Illustrated Edition of the Life and Escape of Wm. Wells Brown from American Slavery: Written by Himself — John Shaqi
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
“Behind I left the whips and chains,
Before me were sweet Freedom’s plains!”
This, and this alone, cheered me onward. But I at last resolved to seek
protection from the inclemency of the weather, and therefore I secured
myself behind some logs and brush, intending to wait there until some
one should pass by; for I thought it probable that I might see some
colored person, or, if not, some one who was not a slaveholder; for I
had an idea that I should know a slaveholder as far as I could see him.
The first person that passed was a man in a buggy-wagon. He looked too
genteel for me to hail him. Very soon another passed by on horseback. I
attempted to speak to him, but fear made my voice fail me. As he passed,
I left my hiding-place, and was approaching the road, when I observed
an old man walking towards me, leading a white horse. He had on a
broad-brimmed hat and a very long coat, and was evidently walking for
exercise. As soon as I saw him, and observed his dress, I thought
to myself, “You are the man that have been looking for!” Nor was I
mistaken. He was the very man!
On approaching me, he asked me, “if I was not a slave.” I looked at him
some time, and then asked him “if he knew of any one who would help me,
as I was sick.” He answered that he would; but again asked, if I was not
a slave. I told him I was. He then said that I was in a very pro-slavery
neighborhood, and if I would wait until he went home, he would get a
covered wagon for me. I promised to remain. He mounted his horse, and
was soon out of sight.
After he was gone, I meditated whether to wait or not; being
apprehensive that he had gone for some one to arrest me. But I finally
concluded to remain until he should return; removing some few rods to
watch his movements. After a suspense of an hour and a half or more, he
returned with a two-horse covered wagon, such as are usually seen under
the shed of a Quaker meetinghouse on Sundays and Thursdays; for the old
man proved to be a Quaker of the George Fox stamp.
He took me to his house, but it was some time before I could be induced
to enter it; not until the old lady came out, did I venture into the
house. I thought I saw something in the old lady’s cap that told me
I was not only safe, but welcome, in her house. I was not, however,
prepared to receive their hospitalities. The only fault I found with
them was their being too kind. I had never had a white man to treat me
as an equal, and the idea of a white lady waiting on me at the table was
still worse! Though the table was loaded with the good things of
this life, I could not eat. I thought if I could only be allowed the
privilege of eating in the kitchen I should be more than satisfied!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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