time. Of the poor women on board; three of them had husbands whom they
left behind. One of them had three children, another had two, and the
third had none. These husbands and fathers were among the throng upon
the shore, witnessing the departure of their wives and children, and
as they took their leave of them, they were sitting together upon
the floor of the boat sobbing in silence, but giving utterance to no
complaint. But the distressing scene was not yet ended. Sailing down
the Cape Fear river twenty-five miles, we touched at the little village
of Smithport, on the south side of the river. It was at this place that
one of these slaves lived, and here was his wife and five children;
and while at work on Monday last, his purchaser took him away from
his family, carried him in chains to Wilmington, where he had since
remained in jail. As we approached the wharf, a flood of tears gushed
from his eyes, and anguish seemed to have pierced his heart. The boat
stopped but a moment, and as she left, he bid farewell to some of his
acquaintances whom he saw upon the shore, exclaiming, 'Boys, I wish
you well; tell Molly (meaning his wife) and the children I wish them
well, and hope God will bless them.' At that moment he espied his
wife on the stoop of a house some rods from the shore, and with one
hand which was not in the handcuffs, he pulled off his old hat, and
waving it toward her, exclaimed, 'Farewell!' As he saw by the waving
of her apron that she recognized him, he leaned back upon the railing,
and with a faltering voice repeated, 'Farewell, forever.' After a
moment's silence, conflicting passions seemed to tear open his heart,
and he exclaimed, 'What have I done that I should suffer this doom?
Oh, my wife and children, I want to live no longer!' and then the big
tear rolled down his cheek, which he wiped away with the palm of his
unchained hand, looked once more upon the mother of his five children,
and the turning of the boat hid her face from him forever."
ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account