It was the rule for the slaves to rise and be ready for their task by sun-rise, on the blowing of a horn or conch-shell; and woe be to the unfortunate, who was not in the field at the time appointed, which was in thirty minutes from the first sounding of the horn.  I have heard the poor creatures beg as for their lives, of the inhuman overseer, to desist from his cruel punishment.  Hence, they were usually found in the field “betimes in the morning,” (to use an old Virginia phrase), where they worked until nine o’clock.  They were then allowed thirty minutes to eat their morning meal, which consisted of a little bread.  At a given signal, all hands were compelled to return to their work.  They toiled until noon, when they were permitted to take their breakfast, which corresponds to our dinner.

On our plantation, it was the usual practice to have one of the old slaves set apart to do the cooking.  All the field hands were required to give into the hands of the cook a certain portion of their weekly allowance, either in dough or meal, which was prepared in the following manner.  The cook made a hot fire and rolled up each person’s portion in some cabbage leaves, when they could be obtained, and placed it in a hole in the ashes, carefully covered with the same, where it remained until done.  Bread baked in this way is very sweet and good.  But cabbage leaves could not always be obtained.  When this was the case, the bread was little better than a mixture of dough and ashes, which was not very palatable.  The time allowed for breakfast, was one hour.  At the signal, all hands were obliged to resume their toil.  The overseer was always on hand to attend to all delinquents, who never failed to feel the blows of his heavy whip.

The usual mode of punishing the poor slaves was, to make them take off their clothes to the bare back, and then tie their hands before them with a rope, pass the end of the rope over a beam, and draw them up till they stood on the tips of their toes.  Sometimes they tied their legs together and placed a rail between.  Thus prepared, the overseer proceeded to punish the poor, helpless victim.  Thirty-nine was the number of lashes ordinarily inflicted for the most trifling offence.

Who can imagine a position more painful?  Oh, who, with feelings of common humanity, could look quietly on such torture?  Who could remain unmoved, to see a fellow-creature thus tied, unable to move or to raise a hand in his own defence; scourged on his bare back, with a cowhide, until the blood flows in streams from his quivering flesh?  And for what?  Often for the most trifling fault; and, as sometimes occurs, because a mere whim or caprice of his brutal overseer demands it.  Pale with passion, his eyes flashing and his stalwart frame trembling with rage, like some volcano, just ready to belch forth its fiery contents, and, in all its might and fury, spread death and destruction all around, he continues to wield the