xt72fq9q5f0r https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt72fq9q5f0r/data/mets.xml Campbell, Madison, 1823- 1895 85 pages, frontispiece (portrait), 15 cm. Call Number: BX6455.C26 A3 1895 books BX6455.C26 A3 1895 English Pantograph Job Rooms Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection Campbell, Madison Autobiography of Eld. Madison Campbell: Pastor of the United Colored Baptist Church, Richmond, Kentucky, 1895 text Autobiography of Eld. Madison Campbell: Pastor of the United Colored Baptist Church, Richmond, Kentucky, 1895 1895 1895 2024 true xt72fq9q5f0r section xt72fq9q5f0r 1..

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AUTOBIOGRAPHY

ELD. MADISON CAMPBELL

PASTOR ()1? THE I'Xl’l‘lii)
COLORED I'LHVJ‘IS'I‘
(‘III'I\‘(‘H,

lx’nnxluxh : : : }\'I¢.\1_‘1'n.k\.
030000

1895;
PANTAGRAPH JOB ROOMS,
RICHMOND, KENTUCKV.

Al"!”BIOGRAPHY.

MADISON CAMPBELL.

Al'|‘()l’.l()l}l\’\l‘ll\'. I.

LDER MADISON (X‘uMl’liliLL. of
E thv Colored l'nitml Baptist (Tliiirn‘l‘.
has been 21 rcsidmxt of llichimnnl, l\'_\., for
forty—(mu years leNl during all that tinw
has (ll-portal llllliSk‘ll as :1 good citizen imil
COHSlStL‘Ilt inllllstk’l’ of thy (iospvl. llis inr
fhu-ncv has hcvn for good. and hr has com-
mnmli-(l the rvspt-ct Elllll L-stm-m of all his
acquaintzan-s. “hitv and black. lt is It
plL-asnrc to 11m to hour this faithful zxml
voluntnr_\' tL-stimony to his Clléll'éu'lt‘l‘,
CI'R'I‘IS I“. lil'h’NAM.
Richmond. l\'_\'., Oct. 14, lw-Lm.

To lll}‘l1].’H]_\' frivnzls ol Kt'ntucky and
adjoining statts I dvsirv to giro a brivf his-
tory of my life.

l was born in Madison County, l\'«*n~
tricky. tun lllllt‘S south of Richmond ; a
slaw of I‘Llly Campbell‘s. Svptvmbur first.
INZZX.

A nicsrmr'iiox HI" \I\' NLIUHWHx‘HUUU _\'r \n'
HRS'I‘ RICATULIJCC'I'H)N.

It was thinly scttlud with a whitc pop—
ulation, and mom so with colon-d pcoplv;
now and then you would find a white man
owning four or live colorvd people. and
some eight and tmi. A grL-at portion of the
land was thinly settled, as before said, as
it lay near the mountains. The south sidv
of my ncighbcrhood was surrounded with a
chain of knobs, known by different naInL-s:
for instance, Joe’s Lick Knob ; this is said
to be, the highest known among them. It
was often said also, that Daniel Boom;
who traverscd this country when a wilder—
ness, used to get upon that knob and

.»\l"l'0!2]()(IRAI’HV. :)

watch for the Indians. The other knobs
were l'ilue Lick, and I’ilot Knob, and Pine
Knob: just beyond them is the Big Hill
mountains and Scaffold Cane mountains.
()n the West side it is surrounded by a big,r
creek, known as Silver Creek.

lwas born and reared betWeen Silver
Creek, and those mountains, two miles
from Joe’s Lick Knob, and about two miles
from Silver Creek. I will leave further
narration of my home, but will have an oc-
casion to go back and say something more
about it afterwards.

I propose now to give the origin of my
parents as far as I can recollect, as I had
no education when young, and not a chance
to keep any written history of my parents.
I give, this as my own personal recollecs
tion and what I was told by my parents.

My old Master, idly Campbell, bought
my mother asa slave girl, about sixteen
years old, from one John Reed ; my moth»
er’s name was Lucy; my father whose
name was Jackson, was a slave belonging
to one Billy Ball, and was born and raised
at Kingston, Madison County, Kentucky.

(i Al"l't)m<)(;R \PHY.

My father and mother. married about the
year 1321. I have often heard my fathtr
and mother talk about the old fashioned
wedding they had in slave times. The
white folks would let them have a big,r sup-
per, then they would put and dance half
the night for amusement.

My grandfather on my mother’s side, was
a slave owned by one Jockey Billy Barnett:
his name was Aaron. I recollect him very
well. He boughthimself in slave time, and
enjoyed two or three years of freedom be—
fore he (lied.

My grandmother, on my mother’s side
was a slave and belonged to one Joe Hy—
att; her name was Nancy. She was sold
and sent South before I recollect. My
great grandfather on my mother’s side was
named Tobias. {e was a slave of Jockey
Billy Barnett. He was set free and en—
joyed a few years of freedom before he
died. My great grandmother on my motlr
er’sside belonged also to Jockey Billy Bar~
nett. Her name was Mato. She was also
Set free with her husband. I remember of
hearing her funeral preached. She died a

AL'TURHN7RAI‘HY.

ehristian.

My grandfather on my fathers side, was
a slave of Billy Bows: his name was Dan—
iel: Iloyed him as I.did my father. He
liVed until afterl was married. He died
in the triumph of faith. I was at his bur»
ial, and shed many t xars over his remains.

My grandmother on my father‘s side, was
named Lydia, She was also a slaye of
Billy Bows. My great grandfather on my
father’s side was named Pompey. and was
also a slave, belonging to Billy Bows, like,
wise my great grandmother, whose name
was Jews. They were all brought into this

state from Virginia.
CHAPTER II.

Now I wish to say somethingr about my
earliest childhood. Iwas raised with my
old master’s white Children, andl saw a
better time than most slaves in that day.
It is agreat pleasure to me to look back
and think of the pleasure that I enjoyed in
my youthful days, although a slave.

I will say something about the growth of
the timber on my old master’s plantation.

8 ALT'I'onnunywnr.

The growth of some part of it was large,
tall, white and red oak, some large poplar
trees and walnut, hickory, persimmon, dog'-
wood and Cherry. There was also on the
plantation three large sugar orchards in
which I enjoyed a great deal of fun in
sugar making time. 7

There were three white hoys, Billy, Ar-
cher, and Davie, and six white girls, l’olly,
Peggy, Nancy, Elizabeth, Hannah and
Rachel. All of these were older than I,
except three of the girls. My sister ChrisA
tena was next to me, My mother had nine
Children. I was the oldest.

\Vhen sugar makingr time would come
all of these whom I have named, and my
father also, as my old master had bought
him to he, with the family, would go out in/
to the sugar orchard to open the camp.

Some of the larger boys would he put to
tapping trees, some to chopping wood.
The smaller boys, of whom I was one, and
some of the girls would carry sugar water,
and the larger girls would boil down the
sugar water. The younger children would
have a ﬁne time playing, as children do,

.-\I“l'(HHHURAI‘IH'. 9

and occasionally drink the sweet syrup
1 often think of the Sundays in the spring
of the year: in the months of May and
lune. Of the great pleasure we children
would see, white and black. in going: to the
big wood’s pasture to play. when the dog—
wood trees had bloomed with their white
lilosson‘is. and also the red hud, haw and
many other trees were in bloom.

\\'e children would romp over the woods
and play and listen to the hum of the bees,
in the white blossorlis in trees.

’yut now I come up to the years of nine
and ten. I was now large-enough to work,
so I was put out into the, corn ﬁeld with
my father and three white hoys, and I soon
must make a full hand to work upon the
farm at all kinds of labor, and though put
out to labor with other hands, I must think
still of the fun I enjoyed in the corn ﬁeld in
my youthful days.

It was the custom in those days in the
spring and summer, as soon as we got up
in the morning, to go out into the corn
ﬁeld to work, and generally before sun rise.
\Ve would work until nine or ten o’clock

10 AL'W)lIIOGRH’HYr

when horns would blow for breakfast.

\Ve would hear the horns blowing all
around in the neighborhood for four and
ﬁve miles distant.

Asl look back through the loner years
that have passed and remember the scenes of
my boyhood, l can almost imagine that I
hear now, as then, the sweet morning song
of the birds, the whirr of the quail and
songs of the lark. It was also a common
thing for the limiters to ﬁnd deer in our
neighbood, and we used to have great
sport running them with the hounds.

But now I come to the age of ﬁfteen or
sixteen years and upwards. l was a great
dancer, very fond of music and would often
walk six or seven miles at night and dance
and then get home in the morning in time
to make a ﬁre for old master and mistress.

I must say something,r about the pleasure
I used to enjoy when a boy, ﬁshing)r on
Silver Creek, with the three white hoysl
was reared with, Billy, Archie and Davie.
\Ve would get our tasks done through the
week by dinner time on Saturday in the
spriné,r and summer season, and would

.45

..—- Js,

;\l"l'nl:IH(2R,\PH\'. ll

:>.ten «go fishing about two miles from our
llOHS". There was a hole of water called
the old cat hole: it was a great place for
catﬁsh, and there the other neighbor boys
and I would meet and ﬁsh, and romp and
play up and down the creek bank. In
those days one could ﬁnd a variety of ﬁsh
in Silver Creek, such as black and white
perch, silverside and catfish.

80 well was I attached to those white
boys, and so strong their regard for me,
that it was sometime before I fairly found out
that l was a slave. My old master raised
us all very much alike, and if we got into
any mischief; if he whipped one he
whipped all. The last whippingr he gave
me I was between twelve and thirteen
years old. I never had the blood cut out of
me by whipping. My old master did not
believe it was right to whip a grown man.

Inever saw much of the barbarity of
slavery in my neighborhood. The most
ever seen by me was men and women sent
from their families South. I never saw but
one man whipped in my life. He and the
overseer had fought and his master and the

12 AI'TiHilHURAI’IIY.

overseer hit him some three hundred lashes
on his bare back.

Having a knowledge of all these things.
I wished sometimes that I had never been
born a slave, not knowing what would b< ~
come of me when old master (lied. But
when a youth, when David Campbell be,
came large enough to send to school, and
we were both born the same year, I thought
it very hard that he could be admitted to
school and I had to stay at home and work:
but all this taught me that I was recog—
nized as a slave, yet a strong desire was
within me to learn to read, and so anxious
was I to learn to read that my father
bought for me an old elementary spelling
hook, and as David felt more to me like a
brother than my young,r master, he would
give me lessons in my book at night.

I often split up pine knots to make a
light by which to learn my lesson. \Vhen
Ihad advanced far enough to spell “baker,”
I gave David fifty cents to learn me to read.
My father had learned me to be a basket
maker and also to bottom chairs. This is
the way I made my little money.

.\‘i'zoiyloint‘iru'x. 12‘.

lint non ln ust SH) sonnthing about my
thoughts ol lutm‘n‘ things.
CllAl’llClC lll.
\VhL-n :1 lioy :i‘iaout tln agt- of st-n nt« in
l was Vt'ry Wild, ;1 gngnt (1221110: 1‘ ol ruls
and jigs and would gilt out among tint

hays {HM swuzu‘. My puivnts and thr \\ hitw

l
lollx's didn't allow n-’; hogs to swunr in [lli ir
pl‘t‘St‘nCt‘.

()m: l'iill)’ Cornwlison lin‘d :1 llt‘lglllﬂ‘!‘ to
us, and mycousin, (ihm‘liv lflmm'c, hnd :i
wilt at his hous‘u: they had a l)0)' l>_\' tliL‘
name of Henry. I was \’i'l')' fond of his
company and VlSltL‘d his hon‘w mon- than
any otln-r in tha- nuighhorhood. l particu—
larly liked thu family, lmth “hit‘s and
colored.

Billy Cornulison was; taken suddnxnly ill
and only livvd a fmv (l21_\S. Two of our
White girls had gone ovvr to S('(‘ him on':
evening; tlu‘)‘ came lmck just at dark. and
my father and I wcrv sitting in thv kitcln-n.
()ld mistress asked [llt' girls how lh‘ was:
they said he was dm'ld. I nmwr had any
thing to strike me so forcibly in all my lifv.

and 21 thought came to my mind whether

l‘ \l'ianHx‘H‘H‘xﬁ

h" W is in heaven or in torment. Not
lmmxing anythingr ahout church husinugss.
as [had not given sur ‘1 thing's any thought.
I asked :n_\' Iathvr iI Ilillj; was in any church.
He said, “)0. s he was in the Baptist
Church," and that s «‘1qu to give me much
C )1%)l1{I m an I I hop ,(1 that he was in
l t‘él‘ﬂ‘ll.

His death lin {er ~ I on my tIIIlltI s') l)(‘£1\'ll_\’
all next day, that l hogan to think about
trying to do hrtter. Thoughts came into
my mind that I was too young to begin to
seek religion and that I had hettt-r wait un
til I was older, and take more of the pleas»
ures of this life. But from that day to this
I quit all of my wild ways and had hahits,
hut stillI was not a christian. I lived a
moral sinner for ahout twelve months.

In the year 18“, I llISCOVt‘l’L‘d that I was
a sinner, and if I died in that condition I
would he lost.

My old master did not belong to any
church, but believed that Christ died for all
men and all men would he saved. And
then I began to think about the future hap—
piness of those who died Christians.

.‘II‘I‘Hi'IHHKH un'. 13

But one day \VIIIIL,‘ plowing anm- and
studying about what wouid IM‘COHK‘ of no
it I divd in the condition I \\J1!~‘. in, a thought
came into my mind that I had I‘t'ttt‘l' not
(It-pend upon oId mastvr'sdoctrinc and that
I had IX‘tIt'I' Si't‘Ix’ tho aaIVation of my soul,
and from that I commvnct-d praying.

'l‘ht‘ oolorud ptoph: had a Iii;v int-Ming
appointed about nim= mihs from whvrv I
lived in tIEt‘ month of july, and I docidvd
that I wouId go to that Illt't‘tilig tho nvxt
Sunday, and that I would go up and I‘L‘
prayed for. l wvnt to that liil'gtiﬂg’, anI
whun tht- prt-achcr called for mourners I
did not go up to he prayrd for, for SUHIt'IIOM'
my heart fﬂlIL‘tI mu. Iiut I was so aﬁt‘cttd
about religion that tht' prvilCIlt‘I‘ disoorvimd
it and came to me, puttingr his hand upon
my shouldn‘, hugged mt- to come to tho
anxious seat.

This left such a drop imprvssion upon
my mind that I nmwr stoppt‘d until I found
Jesus, precious unto my souI, on tht: Itith
dayof Svptt-mhvr. 184].

On the day of my conversion I came in
from work to dinner: my mothvr got dinner

I“; \i'ii):muximn‘.

1‘: :uly and I sat down to thv table. but I
\Kas in such diwp trouhlv about my Soul
that I (lid not Icy-l lilx‘t‘ ratingr anything.
My mothm‘ loolu‘d at lilL‘ tsarnvstly and
as‘lu-rl me- why I didn’t rat my dinnvr? I
H‘ﬂilt' no rvply to hwr Iiu'siion but I lclt thv
ttars running down my chwrkx. I got up
from the tal‘vlc and \yx-nt away, thinking
that \\.'l1Ilt' the othvr hoyS were rating thvir
(limit-r I would ulipavay and pray. I went
to an old cave that was a littlu (IlStElHCt‘

from the lious‘w. and got on my knobs and

tried to pray, but it (lid not secm to do my
any good, in fact I It‘lt WUI'SL‘. I arosv

from my lillL‘L’S and sat down upon thi: root
of a sugar tt'itv that stood near by. I but»
icd my Iacu in my hands and said. “Lord
haw: mercy upon llltt, a poor ungodly sin:
ncr.” and iminvdiatcly I felt the burden
give away from my Ill‘itt‘t, and I felt a zeal
of low: take placv within my heart and felt
as happy as Icould he.

I felt that I loved cvuryhody in thy
world and by this, I knew that I had been
horn of God. During,r the time that I was
in trouble about my soul, I intended when

\ ‘»

154a): I‘v‘iuiun to Win 1h:- I’. xptis‘trhm‘rh. I
{lit} nnt Eunm' :1n:.'thh1:::1'.wnt thy- IIKW con-
t'nins; thw inininq at vhtm'h h} shn'ts‘.
zmz‘i that I \‘.'<>;13~.3 htxu- to have :1 t‘wr‘tiﬁt‘utv
NILH my mzmlm' tn join thn- clmt'th :m-Ll that
21 SiilW‘ hle tn jwin thv church that his mus»
h‘l' s M.

Nu“ m} oh} nx’xa‘tn' h'*hv‘\‘~<‘l in the
Mvthmhst doctrinv. hut (Ii\1 nmt hvhmg tn
:1n_\'<:hm‘t:h. {tll‘l \\'h~n I \'\‘.’1Htt‘{1 tn inn: tht‘
(‘lllll'fj‘tl11L"\‘,t)111.1Hoth‘thxt'HHhN’s I joinvil
thc Monthmhsba

Now. this \ns; thl' ﬁrst "puma” that I
Int-t \\ith nttvr l cmhrzxr-wl rvliginn. so I
“as at :1 loss what to (h). Ithd not hwhmw
in thy thhmhst doctrinn hxlh', and it was
\'<‘r_\' (h-t-p3_\' impugn-d upon my mind In
try and preach lht' gospel and l hllt‘W that
[could nut ht-mw‘w a prvzurhrr ltﬂh‘SS I luv»
longul to snmv Churgh. Finally I canw to
thu conchxaion to join thv Mvthmhst
church.

50 to (lo the hl'St that! C(mhL I \\‘('nt to
old IIHISU‘I‘ 101‘ :1 (:L'I’tiﬁC;1tt' to join tht'
church. IIt- gzu‘w thv cm‘tiﬁmtv, but for

bath: any preach” hzlptizing mp hy innncr—

A U!" ilHtHHx’A l‘H\'.

siou. So I joined thv Mcthulist Church in
Nm‘mnlwr, N41, and tln: prr-achvr. \x‘lmsu
mung was Rolwrts. lmptizul nw by pouring.
in August. 1542.

I startul to rxhurtiug‘ at a pruycr nit-wt—
ing lwlrl l)_\' thv uu-mlwrs in my old nz-iglr
lmrlmorl. ’l‘hv old mvmln-rs‘ of thr- differ-
ent (lvmuninations would mm-t thvro in an
old school housr- callml thr- I'lolus school
housv, m‘vry 'l‘hursdziy night. l)_\' pvrmis—
sion of thv ownur of thv SCllOOl housv.
\VlIOSt‘ mnuv was Richard Corm-lisou.

The old pumplv pncmn'ugwl 1111‘ to go
forward (‘Xll(,>l'(ll'l§(. and tlw uld Baptist
ministers, Erlmnml Martin, Boh lrvims.
Sum jam-s, Iimiry Buggs, Zuphimizih
Rhmlvs: and l’hvlau juuvs :1 Mvthmlist
minis‘tvr, all wvlumu-il luv and i-ucouragc-(l
my to go about with than and open int-ct
ings 21ml (-xhort sump in ls“. l was li~
consul to cxhort by u whitv Mctlmdist
prvachur h_\' tlu- mum- ol South. I first
joined this church at Hrthvl meeting huusv
in :«1 grvut rvvivzll hold by prt-acha-r Rnlwurts.
Alta“ Rulmrts loft, South war; zippointml his
maccrssor.

\I"l'H}‘.lt HIRAHH .

In
In 15:32 I “as lit‘vnsod to prt-zuth by a
\\'IIIU‘ :\I~_-thodist pn'acht-r hy thr nanu- of

johnson. l livml in thv Muthodist Church

until Him. ;\f[vr I was (‘UIHPCIIPLI to join
thv Methodist (‘Iltll'CIl I tried to liu- up to
itg rulrs nul ()l)(‘_\' its doctrinvs the ln-st
that] could. [tried to Illzlkt' an honest
.\IL‘[IH)1‘:l<:in a prnxmtlmwr.
l1 luul tn lip (lunv l‘»_\ :1 ammril ml \\'lzi‘u
1.1inl5m 1's, rmrl you llml in Wt :1 r‘vnlfivnh
211m:§(_,\11'<>\\x1<*1‘. ;IS_\()1i C():1l\l(:11l}‘ lw m"
(lama-(l l)_\ tl‘mir (alumni.

l “as L‘Aillllllhil ln‘ ;: council ml whitr
ministx-rs, :1 tlzv \lel'w ravi111il j \V.
l‘h‘uatlllus, lluruu (in-ml Lilhl \antvr (lllL‘H’
illlll. On Ilnl Illinl Sunday in Jliilt‘. Rink
1 was cullul pastor of tln- Unitml liquid

(lunch, culurul, of RlL‘llliIOIHl.
(‘ll,\l"l‘lil\’ l\"

l illlhl nm‘; say unwilling; alumt

\1 Imiuuusgxruy :3}

mining 111\' hwmz I }i\'w1;\.t th nhiiwnu

\x'hm‘v l \xum burn. Hum: lazi, Hmii 1‘34.

1 had nun 1n wn Hit: «‘1 wary mum that old

lltﬂllt 1111K Lm» \\"Ll~._~ in NH (:1 [11:11 thus.“

lint 0H m'rx‘Lr Clix-.1 m (>537. i‘thH {mut-
(imnr ruin; limb». N} Hmtin 1’. i;.1‘a.« 1"

[)l‘Ullll‘l‘Sl. SEU'I‘F‘ am} 2",} 5151er s‘i}i}lh\‘d

and I. \u-rv (Lil min Mina-:1 m- sxiv. me'.
n gal-:11 21mm «:2 I’m- ‘u'hiu- p-onplru m" 0131‘

I, " 5 H, 1 -«
”At It 0. light m1 .1 u.

L‘(>Hni_\<1ialn'tiu~
ul‘mi slaw-u to 'm allovui tn pruu‘h. tm' (var
thc‘y “011M pvrsuzn‘w 1hr (er slaw-s 1U
I‘ll?) :1‘.\21}'L<; 111“ 121+ SVLIKU'S.

A\H 1 ‘.\'Il‘_4 a luwn'ulu-r it \\Ll,\ quught {1112.1
1 “(1le have u; lu- Mr
1 111) yum]; mas»
(11‘s. with wlmm I had bun misml. nml

\\1H>\\;xsagrva1{11li M mint: knvw that

\l'l'HlEil Nilx‘ ‘.I’H\'.

l was in tran'tle- an l that l dil not want to
l)‘\‘l‘il[.’1\\'.l}'f1\)il‘.ll_\'()lilll'Vllx‘Elflvlfilillllﬁ'
and friends. He talked to his mother
r*ahout my troubles. and old mistress sent
me \yord hy him that I need not he troulu—
led ahout being sold at the sale. For I
was the ﬁrst slave ehild horn to her, and
that l\\'as ﬁrst nursed from her ln'east, and
that she was going to take me as a part of
her thirds. and that no man should war
have me as long; as there was health in her
hoily. That gave me a great deal of reliel
and caused me to helieye that there was :1
reality in prayer to God.

The sale came off in August. lsBl, and
{our of my brothers. my mother, one sister
anl thrt-e of my sister's children were
sold. My father, one of my sisters and
myself fell to old mistress. ()ld mistress
allowed me some privileges: old master
ne\'e1‘ alIoWed his slaves to own a horse.
They might own hogs or :1 (WHY. hut never
a horse. '

1 had been preaching ten years, and often
my appointments on Sunday would he
eight and ten miles from home and I would

l\l'l‘o}:lo1;R,»\l’H\. 2:1

\Valk thatdistanu- and preach and walk hack
to my wife's house thc same: day. and list-
Monday morning and walk lIUlllL‘ to my
old masttrs housw. and maku a hand equal
with the othur hantls all tllL‘ aux-k at hartl
labor. But old mistress allowed m;- to lmy
a horse: that 3".th mt- ;{rt-at I‘t‘llt‘f.

Slit- did not ku-p lHMISt‘ but two years.
for hcr Childrrn pL-rsuadt-d her to giyv up
ken-ping housv, I‘Ullt out the farm and hirt-
us all out and SlH' liw- among llt‘l‘ childrvu.
That was a great cross to 11h}. hut it ﬁnally
proved to ho for thv lwst.

My wife and childrz-n belonged to l’alvsv
tint- Ballard, and my \Vllitt‘ folks always alv
lowed Inc to go to see my family twicv a
\thk. l C()11Clll(lt'(l I could lin- anywhvrv
my with and chihln-n could, mil 1 got Mr.
Ballard to hire mu

I lived at that tiim- t\\'(‘l\'L‘ milt-s from
Richmond. in thr- ycar 1854. 'l‘ht- samv
year Mr. Ballard l)L‘C£llll(‘ high shrritlof thy-
rounty and moved my family down to Rich«
moml. I got him to hirt- IHL' in H5?) in or-
der that I might lM‘ with my family and l

Concluded that I would lw a hurling as

HHHMK EII\.

‘ it] Ktnilu'h :1! 1:an M119; \u

v 2 * |'_ “ _ A 1'_
int .1 :u'lxv (‘WIEI‘121(‘?JE]m‘H]‘.t)I‘.AH’\

mum ;' \\ iﬂwxzi amm- UH! 1<>>1:H1'1‘1‘w1\\nn
thm. Sal 35‘1th {XXL} (”my
an“ from 5th [LHIlML .h‘} l him-d 1..~.'!;1H my WM“ :Inl {hr-«- «)1 Lhn‘
:CKNHIS‘L‘SI(\}]H\1]“‘l‘. and tm‘ \‘011M‘ Lhn 4- _\'c$ll'.\
! hi1‘w<1111}' wiiw mu]. mymh until \w kept
hrmxu «')I11‘sw1\'v&

,\\ Ihv Lm‘d “wilhl h;l\«- iL. I hzul to hr
j? $0M. hut ] 1111(‘l§21i11-_‘«1hl\'01‘ with (30}. Bill)‘
I Rhodws, \\‘h:)\\';1.< 1hr.- (iommissinnrr of thw
(‘mmty at that time. and hv had to Suth-
tho (-stutt: of 0111' proph'. 21ml High :1 \Vih
ham “hit; :1 \1‘1‘)’ rich man. whom I om»
Lhought was an awn-my of minv, hut hv
prm‘ml to lM' 11 grth h‘iwml.

I houg‘ht mym-Hzlt 82213, in ()gtohm‘, 1803.

AU'I'OBIOGRAI‘HY. 25

At that time my wife and I had a large
family of fourteen children, of which eight
were boys and six girls, and of that num»
ber eight are still living.

I shall now speak of my troubles with
Mr. \Nilliam White, while at my old mas—
ter’s. At my old master’s sale William
White bought my brother, Green Berry.
He was my oldest brother and I loved him
very dearly. It was said at that time Wil—
liam Berry owned nearly a hundred slaves,
and also that he was a very hard master.
So for this cause, I was sorry to see my
brother fall into his hands, but the negro
traders were about to buy him at the auc—
, tion block and send him South, but the
white hearers all agreed that Mr. White
should have him at a certain price, and he
was knocked ofir to him. Well, ratherthan
see him sold and sent down South, I much
preferred him to be sold to Mr. White, and
he lived with him two years.

Mr. White was a man that wanted all of
his slave men to have wives at home. My
brother Green had a wife at preacher Sti—
vers’. I ofﬁciated at his wedding. Mr.

A l"l‘0lil()('. R A l’llY.

\Yhite had a foreman who was one of his.
slaves, by the name of Irvine, and on one

I’riday evening Mr. \Vhite and wife were

absent from home on a visit, but he had

told his foreman to tell brother Green to go ‘
to his house and bring all of his Clothes

home, and that he must take a wife there

at his home.

On Saturday eveningr Green came up
from his master‘s place to where I lived.
which was about a mile and a half from
where he lived. My sister was washing
down at the old stone spring house; my
father was down there also. They sent up
to the house for me to come down there.
and when I went down, there sat my
brother Green, and as soon as I saw him I
knew from his countenance that he was in
trouble and it so frightened me that l was
almost afraid to ask him what was the mat
ter. But I ﬁnally asked him and he said,
“Mat I am going to run away and try to go
to the free, states.” I asked him why he
was going, and had Mr. \Vhite been beat—
in;r him? He said, “no, but he is going to
make me leave Samira and take a wife at

lis.

Ix.
~T

AI'TOIHOU RAI’HY.

home, and I will die ﬁrst before I will do

It 77

Now. here was a heart full of trouble for
me. I knew I was a preacher and was his
oldest brother, and if he aimed to go to the
free states, whether he got there or not
Mr. VVhite would drop deep suspicion on
ine, as he knew I could read and he might
believe that I could write, although I could

not writ-e any at that time, and he might

‘belieVe that I had a hand in aiding him to

get away ; and he being one of the richest
men in our neighborhood, I knew he would
be a dangerous enemy against me. I
therefore began to persuade my brother to

.go back home and to talk to Mr. White,

and try and get him out of the notion of
trying to separate him and his wife, but he
declared that he would uevergo back home
again. I found that he was determined to
go away, so I shook hands with him and
told him that if he was determined to go,
t0 g0 and the Lord be with him. There
was a man by the name of Billy Hill, a
slave. of widow Hill, who went with him.

A Hill’s white people had taken him when a

:38 'AU’I‘OBIOGRAPHY.

small boy down to Maysville to help drive
stock, and Billy had told brother Green
that at any time he wanted to run away to
go to the free states he would go with him,
for he had never forgotten the way down to
Maysville.

So Billy and Green met that Saturday
night and started for the free states; they
started from preacher Stivers’, where Green
had his wife, Simara. He shook hands
with his wife, kissed his baby and left.

VVhen Mr. \Vhite came home and found
Green was gone he put out a reward of $50
for him, thinking that probably be was
somewhere in the neighborhood. There
was great excitement in the neighborhood
looking for him, but they could not hear
anything about him.

In about two weeks Billy Hill came back
and told Mr. White that Green was aiming
to cross the river at Maysville and to go in-
to the free states. Mr. White dispatched
to Maysville and advertised for him and
they caught him. Mr. White went after
him, and when he came back he said that
he had sold him down South.

AIT'H)lllUGRAl‘HY. 29

Sure enough, some 01 the neighbors
thought that I had a hand in sending him
away, This was a heavy trouble upon me,
for I did not know at what time I might be
taken away from my family and sent down
the river. I took my troubles to the Lord
and prayed day and night for Him to ﬁght
my battles for me.

So one morning as I was going down
towards Mr. \Vhite’s, I met him in the
road. It was my custom in slave days,
when I met a rich man to call him master.
So I spoke to him and called him master.
and told him that I wanted to talk to him
about my brother Green, if he would perv
mit me to do so. He said, “Yes, I will
permit you just the same as if you were a
white man.” I said, “Master William.
Green is my brother, and although we are
called negroes, I love him as well as you
love your brother, and Lheard that you
got him and sold him down the river.” I
took his horse by the bridle and looked
him right in the face. He said, “Yes Mat,
I did get Green, and I sold him to the trad—
ers, but I left it to Green’s choice, whether

...}1 v - ‘L..;:.-_i~«w3r2 ~,

\I'THILIUHR \l’HY.

llL‘ would rather (TUHIK‘ homv and take a
good whipping. go on to his work. or l)t‘
sold to thu tradvrs. llti said to mu that
he had ratht-r hv sold to thu- tradvrs and
that hv had startvd to run away from me-
I would lIL‘Vk‘l' llélYL) couﬁtltlucc in him agaiir
So I sold him.”

Mr. \Vhitc thuu said to mm, "Mat lt‘t
uu say to _\ou that your master liill Camp~
ln-ll told a llLf on you. Ha,- told mu that he)
wont to Mr. jamvs liallard's, to yourwilc’s
housv, and traclwtl you and (irm-ii out in
that woods and saw whvru you had satdowu
on a log and saw the gruasy pap/«r whvri-
you had given him SOillL‘Illlllg to cat, and
at the timv he told me that I found that
(iruun was a lmudrvd lllllt‘S lrom homo
Now, Mat, Green told me that you kuuw
that he: was going to run away, and that he
came to your mistrcss’ place that Saturday
vvcuiug and you ht-ggcd him not to run
away, but to go hack homo and try and
reason the case with me and that you
thought that would be the host for him.
He said to inc he was sorry that he did not

talu- your advice. Now Mat, that will bv

t\1"l'onlo<;i<\1‘H\. til

an honor to you the longest (lav you live,
knowing you are a preacher and an older
brother than Green, you trying to instruct
him to do right and to Come hack home to
me, as I had paid a large price for him.
Mat I will he your friend as long as I live
and I want you to appoint a meetingr at my
house and come and preach to my hlack
people, and you shall always be made welv

come.’ I appointed a 111eeting’ at his
house and went and preached among his
slaves, and he would always come out to
hear me, pr ”dcll. Now all this caused me
to still have more faith in (iod, and strength—
ened me in the belief that He was a God
that would answer prayer when you pray
earnestly to Him.

Mr. \Vhite thought so much of me that
he, bought three shares in me. knowing;
that I had to he sold at my old mistress'
death.

On the Sunday before I was sold he sent
for me to come up and preach the funeral
of one of his old favorite servants. After
preaching, he told me that I had to he sold
at the sale, next week, and asked me what

31.). .\U'l‘tHiH)(;R:\I’HY.

I was going to do about it. I told him I
could not do anythingr about it, but would
have to do as they willed. I further said
that I had served out my old master’s and
mistress' time and would like to buy my"
self if I could get him to be a friend to me.
He said that he intended to buy me him—
self, but as I looked to him to be a friend,
he would be a friend, and said that he and
Col. Rhodes, who was commissioner of the
sale, would buy me out. He gave me a
check on the bank for ten dollars, and came
to