Slavery and the ConstitutionBowditch, William I. (William Ingersoll)
Religion
Slavery and the Constitution
Bowditch, William I. (William Ingersoll)
Enslaved persons -- United States -- Social conditions; Slavery -- United States
"My terms are $5 per day for hunting the trails, whether the negro
is caught or not. Where a twelve hours' trail is shown, and the
negro not taken, no charge is made. For taking a negro, $25, and no
charge made for hunting. JAMES W. HALL."
In the "Sumpter County Whig" (Alabama) of Nov. 6, 1845, the following is
found:--
"NEGRO DOGS.--The undersigned, having bought the entire pack of
negro dogs (of the Hay & Allen stock), _he now proposes to catch
runaway negroes_. His charges will be $3 a day for hunting, and $15
for catching a runaway. He resides three and one half miles north of
Livingston, near the lower Jones' Bluff road.
"Nov. 6, 1845. WILLIAM GAMBREL."
William W. Brown was hunted by Major Benjamin O'Fallon, who kept for his
professional purposes five or six bloodhounds ("Narrative," p. 22). Last
year, 1848, Mr. J. Ervin, a native of Fairfield District, South
Carolina, a slave-hunter by profession, was murdered by some runaway
slaves. Owners sometimes vary the monotony of a plantation life by a
private hunt on their own account. But, unless they have considerable
practice, they make a bungling piece of work of it. The true object,
both of dogs and men, is the capture of the negro, not his death. Gen.
Taylor did not wish to "worry" the Seminoles. We might cite many notices
like the following, cut from the "Raleigh (N.C.) Register," Aug. 20,
1838:--
"On Saturday night, Mr. George Holmes, of this county, and some of
his friends were in pursuit of a runaway slave (the property of Mr.
Holmes), and fell in with him in attempting to make his escape. Mr.
H. discharged a gun at his legs, for the purpose of disabling him;
but, unfortunately, the slave stumbled, and the shot struck him near
the small of the back, of which wound he died in a short time. The
slave continued to run some distance after he was shot, until
overtaken by one of the party. We are satisfied from all that we can
learn, that Mr. H. had no intention of inflicting a mortal wound."
The hunter, in the following instance, was more skilful or lucky. The
advertisement is found in the "Richmond Whig and Public Advertiser,"
Jan. 25, 1848:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account