Illustrated Edition of the Life and Escape of Wm. Wells Brown from American Slavery: Written by HimselfBrown, William Wells
History
Illustrated Edition of the Life and Escape of Wm. Wells Brown from American Slavery: Written by Himself
Brown, William Wells
Enslaved persons -- United States -- Biography; Slavery -- Missouri
We landed at Rodney, and the slaves were driven to the pen in the back
part of the village. Several were sold at this place, during our stay
of four or five days, when we proceeded to Natchez. There we landed at
night, and the gang were put in the warehouse until morning, when they
were driven to the pen. As soon as the slaves are put in these pens,
swarms of planters may be seen in and about them. They knew when Walker
was expected, as he always had the time advertised forehand when he
would be in Rodney, Natchez, and New Orleans. These were the principal
places where he offered his slaves for sale.
When at Natchez the second time, I saw a slave very cruelly whipped. He
belonged to a Mr. Broadwell, a merchant who kept a store on the wharf.
The slave’s name was Lewis. I had known him several years, as he was
formerly from St. Louis. We were expecting a steamboat down the river,
in which we were to take passage for New Orleans. Mr. Walker sent me
to the landing to watch for the boat, ordering me to inform him on its
arrival. While there I went into the store to see Lewis. I saw a slave
in the store, and asked him where Lewis was. Said he, “They have got
Lewis hanging between the heavens and the earth.” I asked him what he
meant by that. He told me to go into the warehouse and see. I went in,
and found Lewis there. He was tied up to a beam, with his toes just
touching the floor. As there was no one in the warehouse but himself,
I inquired the reason of his being in that situation. He said Mr.
Broadwell had sold his wife to a planter six miles from the city, and
that he had been to visit her--that he went in the night, expecting to
return before daylight, and went without his master’s permission. The
patrol had taken him up before he reached his wife. He was put in jail,
and his master had to pay for his catching and keeping, and that was
what he was tied up for.
Just as he finished his story, Mr. Broadwell came in, and inquired what
I was doing there. I knew not what to say, and while I was thinking what
reply to make he struck me over the head with the cowhide, the end of
which struck me over my right eye, sinking deep into the flesh, leaving
a scar which I carry to this day. Before I visited Lewis he had received
fifty lashes. Mr. Broad-well gave him fifty lashes more after I came
out, as I was afterwards informed by Lewis himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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