and that, to save his life, he was obliged to fire upon him, and that he died of the wound.  After some further inquiries, he requested me to go into the house with him.  He then asked me to tell him how things had been managed during his absence.  I gave him a full account of the overseer’s cruelty.  When he heard of the manner of Harry’s death, he seemed much affected and shed tears.  He was a favorite servant of his father’s.  I showed him the deep scars on my back occasioned by the whipping I had received.  He was, or professed to be, highly indignant with Huckstep; and said he would see to it that he did not lay hands on me again.  He told me he should be glad to take me with him to Virginia, but he did not know where he should find a driver who would be so kind to the hands as I was.  If I would stay ten years, he would give me a thousand dollars, and a piece of land to plant on my own account.  “But,” said I, “my wife and children.”  “Well,” said he, “I will do my best to purchase them, and send them on to you.”  I now saw that my destiny was fixed:  and that I was to spend my days in Alabama, and I retired to my bed that evening with a heavy heart.

My master staid only three or four days on the plantation.  Before he left, he cautioned Huckstep to be careful and not strike me again, as he would on no account permit it.  He told him to give the hands food enough, and not over-work them, and, having thus satisfied his conscience, left us to our fate.

Out of the two hundred and fourteen slaves who were brought out from Virginia, at least one-third of them were members of the Methodist and Baptist churches in that State.  Of this number five or six could read.  Then had been torn away from the care and discipline of their respective churches, and from the means of instruction, but they retained their love for the exercises of religion; and felt a mournful pleasure in speaking of the privileges and spiritual blessings which they enjoyed in Old Virginia.  Three of them had been preachers, or exhorters, viz.  Solomon, usually called Uncle Solomon, Richard and David.  Uncle Solomon was a grave, elderly man, mild and forgiving in his temper, and greatly esteemed among the more serious portion of our hands.  He used to snatch every occasion to talk to the lewd and vicious about the concerns of their souls, and to advise them to fix their minds upon the Savior, as their only helper.  Some I have heard curse and swear in answer, and others would say that they could not keep their minds upon God and the devil (meaning Huckstep) at the same time:  that it was of no use to try to be religious—­they had no time—­that the overseer wouldn’t let them meet to pray—­and that even Uncle Solomon, when he prayed, had to keep one eye open all the time, to see if Huckstep was coming.  Uncle Solomon could both read and write, and had brought out with him from Virginia a Bible, a hymn-book, and some other religious books, which he carefully concealed