Historical voices

On gaining my master’s store, I presented an appearance of wretchedness and woe, fitted to move any but a heart of stone.

After lying there about three quarters of an hour, brooding over the singular and mournful lot to which I was doomed, my mind passing over the whole scale or circle of belief and unbelief, from faith in the overruling providence of God, to…

There I was, in the deep woods, sick and emaciated, pursued by a wretch whose character for revolting cruelty beggars all opprobrious speech—bleeding, and almost bloodless.

This was a daring step; if it failed, it would only exasperate Covey, and increase the rigors of my bondage, during the remainder of my term of service under him; but the step was taken, and I must go forward.

Cruel and merciless as was the motive that dealt that blow, dear reader, the wound was fortunate for me.

The man had obtained complete control over me; and if he had commanded me to do any possible thing, I should, in my then state of mind, have endeavored to comply.

The overwork, and the brutal chastisements of which I was the victim, combined with that ever-gnawing and soul-devouring thought—“I am a slave—a slave for life—a slave with no rational ground to hope for freedom”—rendered me a living…

I was completely wrecked, changed and bewildered; goaded almost to madness at one time, and at another reconciling myself to my wretched condition.

At times, I would rise up, a flash of energetic freedom would dart through my soul, accompanied with a faint beam of hope, flickered for a moment, and then vanished.

If at any one time of my life, more than another, I was made to drink the bitterest dregs of slavery, that time was during the first six months of my stay with Mr.

The first condition of wealth and respectability there, being the ownership of human property, every nerve is strained, by the poor man, to obtain it, and very little regard is had to the manner of obtaining it.

His religion was a thing altogether apart from his worldly concerns.

Knowing this fact, as the slaveholder does, and judging the slave by himself, he naturally concludes the slave will be idle whenever the cause for this fear is absent.

The fear of punishment is the sole motive for any sort of industry, with him.

There is no earthly inducement, in the slave’s condition, to incite him to labor faithfully.

Mean and contemptible as is all this, it is in keeping with the character which the life of a slaveholder is calculated to produce.

Covey was to break me, I was to break them; break and be broken—such is life.

They were property, so was I; they were to be broken, so was I.

I need not tell any one who is acquainted with either the strength of the disposition of an untamed ox, that this order was about as unreasonable as a command to shoulder a mad bull!

But to whatever motive, direct or indirect, the cause may be referred, I had not been in his possession three whole days, before he subjected me to a most brutal chastisement.

I am,” thought I, “but the sport of a power which makes no account, either of my welfare or of my happiness.

Starvation made me glad to leave Thomas Auld’s, and the cruel lash made me dread to go to Covey’s.

There was neither joy in my heart, nor elasticity in my step, as I started in search of the tyrant’s home.

The rigors of a field, less tolerable than the field of battle, awaited me.