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The Story of Mattie J. Jackson: Her Parentage—Experience of Eighteen years in Slavery—Incidents during the War—Her Escape from Slavery — John Shaqi

The Story of Mattie J. Jackson: Her Parentage—Experience of Eighteen years in Slavery—Incidents during the War—Her Escape from SlaveryThompson, L. S. (Lucy S.)

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The Story of Mattie J. Jackson: Her Parentage—Experience of Eighteen years in Slavery—Incidents during the War—Her Escape from Slavery

Name: The Story of Mattie J. Jackson: Her Parentage—Experience of Eighteen years in Slavery—Incidents during the War—Her Escape from Slavery
Author: Thompson, L. S. (Lucy S.)

Thompson, L. S. (Lucy S.)

Enslaved persons -- Missouri -- Biography; Enslaved persons' writings, American; Jackson, Mattie J.

impressed his intentions on her mind. Finally, when I was ready to
start, my mistress took a notion to go out to ride, and desired me to
dress her little boy, and then get ready for church. Extensive hoops
were then worn, and as I had attached my whole wardrobe under mine by
a cord around my waist, it required considerable dexterity and no
small amount of maneuvering to hide the fact from my mistress. While
attending to the child I had managed to stand in one corner of the
room, for fear she might come in contact with me and thus discover
that my hoops were not so elastic as they usually are. I endeavored to
conceal my excitement by backing and edging very genteelly out of the
door. I had nine pieces of clothing thus concealed on my person, and
as the string which fastened them was small it caused me considerable
discomfort. To my great satisfaction I at last passed into the street,
and my master and mistress drove down the street in great haste and
were soon out of sight. I saw my guide patiently awaiting me. I
followed him at a distance until we arrived at the church, and there
met two young ladies, one of whom handed me a pass and told me to
follow them at a square's distance. It was now twilight. There was a
company of soldiers about to take passage across the ferry, and I
followed. I showed my pass, and proceeded up the stairs on the boat.
While thus ascending the stairs, the cord which held my bundle of
clothing broke, and my feet became entangled in my wardrobe, but by
proceeding, the first step released one foot and the next the other.
This was observed only by a few soldiers, who were too deeply engaged
in their own affairs to interfere with mine. I seated myself in a
remote corner of the boat, and in a few moments I landed on free soil
for the first time in my life, except when hurled through Albany and
Springfield at the time of our capture. I was now under my own
control. The cars were waiting in Jefferson City for the passengers
for Indianapolis, where we arrived about nine o'clock.




MATTIE IN INDIANAPOLIS--THE GLORY OF FREEDOM--PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S
REMAINS EXHIBITED

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Story of Mattie J. Jackson: Her Parentage—Experience of Eighteen years in Slavery—Incidents during the War—Her Escape from Slavery

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