EMORY UNIVERSITY
ROPER'S
ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY.
A NARRATIVE
OF THE
ADVENTURES AND ESCAPE
OP
MOSES ROPER,
FROM
AMERICAN SLAVERY.
0
" By our sufferings, since ye brought us
To the man-degrading mart;
All sustained by patience, taught us
Only by a broken heart."
FIFTH EDITION.
TWENTY-FOURTH THOUSAND
LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY HABVEY AND DARTON,
55, GBACECHUBCH-8TRKET.
1843.
INTRODUCTION.
The determination of laying this little narra¬
tive before the public, did not arise from any
desire to make myself conspicuous, but with
the view of exposing the cruel system of sla¬
very as will here be laid before my readers ;
from the urgent calls of nearly all the friends
to whom I had related any part of the story,
and also from the recommendation of anti-sla¬
very meetings, which I have attended, through
the suggestion of many warm friends of the
cause of the oppressed.
The general narrative, I am aware, may
seem to many of my readers, and especially to
those who have not been before put in posses¬
sion of the actual features of this accursed sys¬
tem, somewhat at variance with the dictates
of humanity. But the facts related here do
not come before the reader unsubstantiated by
collateral evidence, nor highly coloured to the
disadvantage of cruel task-masters.
Mv readers may be put in possession of
facts respecting this system which equal in
cruelty my own narrative, on an authority
which may be investigated with the greatest
INTRODUCTION.
satisfaction. Besides which, this little book
will not be confined to a small circle of my
own friends in London, or even in England.
The slave-holder, the colonizationist, and even
Mr. Gooch himself, will be able to obtain this
document, and be at liberty to draw from it
whatever they are honestly able, in order to
set me down as the tool of a party. Yea,
even friend Brechenridge, a gentleman known
at Glasgow, will be able to possess this, and
to draw from it all the forcible arguments on
his own side, which in his wisdom, honesty,
and candour, he may be able to adduce.
The earnest wish to lay this narrative be¬
fore my friends as an impartial statement of
facts, has led me to develope some part of my
conduct, which I now deeply deplore. The
ignorance in which the poor slaves are kept
by their masters, preclude almost the possibili¬
ty of their being alive to any moral duties.
With these remarks, I leave the statement
before the public. May this little volume be
the instrument of opening the eyes of the ig¬
norant of the system—of convincing the wick¬
ed, cruel, and hardened slave-holder—and of
befriending generally the cause of oppressed
humanity.
Moses Roper.
Loudon.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Birth-place of the Author.—The first time he
was sold from his mother.—He passes through
several hands
CHAPTER II.
The Author is sold to Mr. J. Gooch.—The cruel
treatment he both received and witnessed on
that Estate.—Repeated attempts at running
away.—Escapes to his mother after being ab¬
sent from her about ten years.—Meets with
his sister, whom he had never seen before, on
the road, who conducted him to his Mother..
CHAPTER III.
An Account of the Author's meeting with his
Mother, who did not know him ; but was with
her a very short time before he was taken by
armed men, and imprisoned for thirty-one days,
and then taken back to his Master
CHAPTER IV.
The Author is flogged and punished in various
ways, but still perseveres in his attempts to
escape, till he was sold to Mr. Wilson
CHAPTER V.
The Author was not long with Mr. Wilson, who
was a Negro trader, before he was exchan ged
to Mr. Rowland, who was also a Trader, for
viii.
CONTENTS.
another slave, and after being with him for
about a year, was sold to Mr. D. Goodly, who
soon exchanged him again to Mr. Louis .... 69
CHAPTER VI.
Travels with Mr. Louis to Pendleton Indian
Springs, from thence to Columbus, where he
was sold at Auction to Mr. Beveridge.—His
Travels and History with Mr. B.—Is sold
again to Mr. Register 74
CHAPTER VII.
The Author's last attempt and final escape from
Marianna to Savannah.—■From thence to New
York.—Quarantined at Statten Island ...... 81
CHAPTER VIII.
His arrival in New York.—On to Pougbkeepsie.
—Albany.—Eogester.—Vermont.—Boston, &
returned from thence to New York, and em¬
barked for England 102
CHAPTER IX.
The Author arrives at Liverpool, November 29th,
1835.—Makes his way for London Ill
Lines written on the occasion of the Escape to
England of Mr. Moses Roper, late an American
Slave, now a Freeman of Great Britain, by
Miss Tuckey 119
Population of the United States.—Number of
Slaves 121
ESCAPE,
&c.
CHAPTER I,
Birth place of the Author.—The first time he was sold
from his Mbther, and passed through several other
hands.
I was born in North Carolina, in Caswell
County, I am not able to tell in what month
or year. What I shall now relate, is, what
was told me by my mother and grandmother.
A few months before I was born, m^ father
married my mother's young mistress. As
soon as my father's wife heard of my birth,
she sent one of my mother's sisters to ses
10
ROPER'S ESCAPE
whether I was white or black, and when my
aunt had seen me, she returned back as soon
as she could, and told her mistress that I was
white, and resembled Mr. Roper very much.
Mr. Roper's wife not being pleased with this
report, she got a large club-stick and knife,
and hastened to the place in which my mother
was confined. She went into my mother's
room with a full intention to murder me with
her knife and club, but as she was going to
stick the knife into me, my grandmother
happening to come in, caught the knife and
saved ray life. But as well as I can recollect
from what my mother told me, my father sold
her and myself, soon after her confinement.
I cannot recollect anything that is worth no¬
tice till I was six or seven years of age. My
mother being half white, and my lather a
white man, I was at that time very white.
Soon after I was six or seven years of age,
my mother's old master died, that is, my fa¬
ther's wife's father. All his slaves had to be
FROM SLAVERY.
11
divided among the children.* I have men¬
tioned before of my father disposing of me, I
am not sure whether he exchanged me and
my mother for another slave or not, but think
it very likely he did exchange me with one of
his wile's brothers or sisters, because I re¬
member when my mother's old master died, I
was living with my father's wife's brother-in-
law, whose name was Mr. Durham. My
mother was drawn with the other slaves.
The way they divide their slaves is this :
they write the names of different slaves on a
small piece of paper, and pat it into a box,
and let them all draw. I think that Mr.
Durham drew my mother, and Mr. Fowler
drew me, so we were separated a considerable
distance, I cannot say how far. My resem¬
bling my father so much, and being whiter
* Slaves are usually a part of the,marriage portion,
but lent rather than given, to be returned to the estate
at the decease of the father, in order that they may be
divided equally among his children.
12
ROPER'S ESCAPE
than the other slaves, caused me to be soon
sold to what they call a negro trader, who
took me to the Southern States of America
several hundred miles from my mother. As
well as I can recollect, I was then about six
years old. The trader, Mr. Mitchell, after
travelling several hundred miles, and selling a
good many of his slaves, found he could not
sell me very well, (as I was so much whiter
than other slaves were) for he had been trying
several months—left me with a Mr. Sneed,
who kept a large boarding house, who took
me to wait at table, and sell me if he could.
I think I stayed with Mr. Sneed about a year,
but he could not sell me. When Mr. Mitch¬
ell had sold his slaves, he went to the north,
and brought up another drove, and returned
to the south with them, and sent his son-in-
law into Washington, in Georgia, after me, so
he came and took me from Mr. Sneed, and
met his father-in-law with me, in a town call¬
ed Lancaster, with his drovs of slaves. We
FROM SLAVERY.
13
stayed in Lancaster a week, because it was
court week, and there were a great many peo¬
ple there, and it was a good opportunity for
selling the slaves, and there he was enabled to
sell me to a gentleman, Dr. Jones, who was
both a Doctor and a Cotton Planter. He
took me into his shop to beat up and mix me¬
dicines, which was not a very hard employ¬
ment, but I did not keep it long, as the Doc¬
tor soon sent me to his cotton plantation, that
I might be burnt darker by the sun. He sent
me to be with a tailor to learn the trade, but
all the journeymen being white men, Mr. Bry¬
ant, the tailor, did not let me work in the shop ,*
I cannot say whether it was the prejudice of
his men in not wanting me to sit in the shop
with them, or whether Mr. Bryant wanted to
keep me about the house to do the domes¬
tic work, instead of teaching me the trade-
After several months, my master came to
know how I got on with the trade: I am not
able to tell Mr. Bryant's answer, but it was
c
11
ROPER'S ESCAPE
either tliat I could not learn, or that his jour¬
neymen were unwilling that I should sit in the
shop with them. I was only once in the shop
all the time I was there, and then only for an
hour or two, before his wife called me out to
do some other work. So my master took me
home, and as he was going to send a load of
cotton to Camden, about forty miles distance,
he sent me with the bales of cotton to be sold
with it, where I was soon sold to a gentleman^
named Allen, but Mr. Allen soon exchanged
me for a female slave, to please his wife. The
traders who bought me, were named Cooper
and Lindsey, who took me for sale, but could
not sell me, people objecting to my being ra¬
ther white. They then took me to the city
of Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he
swopt me for a boy, that wa& blacker than me,
to Mr. Smith, who lived several miles off.
I was with Mr. Smith nearly a year. I
arrived at the first knowledge of my age when
I lived with him. I was then between twelve
FROM SLAVERY.
15
and thirteen years old, it was when President,
Jackson was elected the first time, and he has
been President eight years, so I must he near¬
ly twenty-one years of age. At this time I
was quite a small boy, and was sold to Mr,
Hodge, a negro trader. Here I began to en¬
ter into hardships.
16
ROPER's escape
CHAPTER II.
The Author's being sold to Mr. J. Gooch.—The cruel
treatment he both received and witnessed while on
his estate.—Repeated attempts at running away.—
Escapes to his mother after being absent from her
about ten years.—Meets with his sister, whom he had
never seen before, on the road, who conducted him
to his mother.
after,-travelling several hundred miles, Mr.
Hodge sold me to Mr. Gooch, the Cotton
Planter, Cashaw County, South Carolina, he
purchased me at a town called Liberty Hill,
about three miles from his home. As soon
as he got home, he immediately put me on his
cotton plantation to work, and put me under
overseers, gave me an allowance of meat and
bread with the other slaves, which was not
half enough for me to live upon, and very la¬
borious work; here my heart was almost
FROM SLAVERY.
17
broke with grief at leaving my fellow-slaves.
Mr. Gooch did not mind my grief, for he flog¬
ged me nearly every day, and very severely.
Mr. Gooch bought me for his son-in-law, Mr.
Hammans, about five miles distance from his
residence. This man had but two slaves be¬
sides myself, he treated me very kindly for a
week or two, but. in sdmmer, when cotton was
ready to hoe, he gave me task work, connect¬
ed with this department, which I could not
get done, not having worked on cotton farms
before. When I failed in my task he com¬
menced flogging me, and set me to work
without any shirt, in the cotton field, in a
very hot sun, in the month of July. In
August, Mr. Condell, his overseer, gave me a
task at pulling fodder; having finished my
task before night, 1 left the field, the rain
came on which soaked the fodder, on dis¬
covering this, he threatened to flog me for
not getting in the fodder before the rain came.
I attempted to run away, knowing that I
3 o
18
ROPER'S ESCAPE
should get a flogging. I was then between
thirteen and fourteen years of age, I ran away
to the woods half naked, I was caught by a
slave-holder, who put me in Lancaster Gaol.
When they put slaves in gaol, they advertise
for their masters to own them; but if the
master does not claim his slave in six months,
from the time of imprisonment, the slave is
sold for gaol fees. When the slave runs
away, the master always adopts a more ri¬
gorous system of flogging, this was the case
in the present instance. After this, having
determined from my youth to gain my free¬
dom, I made several attempts, was caught,
and got a severe, flogging of one hundred
lashes, each time. Mr. Hammans was a
very severe and cruel master, and his wife
still worse, she used to tie me up and flog me
while naked.
After Mr. Hammans saw that I was deter¬
mined to die in the woods, and not live with
him, he tried to obtain a piece of land from
FROM SLAVERY.
19
his father-in-law, Mr. Gooch; not having the
means of purchasing it, he exchanged me for
the land.
As soon as Mr. Gooch had possession of
me again, knowing that I was averse to
going back to him, he chained me by the
neck to his chaise. In this manner he took
me to his home at Mac Daniel's Ferry, in the
County of Chester, a distance of fifteen miles.
After which, he put me into a swamp, to cut
trees, the heaviest work, which men of twenty-
five or thirty years of age have to do, I being
but sixteen. Here I was on very short al¬
lowance of food, and having heavy work, was
too weak to fulfil my tasks. For this, I got
many severe floggings: and, after I had got
my irons off, I made another attempt at run¬
ning away. He took my irons off, in the full
anticipation that I could never get across the
Catarba River, even when at liberty. On
this, I procured a small Indian canoe, which
was tied to a tree, and ultimately got across
20
KOPER'S ESCAPE
the river in it. I then wandered through the
wilderness for several days without any food,
and but a drop of water to allay my thirst, till
I became so starved, that I was obliged to go
to a house to beg for something to eat, when
I was captured, and again imprisoned.
Mr. Gooch having heard of me through an
advertisement, sent his son after me ; he tied
me up, and took me back to his father. Mr.
Gooch then obtained the assistance of another
slave-holder, and tied me up in his black¬
smith's shop, and gave me fifty lashes with a
cow-hide. He then put a log chain, weigh¬
ing twenty-five pounds, round my neck, and
sent me into a field, into which he followed
me with a cow-hide, intending to set his
slaves to flog me again. Knowing this, and
dreading to suffer again in this way, I gave
him the slip, and got out of his sight, he
having stopped to speak with the other slave¬
holder.
I got to a canal on the Catorba Rivtr, on
FROM SLAVERY.
21
the banks of which, and near to a lock, I pro¬
cured a stone and a piece of iron, with which
I forced the ring off my chain, and got it off,
and then crossed the river, and walked about
twenty miles, when I fell in with a slave hold¬
er, named Ballad, who had married the sis¬
ter of Mr. Hammans. I knew that he was
not so cruel as Mr. Gooch, and therefore, beg¬
ged of him to buy me Mr. Ballad, who was
one of the best planters in the neighbourhood,
said, that he was not able to buy me, and stat¬
ed, that he was obliged to take me back to my
master, on account of the heavy fine attaching
to a man harbouring a slave. Mr. Ballad
proceeded to take me back; as we came in
sight of Mr. Gooch's, all the treatment that I
had met with there, came forcibly upon my
mind, the powerful influence of which is beyond
description. On my knees, with tears in my
eyes, with terror in my countenance, and fer¬
vency in all my features, I implored Mr. Bal¬
lad to buy me, but he again refused, and I was
22
ROPER'S ESCAPE
taken back to my dreaded and cruel master.
Having reached Mr. Gooch's, he proceeded to
punish me. This he did, by first tying my
wrists together and placing them over the
knees, he then put a stick through, under my
knees and over my arms, and having thus se¬
cured my arms, he proceeded to flog me, and
gave me five hundred lashes on my bare back.
This may appear incredible, but the marks
which they left, at present remain on my body,
a standing testimony to the truth of this state¬
ment of his severity. He then chained me
down in a log-pen with a forty pounds chain,
and made me lie on the damp earth all night.
In the morning, after his breakfast, he came
to me, and without giving me any breakfast,
tied me to a large heavy arrow, which is usu¬
ally drawn by a horse, and made me drag it to
the cotton field for the horse to use in the field.
Thus, the reader will see, that it was of no
possible use to my master, to make me drag it
FROM SLAVERY.
23
to the cotton field and not through it; his
cruelty went so far, as actually to make me the
slave of his horse, and thus to degrade me.
He then flogged me again, and set me to work
in the corn field the whole of that day, and at
night, chained me down in the log-pen as be¬
fore. The next morning, he took me to the
cotton field, and gave me a third flogging, and
sent me to hoe cotton. At this time, I was
dreadfully sore and weak with the repeated
floggings and harsh treatment I had endured.
He put me under a black man, with orders,
that if I did not keep my row up in hoeing
with this man, he was to flog me. The reader
must recollect here, that not being used to this
kind of work, having been a domestic slave, it
was quite impossible for me to keep up with
him, and, therefore, I was repeatedly flogged
during the day.
Mr. Gooch had a female servant about
eighteen years old, who also had been a do¬
mestic slave, and, through not being able to
24
ROPER'S ESCAPE
fulfil her task, had run away ; which slave he
was at this time punishing for that offence.
On the third day, he chained me to this female
slave, with a large chain of forty pounds*
weight round the neck. It was most harrow¬
ing to my feelings thus to be chained to a
young female slave, for whom I would rather
have suffered one hundred lashes than she
should have been thus treated ; he kept me
chained to her during the week, and repeatedly
flogged us both, while thus chained together,
and forced us to keep up with the other slaves,
although retarded by the heavy weight of the
log-chain.
Here again, words are insufficient to describe
the misery which possessed both body and min
whilst under this treatment, and which wa
most dreadfully increased by the sympatl
which I felt for my poor, degraded fellow-su
* This was a chain that they used to draw logs wi
from the woods, when they clear their land.
FROM SLAVERY.
25
ferer. On the Friday morning, I entreated
my master to set me free from my chains, and
promised him to do the task which was given
me, and more, if possible, if he would desist
from flogging me. This he refused to do until
Saturday night, when he did set me free.—
This must rather be ascribed to his own interest
in preserving me from death, as it was very
evident I could no longer have survived under
such treatment.
After this, though still determined in my
own mind to escape, I stayed with him several
months, during which, he frequently flogged
me, but not so severely as before related.—
During this time, I had opportunity for reco¬
vering my health, and using means to heal my
wounds. My master's cruelty was not confined
to me, it was his general conduct to all his
slaves. I might relate many instances to sub¬
stantiate this, but will confine myself to one or
two. Mr. Gooch, it is proper to observe, was
a member of a Baptist Church, called Black
D
26
ROPER'S ESCAPE
Jack Meeting House, in Cash aw county, which
church I attended for several years, but was
never inside. This is accounted for, by the
fact, that the coloured population are not per¬
mitted to mix with the white population. In
the Roman Catholic church no distinction is
made. Mr. Gooch had a slave named Phil,
who was a member of a Methodist church;
this man was between seventy and eighty years
of age : he was so feeble that he could not ac¬
complish his tasks, for which his master used
to chain him round the neck, and run him
down a steep hill; this treatment he never re¬
linquished to the time of his death. Another
case, was that of a slave, named Peter, who,
for not doing his task, he flogged nearly to
death, and afterwards pulled out his pistol to
shoot him, but his, (Mr. Gooch's) daughter
snatched the pistol from his hand. Another
mode of punishment which this man adopted,
was that of using iron horns, with bells, at-
FROM SLAVERY.
27
tached to the back of the slave's neck. The
following is the instrument of torture :
A WOMAN WITH IRON HORNS AND BELLS
ON, TO KEEP HER FROM RUNNING AWAY.
This instrument he used to prevent the ne¬
groes running away, being a very ponderous
machine, several feet in height, and the cross
pieces being two feet four, and six feet in
length. This custom is generally adopted
among the slave holders in South Carolina,
28
ROPER'S ESCAPE
and some other slave States. One morning,
about an hour before day break, I was going
on an errand for my master; having proceed¬
ed about a quarter of a mile, 1 came up to a
man named King, (Mr. Sumlin's overseer,)
who had caught a young girl that had run
away with the above machine on her. She
had proceeded four miles from her station,
with the intention of getting into the hands of
a more humane master. She came up with
this overseer nearly dead, and could get no
farther; he immediately secured her, and took
her back to her master, a Mr. Johnson.
Having been in the habit of going over
many slave States with my master, I had good
opportunities of witnessing the harsh treat¬
ment which was adopted by masters towards
their slaves. As I have never heard or read
anything connected with slavery, so cruel as
what I have myself witnessed, it will be as
well to mention a case or two.
A large farmer, Colonel M'Quiller, in
FROM SLAVERY.
29
Cash aw county, South Carolina, was in the
habit of driving nails into a hogshead, so as to
leave the point of the nail just protruding in
the inside of the cask; into this, he used to
put his slaves for punishment, and roll^them
down a very long and steep hill. I have
heard from several slaves, (though I had no <
means of ascertaining the truth of the state¬
ment,) that in this way he had killed six or
seven of his slaves. This plan was first adopt¬
ed by a Mr. Perry, who lived on the Catarba
River, and has since been adopted by several,
planters. Another was, that of a young lad,
who had been hired by Mr. Bell, a member
of a holding church, to hoe three-quarters
of an acre of cotton per day. Having been
brought up as a domestic slave, he was not
able to accomplish the task assigned to him.
On the Saturday night, he left three or four
rows to do on the Sunday; on the same night
it rained very hard, by which the master could
tell that he had done some of the rows on the
3 D
30
ROPER'S ESCAPE
Sunday; on Monday, his master took and
tied him up to a tree in the field, and kept
him there the whole of that day, and flogged
him at intervals. At night, when he was ta¬
ken down, he was so weak that he could not
get home, having a mile to go. Two white
i men who were employed by Mr. Bell, put
him on a horse, took him home, and threw
him down on the kitchen floor, while they
proceeded to their supper. In a little time,
they heard some deep groans proceeding from
the kitchen, they went to see him die, he had
groaned his last. Thus, Mr. Bell flogged
the poor boy, even to death; for what ? for
breaking the Sabbath, when he (his master)
had set him a task, on Saturday, which it was
not possible for him to do, and which, if he
did not do no mercy would be extended to¬
wards him ! The general custom in this respect
is, that if a man kills his own slave, no notice
is taken of it by the civil functionaries; but if
a man kills a slave, belonging to another
FROM SLAVERY.
3f
master, he is compelled to pay the worth of
the slave. In this case, a jury met, returned
a verdict of " Wilful Murder" against this
man, and ordered him to pay the value. Mr.
Bell was unable to do this, but a Mr. Cun¬
ningham paid the debt, and took this Mr.
Bell, with this recommendation for cruelty, to^
be his overseer.
It will be observed, that most of the cases
here cited, are those in respect to males.
Many instances, however, in respect to fe¬
males, might be mentioned, but are too dis¬
gusting to appear in this narrative. The'
cases here brought forward are not rare, but
the continued feature of slavery. But I must
now follow up the narrative, as regards my¬
self, in particular. I stayed with this master
for several months, during which time we
went on very well in general. In August,.
1831, (this was my first acquaintance with
any date;) I happened to hear a man mention
this date^ and, as it excited my curiosity, I
32
ROPER'S ESCAPE
asked what it meant, they told me it was the
number of the year from the birth of Christ.
On this date, August, 1831, some cows broke
in a crib where the corn is kept, and ate a
great deal. For this, his slaves were tied up,
and received several floggings; but myself
and another man, hearing the groans of those
who were being flogged, stayed back in the
field, and would not come up. Upon this, I
thought to escape punishment. On the Mon¬
day morning, however, I heard my master
flogging the other man who was in the field ;
he could not see me, it being a field of Indian
corn, which grows to a great height. Being
afraid that he would catch me, and dreading
a flogging more than many others, I deter¬
mined to run for it; and, after travelling forty
miles, I arrived at the estate of Mr. Craw¬
ford, in North Carolina, Mecklinburgh coun¬
ty. Having formerly heard people talk about
the Free States, I determined upon going
thither, and, if possible, in my way to find out
FROM SLAVERY.
33
my poor mother, who was in slavery, several
hundred miles from Chester ; but the hope of
doing the latter, was very faiut, and, even if
I did, ic was not likely that she would know
me, having been separated from her when be¬
tween five and six years old.
The first night I slept in a barn, upon Mr.
Crawford's estate, and. having overslept my¬
self, was awoke by Mr. Crawford's overseer,
upon which I was dreadfully frightened; he
asked me, what I was doing there ? I made
no reply to him then; and he making sure
that he had secured a run-a-away slave, did
dot press me for an answer. On my way to
his house, however, I made up the following
story, which I told him in the presence of his
wife;—I said that I had been bound to a very
cruel master when I was a little boy, and that
having been treated very badly, I wanted to
get home to see my mother. This statement
may appear to some to be untrue, but as I
understood the word bound, I considered it to
34
ROPER'S ESCAPE
to apply to my case, having been sold to him,
and thereby bound to serve him ; though still,
I did rather hope that he would understand it,
that I was bound when a boy, till twenty-one
years of age. Though I was white at that
time, he would not believe my story, on ac¬
count of my hair being curly and woolly,
which led him to conclude I was possessed of
enslaved blood. The overseer's wife, how¬
ever, who seemed much interested in me, said
she did not think I was of the African origin,
and that she had seen white men still darker
than me; her persuasion prevailed; and af¬
ter the overseer had given me as much butter¬
milk as I could drink, and something to eat,
which was very acceptable, having had no¬
thing for two days, I set off for Charlotte, in
North Carolina, the largest town in the coun¬
ty. I went on very quickly the whole of that
day, fearful of being pursued. The trees were
very thick on each side of the road, and only
a few houses, at the distance of two or three
FROM SLAVERY.
35
miles apart; as I proceeded, I turned round
in all directions to see if I was pursued, and if
I caught a glimpse of any one coming along the
road, I immediately rushed into the thickest
part of the wood, to elude the grasp of what,
I was afraid, might be my master. I went
on in this way the whole day; at night, I
came up with two waggons, they had been to
market; the regular road waggons do not ge¬
nerally put up at inns, but encamp in the
roads and fields. When I came to them, I
told them the same story I had told Mr.
Crawford's overseer, with the assurance that
the statement would meet the same success.
After they had heard me, they gave me some¬
thing to eat, and also a lodging in the camp
with them.
I then went on with them about five miles,
and they agreed to take me with them as far
as they went, if I would assist them. This" I
promised to do. In the morning, however, I
was much frightened by one of the men put-
36
ROPER'S ESCAPE
ting several questions to ma—we were then
about three miles from Charlotte. When
within a mile of that town, we stopped at a
brook to water the horses; while stopping
there I saw the men whispering, and fancying
I overheard them say they would put me in
Charlotte gaol when they got there, I made
my escape into the woods, pretending to be
looking after something till I got out of their
sight. I then ran on as fast I could, but did
not go through the town of Charlotte, as had
been my intention, being a large town, I was
fearful it might prove fatal to my escape.
Here I was at a loss how to get on, as houses
were not very distant from each other for
nearly two hundred miles.
While thinking what I should do, I observed
some waggons before me, which I determined
to keep behind, and never go nearer to them
than a quarter of a mile—in this way I tra¬
velled till I got to Salisbury. If I happened
to meet any person on the road, I was afraid
FROM SLA.VERY.
37
they would take me up, I asked them how far
the waggons had gone on before me ? to make
them suppose I belonged to the waggons. At
night, I slept on the ground, in the woods,
some little distance from the waggons, but not
near enough, to be seen by the men belonging
to them. All this time, I had but little food,
principally fruit, which I found on the road.
On Thursday night, I got into Salisbury,
having left Chester ou the Monday morning
preceding. After this, being afraid my master
was in pursuit of me, I left the usual line of
road, and took another direction, through
Huntsville and Salem, principally through
fields and woods ; on my way to Caswell
Court-House, a distance of nearly two hundred
miles from Salisbury,* I was stopped by a
white man, to whom I told my old story, and
again succeeded in my escape. I also came
* The distance from Salisbury to Caswell Court-house
i9 not so far, but I had to go a round about way.
E
38
ROPER'S ESCAPE.
up with a small cart, driven by a poor man,
who had been moving into some of the western
territories, and was going back to Virginia, to
move some more of his luggage. On this, I
told him I was going the same way to Hilton,
thirteen miles from Caswell Court-House, he
took me up in his cart, and went to the Red
House, two miles from Milton, the place where
Mr. Mitchell took me from, when six years
old, to go to the Southern States. This was
a very providential circumstance, for it hap¬
pened, that at the time I had to pass through
Caswell Court-House, a fair or election was
going on, which caused the place to be much
crowded with people, and rendered it more
dangerous for me to pass through.
At the Red House I left the cart, and wan¬
dered about a long time, not knowing which
way to go and find my mother. After some
time, I took the road leading over Ilceo Creek.
I shortly came up with a little gill, about six
years old, and a^ked her wheie L>he vvab going,
FROM SLAVERY.
39
she said, to her mother's, pointing to a house
on a hill, half a mile off. She had been at the
overseer's house, and was returning to her
mother. I then felt some emotions arising in
my hreast, which I cannot describe, but will be
fully explained in the sequel. I told her I was
very thirsty, and would go with her to get
something to drink. On our way, I asked her
several questions, such as her name, that of her
mother, she said her's was Maria, and that her
mother's Nancy. I inquired, if her mother
had any more children P she said, five besides
herself, and that they had been told, that one
had been sold when a little boy. I then asked
the name of this child ? she said it was Moses.
These answers as we approached the house,
led me nearer and nearer to the finding out the
object of my pursuit, and of recognising in the
little girl, the person of my own sister.
40
BOPER'S ESCAPE
CHAPTER III.
An account of the Author's meeting with his mother,
who did not know him, but was with her a very short
time before he was taken by armed men, and impri¬
soned for thirty-one days, and then taken back to his
master.
At last I got to my mother's house !! my mo¬
ther was at home, I asked her if she knew me ?
she said, no. Her master was having a house
built close by, and as the men were digging a
well, she supposed that I was one of the dig¬
gers. I told her, I knew her very well, and
thought that if she looked at me a little, she
would know me, but this had no effect. I then
asked her if she had any sons ? she said, yes ;
but none so large as me. I then waited a few
minutes, and narrated some circumstances to
her, attending my being sold into slavery, and
how she grieved at my loss. Here the mother's
FROM SLAVERY
41
feelings on that dire occasion, and which, a
mother only can know, rushed to her mind:
she saw her own son before her, for whom she
had so often wept; and, in an instant, we were
clasped in each other's arms, amidst the ardent
interchange of caresses and tears of joy. Ten
years had elapsed since I had seen my dear
mother. My own feelings, and the circum¬
stances attending my coming home, have been
often brought to mind since, on a perusal of
the 42nd, 43rd, 44th, and 45th chapters of
Genesis. What could picture my feelings so
well, as I once more beheld the mother who
had brought me into the world, and had
nourished me, not with the anticipation of
my being torn from her maternal care, when
only six years old, to become the prey of a
mercenary and blood-stained slave holder : I
say, what picture so vivid in description of this
part of my tale, as the 7th and 8th verses of
the 42nd chapter of Genesis. " And Joseph
saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made
3 E
42
ROPER'S ESCAl'L
himself strange unto them. And Joseph knew
his brethren, but they knew not him." After
the first emotion of the mother, on recognising
her first-born, had somewhat subsided, could
the reader not fancy the little one, my sister,
as she told her simple tale of meeting with me
to her mother, how she would say, while the
parent listened with intense interest; " The
man asked me straitly of our state and our
kindred, saying, is your father yet alive, and
have ye another brother." Or, when at last, I
could no longer refrain from making myself
known, I say, I was ready to burst into a
frenzy of joy. How applicable the 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd verses of the 45th chapter, te Then
Joseph could not refrain himself before all them
that stood by him, and he wept aloud, and said
unto his brethren, I am Joseph, doth my lather
still live." Then when the mother knew her
son, when the brothers and sisters owned their
brother ; " he kissed all his brethren and wept
over them, and after that his brethren talked
FltOM SLAVEKY.
43
with him," 15th verse. At night, my mother's
husband, a blacksmith, belonging to Mr. Jef¬
ferson at the Red House, came home, he was
surprised to see me with the family, not know¬
ing who I was. He had been married to my
mother, when I was a babe, and had always
been very fond of me. After the same tale
had been told him, and the same emotions filled
his soul, he again kissed the object of his early
affection. The next morning I wanted to go
on my journey, in order to make sure of my
escape to the Free States. But, as might be
expected, my mother, father, brothers, and
sisters, could ill part with their long lost one;
and persuaded me to go into the woods in the
day time, and at night come home and sleep
there. This I did for about a week; on the
next Sunday night, I laid me down to sleep
between my two brothers, on a pallet, which
my mother had prepared for me ; about twelve
o'clock I was suddenly awoke, and found my
4i
ROPER'S ESCAPE
bed surrounded by twelve slave holders with
pistols in hand, who took me away (not allow¬
ing me to bid farewell to those I loved so dear¬
ly) to the Red House, where they confined me
in a room the rest of the night, and in the
morning lodged me in the gaol of Caswell
Court-House.
What was the scene at home, what sorrow
possessed their hearts, I am unable to describe,
as I never after saw any of them more. I
heard, however, that my mother was, soon af¬
ter I left, confined, and was very long before
the recovered the effects of this disaster.* I
was told afterwards, that some of ^those men
who took me were professing Christians, but,
to me, they did not seem to live up to what
they professed; they did not seem, by their
practice, at least, to recognise that God as
as their God, who hath said, " thou shalt not
* My mother had seven children living when I last
saw her, and the above one was bom soon after I left,
made the eigtth, and they are now all in slavery ex¬
cept myself.
from slavery.
45
deliver unto his master, the servant which is
escaped from his master unto thee, he shall
dwell with thee, even among you, in that
place which he shall choose, in one of thy
gates, where it liketh him best.; thou shalt
not oppress him.—Deut. xxiii. 15, 16.
I was confined here in a dungeon under
ground, the grating of which looked to the
door of the gaoler's house. His wife had a
great antipathy to me. She was Mr. Roper's
wife's cousin. My grandmother used to come
to me nearly every day, and bring me some¬
thing to eat, besides the regular gaol allow¬
ance, by which, my sufferings were somewhat'
decreased. Whenever the gaoler went out,
which he often did, his wife used to come to
my dungeon, and shut the wooden door over
the grating, by which I was nearly suffo¬
cated, the place being very damp and noisome.
My master did not hear of my being in gaol
for thirty-one days after I had been placed
there. He immediately sent his son, and
4G
EOPER'S ESCAPE
son-in-law, Mr. Anderson, after me. They
came in a horse and chaise, took me from the
gaol to a blacksmith's shop, and got an iron
collar fitted round my neck, with a heavy
chain attached, then tied my hands, and
fastened the other end of the chain on a horse,
and put me on its hack. Just before we started,
my grandmother came to bid me farewell;
I gave her my hand as well as I could, and
she having given me two or three presents,
we parted. I had felt enough, far too much,
for the weak state I was in; but how shall I
describe my feelings, upon parting with the
last relative that I ever saw. The reader
must judge by what would be his own feel¬
ings, under similar circumstances. We then
went on for fifty miles; I was very weak and
could hardly sit on the horse. Having been
in prison so long, I had lost the southern
tan ; and as the people could not see my hair,
having my hat on, they thought I was a
white man—a criminal—and asked me what
FROM SLAVERY.
47
crime I had committed. We arrived late at
night, at the house of Mr. Britton. I shall
never forget the journey that night. The
thunder was one continued roar, and the
lightning blazing all around. I expected
every minute that my iron collar would
attract it, and I should be knocked off the
horse, and dragged along the ground. This
gentleman, a year or two before had liberated
his slaves, and sent them into Ohio, having
joined the society of Friends, which society
does not allow the holding of slaves. I was,
therefore, treated very well there, and they
gave me a hearty supper, which did me much
good in my weak state.
They secured me in the night, by locking
me to the post of the bed on which they slept.
The next morning, we went on to Salisbury.
At that place we stopped to water the horses;
they chained me to a tree in the yard, by the
side of their chaise. On my horse they put
the saddle bags which contained the provi-
48
ROPER'S ESCAPE
sions. As I was in the yard, a black man
came and asked me what I had been doing, I
told him that I had run away from my master,
after which he told me several tales about the
slaves, and among them be mentioned the
case of a Quaker, who was then in prison,
waiting to be hung, for giving a free passage
to a slave. I had been considering all the
way, how I could escape from my horse, and
once had an idea of cutting his head off, but
thought it too cruel; and at last thought of
trying to get a rasp and cut the chain by
which I was fastened to the horse. As they
often let me get on a quarter of a mile before
them, I thought I should have a good op¬
portunity of doing this without being seen.
The black man procured me a rasp, and I
put it into the saddle bags which contained
the provisions. We then went on our journey,
and one of the sons asked me if I wanted any
thing to eat; I answered no, though very
hungry at the time, as I was afraid of their
FROM SLAVEEY.
49
going to the bags and discovering the rasp.
However, they had not had their own meal
at the inn as I had supposed, and went to
the bags to supply themselves, where they
found the rasp. Upon this, they fastened my
horse beside the horse in tbeir chaise, and
kept a stricter watch over me. Nothing
remarkable occurred till we got within eight
miles of Mr. Gooch's, where we stopped a
short time; and, taking advantage of their
absence, I broke a switch from some boughs-
above my head, lashed my horse, and set off
at full speed. I had got about a quarter of a
mile before they could get their horse loose
from their chaise; one then rode the horse,
and the other ran as fast as he could after me.
When I caught sight of them, I turned off
the main road into the woods, hoping to
escape their sight, their horse, however, being
much swifter than mine, they soon got within
a short distance of me. I then came to a
rail fence, which I found it very difficult to
F
50
roper's escape
get over, but breaking several rails away, I
effected my object. They then called upou
me to stop more than three times, and I not
doing so they fired after me, but the pistol
only snapped.
mb. anderson attempting to shoot the
author, after telling him to stop
three times, according to the law.
This is according to law ; after three calls
they may shoot a run-away slave. Soon after
the one on the horse came up with me, and
FROM SLAVERY.
51
catching hold of the bridle of my horse, push¬
ed the pistol to ray feide, the other soon came
up, and breaking off several stout branches
from the trees, they gave me about one hun¬
dred blows. This they did very near to a
planter's house, the gentleman was not at
home, but his wife came out and begged them
not to kill me so near the house ; they took
no notice of this, but kept on beating me.
They then fastened me to the axle tree of
their chaise, one of them got into the chaise,
the other took my horse, and they ran me all
the eight miles as fast as they could; the one
on my horse going behind to guard me.
52
ROPER'S ESCAPE
CHAPTER IV.
The Author is Flogged and Punished in various ways,
but still perseveres in his attempts to Escape, till he
was sold to Mr. Wilson.
In this way we came to my old master, Mr.
Gooch. The first person I saw was himself;
he unchained me from the chaise, and at first
seemed to treat me very gently, asking me
where I had been, &c. The first thing the
sons did was to show the rasp which I had
got to cut my chain. My master gave me a
hearty dinner, the best he ever did give me,
but it was to keep me from dying before he
had given me all the flogging he intended.
After dinner he took me to a log-house, strap¬
ped me quite naked, fastened a rail up very
high, tied my hands to the rail, fastened my
feet together, put a rail between my feet, and
from slavery.
53
stood on one end of it to hold me down; the
two sous then gave me fifty lashes eaoh, the
son-in-law another fifty, and Mr. Gooch him¬
self fifty more.
mr. gooch stripping the author to
flog him. his two sons and son in¬
law present. they at this time
give him fifty lashes each.
f 3
54
ROPER'S ESCAPE
While doing this his wife came out, and
begged him not to kill me, the first act of
sympathy I ever noticed in her. When 1
called for water, they brought a pail-full and
threw it over my back, ploughed up by the
the lashes. After this, they took me to the
blacksmith's shop, got two large bars of iron,
which they bent round my feet, each bar
weighing twenty pounds, and put a heavy log-
chain on my neck. This was on Saturday. On
the Monday, he chained me to the same fe¬
male slave as before. As he had to go out
that day, he did not give me the punishment
which he intended to giva me every day, but
at night when he came home, he made us
walk round his estate, and by all the houses
of the slaves, for them to taunt us ; when we
came home, he told us, we must be up very
early in the morning, and go to the field be¬
fore the other slaves. We were up at day¬
break, but we could not get on fast, on ac¬
count of the heavy irons on my feet. It may
FROM SLAVERY.
55
be necessary to state, here, that these irons
were first made red hot and bent in a circle,
so as just to allow of my feet going through ;
it having been cooled, and my leg with the
iron on lifted up to an anvil, it was made se¬
cure round my ancles. When I walked with
these irons on, I used to hold them up with
my hands by means of a cord. We walked
about a mile in two hours, but knowing the
punishment he was going to inflict on us, we
made up our minds to escape into the woods,
and secrete ourselves. This we did, and he
not being able to find us, which they could
not do ; and about twelve o'clock, when we
thought they would give up looking for us at
that time, we went on, and came to the banks
of the Catarba. Here I got a stone, and
opened the ring of the chain on her neck, and
got it off; and as the chain round my neck
was only passed through a ring, as soon as I
got her's off, I slipped the chain through my
56
ROPER'S ESCAPE
ring, and got it off my own neck.# We then
went on by the banks of the river for some dis¬
tance, and found a little canoe about two feet
wide. I managed to get in, although the
irons on my feet made it very dangerous, for
if I had upset the canoe, I could not swim.
The female got in after me, and gave me the
paddles, by which we got some distance down
the river. The current being very strong, it
drove us against a small island; we paddled
round the island to the other side, and then
made towards the opposite bank. Here again
we were stopped by the current, and made up
to a large rock in the river, between the is¬
land and the opposite shore. As the weather
was very rough, we landed on the rock and
secured the canoe, as it was not possible to
get back to the island. It was a very dark
night, and rained tremendously; and, as the
* It may be well to state here, that the ring
which fastened the log chain together around the fe¬
male's neck, was an open iron ring, similar to those
sed at the end of watch chains.
FROM SLAVERY.
57
water was rising rapidly towards the top of
the rock, we gave all up for lost, and some¬
times hoped, and sometimes feared to hope,
that we should never see the morning. Bat
Providence was moving in our favour; the
rain ceased, the water reached the edge of the
rock, then receded, and we were out of danger
from this cause. We remained all night upon
the rock, and in the morning reached the op¬
posite shore, and then made our way through
the woods till we came to a field of Indian
corn, where we plucked some of the green
ears and eat them, having had nothing for
two days and nights. We came to the estate
0f ^ where we met with a coloured
man who knew me, and having run away him¬
self from a bad master, he gave us some food,
and told us we might sleep in the barn that
night. Being very fatigued, we overslept
ourselves ; the proprietor came to the barn,
but as I was in one corner under some
Indian corn tops, and she in another, he did
£8
ROPER'S ESCAPE
not perceive us, and we did not leave the barn
before night, (Wednesday.) We then went
out, got something to eat, and strayed about
the estate till Sunday. On that day, I met
with some men, one of whom had had irons
on the same as me; he told me that his mas¬
ter was going out to see his friends, and that
he would try and get my feet loose ; for this
purpose I parted with this female, fearing, that
if she were caught with me, she would be
forced to tell who took my irons off. The
man tried some time without effect, he then
gave me a file and I tried myself, but was
disappointed on account of their thickness.
On the Monday, I went on towards Lan¬
caster, and got within three miles of it that
night; and went towards the plantation of
Mr. Crockett, as 1 knew some of his slaves,
and hoped to get some food given me. When
I got there, however, the dogs smelt me out
and barked; upon which, Mr. Crockett came
out, followed me with his rifle, and came up
FROM SLAVERY.
up with me. He put me on a horse's back,
which put me to extreme pain, from the great
weight hanging from my feet. We reached
Lancaster gaol that night, and he lodged me
there. I was placed in the next dungeon to a
man who was going to be hung. I shall never
forget his cries and groans, as he prayed all
night for the mercy of God. Mr. Gooch did
not hear of me for several weeks; when he
did, he sent his son-in-law, Mr. Anderson, af¬
ter me. Mr. Gooch himself came within a
mile of Lancaster, and waited until Mr. An¬
derson brought me. At this time I had but
one of the irons on my feet, having got so
thin round my ancles that I had slipped one
off while in gaol. His son-in-law tied my
hands, and made me walk along till we came
to Mr. Gooch. As. soon as we arrived at
M'Daniel's Ford, two miles above the Ferry,
on the Catarba river, they made me wade
across, themselves going on horseback. The
water was very deep, and having irons on one
60
ROPER'S ESCAPE
and round my neck, I could not keep a foot¬
ing. They dragged me along by my chain
on the top of the water. It was as much as
they could do to hold me by the chain, the
current being very strong. They then took
me home, flogged me, put extra irons on my
neck and feet, and put me under the drive1;
with more work than ever I had before. He
did not flog me so severely as before, but con¬
tinued it every day. Among the instruments
of torture employed, I here describe one :—
FROM SLAVERY.
61
THE AUTHOR HANGING BY HIS HANDS
TIED TO A COTTON SCREW.
* This screw is sometimes moved round by hand,
when there is a person hanging on it. The screw is
G
62
ROPER'S ESCAPE
This is a machine used for packing and
pressing cotton. By it he hung me up by the
hands at letter a, a horse, and at times, a man
moving round the screw e, and carrying it up
and down, and pressing the block c -into the
box d, into which the cotton is put. At this
time he hung me up for a quarter of an hour.
I was carried up ten feet from the ground,
when Mr. Gooch asked me if I was tired P
He then let me rest for five minutes, then car¬
ried me round again, after which, he let me
down and put me in the box d, and shut me'
down in it for about ten minutes. After this
torture, I stayed with him several months, and
did my work very well. It was about the be¬
ginning of 1832, when he took off my irons,
and being in dread of him, he having threat¬
ened me with more punishment, I attempted
again to escape from him. At this time I got
made with wood, a large tree cut down, and carved in
the shape of a screw.
FROM SLAVERY.
63
into North Carolina: but a reward having
been offered for me, a Mr. Robinson cauglit
me, and chained me to a chair, upon which
he sat up with me all night, and next day pro¬
ceeded home with me. This was Saturday.
Mr. Gooch had gone to church, several miles
from his house. When he came back, the
first thing he did was to pour some tar upon
my head, then rubbed it all over my face, took
a torch with pitch on, and set it on fire ; he
put it out before it did me very great injury,
but the pain which I endured was most excru¬
ciating, nearly all my hair having been burnt
off. On Monday, he put irons on me again,
weighing nearly fifty pounds. He threatened
me again on the Sunday with another flog¬
ging; and on the Monday morning, before
day-break, I got away again, with my irons
on, and was about three hours, going a dis¬
tance of two miles.* I had gone a good dis-
* It must be recollected, that when a person is two
64
ROPER'S ESCAPE.
tance, when I met with a coloured man, who
got some wedges, and took my irons off.
However, I was caught again, and put into
prison in Charlotte, where Mr. Gooch came,
and took me back to Chester. He asked me
how I got my irons off? They having been
got off by a slave, I would not answer his
question, for fear of getting the man punished.
Upon this, he put the fingers of my hands
into a vice, and squeezed all my nails off. He
then had my feet put on an anvil, and ordered
a man to beat my toes, till he smashed some
of my nails off. The marks of this treatment
still remain upon me, some of my nails never
having grown perfect since. He inflicted this
punishment, in order to get out of me how I
got my irons off, but never succeeded. After
miles from a house, in that part of the country, that he
can hide himself in the woods for weeks, and I knew a
slave who was hid for six months without discovery, the
trees being so thick.
FROM SLAVEEY.
65
this, he hardly knew what to do with me ;
the whole stock of his cruelties seemed to be
exhausted. He chained me down in the log-
house. Soon after this, he sent a female slave
to see if I was safe. Mr. Gooch had not
secured me as he thought; but had only run
my chain through the ring, without locking it.
This I observed; and while the slave was
coming, I was employed in loosening the
chain with the hand that was not wounded.
As soon as I observed her coming, I drew
the chain up tight, and she observing that I
seemed fast, went away and told her master,
who was in the field, ordering the slaves.
When she was gone, I drew the chain through
the ring, escaped under the flooring of the
log-house, and went on under it, till I came
out at the other side, and ran on ; but, being
sore and weak, X had not got a mile before I
was caught, and again carried back. He tied
me up to a tree in the woods at night, and
made his slaves flog me. I cannot say how
g 3
f>6
ROPER'S ESCAPE
many lashes I received; but it was the worst
flogging I ever had, and the last which Mr.
Gooch ever gave me.
There are several circumstances which oc¬
curred on this estate while I was there, rela¬
tive to other slaves, which it may be interest¬
ing to mention. Hardly a day ever passed
without some one being flogged. To one of
his female slaves he had given a dose of cas¬
tor oil and salts together, as much as she
could take;* he then got a box, about six feet
by two and a half, and one and a half feet
deep; he put this slave under the box, and
made the men fetch as many logs as they
could get, and put them on the top of it; un¬
der this she was made to stay all night. I
believe, that if he had given this slave one, he
had given her three thousand lashes. Mr.
Gooch was a member of a Baptist church.
His slaves thinking him a very bad sample
* The female whom Mr. Gooch chained me to.
FROM SLAVERY.
67
of what a professing Christian ought to be,
would not join the connexion he belonged to,
thinking they must be a very bad set of peo¬
ple : there were many of them members of the
Methodist Church.* On Sunday, the slaves
can only go to church at the will of their
master, when he gives them a pass for the
time they are to be out. If they are found by
the patrole after the time to which their pass
extends, they are severely flogged.
On Sunday nights a slave, named Allen,
used to come to Mr. Gooch's estate for the
purpose of exhorting and praying with his
brother slaves, by whose instrumentality many
of them had been converted. One evening,
Mr. Gooch caught them all in a room, turned
* In fact, in some of the States nearly all of the
slaves are Methodists; and when in the field at work,
they may be often heard singing these words, " I am
happy, I am happy, Lord pity poor me.—Me never
know what happiness was, until I joined de Methodists.
I am happy, Lord pity poor me."
68
ROPER'S ESCAPE
Allen out, and threatened his slaves with one
hundred lashes each, if they ever brought him
there again. At one time Mr. Gooch was
ill and confined to his room; if any of the
slaves had done anything which he thought
deserved a flogging, he would have them
brought into his bed-room and flogged before
his eyes.
With respect to food, he used to allow us
one peck of Indian meal per week, which,
after being sifted and the bran taken from
it, would not be much more than half a peck.
Meat we did not get for sometimes several
weeks together; however, he was proverbial
for giving his slaves more food than any other
slave-holder. I stayed with Mr. Gooch a
year and a half; during that time the scenes
of cruelty I witnessed and experienced, are
not at all fitted for these pages. There is
much to excite disgust in what has been nar¬
rated, but hundreds of other cases might be
mentioned.
FROM SLAVERY.
69
CHAPTER V.
I was not long with Mr. Wilson, who was a Negro tra¬
der, before he exchanged me to Mr. Rowland, who
was also a trader, for another slave, and after being
with him about a year, was sold to Mr. Goodly, who
exchanged me again to Mr. Louis.
After this, Mr. Gooch seeing that I was de¬
termined to get away from him, chained me,
and sent me with another female slave, whom
he had treated very cruelly, to Mr. Britton,
son of the before mentioned, a slave-dealer. We
were to have gone to Georgia to be sold, but
a bargain was struck before we arrived there.
Mr. Britton had put chains on me to please
Mr. Gooch, but having gone some little dis¬
tance we came up with a white man, who
begged Mr. Britton to unchain me ; he then
took off my handcuffs. We then went on to
Union Court House, where we met a drove
70
ROPER'S ESCAPE
of slaves belonging to Mr. Wilson, who ulti¬
mately bought me and sent me to his drove;
the girl was sold to a planter in the neighbour¬
hood as bad as Mr. Gooch.* In court week
the negro traders and slaves encamp a little
way out of the town. The traders here will
often sleep with the best looking female slaves
among them, and they will often have many
children in the year, which are said to be
slave holder's children, by which means,
through his villainy, he will make an immense
profit of this intercourse, by selling the babe
with its mother. They often keep an im¬
mense stock of slaves on hand; many of them
will be with the trader a year or more before
they are sold. Mr. Marcus Rowland, the
drover, who brought me, then returned with
his slaves to his brother's house (Mr. John
* As I am often asked " What became of the female
I was chained to ?" The above is the girl, whom I
have seen once since she was last sold, and from what
I saw of her then, I do not think she can be alive now.
FROM SLAVERY.
71
Rowland), where lie kept his drove on his
way to Virginia. He kept me as a kind of
servant. I had to grease the faces of the
blacks every morning with sweet oil, to make
them shine, before they are put up to sell.
After he had been round several weeks and
sold many slaves, he left me and some more at
his brother's house, while he went on to
Washington, about 600 miles, to buy some-
more slaves, the drove having got very smalL
We were treated very well while there, hav¬
ing plenty to eat and little work to do, in or¬
der to make us fat. I was brought up more-
as a domestic slave, as they generally prefer
slaves of my colour for that purpose. When
Mr. Rowland came back, having been absent
about five months, he found all the slaves well
except one female, who had been grieving
very much at being parted from her parents,
and at last died of grief. He dressed us very
nicely and went on again. I travelled with
him for a year, and had to look over th&
72
ROPER'S ESCAPE
slaves and see that they were dressed well,
had plenty of food, and to oil their faces.
During this time we stopped once at White
House Church, a Baptist Association ; a pro¬
tracted camp meeting was holding there, on
the plan of the revival meetings in this coun¬
try. We got there at the time of the meet¬
ing, and sold two female slaves on the Sunday
morning, at the time the meeting broke up, to
a gentleman who had been attending the meet¬
ing the whole of the week. While I was
with Mr. Rowland, we were at many such
meetings; and the members of the churches
are by this means so well influenced towards
their fellow creatures at these meetings for the
worship of God, that it becomes a fruitful
season for the drover, who carries on an im¬
mense traffic with the attendants at these
places. This is common to Baptists and Me¬
thodists. At the end of the year, he exchang¬
ed me to a farmer, Mr. David Goodley, for a
female slave in Greenville, about fourteen
FROM SLAVERY.
73
miles from Greenville Court House. This
gentleman was going to Missouri to settle,
and on his way had to pass through Ohio, a
free State. But having learnt after he bought
me, that I had before tried to get away to the
free States, he was afraid to take me with
him, and I was exchanged to a Mr. Louis.
a
74
ROPER'S ESCAPE
CHAPTER VI.
Travels with Mr. Louis to Pendleton Indian SpriDgs,
from thence to Columbus, where I was sold at auc¬
tion to Mr. Beveridge. Travels and history with Mr.
Beveridge.
Mr. Marvkl Louis was in the habit of tra¬
velling a great deal, and took me as a domes¬
tic slave to wait on him. Mr. Louis boarded
at the house of a Mr. Clevelin, a rich planter
at Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. L. was
paying his addresses to the daughter of this
gentleman, hut was surprised and routed in
his approaches, by a Colonel Dorkins, of
Union Court House, who ultimately carried
her off in triumph. After this, Mr. Louis
took to drinking, to drown his recollection of
disappointed love.
One day he went to Pendleton Races, and I
waited on the road for him; returning intoxi¬
cated he was thrown from his horse into a
FROM SIAVERY.
75
brook, and was picked up by a gentleman,
and taken to an inn, and I went there to take
care of him. Next day, he went on to Pun-
kintown with Mr. Warren It. Davis, a mem¬
ber of Congress; I went with him. This
was at the time of the agitation of the Union
and Nullifying party, which was expected to
end in a general war. The Nullifying party
had a grand dinner on the occasion, after
which, they gave their slaves all their refuse,
for the purpose of bribing them to fight on the
side of their party. The scene on this occa¬
sion was humorous, all the slaves scrambling
after hare bones and crumbs, as if they had
had nothing for weeks. When Mr. Louis
had got over this fit of drunkenness, we re¬
turned to Greenville, where I had little to do
except in the warehouse. There was preach¬
ing in the Court-house on the Sunday; but
scarcely had the sweet savour of the worship
of God passed away, when, on Monday, a
76
EOPEE'S ESCAPE
public auction was held for the sale of slaves,
cattle, sugar, iron, &c. by Z. Davis, the high
constable and others.
On these days X was generally very busy
in handing out the different articles for in¬
spection, and was employed in this way for
several months. After which, Mr. Louis left
his place for Pendleton; but his health get-
ing worse, and fast approaching consumption,
he determined to travel. I went with him
over Georgia to the Indian Springs, and from
there to Columbus; here he left me with
Lawyer Kemp, a member of the State As¬
sembly, to take care of his horses and carriage
till he came back from Cuba, where he went
for the benefit of his health. I travelled
round with Mr. Kemp, waiting until my
master came back. I soon after heard, that
Mr. Louis had died at Appalachicola, and
had been buried at Tennessee Bluff. I was
very much attached to the neighbourhood of
FROM SLAVERY.
77
Pendleton and Greenville, and feared, from
Mr. Louis's death, I should not get back
there.
As soon as this information arrived, Mr.
Kemp put me, the carriage and horses, a gold
watch, and cigars, up to auction, on which I
was much frightened, knowing there would be
some very cruel masters at the sale; and fear¬
ing, I should again be disappointed in my at¬
tempt to escape from bondage. A Mr. Be-
veridge, a Scotchman from Appalachicola,
bought me, the horses, and cigars.* He was
not a cruel master; he had been in America
eighteen years, and I believe, I was the first
slave he ever bought. Mr. Kemp had no
* How Mr. Beveridge ever became a slave-holder, I
cannot account for, for I believe him to be the only
kind slave-holder in America, and not only that, I have
been in England many years, and have never met with
a kinder man than Mr. Beveridge, and have often pray¬
ed that God would deliver him from that one sin, a sin
which he was kept from eighteen years.
H 3
78
KOPER'S ESCAPE
right to sell me, which he did, before he had
written to Mr. Louis's brother.
Shortly after this, Mr. Kemp, having had
some altercation with General Woodfork, it
ended in a duel, in which Mr. W. was killed.
A few weeks after, as Mr. Kemp was passing
down a street, he was suddenly shot dead by
Mr. Milton, a rival lawyer. When I heard
this, I considered it a visitation of God on
Mr. Kemp for having sold me unjustly, as I
did not belong to him. This was soon disco¬
vered by me, Mr. Louis's brother having cal¬
led at Mackintosh Hotel, Columbus, to claim
me, but which he could not effect. After this,
I travelled with Mr. Beveridge, through
Georgia, to the warm springs, and then came
back to Columbus, going on to Marianna, his
summer-house, in Florida.
Here I met with better treatment than I had
ever experienced before ; we travelled on the
whole summer ; at the fall, Mr. Beveridge
went to Appalacbicola on business. Mr. Be-
FROM SLAVERY.
79
veridge was contractor for the mail, from Co¬
lumbus to Appalachicola, and owner of three
steam-boats, the Versailles, Andrew Jackson,
and Van Buren. He made me steward on
board the Versailles, the whole winter. The
river then got so low that the boats could not
run. At this time, Mr. Beveridge went to
Mount Vernon. On our wav, we had to pass
through the Indian nation. We arrived at
Columbus, where I was taken dangerously ill
of a fever. After I got well, Mr. Beveridge
returned to Marianna, through the Indian na¬
tion. Having gone about twelve miles, he
was taken very ill.
I took him out of the carriage to a brook, and
washed his hands and face until he got better,
when I got him into the carriage again, and
drove off till we came to General Irving's,
where he stopped several days on account of
his health. While there, I observed on the
floor of the kitchen several children, one about
80
ROPER'S ESCAPE
three months old, without any body to take
care of her; I asked where her mother was,
and was told, that Mrs. Irving had given her
a very hard task to do at washing, in a brook,
about a quarter of a mile distant. We heard
after, that not being able to get it done, she
had got some cords, tied them round her neck,
climbed up a tree, swung off, and hung herself.
Being missed, persons were sent after her, who
observed several buzzards flyiag about a par¬
ticular spot, to which they directed their steps,
and found the poor woman nearly eaten up.
After this, we travelled several months
without any thing remarkable taking place.
FROM SLAVERY.
81
CHAPTER VII.
The Author's last Attempt and final Escape from Mari-
anna to Savannah, from thence to New York; Qua-
rantined at Staten Island.
In the year 1834, Mr. Beveridge, who was
now residing in Appalachicola, a town in West
Florida, became a bankrupt, when all his pro¬
perty was sold, and I fell into the hands of a
very cruel master, Mr. Register, a planter in
the same State ; of whom, knowing his savage
character, I always had a dread. Previously
to his purchasing me, he had frequently taunted
me, by saying, " you have been a gentleman
long enough, and, whatever may be the conse¬
quences I intend to buy you." To which I
remarked, that I would on no account live
with him if I could help it. Nevertheless, in¬
tent upon his purpose, in the month of July,
82
BOPEK'S ESCAPE
1834, he bought me; after which I was so
exasperated, that I cared not whether I lived
or died ; in fact, whilst I was on my passage
from Appalachicola, I procured a quart bottle
of whiskey, for the purpose of so intoxicating
myself, that I might be able either to plunge
myself into the river, or so enrage my master
that he should dispatch me forthwith. I was,
however, by a kind Providence, prevented from
committing this horrid deed by an old slave on
board, who, knowing my intention, secretly
took the bottle from me; after which my hands
were tied, and I was led into the town of
Ochesa, to a warehouse, where my master was
asked by the proprietor of the place, the reason
of his confining my hands: in answer to which
Mr. Register said, that he had purchased me.
The proprietor, however, persuaded him to untie
me; after which, my master being excessively
drunk, asked for a cow-hide, intending to flog
FROM SLAVERY.
83
me, from which the proprietor dissuaded him,
saying, that he had known me for some time,
and he was sure that I did not require to be
flogged. From this place we proceeded about
mid-day on oui1 way, he placed me on the bare
back of a half-starved old horse, which he had
purchased, and upon which sharp surface, he
kindly intended I should ride about eighty
miles, the distance we were then from his
home. In this unpleasant situation I could
not help reflecting upon the prospects before
me, not forgetting that I had heard my new
master had been in the habit of stealing cattle
and other property, and among other things a
slave woman, and that I had said, as it after¬
wards turned out, in the hearing of some one
who communicated the saying to my master,
that I had been accustomed to live with a gen¬
tleman and not with a rogue ; and, finding that
he had been informed of this, I had the addi-
84
ROPER'S ESCAPE
tional dread of a few hundred laslies for it, on
my arrival at my destination.
About two hours after we started it began
to rain very heavily, and continued to do so
until we arrived at Marianna, about twelve at
night, when we were to rest till morning. My
master here questioned me as to whether I in¬
tended to run away or not; and, I not then
knowing the sin of lying, at once told him that
I would not. He then gave me his clothes to
dry ; I took them to the kitchen for that pur¬
pose, and he retired to bed, taking a bag of
clothes belonging to me with him, as a kind of
security, I presume, for my safety. In an
hour or two afterwards, I took his clothes to
him dried, and found him fast asleep. I placed
them by his side, and said that I would then
take my own to dry too, taking care to speak
loud enough to ascertain whether he was asleep
or not, knowing that he had a dirk and pistol
by his side, which he would not have hesitated
using against me, if I had attempted secretly
FROM SLAVERY.
85
to have procured them. I was glad to find
that the effects of his drinking the day before
had caused his sleeping very soundly, and I
immediately resolved on making my escape;
and without loss of time started with my few
clothes into the woods, which were in the im¬
mediate neighbourhood ; and, after running
many miles, I came up to the river Chapoli,
which is very deep, and so beset with alliga¬
tors, that 1 dared not attempt to swim across.
I paced up and down this river, with the
hope of finding a conveyance across, for a
whole day, the succeeding night, and till noon
on the following day, which was Saturday.
About twelve o'clock on that day I discovered
an Indian canoe, which had not from all ap¬
pearance been used for some time; this of
course, I used to convey myself across, and
after being obliged to go a little way down the
river, by means of a piece of wood I provi¬
dentially found in the boat, I landed on the
opposite side. Here I found myself surround-
86
ROPER'S ESCAPE
ed by planters looking for me, in consequence
of which, I hid myself in the bushes until
night, when I again travelled several miles to
the farm of a Mr. Robinson, a large sugar and
cotton planter, where I rested till morning in
a field. Afterwards I set out, working my
way through the woods, about twenty miles
towards the east; this I knew by my know¬
ledge of the position of the sun at its rising.
Having reached the Chattahoochee river,
which divides Florida from Georgia, I was
again puzzled to know how to cross ; it was
about three o'clock in the day, when a number
of persons were fishing; having walked for
fcome hours along the banks, I at last, after
dark, procured a ferry-boat, which not being
able, from the swiftness of the river, to steer
direct across, I was carried many miles down
the river, landing on the Georgian side, from
whence I proceeded on through the woods two
or three miles, and came to a little farm-house
about twelve o'clock at night; at a short dis-
FROM SLAVERY.
87
tance from the house I found an old slave hut,
into which I went, and informed the old man
who appeared seventy or eighty years old, that
I had had a very bad master, from whom I
run away; and asked him, if he could give
me something to eat, having had no suitable
food for three or four days; he told me he
had nothing but a piece of dry Indian bread,
which he cheerfully gave ine ; having eaten it,
I went on a short distance from the hut, and
laid down in the wood to rest for an hour or
two. All the following day (Monday) I con¬
tinued travelling through the woods, and was
greatly distressed for want of water to quench
my thirst, it being a very dry country, till I
came to Spring Creek, which is a wide, deep
stream, and with some of which I gladly
quenched my thirst. I then proceeded to
cross the same, by a bridge close by, and con¬
tinued my way until dusk. I came to a gen¬
tleman's house in the woods, where I inquired
how far it was to the next house, taking care
88
ROPER'S ESCAPE
to watcli an opportunity to ask some individ¬
ual whom I could master, and get away from,
if any interruption to my progress was at¬
tempted. I went on for some time, it being a
very fine moonlight night, and was presently
alarmed by the howling of a wolf near me;
which, I concluded, was calling others to join
him in attacking me, having understood that
they always assemble in numbers for such a
purpose ; the howling increased, and I was
still pursued, and the numbers were evidently
increasing fast; but I was happily rescued
from my dreadful fright, by coming to some
cattle, which attracted, as I supposed, the
wolves, and saved my life; for I could not
get up the trees for safety, they being very tall
pines, the lowest branches of which were, at
least, forty or fifty feet from the ground, and
the trunks very large and smooth.
About two o'clock I came to the house of a
Mr. Cherry, on the borders of the Flint River,
I went up to the house, and called them up to
FROM SLAVERY.
89
beg something to eat; but having nothing
cooked, they kindly allowed me to lie down in
the porch, where they made me a bed. In
conversation with this Mr. Cherry, I discover¬
ed that I had known him before, having been
in a steam-boat, the Versailles, some months
previous, which sunk very near his house, but
which I did not at first discern to be the same.
I then thought it would not be prudent for me
to stop there, and, therefore, told them, I was
in a hurry to get on, and must start very early
again, he having no idea who I was; and I
gave his son six cents to take me across the
river, which he did when the sun was about
half an hour high, and unfortunately landed
me where there was a man building a boat,
who knew me very well, and my former mas¬
ter too,—he calling me by name, asked me
where I was going.
I was very much frightened at being dis¬
covered, but summoned up courage, and said,
that my master had gone to Tallyhassa by the
3 r
PO
ROPER'S ESCAPE
coach, and that there was not room for me,
and I had to walk round to meet him. I then
asked the man to put me in the best road to
get there, which, however, I knew as well as
he did, having travelled there before; he di¬
rected me the best way; but I, of course, took
the contrary direction, wanting to get on to
Savannah. By this hasty and wicked decep¬
tion, I saved myself from going to Bainbridge
prison, which was close by, and to which I
should certainly have been taken had it been
known that I was making my escape.
Leaving Bainbridge, X proceeded about for¬
ty miles, travelling all day under a scorching
sun, through the woods in which I saw many
deer and serpents, until I reached Thomas
Town, in the evening. I there inquired the
way to Augusta, of a man whom I met, and
also asked where I could obtain lodgings, and
was told there was a poor minister about a
mile from the place who would give me lodg¬
ings. I accordingly went, and found them in
FROM SLAVERY.
91
a little log-house, where, having awakened
the family, I found them all lying on the bare
hoards, where I joined them, for the remain¬
der of the night.
In the morning the old gfentleman prayed
for me, that I might be preserved on my jour¬
ney; he had previously asked me where I
was going, and knowing, that if I told him
the right place, any that inquired of him for
me would be able to find me, asked the way
to Augusta, instead of Savannah, my real des¬
tination. I also told him, that I was partly
Indian and partly white, but I am also partly
African, but this I omitted to tell him, know¬
ing if I did I should be apprehended. After
I had left this hut, I again enquired for Au¬
gusta, for the purpose of misleading my pur¬
suers, but I afterwards took my course through
the woods, and came into a road, called the
Coffee road, which General Jackson cut down
for his troops at the time of the war, between
the Americans and Spaniards, in Florida;, ia
92
ROPER'S ESCAPE
which road there are but few houses, and
which I preferred for the purpose of avoiding
detection.
After several days I left this road, and took
a more direct way to Savannah, where I had
to wade through two rivers before I came
to the Alatamah, which I crossed in a ferry¬
boat, about a mile below the place where the
rivers Oconee and Ocmulgee run together into
one river, called the Alatamah. I here met
with some cattle drovers, who were collecting
cattle to drive to Savannah. On walking on
before them, I began to consider in what way
I could obtain a passport for Savannah, and
determined on the following plan:—
I called at a cottage, and after I had talked
sometime with the wife, who began to feel
greatly for me, in consequence of my telling
her a little of my history, (her husband being
out hunting) I pretended to show her my
passport, feeling for it everywhere about my
coat and hat, and not finding it, I went back
FBOM SLAVEEY.
93.
a little way, pretending to look for it, but
came back, saying, I was very sorry, but I did
not know where it was. At last, the matt
came home, carrying a deer upon his shoul¬
ders, which he brought into the yard, and be¬
gan to dress it. The wife then went out to
tell him my situation, and after long persua¬
sion, he said he could not write, but that if I
could tell his son what was in my passport,
he should write me one; knowing that I should
not be able to pass through Savannah without
one, and having heard several free coloured
men read theirs, I thought I could tell the boy
what to write. The lad sat down and wrote
what I told him, nearly filling a large sheet of
paper for the passport, and another with re¬
commendations. These being completed, I
was invited to partake of the fresh venison,
which the woman of the house had prepared
for dinner, and having done so, and feeling
grateful for their kindness, I proceeded on my
way. Going along, I took my papers out of
94
KOPEB'S ESCAPE
my pocket, and looking at them, although I
could not read a word, I perceived that the
boy's writing was very unlike other writing
that I had seen, and was greatly blotted besides,
consequently, I was afraid that these docu¬
ments would not answer my purpose, and be¬
gan to consider what other plan I could pur¬
sue to obtain another pass.
I had now to wade through another river
to which I came, and which I had great dif¬
ficulty in crossing, in consequence of the
water overflowing the banks of several rivers
to the extent of upwards of twenty miles. In
the midst of the water, I passed one night
upon a small island, and the next day I went
through the remainder of the water. On many
occasions, I was obliged to walk upon my
toes, and consequently, found the advantage of
being six feet two inches high, (I have grown
three inches since,) and at other times was
obliged to twim. In the middle of this ex¬
tremity, I felt it would be imprudent for me
FROM SLAVERY.
95
to return; for if my master was in pursuit of
me, my safest place from him was in the wa¬
ter, if I could keep my head above the sur¬
face. I was, however, dreadfully frightened
at the crocodiles, and most earnestly prayed
that I might be kept from a watery grave,
and resolved, that if again I landed, I would
spend my life in the service of God.
Having, through mercy, again started on
my journey, I met with the drovers ; and hav¬
ing, whilst in the waters, taken the pass out
of my hat, and so dipped it in the water as to
spoil it, I showed it to the men, and asked
them where I could get another. They told
me, that in the neighbourhood, there lived a
rich cotton merchant who would write me one.
They took me to him, and gave their word,
that they saw the passport before it was wet,
(for I had previously showed it to them,) upon
which, the cotton-planter wrote a free pass
and a recommendation, to which the cow-dro¬
vers affixed their marks.
•96
EOPEE'S ESCAPE
The recommendation was as follows:—
" John Roper, a very interesting young lad,
•whom I have seen and travelled with for
eighty or ninety miles on his road from Flo¬
rida, is a free man, descended from Indian
and white. I trust, he will be allowed to pass
on without interruption, being convinced from
what I have seen, that he is free, and though
dark, is not an African. I had seen his pa¬
pers before they were wetted."
These cow-drovers, who procured me the
passport and recommendation from the cotton-
planter, could not read; and they were intox¬
icated when they went with me to him. I
am part African, as well as Indian and white,
my father, being a white man, Henry Roper,
Esq., Caswell County, North Carolina, U. S.,
a very wealthy slave-holder, who sold me
when quite a child, for the strong resemblance
I bore him. My mother is part Indian, part
African; but I dared not disclose that, or I
should have been taken up. I then had eleA'en
FROM SLAVERY.
97
miles to go to Savannah, one of the greatest
slave-holding cities in America, and where
they are always looking out for run-away
slaves. When at this city, I had travelled
about five hundred miles.* It required great
courage to pass through this place. I went
through the main street with apparent confi¬
dence, though much alarmed ; did not stop at
any house in the city, but went down immedi¬
ately to the docks, and inquired for a berth,
as a steward to a vessel to New York. I had
been in this capacity before on the Appalachi-
cola River. The person whom I asked to
procure me a berth, was steward of one of the
New York Packets ; he knew Captain Dec-
kay, of the schooner Fox, and got me a situ¬
ation on board that vessel, in five minutes after
I had been at the docks. The schooner Fox
was a very old vessel, twenty-seven years old,
* The distance between these two places is much
less than fire hundred miles; but I was obliged to tra¬
vel round about, in order to avoid bei caught.
K
98
ROPER'S ESCAPE
laden with lumber and cattle for New York;
she was rotten, and could not be insured.
The sailors were afraid of her; but I ventured
on board, and five minutes after, we dropped
from the docks into the river. My spirits
then began to revive, and I thought I should
get to a free country directly. We cast an¬
chor in the stream, to keep the sailors on, as
they were so dissatisfied with the vessel, and
lay there four days; during which time, I had
to go into the city several times, which expo¬
sed me to great danger, as my master was
after me, and I dreaded meeting him in the
city.
Fearing the Fox would not sail before I
should be seized, I deserted her, and went on
board a brig sailing to Providence, that was
towed out by a steam-boat,* and got thirty
* An iron boat, the first that was ever built in Ame
rica, belonging to Mr. Lemayor, and this was also ths
first time she sailed.
FROM SLAVERY.
99
miles from Savannah. During this time I
endeavoured to persuade the steward to take
me as an assistant, and hoped to have accom¬
plished my purpose ; but the captain had ex¬
amined me attentively, and thought I was a
slave, he therefore ordered me, when the
steam-boat was sent back, to go on board her
to Savannah, as the fine for taking a slave
from that city to any of the Free States, is
five hundred dollars. I reluctantly went back
to Savannah, among slave-holders and slaves.
My mind was in a sad state; and I was under
strong temptation to throw myself into the
river, I had deserted the schooner Fox, and
knew that the captain might put me into pri¬
son till the vessel was ready to sail; if this
happened, and my master had come to jail in
search of me, I must have gone back to sla¬
very. But when I reached the docks at Sa¬
vannah, the first person I met was the cap¬
tain of the Fox, looking for another steward
100
ROPER'S ESCAPE
in my place. He was a very kind man, be¬
longing to the Free States, and inquired if I
would go back to his vessel. This usage was
very different to what I expected, and I gladly
accepted his offer. This captain did not
know that I was a slave. In about two days
we sailed from Savannah for New York.
I am (August 1834) unable to express the
joy I now felt. I never was at sea before,
and, after I had been out about an hour, was
taken with sea-sickness, which continued five
days. I was scarcely able to stand up, and
one of the sailors was obliged to take my
place. The captain was very kind to me all
this time; but even after I recovered, I was
not sufficiently well to do my duty properly,
and could not give satisfaction to the sailors,
who swore at me, and asked me why I ship¬
ped, as I was not used to the sea ? We had
a very quick passage ; and in six days, after
leaving Savannah, we were in the harbour at
Statten Island, where the vessel was quaran-
FROM SLAVERY. 101
tined for two days, six miles from New York.
The captain went to the city, but left me
aboard with the sailors, who had most of them
been brought up in the slave holding States,
and were very cruel men. One of the sailors
was particularly angry with me, because he
had to perform the duties of my place; and
while the captain was in the city, the sailors
called nae to the fore-hatch, where they said
they would treat me. I went, and while I
was talking, they threw a rope round my neck,
and nearly choked me. The blood streamed
from my nose profusely. They also took up
ropes with large knots, and knocked me over
the head. They said, I was a negro ; they
despised me ; and I expected they would have
thrown me into the water. When we arrived
at the city, these men, who had so ill-treated
me, ran away that they might etcape the pun¬
ishment which would otherwise have been in¬
flicted on them.
3 F
102
ROPER'S ESCAPE
CHAPTER VIII.
Arrived in New York, went on to Poughkeepsie, Albany,
Rogester, Vermont, Boston, and return to New York
—Embarked for England.
When I arrived in the city of New York, I
thought I was free ; but learned I was not,
and could be taken there. I went out into
the country several miles, and tried to get em¬
ployment ; but failed, as I had no recommen¬
dation. I then returned to New York ; but
finding the same difficulty there to get work,
as in the country, I went back to the vessel,
which was to sail eighty miles up the Hudson
river, to Poughkeepsie. When I arrived, I
obtained employment at an inn, and after I
had been there about two days, was seized
with the cholera, which was at that place.
The complaint was, without doubt, brought on
by my having subsisted on fruit only, for sev-
FROM SLAVERY.
103
eral days, while I was in the slave States.
The landlord of the inn came to me when I
was in bed, suffering violently from cholera,
and told me, he knew I had that complaint,
and as it had never been in his house, I could
not stop there any longer. No one would en¬
ter my room, except a young lady, who ap¬
peared very pious and amiable, and had visit¬
ed persons with the cholera. She immediate¬
ly procured me some medicine [at her own
expense, and administered it herself; and
whilst I was groaning with agony, the land¬
lord came up and ordered me out of the house
directly, Most of the persons in Poughkeep-
sie had retired for the night, and I lay under
a shed on some cotton bales. The medicine
relieved me, having been given so promptly
and next morning I went from the shed, and
laid on the banks of the river below the city.
Towards evening, I felt much better, and went
on in a steam-boat, to the city of Albany,
about eighty miles. When I reached there, I
104
ROPER'S ESCAPE
went into the country, and tried for three or
four day* to procure employment, but failed.
At that time I had scarcely any money, and
lived upon fruit; so I returned to Albany,
where I could get no work, as I could not
Bhow the recommendations I possessed, which
were only from slave States; and I did not
wish any one to know I came from them.
After a time, I went up the western canal, as
steward, in one of the boats. When I had
gone about 350 miles up the canal, I found I
was going too much towards the slave States;
in consequence of which, I returned to Albany,
and went up the northern canal, into one of
the New England States—Vermont. The
distance I had travelled, including the 350
miles I had to return from the west, and the
100 to Vermont, was 2300 miles. When I
reached Vermont, I found the people very
hospitable and kind: they seemed opposed to
slavery, so I told them I was a run-away
FROM SLAVERY.
105
slave. I hired myself to a firm in Sudbury.*
After I had been in Sudbury some time, the
neighbouring farmers told me, that I had
hired myself for much less money than I
ought. I mentioned it to my employers, who
were very angry about it; I was advised to
leave by some of the people round, who
thought the gentlemen I was with would
write to my former master, informing him
where I was, and obtain the reward fixed
upon me. Fearing I should be taken, I im¬
mediately left, and went into the town of Lud-
* During my stay in this town, I thought of the vow
I made in the water, (page 92,) and I became more
thoughtful about the salvation of my soul. I attended
the Methodist Chapel, where a Mr. Benton preached
and there I began to feel that I was a great sinner.
During the latter part of my stay here, I became more
anxious about salvation, and I entertained the absurd
notion that religion would come to me in some extraor¬
dinary way. With this impression, I used to go into,
the woods two hours before day light to pray, and ex¬
pected something would take place, and I should become
religious.
106
ROPER'S ESCAPE
low, where I met with a kind friend, Mr. —,*
who sent me to school for several weeks. At
this time, I was advertised in the papers, and
was obliged to leave. I went a little way out
of Ludlow, to a retired place, and lived two
weeks with a Mr. , deacon of a Baptist
church at Ludlow: at this place I could have
obtained education, had it been safe to have
remained.-f From there I went to New
* It would not be proper to mention any names, as a
person in any of the States in America, found harbouring
a slave, would have to pay a heavy fine.
+ Whilst in this neighbourhood, I attended the Bap¬
tist Meeting, and trust the preaching of the gospel was
much blessed to my soul. As this was the first time I
was ever favoured with any education, I was very intent
upon learning to read the Bible, and in a few weeks I was
able, from my own reading, to repeat by heart the whole
of the last chapter of Matthew. I also attended the
prayer and inquiry meetings, where the attendants used
to relate their experience, and I was requested to do the
same. I found these meetings a great blessing, and
they were the means, under God, of communicating to
my mind a more clear and distinct knowledge of the
way of salvation by Jesus Christ.
FROM SLAVERY.
107
Hampshire, where I was not safe, so went to
Boston, Massachusetts, with the hope of re¬
turning to Ludlow, to which place I was much
attached. At Boston, I met with a friend,
who kept a shop, and took me to assist him
for several weeks. Here I did not consider
myself safe, as persons from all parts of the
country were continually coming to the shop,
and I feared some might come who knew me.
I now had my head shaved, and bought a
wig, and engaged myself to a Mr. Perkins,
of Brookline, three miles from Boston, where
I remained about a month. Some of the
family discovered that I wore a wig, and said
that I was a run-away slave ; but the neigh¬
bours all round thought I was a white, to
prove which, I have a document in my pos¬
session to call me to military duty. The law
is, that no slave or coloured person performs
this, but every other person in America, of
the age of twenty-one, is called upon to per-
108
roper's escape
form duty, military once or twice in the year,
or pay a fine.
copy op the document.
'' Mr. Moses Roper,
" You being duly enrolled as a sol¬
dier in the Company, under the command of
Captain Benjamin Bradley, are hereby notifi¬
ed and ordered to appear at the Town House,
in Brookline, on Friday, 28th instant, at 3
o'clock, p.m., for the purpose of filling the
vacancy in said Company, occasioned by the
promotion of Lieut. Nathaniel M. Weeks,
and of filling any other vacancy which may
then and there occur in said Company, and
there wait further orders.
" By order of the Captain,
•' F. P. Went worth, Clerk.
' Brookline, August, 14<A, 1835.*
* Being very tall, I was taken to be twenty one; but
my correct age, as far as I can tell, is stated in page 15.
FROM SLAVERY. 109
I then returned to the city of Boston, to
the shop where I was before.* Several weeks
after I had returned to my situation, two co¬
loured men informed me, that a gentleman had
been inquiring for a person, whom, from
the description, I knew to be myself, and of¬
fered them a considerable sum if they would
disclose my place of abode; but they, being
much opposed to slavery, came and told me ;
upon which information, I secreted myself till
I could get off. I went into the Green moun-
* During the first part of my abode in this city, I at¬
tended at the coloured church in Bellnap Street; and I
hope I found both profit and pleasure in attending the
means of divine grace. I now saw the wicked part I
had taken in using so much deception in making my
escape. After a time, I found slave owners were in the
habit of going to this coloured chapel to look for run¬
away slaves. I became alarmed, and afterwards attended
the preaching of the Rev. Dr. Sharp. I waited upon
the Doctor to request he would baptise me, and admit
me a member of his church; and after hearing my ex¬
perience, he wished me to call again. This I did, but
he was gone into the country, and I saw him no more.
L
110
ROPER'S ESCAPE
tains for several weeks, from thence to the city
of New York, and remained in secret several
days, till I heard of a ship, the Napoleon,
sailing to England, and on the 11th of
November, 1835, 1 sailed, taking my letters
of recommendation, to the Drs. Morrison
and Raffles, and the Rev. Alexander Fletcher.
The time I first started from slavery, was
in July, 1834, so that I was nearly sixteen
mouths in making my escape.
FEOM SLAVERY.
Ill
CHAPTER IX.
The Author arrives at Liverpool, November 29tb, 1835
—Manchester.—London.
On the 29th of November, 1835, I reached
Liverpool; and my feelings when I first
touched the shores of Britain were indescriba¬
ble, and can only be properly understood by
those who have escaped from the cruel bondage
of slavery.
" 'Tis liberty alone, that gives the flower of fleeting life
its lustre and perfume;
And we are weeds without it."
" Slaves cannot breathe in England :
If their lungs receive our air, that moment they are free
They touch our country, and their shackles fall."
Cowper.
When I reached Liverpool, I proceeded to
Dr. Raffles, and handed my letters of recom¬
mendation to him. He received me very
112
ROPER'S ESCAPE
kindly, and introduced me to a member of his
church, with whom I stayed the night.—
Here I met with the greatest attention and
kindness. The next day I went to Manches¬
ter, where I met with many kind friends;
among others, Mr. Adshead, of that town, to
whom I desire, through this medium, to re¬
turn my most sincere thanks for the many great
services which he rendered me, adding both to
my spiritual and temporal comfort. I would
not, however, forget to remember here Mr-
Leese, Mr. Giles, Mr. Crewdson, and Mr.
Clare, the latter of whom, gave me a letter to
Mr. Scoble, the secretary of the Anti-slavery
Society. I remained here several days, and
then proceeded to London, December 12th,
1835, and immediately called on Mr. Scoble,
to whom I delivered my letter. This gentle¬
man procured me a lodging. I thenlost no time
in delivering my letters to Dr. Morison and
the Rev. Alexander Fletcher, who received
me with the greatest kindness; and shortly
FROM SLAVERY.
113
after this, Dr. Morison sent my letter from
New York, with another from himself, to the
Patriot Newspaper, in which he kindly im¬
plored the sympathy of the public in my behalf
The appeal was read by Mr. Christopherson,
a member of Dr. Morrison's church, of which
gentleman, I express but little of my feelings
and gratitude, when I say, that throughout he
has been towards me a parent, for whose ten¬
derness and sympathy I desire ever to feel that
attachment which I do not know, how to ex¬
press.
I stayed at his house several weeks, being
treated as one of the family. The appeal in
the Patriot, referred to getting a suitable
academy for me, which the Rev. Dr. Cox re¬
commended at Hackney, where I remained
half a year, going through the rudiments of an
English education. At this time, I attended
the ministry of Dr. Cox, which I enjoyed very
much, and to which I ascribe the attainment
of clearer views of divine grace that I had
3 L
114
ROPER'S ESCAPE
before. 1 had attended here several months,
when I expressed my wish to Dr. Cox, to
become a member of his church, I was pro¬
posed ; and after stating my experience, was
admitted, March 31st, 1836.
Here it is necessary that I should draw this
narrative to a close, not that my materials are
exhausted, but that I am unwilling to extend
it to a size which might preclude many well-
wishers from the possession of it.
But I must remark, that my feeling of hap¬
piness at having escaped from cruel bondage,
are not unmixed with sorrow of a very touch¬
ing kind. " The Land of the Free" still
contains the mother,* the brothers, and the
* About five months ago the Author wrote to Dr.
Gallon, his mother's master, to know what sum would
be sufficient to purchase her freedom, and he has re¬
ceived the following painful answer:—
Milton, North Carolina,
Aug. 28th, 1839.
" Your mother and her family were transferred from
this place, two or three years ago, to Grunsborough, in
FROM SLAVERY.
115
sister of Moses Roper, not enjoying liberty,
not the possessors of like feelings with me,
not having even a distant glimpse of advanc¬
ing towards freedom, but still slaves ! This
is a weight which hangs heavy on me. As-
circumstances at present stand, there is not
much prospect of ever again seeing those dear
ones, from whom, on the Sunday night, I was
torn away by armed slave holders, and carried
into cruel bondage.* And nothing would
contribute so much to my entire happiness, if
the kindness of a gracious Providence should
ever place me in such favourable circum¬
stances, as to be able to purchase their free¬
dom. But I desire to express my entire re¬
signation to the will of God. Should that
Divine Being who made of one flesh all the
the State of Alabama, and regret to inform you tlaat
your mother is since dead."
The author has since ascertained that the above
is untrue, and sent merely to annoy him,
April, 1843.
* See page 44.
116
ROPER'S ESCAPE
kindreds of the earth, see fit that I should
again clasp them to my breast, and see in
them the reality of free men and free women,
how I, a poor mortal, be enabled to sing a
strain of praise sufficiently appropriate to such
a boon from heaven.
Bat if the all-wise disposer of all things
should see fit to keep them still in suffering
and bondage, it is a mercy to know that he
orders all things well, that he is still the judge
of all the earth, and that under such dispensa¬
tions of his providence, he is working out that
which shall be most for the advantage of his
creatures.
Whatever I may have experienced in Ame¬
rica, at the hands of cruel taskmasters, yet I
am unwilling to speak in any but respectful
terms of the land of my birth. It is far from
my wish to attempt to degrade America in the
eyes of Britons. I love her institutions in the
Free States, her zeal for Christ; I bear no
enmity even to the slave-holders, but regret
FROM SLAVERY.
117
their delusions, many I am aware are deeply
sensible of the fault, but some I regret to say
are not, and I could wish to open their eyes
to their sin; may the period come, when God
shall wipe off this deep stain from her consti¬
tution, and may America soon be indeed the
land of the free.
In conclusion, I thank my dear friends in
England for their affectionate attentions, and
may God help me to show by my future walk
in life, that I am not wanting in my acknow¬
ledgments of their kindness. But above all,
to the God of all grace, I desire here before
his people, that all the way in which he has
led me has been the right way, and as in his
mercy and wisdom, he has led me to this
country, where I am allowed to go free, may
all my actions tend to lead me on, through
the mercy of God in Christ, in the right way
to a city of habitation.
LINES/
written on the occasion of the escape to england or
MR. MOSES ROPER,
late an American Slave—now a Freeman of Great Britain;
Heb. xiii. 1, 2, 3.
Who is my Brother ?—Ask the waves that come
From Afric's shores to greet our Island home;
Who is my Brother ?—Ask the winds that stray
From Indian realms to chase our clouds away;
Who is my Brother ?—Ask the suns that shine
On southern seas, then turn to smile on thine ;
Who is my brother ?—Ask the stars that roll
Their nightly journey round from pole to pole;
These all shall tell thee that their wand'rings find
But one vast Family in all Mankind;—
Nor colour, clime, nor caste can e'er efface,
The kindred likeness of the wide-spread race—
Nor break the chain that at the first began,
To bind in one the Family of Man.
Come then—awake thy sympathies to feel,
Another's interest in a brother's weal,
God's wisdom and his goodness both decreed,
That from one stock all nations should proceed,
* These lines were written by Miss Tuckey, of Cork, after
I had addressed a meeting in that city.
120 LIMES WRITTEN UN THE
That wheresoe'er He cast His creature's lot,
Kindness and love might consecrate the spot.
Behold thy Brother! on his form confess'd
Thy nature's dignity is seen imprest!
In every look—in every gesture—Man?
Wipe off the stamp of Manhood, ye who can.
Beats not his breast with warm affection's glow ?
Breathes not his mind with thoughts' impassion'd flow ?
Is there a joy—a grief—man ever knew
But in his bosom finds a birth-place too ?
What though a tyrant's hand might strive to bind
With iron grasp the energies of mind—
As well might chains and stripes control the wave,
The soul! the soul! can never be a slave.
Brother—by that Creative Power whose Word
One common nature on our race conferr'd;
Brother—still closer—by the love that sent
The Son of God to bear sin's punishment;
Brother, by Grace Divine that poured its light
On the dark horrors of our heathen night:
We give the hand of fellowship to thee,
We bid thee welcome, and we hail thee free ?
Thou art a slave no longer—on thy brow
The air of freedom breathes in triumph now,
Thine heart rejoices o'er the broken chain,
Whose links are sever'd ne'er to meet again®
But sweeter still that Liberty to know,
Which Christ the Saviour only can bestow,—
And feel whate'er thy future lot may be.
The truth! the truth! hath made thy spirit free.