Narrative of the Life of J.D. Green, a Runaway Slave, from Kentucky by Jacob D. Green
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Jacob D. Green >> Narrative of the Life of J.D. Green, a Runaway Slave, from Kentucky
Shortly after this, Mary was one Sunday down in her master's barn, where
she had been sent by her mistress to look for new nests where a number of
the hens were supposed to have been laying, as the eggs had not been found
elsewhere. While in the barn, Mary was surprised by William Tillotson, her
master's son, who ordered her to take her bed among the hay and submit to
his lustful passion. This she strenuously refused to do, telling him of
the punishment she had already suffered from her former mistress for a
similar act of conduct, and reminding him at the same time of his wife,
whose vengeance she would have to dread; but William was not to be put
off, nor his base passion to go unsatisfied, by any excuse that Mary could
make, so he at once resorted to force. Mary screamed at the top of her
voice. Now the negro Dan was just in the act of passing the barn at the
time, when he heard Mary's voice he rushed into the barn, and demanded in
a loud voice what was the matter? when, to his horror, he beheld William
upon the barn floor, and Mary struggling but in vain to rise. William,
instead of desisting from his brutal purpose, with a dreadful oath ordered
Dan to clear out; but the sight of the outrage on her whom, I now firmly
believe he loved better than his own soul, made poor Dan completely forget
himself--and made him forget too, in that fatal moment what he afterwards
wished he had remembered. Dan seized a pitchfork and plunged it into young
Tillotson's back; the prongs went in between his shoulders, and one of
them had penetrated the left lung. Young Tillotson expired almost
immediately, and Dan seeing what he had done, ran off at once to the woods
and swamps, and was seen no more for about two months. Mrs. Tillotson, who
had heard Mary scream, was on the balcony, and called out to Dan to know
the cause, Dan made no reply but took to his heels. Mrs. Tillotson alarmed
at this, and suspecting at once that something was wrong, hastened to the
barn, followed by William's wife who happened to be there, and when they
saw poor William's corpse, and Mary standing by, they both fainted. Poor
Mary, frightened to death, turned into the house and informed her young
mistress, Susannah, of what had happened. Miss Susannah spread the alarm,
and called some of the slaves to her assistance. She went to the barn and
found her mother and sister-in-law lying in a state of insensibility, and
her brother William dead. With the assistance of old Aunt Hannah and
several of the female servants, the two ladies were somewhat restored to
consciousness; and William was carried into the house by the servants. The
Doctor himself was away from home attending one of his patients, who was
very sick. When Mrs. Tillotson had somewhat recovered, she sent for Mary
and enquired as to how William came by his death in the barn. Mary told
the whole story as previously related in the presence of about sixty or
seventy of the neighbours, who had collected together on hearing of the
murder. Of course Mary's story met with no credit from her mistress, and
poor Mary stood in the eyes of all as an accomplice in the conspiracy to
murder young Tillotson. When the doctor arrived it was dark, and after
seeing the corpse and hearing from his wife the story that she had made up
for him, he called for Mary, but she was nowhere to be found. The house
and plantation were searched in all directions, but no Mary was
discovered. At last, when they had all given over looking for her, towards
midnight, a cart drove up to the door. Doctor, said the driver, I have a
dead negro here, and I'm told she belongs to you. The Doctor came out with
a lantern, and as I stood by my master's carriage, waiting for him to come
out and go home, the Doctor ordered me to mount the cart and look at the
corpse; I did so, and looked full in that face by the light of the
lantern, and saw and knew, notwithstanding the horrible change that had
been effected by the work of death, upon those once beautiful features, it
was Mary. Poor Mary, driven to distraction by what had happened, she had
sought salvation in the depths of the Chesapeake Bay that night. Next day
the neighbourhood was searched throughout, and the country was placarded
for Dan; and Doctor Tillotson and Mr. Burmey, young William's
father-in-law, offered one thousand dollars for him alive, and five
hundred for him dead; and although every blackleg in the neighbourhood was
on the alert, it was full two months before he was captured. At length
poor Dan was caught and brought by the captors to Mr. Burmey's, where he
was tried principally by Burmey's two sons, Peter and John, and that night
was kept in irons in Burmey's cellar. The next day Dan was led into the
field in the presence of about three thousand of us. A staple was driven
into the stump of a tree, with a chain attached to it, and one of his
handcuffs was taken off and brought through the chain, and then fastened
on his hand again. A pile of pine wood was built around him. At eight
o'clock the wood was set on fire, and when the flames blazed round upon
the wretched man, he began to scream and struggle in a most awful manner.
Many of our women fainted, but not one of us was allowed to leave until
the body of poor Dan was consumed. The unearthly sounds that came from the
blazing pile, as poor Dan writhed in the agonies of death, it is beyond
the power of my pen to describe. After a while all was silent, except the
cracking of the pine wood as the fire gradually devoured it with the prize
that it contained. Poor Dan had ceased to struggle--he was at rest.
Mr. Burmey's two sons, Peter and John, were the ringleaders in this
execution, and the pair of them hardly ever saw a sober day from one month
to another; and at the execution of Dan, Peter was so drunk that he came
nigh sharing the same fate. It was not a year after the roasting of Dan
that the two brothers were thrashing wheat in the barn, which stood about
a quarter of a mile from the house, and being in March, and an uncommon
windy day, they had taken their demijohn full of brandy in order to keep
the cold out of their bones, as it was their belief that a dram or two had
that effect; so they were drinking and thrashing and drinking again until
they reeled over dead drunk upon the floor. That same night the barn took
fire over them. The first thing that excited the alarm of my master's
negroes on Tillotson's plantation was a black smoke issuing from the barn.
Suddenly there was a rush from all parts of the plantation, but it was all
to no purpose, for scarcely had we got half way before we saw the flames
bursting out on every side of the barn, still we continued to run as fast
as we could. When we arrived we found the barn door shut and fastened
inside. This Mr. Peter and Mr. John had done to keep out the wind which
was very high. When old Mr. Burmey arrived with his daughter-in-law,
Peter's wife, the first thing demanded was, where is your masters?--oh, my
children! my children! while Mrs. Peter screamed, my husband! my husband!
oh, pa! oh, pa! The strength of the flames inside at length burst open the
barn door, when we beheld through the red flames the figures of the two
wretched brothers lying side by side dead drunk and helpless upon the
floor. The fire rapidly seized upon everything around. At this moment Mrs.
Peter Burmey rushed into the flames to save her husband, but just as she
attempted to enter, the beam over the door fell in upon her head, and
struck her back senseless and suffocated to the ground; but,
notwithstanding the most intense hatred to Burmey and his family, we
negroes rushed forward to rescue them--but all in vain. After getting
miserably scorched we were compelled to retreat and give them over, and
with bleeding hearts to behold the fire consume their bodies. The barn was
rapidly consigned to ashes, which being speedily swept away by the
violence of the wind, left the victims side by side crisped skeletons on
the ground. This was the dreadful end of the two chief actors in the
roasting of poor Dan.
When I arrived at the age of 20, my master told me I must marry Jane, one
of the slaves. We had been about five months married when she gave birth
to a child, I then asked who was the father of the child, and she said the
master, and I had every reason to believe her, as the child was nearly
white, had blue eyes and veins, yet notwithstanding this we lived happily
together, and I felt happy and comfortable, and I should never have
thought of running away if she had not been sold. We lived together six
years and had two children. Shortly after my marriage my master's wife
died, and when he fixed upon Tillotson's daughter as his future wife, she
made a condition that all female slaves whom he had at any time been
intimate with must be sold, and my wife being one was sold with the
children as well as any other female slaves. My wife was sold while I was
away on an errand at Centreville, and any one situated as I was may
imagine my feelings when I say that I left them in the morning all well
and happy, in entire ignorance of any evil, and returned to find them all
sold and gone away, and from then until now I have never seen any of them.
I went to my master and complained to him, when he told me he knew nothing
about it, as it was all done by his wife. I then went to her and she said
she knew nothing about, as it was all done by my master, and I could
obtain no other satisfaction; I then went to my master to beg him to sell
me to the same master as he had sold my wife, but he said he could not do
that, as she was sold to a trader.
From 18 to 27 I was considered one of the most devout Christians among the
whole Black population, and under this impression I firmly believed to run
away from my master would be to sin against the Holy Ghost--for such we
are taught to believe--but from the time of my wife's being sent away, I
firmly made up my mind to take the first opportunity to run away. I had
learned that if a Black man wished to escape he will have no chance to do
so unless he be well supplied with money; to attain this I arranged with a
Dutchman to steal small pigs, chickens, and any poultry that was possible
to lay my hands on, and thus I proceeded for nine or ten months, when I
found my accumulation to be 124 dollars. Among the plantations I visited
was Mr. Rogers', and he had three large bloodhounds let loose about nine
at night, but I had made them acquainted with me by feeding them at
intervals quietly, unknown to him or his people, and this enabled me to
carry on my depredations on his plantation quietly and unmolested. Rogers
having suspected these depredations, and not being able to find the thief,
set a patrol to watch, who, armed with a double-barreled gun, fixed
himself under a fence about seven feet high, surrounded with bushes; but
this happened to be my usual way of going to his plantation, and as I made
my usual spring to go over, I fell right on the top of his head, and he
shouted lustily, and I shouted also, neither of us knowing what really had
occurred, and our fears imagining the worst and causing him to run one way
and me another. After travelling about a quarter of a mile I thought of my
bag, which had been dropped during my fright, and knowing that my master's
initials were on the bag, and the consequences of the bag being found
would be fearful, I determined to return for the bag and recover it, or
die in the attempt. I searched for and found a club, then I returned to
the spot and found the bag there, and by the side of it lay the gun of the
patrol, and I picked the bag up and went home, and this narrow escape
caused me to determine to give up my thieving expeditions for the
obtaining of money from that time. About one week after the occurrence
with the patrol, I took one of my master's horses to go to a negro dance,
and on my return the patrols were so numerous on the road that I was
unable to return home without observation, and it being past the usual
hour for being at home, I was so afraid that when two of them observed me
I left the horse and took to my feet, and made my way to the woods, where
I remained all day, afraid to go home for fear of the consequences. But at
night I returned to the barn, where my money was hid in the hay, and
having recovered it, I started for Dr. Tillotson's (my master's
father-in-law), and told him my master had sent for a horse which he had
lent him a few weeks before. After enquiring of the overseer if the horse
had not gone home, and finding it had not, he ordered it to be given up to
me. I mounted the horse and rode off for Baltimore, a distance of 37
miles, where I arrived early in the morning, when I abandoned the horse
and took to the woods, and remained there all day. At night I ventured to
a farm-house, and having a club with me, I knocked over two barn fowl, and
took them to my place in the woods; I struck a light with the tinder, made
a fire of brushwood, roasted them before the fire, and enjoyed a hearty
meal without seasoning or bread.
The following night I went to the city, and meeting with some blacks I
entered into conversation with them, and I asked if they had heard of any
runaways at Baltimore, they said they had heard of one Jake having run
from Eastern shore, and showed me the bill at the corner which had been
put up that evening. I knew it was no other than me, so I bid them good
evening, and left them saying I was going to church. I took a back road
for Milford, in Delaware, and travelled all night; towards morning I met
four men, who demanded to know to whom I belonged, my answer was taking to
my heels, and the chase was hot on my part for about half-an-hour, when I
got into a swamp surrounded by young saplings, where I remained about two
hours, and as soon as it was sufficiently dark to venture out, I made my
way to a barn where I secreted myself all day, and in the morning I
watched the house to prevent a surprise. At night I again commenced
travelling, and at one o'clock in the morning arrived at Milford, where
finding no means of crossing the bridge into the town, without being seen
by the patrol, I was forced to swim across the river. I passed through
Milford, and was ten miles on my road to Wilmington before daybreak, where
I again made for the woods, and got into a marshy part and was swamped. I
was struggling the whole night to liberate myself, but in vain, until the
light appeared, when I saw some willows, and by laying hold of them I
succeeded in extricating myself about seven o'clock in the morning. I then
made my way to a pond of water, and pulled my clothes off, and washed the
mud from them, and hung them up to dry; and as soon as they were dry and
night arrived, I put them on, and continued my journey that night in the
woods, as the moon was so bright; though I did not progress much on my
way, it was more safe. Towards morning I saw a farm-house, and being
hungry I resolved to venture to ask for something to eat. Waiting my
opportunity, I saw three men leave the house, and judging there then only
remained women, I went up and asked if they would please to give me
something to eat. They invited me in, and gave me some bread and milk,
pitying my condition greatly, one of them telling me that her husband was
an Abolitionist, and if I would wait until his return he would place me
out of the reach of my pursuers. I did not then understand what was an
Abolitionist, and said I would rather not stay. She then saw my feet,
which were awful from what I had undergone, and asked me if I should not
like to have a pair of shoes, and I said I should. They went in search of
a pair up the stairs, and I heard one say to the other, "He answers the
description of a slave for which 200 dollars are offered." When they
returned I was sitting still in the position I was in before they went up
stairs. She said to the other, "I will go and see after the cows;" and the
other answered, "Dont be long." But my suspicion was confirmed that going
after the cows was only a pretence; and when I thought the other had got
far enough away, I laid hold of the remaining one and tied her to the
bedstead; went into the closet and took a leg of mutton, and other
articles, such as bread and butter, and made my way out as quick as
possible; and when I got outside I rubbed my feet in some cow dung to
prevent the scent of the bloodhounds, and took to the woods, where I found
a sand hole, in which I remained all day. The night was dark, with a
drizzling rain; being very fit for travelling, I started again on my
journey, but being very cautious, I only managed about 24 miles that
night. Towards morning I met with a black, who told me that to Chester, in
Pennsylvania, was only twenty-six miles. During the day I again remained
in the woods, where I met a black man of the name of Geordie, whom I knew,
belonging to Rogers, and who had left two months before me, and he said he
had been in those woods five weeks. His appearance was shocking, and from
his long suffering and hardships he was difficult to know; and, as he was
hungry, I divided with him my leg of mutton and bread and butter, and I
was telling him how unwise it was to remain so long in one place, when we
were suddenly aroused by the well-known sounds of the hounds. In my fear
and surprise I was attempting for a tree, but was unable to mount before
they were upon me. In this emergency I called out the name of one of the
dogs, who was more familiar with me than the others, called Fly, and hit
my knee to attract her attention and it had the desired effect. She came
fondling towards me, accompanied by another called Jovial. I pulled out my
knife and cut the throat of Fly, upon which Jovial made an attempt to lay
hold of me and I caught him by the throat, which caused me to lose my
knife, but I held him fast by the windpipe, forcing my thumbs with as much
force as possible, and anxiously wishing for my knife to be in hands. I
made a powerful effort to fling him as far away as possible, and regained
my knife; but when I had thrown him there he lay, throttled to death. Not
so, Fly, who weltered in blood, and rolled about howling terribly, but not
killed. The other two hounds caught Geordie, and killed him. After this
terrible escape I went to a barn, and was looking through a hole and saw
two men come to where Geordie's body lay, when a knot of people gathered
round, and about ten or eleven o'clock he was buried. I shortly went to
sleep among the hay, and slept so soundly that it was the morning after
before I was awoke by a boy coming to get hay for the horses, and the
prong of the fork caught me by the thigh, which caused me to jump up and
stare at the boy, and he at me, when he dropped the fork and ran away. As
soon as I recovered, I slipped down the hay-rack, and met six men and the
boy, who demanded who I was and what I was doing there. Not knowing what
to say, I stood speechless for a long time, and thought my hopes of
freedom were now at an end. They again repeated their question, but I made
no reply. I was then taken before a magistrate, when I was accused of
being in the barn for some unlawful purpose; and as I made no answer to
any questions put to me, they concluded I was dumb. When I remembered I
had not given evidence of speech, I determined to act as if I was dumb;
and when the magistrate called to me, I also thought deafness was often
united with dumbness, and I made my mind up to act both deaf and dumb, and
when he called "Boy, come here," I took no notice, and did not appear to
hear, until one of the officers led me from the box nearer to the
magistrate, who demanded my name, where from, and to whom I belonged, and
what I was doing in the barn, which I still appeared not to hear, and
merely looked at him, and at last acted as if I was deaf and dumb, and so
effectually that he discharged me, convinced I was a valueless deaf and
dumb nigger; and when told by the officer to go, I dared not move for fear
of being found out in my acting, and would not move until I was forced out
of the door, and for some time (for fear of detection) I acted deaf and
dumb in the streets, to the fear of women and children, until it was dark,
when I made for the woods, where I remained until eleven o'clock at night,
when I again resumed my journey to Chester (Pennsylvania), which I had
been told was only twenty-six miles. Shortly after resuming my journey, I
saw four horses in the field, and I determined, if possible to possess one
of them, and I chased them two hours, but did not succeed in catching one;
so I was obliged to go on walking again, but shortly met with a
gentleman's horse on the road which I mounted, and rode into Chester, and
let the horse go where he liked. In Chester I met with a quaker, named
Sharpies, who took me to his house, gave me the best accommodation, and
called his friends to see me, never seemed weary of asking questions of
negro life in the different plantations. I let them see the money I had,
which was in notes, and much damaged by my swimming across the river, but
they kindly passed it for me, and I got other money for it; and I was
presented with two suits of clothes. He sent in a waggon to Philadelphia
and recommended me to a gentleman (who being alive, I wish not to reveal),
where I remained in his employ about five weeks. This kind friend
persuaded me to make for Canada; and it was with much reluctance I at last
complied. My reluctance was in consequence of understanding that Canada
was a very cold place, and I did not relish the idea of going on that
account; and as a gentleman said he could find employment for me at Derby,
near Philadelphia, I went and worked there three years, during which time
I was a regular attendant at the Methodist Free Church, consisting
entirely of colored people; at which place I heard the scriptures
expounded in a different way by colored ministers--as I found that God had
made colored as well as white people: as He had made of one blood all the
families of the earth, and that all men were free and equal in his sight;
and that he was no respecter of persons whatever the color: but whoever
worked righteousness was accepted of Him. Being satisfied that I had not
sinned against the Holy Ghost by obtaining my freedom, I enlisted in the
church, and became one of the members thereof.
About this time, Mr. Roberts, for whom I worked, failed in business, and
his property was seized for debt and sold, thereby throwing me out of
employment. I was arrested and taken back to Maryland, where I was placed
in prison, with a collar round my neck for eleven days.
On the twelfth day my master came to see me, and of course I begged of him
to take me home and let me go to work. No, nigger, said master--I have no
employment for a vagabond of your stamp; but I'm going to order that
collar off your neck, not because I think that you are sufficiently
punished, but because there are some gentlemen coming through the jail
to-morrow, and they want to purchase some negroes, so you had better do
your best to get a master amongst them--and mind you don't tell them that
ever you ran away, for if you do none of them will buy you. Now I will
give you a good character, notwithstanding you have done your best to
injure me, a good master, and you have even tried to rob me by running
away--still I'll do my best to get you a good master, for my bible teaches
me to do good for evil. The next day I was called out with forty other
slaves, belonging to different owners in the County, and we were marched
into the doctor's vestry for examination; here the doctor made us all
strip--men and women together naked, in the presence of each other while
the examination went on. When it was concluded, thirty-eight of us were
pronounced sound, and three unsound; certificates were made out and given
to the auctioneer to that effect. After dressing ourselves we were all
driven into the slave sty directly under the auction block, when the jail
warder came and gave to every slave a number, my number was twenty. Here,
let me explain, for the better information of the reader, that in the
inventory of the slaves to be sold all go by number--one, two, three, and
so on; and if a man and his family are to be sold in one lot, then one
number covers them all; but if separate, then they have all different
numbers. An old friend of mine, belonging to William Steel, was also with
his wife and six children in the same sty, all to be sold. The youngest
was a babe in arms, the other five were large enough to walk; his number
was twenty-one, but his wife's number was thirty-three, and
notwithstanding the mournful idea of parting with relations and friends on
the plantation, up to this moment they had indulged a hope of being sold
as a family, together; but the numbers revealed the awful disappointment.
Even in this hoped for consolation, the painful distress into which this
poor woman was thrown, it is beyond my ability to describe. The anguish of
her soul, evinced by the mournful gaze first at her children and then at
her husband, made me forget for the time being, my own sufferings and
sorrows. Her looks seemed to say to her husband--these are your children,
I am their mother--there is no other being in this world that I have to
look to for love and protection; cant you help me? I am very much mistaken
if these were not the thoughts running through that poor broken-hearted
mother's mind. Reuben, for that was his name, called his wife and children
into one corner of the sty, and repeated a verse of a hymn which may be
found in Watts' hymn book:--