Boy. People came from far and near to
hear him. Those coming from the villages and small towns, who could not
get passage on the regular trains, came in freight or on flat bottom
cars. The tickets were $5.00 each, as I remember, Boss said it was
expensive, but all must hear this boy pianist. Many were the comments on
this boy of such wonderful talents. As I drove our people home they
seemed to talk of nothing else. They declared that he was indeed a
wonder.
* * * * *
LONGING FOR FREEDOM.
Sometimes when the farm hands were at work, peddlers would come along;
and, as they were treated badly by the rich planters, they hated them,
and talked to the slaves in a way to excite them and set them thinking
of freedom. They would say encouragingly to them: "Ah! You will be free
some day." But the down-trodden slaves, some of whom were bowed with
age, with frosted hair and furrowed cheek, would answer, looking up from
their work: "We don't blieve dat; my grandfather said we was to be free,
but we aint free yet." It had been talked of (this freedom) from
generation to generation. Perhaps they would not have thought of
freedom, if their owners had not been so cruel. Had my mistress been
more kind to me, I should have thought less of liberty. I know the cruel
treatment which I received was the main thing that made me wish to be
free. Besides this, it was inhuman to separate families as they did.
Think of a mother being sold from all her children--separated for life!
This separation was common, and many died heart-broken, by reason of it.
Ah! I cannot forget the cruel separation from my mother. I know not what
became of her, but I have always believed her dead many years ago.
Hundreds were separated, as my mother and I were, and never met again.
Though freedom was yearned for by some because the treatment was so bad,
others, who were bright and had looked into the matter, knew it was a
curse to be held a slave--they longed to stand out in true
manhood--allowed to express their opinions as were white men. Others
still desired freedom, thinking they could then reclaim a wife, or
husband, or children. The mother would again see her child. All these
promptings of the heart made them yearn for freedom. New Year's was
always a heart-rending time, for it was then the slaves were bought and
sold; and they stood in constant fear of losing some one dear to them--a
child, a husband, or wife.
* * * * *
MY FIRST BREAK FOR FREEDOM.
In the new home my duties were harder than ever. The McGees held me with
tighter grip, and it was nothing but cruel abuse, from morning till
night. So I made up my mind to try and run away to a free country. I
used to hear Boss read sometimes, in the papers, about runaway slaves
who had gone to Canada, and it always made me long to go; yet I never
appeared as if I paid the slightest attention to what the family read or
said on such matters; but I felt that I could be like others, and try at
least to get away. One morning, when Boss had gone to town, Madam had
threatened to whip me, and told me to come to the house. When she called
me I did not go, but went off down through the garden and through the
woods, and made my way for the city. When I got into Memphis, I found at
the landing a boat called the Statesman, and I sneaked aboard. It was
not expected that the boat would stay more than a few hours, but, for
some reason, it stayed all night. The boat was loaded with sugar, and I
hid myself behind four hogsheads. I could see both engineers, one each
side of me. When night came on, I crept out from my hiding place, and
went forward to search for food and water, for I was thirsty and very
hungry. I found the table where the deck hands had been eating, and
managed to get a little food, left from their meal, and some water. This
was by no means enough, but I had to be content, and went back to my
place of concealment. I had been on board the boat three days; and, on
the third night, when I came out to hunt food, the second mate saw me.
In a minute he eyed me over and said: "Why, I have a reward for you." In
a second he had me go up stairs to the captain. This raised a great
excitement among the passengers; and, in a minute, I was besieged with
numerous questions. Some spoke as if they were sorry for me, and said if
they had known I was a poor runaway slave they would have slipped me
ashore. The whole boat was in alarm. It seemed to me they were
consulting slips of paper. One said: "Yes, he is the same. Listen how
this reads:"
"Ran away from Edmund McGee, my mulatto boy Louis, 5 feet 6 inches in
height, black hair, is very bright and intelligent. Will give $500 for
him alive, and half of this amount for knowledge that he has been
killed."
My heart sprang into my throat when I heard two men read this
advertisement. I knew, at once, what it all meant, remembering how often
I had heard Boss read such articles from the papers and from the
handbills that were distributed through the city. The captain asked me
if I could dance. It seemed he felt sorry for me, for he said: "That's a
bright boy to be a slave." Then turning to me he said: "Come, give us a
dance." I was young and nimble, so I danced a few of the old southern
clog dances, and sang one or two songs, like this:
"Come along, Sam, the fifer's son,
Aint you mighty glad your day's work's done?"
After I finished singing and dancing, the captain took up a collection
for me and got about two dollars. This cheered me a good deal. I knew
that I would need money if I should ever succeed in getting on.
On the following evening, when we reached West Franklin, Indiana, while
the passengers were at tea, another boat pushed into port right after
ours. Immediately a gentleman passenger came to me hurriedly, and
whispered to me to go down stairs, jump out on the bow of the other
boat, and go ashore. I was alarmed, but obeyed, for I felt that he was a
friend to slaves. I went out as quietly as I could, and was not missed
until I had gotten on shore. Then I heard the alarm given that the boy
was gone--that the runaway was gone. But I sped on, and did not stop
until I had run through the village, and had come to a road that led
right into the country. I took this road and went on until I had gone
four or five miles, when I came to a farm house. Before reaching it,
however, I met two men on horseback, on their way to the village. They
passed on without specially noticing me, and I kept on my way until
reaching the farmhouse. I was so hungry, I went in and asked for food.
While I was eating, the men whom I had met rode up. They had been to the
village, and, learning that a runaway slave was wanted, and remembering
meeting me, they returned in hot haste, in hope of finding me and
securing the reward. They hallooed to the people in the house, an old
woman and her daughter, whom they seemed to know, saying: "There is a
runaway nigger out, who stole off a boat this evening." The old lady
said, "Come," becoming frightened at once. When they came in they began
to question me. I trembled all over but answered them. They said: "You
are the fellow we want, who ran off the boat." I was too scared to deny
it; so I owned I was on the boat, and stole off. They did not tarry
long, but, taking me with them, they went, about a mile and a half, to
their house. They planned and talked all the way, and one said: "We are
good for $75.00 for him any way." The next morning they took me into the
village. They soon found out that the engineer, by order of the captain,
had stayed over to search for me. A lawsuit followed, and I was taken
before the magistrate before the engineer could get possession of me.
There was a legal course that had to be gone through with. A lawyer, Fox
by name, furnished the $75.00 for the men who had caught me. That part
of the case being settled, Fox and the engineer started for Evansville,
Ind., that same night. Upon arriving there, Fox received from the
captain of the boat the money he had advanced to the men who caught me;
and we went on, arriving at Louisville, Ky., the next day. I was then
taken again before a magistrate, by the captain, when the following
statement was read by that official:
"Captain Montgomery brought forth a boy, and said he is the property of
Edmund McGee, of Memphis, Tenn. Come forth owner, and prove property,
for after the boy shall remain in jail six months he shall be sold to
pay jail feed."
Mr. McGee was informed of my whereabouts, and it was not long before he
and his cousin came to get me. When they came, I was called up by the
nickname they had given me, "Memphis." "Come out here, 'Memphis,'" said
the turnkey, "your master has come for you." I went down stairs to the
office, and found Boss waiting for me. "Hello, Lou!" said he, "what are
you doing here, you dog?" I was so frightened I said nothing. Of course,
some few words were passed between him and the officers. I heard him say
that I was a smart fellow, and he could not tell why I had run away;
that he had always treated me well. This was to impress the officers
with the idea that he was not unkind to his slaves. The slave-holders
all hated to be classed as bad taskmasters. Yet nearly all of them were.
The clothes I wore were jail property, and he could not take me away in
them; so we started to go up town to get others. As we passed out the
jailer, Buckhanon, said: "Ain't you going to put hand-cuffs on him?"
"Oh, no!" said Boss. After I was taken to the store and fitted with a
new suit of clothes, he brought me back to the jail, where I washed
myself and put on the new garments. When all was complete, and I seemed
to suit master's fastidious eye, he took me to the Gault House, where he
was stopping. In the evening we started for home, and reached Memphis
the following day. Boss did not flog me, as I expected, but sent me to
my regular routine work. We had been in this new home so short a time he
did not want it to be rumored that he whipped his slaves, he was so
stylish and rich. But the madam was filled with rage, although she did
not say much. I think they saw that I was no longer a child--they feared
I would go again. But after I had been home some three or four weeks,
Madam Sarah commenced her old tricks--attempting to whip me, box my jaws
and pinch me. If any little thing was not pleasing to her at meal time,
it was a special delight for her to reach out, when I drew near to her
to pass something, and give me a blow with her hand. Truly it was a
monstrous domestic institution that not only tolerated, but fostered,
such an exhibition of table manners by a would-be fine lady--such vulgar
spite and cruelty!
* * * * *
MY SECOND RUNAWAY TRIP.
About three months after my first attempt to get away, I thought I would
try it again. I went to Memphis, and saw a boat at the landing, called
the John Lirozey, a Cincinnati packet. This boat carried the mail. She
had come into port in the morning, and was being unloaded. I went aboard
in the afternoon and jumped down into the hull. Boss had been there in
the fore part of the afternoon inquiring for me, but I did not know it
then. After I had been in the boat some time, the men commenced loading
it. I crept up in the corner and hid myself. At first two or three
hundred dry and green hides were thrown in, and these hid me; but later
on two or three tiers of cotton bales were put in the center of the
hull, and, when the boat started, I got upon the top of these, and lay
there. I could hear the people talking above me, but it was so dark I
could not see anything--it was dark as a dungeon. I had lain there two
nights and began to get so weak and faint I could stand it no longer.
For some reason the boat did not start the day I went aboard,
consequently, I had not gotten as far from home as I expected, and my
privations had largely been in vain. Despairing and hungry, on the
third day, I commenced howling and screaming, hoping that some one
would hear me, and come to my relief, for almost anything else would
have been preferable to the privation and hunger from which I was
suffering. But I could make no one hear, at least no one paid any
attention to my screams, if they did hear. In the evening, however, one
of the deck hands came in with a lantern to look around and see
everything was all right. I saw the light and followed him out, but I
had been out of my hiding only a short time when I was discovered by a
man who took me up stairs to the captain. It was an effort for me to
walk up stairs, as I was weak and faint, having neither eaten nor drank
anything for three days. This boat was crowded with passengers, and it
was soon a scene of confusion. I was placed in the pilot's room for
safety, until we arrived at a small town in Kentucky called Monroe. I
was put off here to be kept until the packet came back from Cincinnati.
Then I was carried back to Memphis, arriving about one o'clock at night,
and, for safe keeping, was put into what was called the calaboose. This
was especially for the keeping of slaves who had run away and been
caught. Word was sent to Boss of my capture; and the next morning
Thomas Bland, a fellow servant of mine, was sent to take me home. I can
not tell how I felt, for the only thought that came to me was that I
should get killed. The madam met us as we drove into the yard. "Ah!" she
said to me, "you put up at the wrong hotel, sir." I was taken to the
barn where stocks had been prepared, beside which were a cowhide and a
pail of salt water, all prepared for me. It was terrible, but there was
no escape. I was fastened in the stocks, my clothing removed, and the
whipping began. Boss whipped me a while, then he sat down and read his
paper, after which the whipping was resumed. This continued for two
hours. Fastened as I was in the stocks, I could only stand and take lash
after lash, as long as he desired, the terrible rawhide cutting into my
flesh at every stroke. Then he used peach tree switches, which cracked
the flesh so the blood oozed out. After this came the paddle, two and a
half feet long and three inches wide. Salt and water was at once applied
to wash the wounds, and the smarting was maddening. This torture was
common among the southern planters. God only knows what I suffered under
it all, and He alone gave me strength to endure it. I could hardly move
after the terrible ordeal was finished, and could scarcely bear my
clothes to touch me at first, so sore was my whole body, and it was
weeks before I was myself again.