I ever saw my mother for longer than one night.  Twelve children taken from my mother in one day.  Five sisters and two brothers went to Charleston, Virginia, one brother and one sister went to Lexington Ky., one sister went to Hartford, Ky., and one brother and myself stayed in Owensburg, Ky.  My mother was later allowed to visit among us children for one week of each year, so she could only remain a short time at each place.

“My life prior to that time was filled with heart-aches and despair.  We arose from four to five O’clock in the morning and parents and children were given hard work, lasting until nightfall gaves us our respite.  After a meager supper, we generally talked until we grew sleepy, we had to go to bed.  Some of us would read, if we were lucky enough to know how.

“In most of us colored folks was the great desire to able to read and write.  We took advantage of every opportunity to educate ourselves.  The greater part of the plantation owners were very harsh if we were caught trying to learn or write.  It was the law that if a white man was caught trying to educate a negro slave, he was liable to prosecution entailing a fine of fifty dollars and a jail sentence.  We were never allowed to go to town and it was not until after I ran away that I knew that they sold anything but slaves, tobacco and wiskey.  Our ignorance was the greatest hold the South had on us.  We knew we could run away, but what then?  An offender guilty of this crime was subjected to very harsh punishment.

“When my masters estate had been settled, I was to go with the widowed relative to her place, she swung me up on her horse behind her and promised me all manner of sweet things if I would come peacefully.  I didn’t fully realise what was happening, and before I knew it, I was on my way to my new home.  Upon arrival her manner changed very much, and she took me down to where there was a bunch of men burning brush.  She said, “see those men” I said:  yes.  Well, go help them, she replied.  So at the age of six I started my life as an independent slave.  From then on my life as a slave was a repetition of hard work, poor quarters and board.  We had no beds at that time, we just “bunked” on the floor.  I had one blanket and manys the night I sat by the fireplace during the long cold nights in the winter.

“My Mistress had separated me from all my family but one brother with sweet words, but that pose was dropped after she reached her place.  Shortly after I had been there, she married a northern man by the name of David Hill.  At first he was very nice to us, but he gradually acquired a mean and overbearing manner toward us, I remember one incident that I don’t like to remember.  One of the women slaves had been very sick and she was unable to work just as fast as he thought she ought to.  He had driven her all day with no results.  That night after completeing our work he called us all together.  He made me hold a light, while he whipped her and then made one of the slaves pour salt water on her bleeding back.  My innerds turn yet at that sight.