MR. LEWIS CALLS AT THE BOARDING HOUSE

At the expiration of three weeks Mr. Lewis called at my boarding house, accompanied by his brother-in-law, and enquired for me, and the General informed him where I was.  He then told me my mother was very anxious for me to come home, and I returned.  The General had ordered Mr. Lewis to call at headquarters, when he told him if he had treated me right I would not have been compelled to seek protection of him; that my first appearance was sufficient proof of his cruelty.  Mr. L. promised to take me home and treat me kindly.  Instead of fulfilling his promise he carried me to the trader’s yard, where, to my great surprise, I found my mother.  She had been there during my absence, where she was kept for fear she would find me and take my brother and sister and make her escape.  There was so much excitement at that time, (1861), by the Union soldiers rendering the fugitives shelter and protection, he was aware that if she applied to them, as he did not fulfill his promise in my case, he would stand a poor chance.  If my mother made application to them for protection they would learn that he did not return me home, and immediately detect the intrigue.  After I was safely secured in the trader’s yard, Mr. L. took my mother home.  I remained in the yard three months.  Near the termination of the time of my confinement I was passing by the office when the cook of the Arsenal saw and recognized me and informed the General that Mr. L. had disobeyed his orders, and had put me in the trader’s yard instead of taking me home.  The General immediately arrested Mr. L. and gave him one hundred lashes with the cowhide, so that they might identify him by a scarred back, as well as his slaves.  My mother had the pleasure of washing his stained clothes, otherwise it would not have been known.  My master was compelled to pay three thousand dollars and let me out.  He then put me to service, where I remained seven months, after which he came in great haste and took me into the city and put me into the trader’s yard again.  After he received the punishment he treated my mother and the children worse than ever, which caused her to take her children and secrete themselves in the city, and would have remained undetected had it not been for a traitor who pledged himself to keep the secret.  But King Whiskey fired up his brain one evening, and out popped the secret.  My mother and sister were consequently taken and committed to the trader’s yard.  My little brother was then eight years of age, my sister sixteen, and myself eighteen.  We remained there two weeks, when a rough looking man, called Capt.  Tirrell, came to the yard and enquired for our family.  After he had examined us he remarked that we were a fine looking family, and bid us retire.  In about two hours he returned, at the edge of the evening, with a covered wagon, and took my mother and brother and sister and left me.  My mother refused to go without