Successful
progress toward liberty, 104.
Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written
I once knew a
Methodist in the state of Ky. , by the name of Young, who was the owner
of a large number of slaves, many of whom belonged to the same church
with their master. They worshipped together in the same church.
Mr. Young never was known to flog one of his slaves or sell one. He
fed and clothed them well, and never over-worked them. He allowed each
family a small house to themselves with a little garden spot, whereon
to raise their own vegetables; and a part of the day on Saturdays was
allowed them to cultivate it.
In process of time he became deeply involved in debt by endorsing
notes, and his property was all advertised to be sold by the sheriff
at public auction. It consisted in slaves, many of whom were his
brothers and sisters in the church.
On the day of sale there were slave traders and speculators on the
ground to buy. The slaves were offered on the auction block one after
another, until they were all sold before their old master's face. The
first man offered on the block was an old gray-headed slave by the
name of Richard. His wife followed him up to the block, and when they
had bid him up to seventy or eighty dollars one of the bidders asked
Mr. Young what he could do, as he looked very old and infirm? Mr.
Young replied by saying, "he is not able to accomplish much manual
labor, from his extreme age and hard labor in early life. Yet I would
rather have him than many of those who are young and vigorous; who are
able to perform twice as much labor--because I know him to be faithful
and trustworthy, a Christian in good standing in my church. I can
trust him anywhere with confidence. He has toiled many long years on
my plantation and I have always found him faithful. "
This giving him a good Christian character caused them to run him up
to near two hundred dollars. His poor old companion stood by weeping
and pleading that they might not be separated. But the marriage
relation was soon dissolved by the sale, and they were separated never
to meet again.
Another man was called up whose wife followed him with her infant in
her arms, beseeching to be sold with her husband, which proved to be
all in vain. After the men were all sold they then sold the women and
children. They ordered the first woman to lay down her child and
mount the auction block; she refused to give up her little one and
clung to it as long as she could, while the cruel lash was applied to
her back for disobedience. She pleaded for mercy in the name of God.
But the child was torn from the arms of its mother amid the most
heart-rending shrieks from the mother and child on the one hand, and
bitter oaths and cruel lashes from the tyrants on the other. Finally
the poor little child was torn from the mother while she was
sacrificed to the highest bidder. In this way the sale was carried on
from beginning to end.
There was each speculator with his hand-cuffs to bind his victims
after the sale; and while they were doing their writings, the
Christian portion of the slaves asked permission to kneel in prayer on
the ground before they separated, which was granted. And while bathing
each other with tears of sorrow on the verge of their final
separation, their eloquent appeals in prayer to the Most High seemed
to cause an unpleasant sensation upon the ears of their tyrants, who
ordered them to rise and make ready their limbs for the caffles. And
as they happened not to bound at the first sound, they were soon
raised from their knees by the sound of the lash, and the rattle of
the chains, in which they were soon taken off by their respective
masters,--husbands from wives, and children from parents, never
expecting to meet until the judgment of the great day. Then Christ
shall say to the slaveholding professors of religion, "Inasmuch as ye
did it unto one of the least of these little ones, my brethren, ye did
it unto me. "
Having thus tried to show the best side of slavery that I can conceive
of, the reader can exercise his own judgment in deciding whether a man
can be a Bible Christian, and yet hold his Christian brethren as
property, so that they may be sold at any time in market, as sheep or
oxen, to pay his debts.
During my life in slavery I have been sold by professors of religion
several times. In 1836 "Bro. " Albert G. Sibley, of Bedford, Kentucky,
sold me for $850 to "Bro. " John Sibley; and in the same year he sold
me to "Bro. " Wm. Gatewood of Bedford, for $850. In 1839 "Bro. "
Gatewood sold me to Madison Garrison, a slave trader, of Louisville,
Kentucky, with my wife and child--at a depreciated price because I was
a runaway. In the same year he sold me with my family to "Bro. "
Whitfield, in the city of New Orleans, for $1200. In 1841 "Bro. "
Whitfield sold me from my family to Thomas Wilson and Co. , blacklegs.
In the same year they sold me to a "Bro. " in the Indian Territory. I
think he was a member of the Presbyterian Church. F. E. Whitfield was a
deacon in regular standing in the Baptist Church. A. Sibley was a
Methodist exhorter of the M. E. Church in good standing. J. Sibley was
a class-leader in the same church; and Wm. Gatewood was also an
acceptable member of the same church.
Is this Christianity? Is it honest or right? Is it doing as we would
be done by? Is it in accordance with the principles of humanity or
justice?
I believe slaveholding to be a sin against God and man under all
circumstances. I have no sympathy with the person or persons who
tolerate and support the system willingly and knowingly, morally,
religiously or politically.
Prayerfully and earnestly relying on the power of truth, and the aid
of the divine providence, I trust that this little volume will bear
some humble part in lighting up the path of freedom and
revolutionizing public opinion upon this great subject. And I here
pledge myself, God being my helper, ever to contend for the natural
equality of the human family, without regard to color, which is but
fading _matter_, while _mind_ makes the man.
NEW YORK CITY, _May 1, 1849_.
HENRY BIBB.
INDEX.
Introduction. 1
Author's Preface. 12
Chap. I. --
Sketch of my Parentage, 15.
Early separation from my Mother, 15.
Hard Fare, 16.
First Experiments at running away, 16.
Earnest longing for Freedom, 17.
Abhorrent nature of Slavery, 18.
Chap. II. --
A fruitless effort for education, 19.
The Sabbath among Slaves, 19.
Degrading amusements, 19.
Why religion is rejected, 20.
Condition of poor white people, 20.
Superstition among slaves, 21.
Education forbidden, 25.
Chap. III. --
My Courtship and Marriage, 26.
Change of owner, 31.
My first born, 32.
Its sufferings, 32.
My wife abused, 33.
My own anguish, 33.
Chap. IV. --
My first adventure for liberty, 34.
Parting Scene, 34.
Journey up the river, 35.
Safe arrival in Cincinnati, 36.
Journey to Canada, 37.
Suffering from cold and hunger, 38.
Denied food and shelter by some, 38.
One noble exception, 38.
Subsequent success, 39.
Arrival at Perrysburgh, 39.
Obtain employment through the winter, 39.
My return to Kentucky to get my family, 40.
Chap. V--
My safe arrival at Kentucky, 41.
Surprise and delight to find my family, 41.
Plan for their escape, projected, 42.
Return to Cincinnati, 43.
My betrayal by traitors, 43.
Imprisonment in Covington, Kentucky, 45.
Return to slavery, 46.
Infamous proposal of the slave catchers, 47.
My reply, 47.
Chap. VI. --
Arrival at Louisville, Kentucky, 50.
Efforts to sell me, 50.
Fortunate escape from the man-stealers in the public street, 51.
I return to Bedford, Ky. , 55.
The rescue of my family again attempted, 55.
I started alone expecting them to follow, 2.
After waiting some months I resolve to go back again to Kentucky, 57.
Chap. VII. --
My safe return to Kentucky, 58.
The perils I encountered there, 59.
Again betrayed, and taken by a mob, ironed and imprisoned, 60.
Narrow escape from death, 62.
Life in a slave prison, 63.
Chap. VIII. --
Character of my prison companions, 65.
Jail breaking contemplated, 66.
Defeat of our plan, 67.
My wife and child removed, 67.
Disgraceful proposal to her, and cruel punishment, 67.
Our departure in a coffle for New Orleans, 68.
Events of our journey, 69.
Chap. IX. --
Our arrival and examination at Vicksburg, 70.
An account of slave sales, 71.
Cruel punishment with the paddle, 71.
Attempts to sell myself by Garrison's direction, 72.
Amusing interview with a slave buyer, 73.
Deacon Whitfield's examination, 74.
He purchases the family, 75.
Character of the Deacon, 75.
Chap. X. --
Cruel treatment on Whitfield's farm, 77.
Exposure of the children, 77.
Mode of extorting extra labor, 78.
Neglect of the sick, 80.
Strange medicine used, 80.
Death of our second child, 81.
Chap. XI. --
I attend a prayer meeting, 82.
Punishment therefor threatened, 82.
I attempt to escape alone, 82.
My return to take my family, 84.
Our sufferings, 85.
Dreadful attack of wolves, 85.
Our recapture, 88.
Chap. XII. --
My sad condition before Whitfield, 89.
My terrible punishment, 89.
Incidents of a former attempt to escape, 91.
Jack at a farm house, 92.
Six pigs and a turkey, 93.
Our surprise and arrest, 94.
Chap. XIII. --
I am sold to gamblers, 96.
They try to purchase my family, 97.
Our parting scene, 98.
My good usage, 99.
I am sold to an Indian, 100.
His confidence in my integrity manifested, 100.
Chap. XIV--
Character of my Indian Master, 101.
Slavery among the Indians less cruel, 101.
Indian carousal, 102.
Enfeebled health of my Indian Master, 102.
His death, 102.
My escape, 103.
Adventure in a wigwam, 103.
Successful progress toward liberty, 104.
Chap. XV
Adventure on the Prairie, 106.
I borrow a horse without leave, 108.
Rapid traveling one whole night, 108.
Apology for using other men's horses, 109.
My manner of living on the road, 109.
Chap. XVI.
Stratagem to get on board the steamer, 111.
My Irish friends, 112.
My success in reaching the Ohio, 113.
Reflections on again seeing Kentucky, 113.
I get employment in a hotel, 113.
My fright at seeing the gambler who sold me, 114.
I leave Ohio with Mr. Smith, 115.
His letter, 115.
My education, 116.
Chap. XVII.
Letter from W. H. Gatewood, 117.
My reply, 118.
My efforts as a public lecturer, 119.
Singular incident in Steubenville, 119.
Meeting with a friend of Whitfield in Michigan, 121.
Outrage on a canal packet, 122.
Fruitless efforts to find my wife, 124.
Chap. XVIII.
My last effort to recover my family, 126.
Sad tidings of my wife, 126.
Her degradation, 126.
I am compelled to regard our relation as dissolved for ever, 127.
Chap. XIX.
Comments on S. Gatewood's letter about slaves stealing, 130.
Their conduct vindicated, 131.
Comments on W. Gatewood's letter, 132.
Chap. XX.
Review of my narrative, 134.
Licentiousness a prop of Slavery, 134.
A case of mild slavery given, 135.
Its revolting features, 135.
Times of my purchase and sale by professed Christians, 136.
Concluding remarks, 137.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of the Life and Adventures
of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself, by Henry Bibb
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE AND ***
***** This file should be named 15398. txt or 15398. zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www. gutenberg. net/1/5/3/9/15398/
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Richard J. Shiffer and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you! ) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
http://gutenberg. net/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1. A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1. E. 8.
1. B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1. C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1. E below.
1. C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1. D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1. E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1. E. 1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www. gutenberg. net
1. E. 2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1. E. 1
through 1. E. 7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1. E. 8 or
1. E. 9.
1. E. 3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1. E. 1 through 1. E. 7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1. E. 4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1. E. 5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1. E. 1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1. E. 6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www. gutenberg. net),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1. E. 1.
1. E. 7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1. E. 8 or 1. E. 9.
1. E. 8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. "
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1. F. 3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1. E. 9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1. F.
1. F. 1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1. F. 2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1. F. 3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1. F. 3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1. F. 4.
Methodist in the state of Ky. , by the name of Young, who was the owner
of a large number of slaves, many of whom belonged to the same church
with their master. They worshipped together in the same church.
Mr. Young never was known to flog one of his slaves or sell one. He
fed and clothed them well, and never over-worked them. He allowed each
family a small house to themselves with a little garden spot, whereon
to raise their own vegetables; and a part of the day on Saturdays was
allowed them to cultivate it.
In process of time he became deeply involved in debt by endorsing
notes, and his property was all advertised to be sold by the sheriff
at public auction. It consisted in slaves, many of whom were his
brothers and sisters in the church.
On the day of sale there were slave traders and speculators on the
ground to buy. The slaves were offered on the auction block one after
another, until they were all sold before their old master's face. The
first man offered on the block was an old gray-headed slave by the
name of Richard. His wife followed him up to the block, and when they
had bid him up to seventy or eighty dollars one of the bidders asked
Mr. Young what he could do, as he looked very old and infirm? Mr.
Young replied by saying, "he is not able to accomplish much manual
labor, from his extreme age and hard labor in early life. Yet I would
rather have him than many of those who are young and vigorous; who are
able to perform twice as much labor--because I know him to be faithful
and trustworthy, a Christian in good standing in my church. I can
trust him anywhere with confidence. He has toiled many long years on
my plantation and I have always found him faithful. "
This giving him a good Christian character caused them to run him up
to near two hundred dollars. His poor old companion stood by weeping
and pleading that they might not be separated. But the marriage
relation was soon dissolved by the sale, and they were separated never
to meet again.
Another man was called up whose wife followed him with her infant in
her arms, beseeching to be sold with her husband, which proved to be
all in vain. After the men were all sold they then sold the women and
children. They ordered the first woman to lay down her child and
mount the auction block; she refused to give up her little one and
clung to it as long as she could, while the cruel lash was applied to
her back for disobedience. She pleaded for mercy in the name of God.
But the child was torn from the arms of its mother amid the most
heart-rending shrieks from the mother and child on the one hand, and
bitter oaths and cruel lashes from the tyrants on the other. Finally
the poor little child was torn from the mother while she was
sacrificed to the highest bidder. In this way the sale was carried on
from beginning to end.
There was each speculator with his hand-cuffs to bind his victims
after the sale; and while they were doing their writings, the
Christian portion of the slaves asked permission to kneel in prayer on
the ground before they separated, which was granted. And while bathing
each other with tears of sorrow on the verge of their final
separation, their eloquent appeals in prayer to the Most High seemed
to cause an unpleasant sensation upon the ears of their tyrants, who
ordered them to rise and make ready their limbs for the caffles. And
as they happened not to bound at the first sound, they were soon
raised from their knees by the sound of the lash, and the rattle of
the chains, in which they were soon taken off by their respective
masters,--husbands from wives, and children from parents, never
expecting to meet until the judgment of the great day. Then Christ
shall say to the slaveholding professors of religion, "Inasmuch as ye
did it unto one of the least of these little ones, my brethren, ye did
it unto me. "
Having thus tried to show the best side of slavery that I can conceive
of, the reader can exercise his own judgment in deciding whether a man
can be a Bible Christian, and yet hold his Christian brethren as
property, so that they may be sold at any time in market, as sheep or
oxen, to pay his debts.
During my life in slavery I have been sold by professors of religion
several times. In 1836 "Bro. " Albert G. Sibley, of Bedford, Kentucky,
sold me for $850 to "Bro. " John Sibley; and in the same year he sold
me to "Bro. " Wm. Gatewood of Bedford, for $850. In 1839 "Bro. "
Gatewood sold me to Madison Garrison, a slave trader, of Louisville,
Kentucky, with my wife and child--at a depreciated price because I was
a runaway. In the same year he sold me with my family to "Bro. "
Whitfield, in the city of New Orleans, for $1200. In 1841 "Bro. "
Whitfield sold me from my family to Thomas Wilson and Co. , blacklegs.
In the same year they sold me to a "Bro. " in the Indian Territory. I
think he was a member of the Presbyterian Church. F. E. Whitfield was a
deacon in regular standing in the Baptist Church. A. Sibley was a
Methodist exhorter of the M. E. Church in good standing. J. Sibley was
a class-leader in the same church; and Wm. Gatewood was also an
acceptable member of the same church.
Is this Christianity? Is it honest or right? Is it doing as we would
be done by? Is it in accordance with the principles of humanity or
justice?
I believe slaveholding to be a sin against God and man under all
circumstances. I have no sympathy with the person or persons who
tolerate and support the system willingly and knowingly, morally,
religiously or politically.
Prayerfully and earnestly relying on the power of truth, and the aid
of the divine providence, I trust that this little volume will bear
some humble part in lighting up the path of freedom and
revolutionizing public opinion upon this great subject. And I here
pledge myself, God being my helper, ever to contend for the natural
equality of the human family, without regard to color, which is but
fading _matter_, while _mind_ makes the man.
NEW YORK CITY, _May 1, 1849_.
HENRY BIBB.
INDEX.
Introduction. 1
Author's Preface. 12
Chap. I. --
Sketch of my Parentage, 15.
Early separation from my Mother, 15.
Hard Fare, 16.
First Experiments at running away, 16.
Earnest longing for Freedom, 17.
Abhorrent nature of Slavery, 18.
Chap. II. --
A fruitless effort for education, 19.
The Sabbath among Slaves, 19.
Degrading amusements, 19.
Why religion is rejected, 20.
Condition of poor white people, 20.
Superstition among slaves, 21.
Education forbidden, 25.
Chap. III. --
My Courtship and Marriage, 26.
Change of owner, 31.
My first born, 32.
Its sufferings, 32.
My wife abused, 33.
My own anguish, 33.
Chap. IV. --
My first adventure for liberty, 34.
Parting Scene, 34.
Journey up the river, 35.
Safe arrival in Cincinnati, 36.
Journey to Canada, 37.
Suffering from cold and hunger, 38.
Denied food and shelter by some, 38.
One noble exception, 38.
Subsequent success, 39.
Arrival at Perrysburgh, 39.
Obtain employment through the winter, 39.
My return to Kentucky to get my family, 40.
Chap. V--
My safe arrival at Kentucky, 41.
Surprise and delight to find my family, 41.
Plan for their escape, projected, 42.
Return to Cincinnati, 43.
My betrayal by traitors, 43.
Imprisonment in Covington, Kentucky, 45.
Return to slavery, 46.
Infamous proposal of the slave catchers, 47.
My reply, 47.
Chap. VI. --
Arrival at Louisville, Kentucky, 50.
Efforts to sell me, 50.
Fortunate escape from the man-stealers in the public street, 51.
I return to Bedford, Ky. , 55.
The rescue of my family again attempted, 55.
I started alone expecting them to follow, 2.
After waiting some months I resolve to go back again to Kentucky, 57.
Chap. VII. --
My safe return to Kentucky, 58.
The perils I encountered there, 59.
Again betrayed, and taken by a mob, ironed and imprisoned, 60.
Narrow escape from death, 62.
Life in a slave prison, 63.
Chap. VIII. --
Character of my prison companions, 65.
Jail breaking contemplated, 66.
Defeat of our plan, 67.
My wife and child removed, 67.
Disgraceful proposal to her, and cruel punishment, 67.
Our departure in a coffle for New Orleans, 68.
Events of our journey, 69.
Chap. IX. --
Our arrival and examination at Vicksburg, 70.
An account of slave sales, 71.
Cruel punishment with the paddle, 71.
Attempts to sell myself by Garrison's direction, 72.
Amusing interview with a slave buyer, 73.
Deacon Whitfield's examination, 74.
He purchases the family, 75.
Character of the Deacon, 75.
Chap. X. --
Cruel treatment on Whitfield's farm, 77.
Exposure of the children, 77.
Mode of extorting extra labor, 78.
Neglect of the sick, 80.
Strange medicine used, 80.
Death of our second child, 81.
Chap. XI. --
I attend a prayer meeting, 82.
Punishment therefor threatened, 82.
I attempt to escape alone, 82.
My return to take my family, 84.
Our sufferings, 85.
Dreadful attack of wolves, 85.
Our recapture, 88.
Chap. XII. --
My sad condition before Whitfield, 89.
My terrible punishment, 89.
Incidents of a former attempt to escape, 91.
Jack at a farm house, 92.
Six pigs and a turkey, 93.
Our surprise and arrest, 94.
Chap. XIII. --
I am sold to gamblers, 96.
They try to purchase my family, 97.
Our parting scene, 98.
My good usage, 99.
I am sold to an Indian, 100.
His confidence in my integrity manifested, 100.
Chap. XIV--
Character of my Indian Master, 101.
Slavery among the Indians less cruel, 101.
Indian carousal, 102.
Enfeebled health of my Indian Master, 102.
His death, 102.
My escape, 103.
Adventure in a wigwam, 103.
Successful progress toward liberty, 104.
Chap. XV
Adventure on the Prairie, 106.
I borrow a horse without leave, 108.
Rapid traveling one whole night, 108.
Apology for using other men's horses, 109.
My manner of living on the road, 109.
Chap. XVI.
Stratagem to get on board the steamer, 111.
My Irish friends, 112.
My success in reaching the Ohio, 113.
Reflections on again seeing Kentucky, 113.
I get employment in a hotel, 113.
My fright at seeing the gambler who sold me, 114.
I leave Ohio with Mr. Smith, 115.
His letter, 115.
My education, 116.
Chap. XVII.
Letter from W. H. Gatewood, 117.
My reply, 118.
My efforts as a public lecturer, 119.
Singular incident in Steubenville, 119.
Meeting with a friend of Whitfield in Michigan, 121.
Outrage on a canal packet, 122.
Fruitless efforts to find my wife, 124.
Chap. XVIII.
My last effort to recover my family, 126.
Sad tidings of my wife, 126.
Her degradation, 126.
I am compelled to regard our relation as dissolved for ever, 127.
Chap. XIX.
Comments on S. Gatewood's letter about slaves stealing, 130.
Their conduct vindicated, 131.
Comments on W. Gatewood's letter, 132.
Chap. XX.
Review of my narrative, 134.
Licentiousness a prop of Slavery, 134.
A case of mild slavery given, 135.
Its revolting features, 135.
Times of my purchase and sale by professed Christians, 136.
Concluding remarks, 137.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Narrative of the Life and Adventures
of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself, by Henry Bibb
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE AND ***
***** This file should be named 15398. txt or 15398. zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www. gutenberg. net/1/5/3/9/15398/
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Richard J. Shiffer and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you! ) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
http://gutenberg. net/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1. A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1. E. 8.
1. B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1. C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1. E below.
1. C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1. D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1. E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1. E. 1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www. gutenberg. net
1. E. 2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1. E. 1
through 1. E. 7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1. E. 8 or
1. E. 9.
1. E. 3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1. E. 1 through 1. E. 7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1. E. 4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1. E. 5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1. E. 1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1. E. 6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www. gutenberg. net),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1. E. 1.
1. E. 7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1. E. 8 or 1. E. 9.
1. E. 8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. "
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1. F. 3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1. E. 9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1. F.
1. F. 1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1. F. 2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1. F. 3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1. F. 3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1. F. 4.
