Twelve Years a Slave

Labors on Sugar Plantations--The Mode of Planting Cane--of Hoeing Cane--Cane Ricks--Cutting Cane--Description of the Cane Knife--Winrowing--Preparing for Succeeding Crops--Description of Hawkins' Sugar Mill on Bayou Boeuf--The Christmas Holidays--The Carnival Season of the Children of Bondage--The Christmas Supper--Red, the Favorite Color--The Violin, and the Consolation it afforded--The Christmas Dance--Lively, the Coquette--Sam Roberts, and his Rivals--Slave Songs--Southern Life as it is--Three Days in the Year--The System of Marriage--Uncle Abram's Contempt of Matrimony, 208 CHAPTER XVI. Overseers--How they are Armed and Accompanied--The Homicide--His Execution at Marksville--Slave Drivers--Appointed Driver on removing to Bayou Boeuf--Practice makes perfect--Epps's Attempt to Cut Platt's Throat--The Escape from him--Protected by the Mistress--Forbids Reading and Writing--Obtain a Sheet of Paper after Nine Years' Effort--The Letter--Armsby, the Mean White--Partially confide in him--His Treachery--Epps' Suspicions--How they were quieted--Burning the Letter--Armsby leaves the Bayou--Disappointment and Despair, 223 CHAPTER XVII. Wiley disregards the counsels of Aunt Phebe and Uncle Abram, and is caught by the Patrollers--The Organization and Duties of the latter--Wiley Runs Away--Speculations in regard to him--His Unexpected Return--His Capture on the Red River, and Confinement in Alexandria Jail--Discovered by Joseph B. Roberts--Subduing Dogs in anticipation of Escape--The Fugitives in the Great Pine Woods--Captured by Adam Taydem and the Indians--Augustus killed by Dogs--Nelly, Eldret's Slave Woman--The Story of Celeste--The Concerted Movement--Lew Cheney, the Traitor--The Idea of Insurrection, 236 CHAPTER XVIII. O'Niel, the Tanner--Conversation with Aunt Phebe overheard--Epps in the Tanning Business--Stabbing of Uncle Abram--The Ugly Wound--Epps is Jealous--Patsey is Missing--Her Return from Shaw's--Harriet, Shaw's Black Wife--Epps Enraged--Patsey denies his Charges--She is Tied Down Naked to Four Stakes--The Inhuman Flogging--Flaying of Patsey--The Beauty of the Day--The Bucket of Salt Water--The Dress stiff with Blood--Patsey grows Melancholy--Her Idea of God and Eternity--Of Heaven and Freedom--The Effect of Slave-Whipping--Epps' Oldest Son--"The Child is Father to the Man," 250 CHAPTER XIX. Avery, on Bayou Rouge--Peculiarity of Dwellings--Epps builds a New House--Bass, the Carpenter--His Noble Qualities--His Personal Appearance and Eccentricities--Bass and Epps discuss the Question of Slavery--Epps' Opinion of Bass--I make myself known to him--Our Conversation--His Surprise--The Midnight Meeting on the Bayou Bank--Bass' Assurances--Declares War against Slavery--Why I did not Disclose my History--Bass writes Letters--Copy of his Letter to Messrs. Parker and Perry--The Fever of Suspense--Disappointments--Bass endeavors to cheer me--My Faith in him, 263 CHAPTER XX. Bass faithful to his word--His Arrival on Christmas Eve--The Difficulty of Obtaining an Interview--The Meeting in the Cabin--Non-arrival of the Letter--Bass announces his Intention to proceed North--Christmas--Conversation between Epps and Bass--Young Mistress McCoy, the Beauty of Bayou Boeuf--The "Ne plus ultra" of Dinners--Music and Dancing--Presence of the Mistress--Her Exceeding Beauty--The Last Slave Dance--William Pierce--Oversleep myself--The Last Whipping--Despondency--Cold Morning--Epps' Threats--The Passing Carriage--Strangers approaching through the Cotton-Field--Last Hour on Bayou Boeuf, 279 CHAPTER XXI. The Letter reaches Saratoga--Is forwarded to Anne--Is laid before Henry B. Northup--The Statute of May 14, 1840--Its Provisions--Anne's Memorial to the Governor--The affidavits Accompanying it--Senator Soule's Letter--Departure of the Agent appointed by the Governor--Arrival at Marksville--The Hon. John P. Waddill--The Conversation on New-York Politics--It suggests a Fortunate Idea--The Meeting with Bass--The Secret out--Legal Proceedings instituted--Departure of Northup and the Sheriff from Marksville for Bayou Boeuf--Arrangements on the Way--Reach Epps' Plantation--Discover his Slaves in the Cotton-Field--The Meeting--The Farewell, 289 CHAPTER XXII. Arrival in New-Orleans--Glimpse of Freeman--Genois, the Recorder--His Description of Solomon--Reach Charleston Interrupted by Custom House Officers--Pass through Richmond--Arrival in Washington--Burch Arrested--Shekels and Thorn--Their Testimony--Burch Acquitted--Arrest of Solomon--Burch withdraws the Complaint--The Higher Tribunal--Departure from Washington--Arrival at Sandy Hill--Old Friends and Familiar Scenes--Proceed to Glens Falls--Meeting with Anne, Margaret, and Elizabeth--Solomon Northup Staunton--Incidents--Conclusion, 310 APPENDIX, 323 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PORTRAIT OF SOLOMON IN HIS PLANTATION SUIT, SCENE IN THE SLAVE PEN AT WASHINGTON, SEPARATION OF ELIZA AND HER LAST CHILD, CHAPIN RESCUES SOLOMON FROM HANGING, THE STAKING OUT AND FLOGGING OF THE GIRL PATSEY, SCENE IN THE COTTON FIELD, AND SOLOMON'S DELIVERY, ARRIVAL HOME, AND FIRST MEETING WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, EDITOR'S PREFACE. When the editor commenced the preparation of the following narrative, he did not suppose it would reach the size of this volume. In order, however, to present all the facts which have been communicated to him, it has seemed necessary to extend it to its present length. Many of the statements contained in the following pages are corroborated by abundant evidence--others rest entirely upon Solomon's assertion. That he has adhered strictly to the truth, the editor, at least, who has had an opportunity of detecting any contradiction or discrepancy in his statements, is well satisfied. He has invariably repeated the same story without deviating in the slightest particular, and has also carefully perused the manuscript, dictating an alteration wherever the most trivial inaccuracy has appeared. It was Solomon's fortune, during his captivity, to be owned by several masters. The treatment he received while at the "Pine Woods" shows that among slaveholders there are men of humanity as well as of cruelty. Some of them are spoken of with emotions of gratitude--others in a spirit of bitterness. It is believed that the following account of his experience on Bayou Boeuf presents a correct picture of Slavery, in all its lights and shadows, as it now exists in that locality. Unbiased, as he conceives, by any prepossessions or prejudices, the only object of the editor has been to give a faithful history of Solomon Northup's life, as he received it from his lips. In the accomplishment of that object, he trusts he has succeeded, notwithstanding the numerous faults of style and of expression it may be found to contain. DAVID WILSON. WHITEHALL, N. Y., May, 1853. NARRATIVE OF SOLOMON NORTHUP. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY--ANCESTRY--THE NORTHUP FAMILY--BIRTH AND PARENTAGE--MINTUS NORTHUP--MARRIAGE WITH ANNE HAMPTON--GOOD RESOLUTIONS--CHAMPLAIN CANAL--RAFTING EXCURSION TO CANADA--FARMING--THE VIOLIN--COOKING--REMOVAL TO SARATOGA--PARKER AND PERRY--SLAVES AND SLAVERY--THE CHILDREN--THE BEGINNING OF SORROW. Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free State--and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into Slavery, where I remained, until happily rescued in the month of January, 1853, after a bondage of twelve years--it has been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public. Since my return to liberty, I have not failed to perceive the increasing interest throughout the Northern States, in regard to the subject of Slavery. Works of fiction, professing to portray its features in their more pleasing as well as more repugnant aspects, have been circulated to an extent unprecedented, and, as I understand, have created a fruitful topic of comment and discussion. I can speak of Slavery only so far as it came under my own observation--only so far as I have known and experienced it in my own person. My object is, to give a candid and truthful statement of facts: to repeat the story of my life, without exaggeration, leaving it for others to determine, whether even the pages of fiction present a picture of more cruel wrong or a severer bondage.