In a very short time after I went to live at Baltimore, my old master's youngest son
Richard died; and in about three years and six months after his death, my old master,
Captain Anthony, died, leavonly his son, Andrew, and daughter, Lucretia, to share his
estate. He died while on a visit to see his daughter at Hillsborough. Cut off thus
unexpectedly, he left no will as to the disposal of his property. It was therefore necessary
to have a valuation of the property, that it might be equally divided between Mrs.
Lucretia and Master Andrew. I was immediately sent for, to be valued with the other
property. Here again my feelings rose up in detestation of slavery. I had now a new
conception of my degraded condition. Prior to this, I had become, if not insensible to my
lot, at least partly so. I left Baltimore with a young heart overborne with sadness, and a
soul full of apprehension. I took passage with Captain Rowe, in the schooner Wild Cat,
and, after a sail of about twenty-four hours, I found myself near the place of my birth. I
had now been absent from it almost, if not quite, five years. I, however, remembered the
place very well. I was only about five years old when I left it, to go and live with my old
master on Colonel Lloyd's plantation; so that I was now between ten and eleven years
old.
We were all ranked together at the valuation. Men and women, old and young, married
and single, were ranked with horses, sheep, and swine. There were horses and men, cattle
and women, pigs and children, all holding the same rank in the scale of being, and were
all subjected to the same narrow examination. Silvery-headed age and sprightly youth,
maids and matrons, had to undergo the same indelicate inspection. At this moment, I saw
more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon both slave and slaveholder.
After the valuation, then came the division. I have no language to express the high
excitement and deep anxiety which were felt among us poor slaves during this time. Our
fate for life was now to be decided. we had no more voice in that decision than the brutes
among whom we were ranked. A single word from the white men was enough--against
all our wishes, prayers, and entreaties--to sunder forever the dearest friends, dearest
kindred, and strongest ties known to human beings. In addition to the pain of separation,
there was the horrid dread of falling into the hands of Master Andrew. He was known to
us all as being a most cruel wretch,--a common drunkard, who had, by his reckless
mismanagement and profligate dissipation, already wasted a large portion of his father's
property. We all felt that we might as well be sold at once to the Georgia traders, as to
pass into his hands; for we knew that that would be our inevitable condition,--a condition
held by us all in the utmost horror and dread.
I suffered more anxiety than most of my fellowslaves. I had known what it was to be
kindly treated; they had known nothing of the kind. They had seen little or nothing of the
world. They were in very deed men and women of sorrow, and acquainted with grief.
Their backs had been made familiar with the bloody lash, so that they had become
callous; mine was yet tender; for while at Baltimore I got few whippings, and few slaves
