Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South CarolinaAdams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
General
Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South Carolina
Adams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
African Americans -- Fiction; Biographical fiction; Pereira, Manuel -- Fiction; South Carolina -- Fiction
The name of this poor fellow was George Fairchild. After being sent
to the workhouse to receive twenty blows with the paddle when he was
scarcely able to stand, he was taken down from the frame and supported
to the jail, where he remained several weeks, fed at a cost of eighteen
cents a day. His crime was “going for whiskey at night,” and the third
offence; but there were a variety of pleadings in his favor. His master
worked his negroes to the very last tension of their strength, and
exposed their appetites to all sorts of temptation, especially those who
worked in the night-gang. His master flogged him once, while he was in
the jail, himself, giving him about forty stripes with a raw hide on the
bare back: not satisfying his feelings with this, he concluded to send
him to New Orleans. He had an affectionate wife and child, who were
forbidden to see him. His master ordered that he should be sent to the
workhouse and receive thirty-nine paddles before leaving, and on the
morning he was to be shipped, his distressed wife, hearing the sad news,
came to the jail; but notwithstanding the entreaties of several debtors,
the jailer could not allow her to come in, but granted, as a favor,
that she should speak with him through the grated door. The cries and
lamentations of that poor woman, as she stood upon the outside, holding
her bond-offspring in her arms, taking a last sorrowing farewell of him
who was so dearly cherished and beloved, would have melted a heart of
stone. She could not embrace him, but waited until he was led out to
torture, when she threw her arms around him, and was dragged away by a
ruffian's hand.
Poor George Fairchild! We heard him moaning under the acute pain of the
paddle, and saw him thrust into a cart like a dog, to be shipped as a
bale of merchandise for a distant port, who had suffered with him in the
guard-house came up and saluted him with a friendly recognition. Some
two weeks had passed since the occurrence, and yet his head presented
the effects of bruising, and was bandaged with a cloth. “Good young
massa, do give me a' fo' pence, for Is'e mose starve,” he said in a
suppliant tone. Tommy put his hand into his pocket, and drawing out a
quarter, passed it to the poor fellow, and received his thanks. Leaving
a message for Manuel that he would be sure to call and see him when
he returned, he passed from the house of misery and proceeded to his
vessel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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