A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
With these words, I turned away; but had not advanced five feet when he
called out:
"Madam, I hope we'll get the same boat. I'd like to see you again; for
I like to meet people who stand up for their own principles."
Widely differing from this captain's spirit was another, who was the
owner of a large plantation, with numerous slaves, yet a strong Union
man, and his wife and daughters sympathized with him. Before the fall
of Vicksburg he called all his slaves together, and told them this war
would result in the freedom of every slave in the United States, and he
wanted now to make an arrangement with them to work for him as
heretofore. He promised to pay all the grown hands eight dollars a
month, and board them with their families as he had done before, and to
pay them at the close of each month. With tears of gratitude, they
accepted his proposition. He told them that this arrangement must be
kept secret, for their safety as well as his own; for they all knew
there had always been a prejudice against him because he allowed them
privileges that other planters adjoining them did not. They said to
him, "Your niggers think they are white," because he never would have
an overseer on his plantation, and would not have whipping and
punishing among his grown people, and the families among his slaves
managed their own children. He came into our lines as soon as he could,
to save his life; and he told us he had not visited his home for a long
time, except at night, as his life had been threatened, and that his
wife and daughters, for their own protection, kept loaded pistols at
their bedside. He had also armed a number of his servants, as they were
likewise exposed to an attack. He was a noble-appearing man, and said,
in conversation: "Mrs. Haviland, I have always held the same views on
the subject of slavery that you do; but it was against the law to free
them and allow them to remain here, and we could not send them away
without breaking up some of their families. But I rejoice that it has
come to an end; and I know of others who rejoice, but they do so
secretly." His wife came to see him while we were there, and seemed to
be a woman of sterling principle. She said they had to watch day and
night, fearing their buildings would be burned, and perhaps some of
them murdered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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