William Crafts is a black man, born in Georgia. His master had the reputation of being a humane man and a pious Christian. Yet, when some of his slaves were getting old, he had no scruples about selling them away from their families, and buying a young lot. Among those sold were the father and mother of William. They were sold to different purchasers from different places, and never saw each other again. They were much attached to each other, and it was a consolation to their son to think how happy would be their reunion in another world; for he says he never knew people who more humbly placed their trust in God than his parents did. William was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker, and his brother to a blacksmith; because slaves who worked well at a trade could be let out with more profit to their masters, and would also bring a higher price if sold. Before their time was out, their master became hard pressed for money. Accordingly, he sold the young blacksmith, and mortgaged William and his sister, a girl of fourteen. When the time of the mortgage was up, their master had no money to redeem them, and they were placed on the auction-block, to be sold to the highest bidder. The girl was sold first, and bought by a planter who lived some distance in the country. William was strongly attached to his sister; and when he saw her put into a cart, to be carried away from him forever, it seemed as if his heart would burst. He knelt down and begged and entreated to be allowed to go and speak to her before she was taken away; but they handled him roughly, and ordered him to stay on the auction-block. As he stood there awaiting his own fate, he saw the cart moving slowly away. The tears were rolling down his sister's cheeks, and she stretched her hands toward him with a movement of despair. The thought that he could do nothing for her, and that they might never meet more, almost killed him. His eyes were blinded with tears; and when he could see again, the cart was gone. He was bought by the man to whom he had been mortgaged, and ordered to return to the cabinet-maker's shop to work. After a while his new master took him to Macon, where he was let out to work at his trade. There he became acquainted with a quadroon girl named Ellen, whom he afterward married.