Chapter 5

As to my own treatment while I lived on Colonel

Lloyd's plantation, it was very similar to that of the

other slave children. I was not old enough to work in

the field, and there being little else than field work

to do, I had a great deal of leisure time. The most

I had to do was to drive up the cows at evening,

keep the fowls out of the garden, keep the front

yard clean, and run of errands for my old master's

daughter, Mrs. Lucretia Auld. The most of my lei-

sure time I spent in helping Master Daniel Lloyd

in finding his birds, after he had shot them. My

connection with Master Daniel was of some advan-

tage to me. He became quite attached to me, and

was a sort of protector of me. He would not allow

the older boys to impose upon me, and would divide

his cakes with me.

I was seldom whipped by my old master, and suf-

fered little from any thing else than hunger and

cold. I suffered much from hunger, but much more

from cold. In hottest summer and coldest winter, I

was kept almost naked—no shoes, no stockings, no

jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse tow linen

shirt, reaching only to my knees. I had no bed. I

must have perished with cold, but that, the coldest

nights, I used to steal a bag which was used for carry-

ing corn to the mill. I would crawl into this bag,

and there sleep on the cold, damp, clay floor, with

my head in and feet out. My feet have been so

cracked with the frost, that the pen with which I

am writing might be laid in the gashes.

We were not regularly allowanced. Our food was

coarse corn meal boiled. This was called MUSH. It

was put into a large wooden tray or trough, and set

down upon the ground. The children were then

called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they

would come and devour the mush; some with oyster-

shells, others with pieces of shingle, some with naked

hands, and none with spoons. He that ate fastest

got most; he that was strongest secured the best

place; and few left the trough satisfied.

I was probably between seven and eight years old

when I left Colonel Lloyd's plantation. I left it with

joy. I shall never forget the ecstasy with which I

received the intelligence that my old master (An-

thony) had determined to let me go to Baltimore,

to live with Mr. Hugh Auld, brother to my old

master's son-in-law, Captain Thomas Auld. I re-

ceived this information about three days before my

departure. They were three of the happiest days

I ever enjoyed. I spent the most part of all these

three days in the creek, washing off the plantation

scurf, and preparing myself for my departure.

The pride of appearance which this would indicate

was not my own. I spent the time in washing, not so

much because I wished to, but because Mrs.

Lucretia had told me I must get all the dead skin

off my feet and knees before I could go to Balti-

more; for the people in Baltimore were very cleanly,

and would laugh at me if I looked dirty. Besides,

she was going to give me a pair of trousers, which I

should not put on unless I got all the dirt off me.

The thought of owning a pair of trousers was great

indeed! It was almost a sufficient motive, not only

to make me take off what would be called by pig-

drovers the mange, but the skin itself. I went at it

in good earnest, working for the first time with the

hope of reward.

The ties that ordinarily bind children to their

homes were all suspended in my case. I found no

severe trial in my departure. My home was charm-

less; it was not home to me; on parting from it, I

could not feel that I was leaving any thing which I

could have enjoyed by staying. My mother was dead,

my grandmother lived far off, so that I seldom saw

her. I had two sisters and one brother, that lived in

the same house with me; but the early separation of

us from our mother had well nigh blotted the fact

of our relationship from our memories. I looked for

home elsewhere, and was confident of finding none

which I should relish less than the one which I was

leaving. If, however, I found in my new home hard-

ship, hunger, whipping, and nakedness, I had the

consolation that I should not have escaped any one

of them by staying. Having already had more than

a taste of them in the house of my old master, and

having endured them there, I very naturally inferred

my ability to endure them elsewhere, and especially

at Baltimore; for I had something of the feeling

about Baltimore that is expressed in the proverb,

that "being hanged in England is preferable to

dying a natural death in Ireland." I had the strongest

desire to see Baltimore. Cousin Tom, though not

fluent in speech, had inspired me with that desire

by his eloquent description of the place. I could

never point out any thing at the Great House, no

matter how beautiful or powerful, but that he had

seen something at Baltimore far exceeding, both in

beauty and strength, the object which I pointed out

to him. Even the Great House itself, with all its

pictures, was far inferior to many buildings in Bal-

timore. So strong was my desire, that I thought a

gratification of it would fully compensate for what-

ever loss of comforts I should sustain by the ex-

change. I left without a regret, and with the highest

hopes of future happiness.

We sailed out of Miles River for Baltimore on a

Saturday morning. I remember only the day of the

week, for at that time I had no knowledge of the

days of the month, nor the months of the year. On

setting sail, I walked aft, and gave to Colonel Lloyd's

plantation what I hoped would be the last look. I

then placed myself in the bows of the sloop, and

there spent the remainder of the day in looking

ahead, interesting myself in what was in the distance

rather than in things near by or behind.

In the afternoon of that day, we reached Annap-

olis, the capital of the State. We stopped but a

few moments, so that I had no time to go on shore.

It was the first large town that I had ever seen, and

though it would look small compared with some of

our New England factory villages, I thought it a

wonderful place for its size—more imposing even

than the Great House Farm!

We arrived at Baltimore early on Sunday morn-

ing, landing at Smith's Wharf, not far from Bow-

ley's Wharf. We had on board the sloop a large

flock of sheep; and after aiding in driving them to

the slaughterhouse of Mr. Curtis on Louden Slater's

Hill, I was conducted by Rich, one of the hands

belonging on board of the sloop, to my new home

in Alliciana Street, near Mr. Gardner's ship-yard, on

Fells Point.

Mr. and Mrs. Auld were both at home, and met

me at the door with their little son Thomas, to take

care of whom I had been given. And here I saw what

I had never seen before; it was a white face beaming

with the most kindly emotions; it was the face of

my new mistress, Sophia Auld. I wish I could de-

scribe the rapture that flashed through my soul as I

beheld it. It was a new and strange sight to me,

brightening up my pathway with the light of happi-

ness. Little Thomas was told, there was his Freddy,

—and I was told to take care of little Thomas; and

thus I entered upon the duties of my new home with

the most cheering prospect ahead.

I look upon my departure from Colonel Lloyd's

plantation as one of the most interesting events of

my life. It is possible, and even quite probable, that

but for the mere circumstance of being removed

from that plantation to Baltimore, I should have

to-day, instead of being here seated by my own table,

in the enjoyment of freedom and the happiness of

home, writing this Narrative, been confined in the

galling chains of slavery. Going to live at Baltimore

laid the foundation, and opened the gateway, to all

my subsequent prosperity. I have ever regarded it

as the first plain manifestation of that kind provi-

dence which has ever since attended me, and marked

my life with so many favors. I regarded the selection

of myself as being somewhat remarkable. There were

a number of slave children that might have been

sent from the plantation to Baltimore. There were

those younger, those older, and those of the same

age. I was chosen from among them all, and was

the first, last, and only choice.

I may be deemed superstitious, and even egotisti-

cal, in regarding this event as a special interposition

of divine Providence in my favor. But I should be

false to the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I sup-

pressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself,

even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others,

rather than to be false, and incur my own abhor-

rence. From my earliest recollection, I date the en-

tertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would

not always be able to hold me within its foul em-

brace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slav-

ery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope de-

parted not from me, but remained like ministering

angels to cheer me through the gloom. This good

spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving

and praise.