Amherstburg
Rev. William Troy
From Essex county, Va. My father was a slave of——, Senator of the United States. My mother was a free-woman.
I lived there until twenty-one. I left there 11th March, 1848. I saw scenes there that made my heart bleed. I can particularize the breaking up of R—P. W—’s farm, some five hundred slaves, many of whom were my associates, with whom I had often been to meeting, belonging to the same church. We had many meetings together, sometimes broken up by patrols. When we had meetings, it was at late hours, to avoid the patrols—yet sometimes they would run us away, and sometimes we would get our meetings through. They were sold to different persons—Judge—and others. About the time a part of them were leaving, I went to bid them farewell. Many had their hearts so full of grief that they could not speak—they could only give me their hands.
Another lot who belonged to the same man, aroused me by singing about nine at night, passing my father’s residence, singing, bidding farewell to all their friends; many left father, mother, and children behind them. I may mention here that one of these slaves, a woman named Martha Fields, who was hired out at the time, was taken early one morning, without time to get her clothes, hurried off to Richmond, and sold to the highest bidder. From Richmond she went on to New Orleans, put into a slave-pen, and bought by Mr. A—, a celebrated negro trader, and put on his farm, where she married A.’s slave. A. gave them free papers, and they now reside in Cincinnati. She says she has suffered enough herself, and seen so much suffering, that she believes that all those who hold slaves, and those who uphold slavery will, if there is any such place as one of torment, will be sure to go there.
I was aroused at Loretto, Va., by the sale of a slave named William, who was sold by his master. I heard the boy hollowing in the swamp; from hearing his shrieks, I made towards the boy,—when I went there, I found him in the act of catching the boy to have him sold. His mother, who grieved much at the sight, was told if she did not hush, her back would be cow-hided. This same man, soon after that, took her into the stable to whip her, and finding some difficulty about getting off her clothes, took his knife and cut them from her, and whipped her until she bled. Before I came away, he had sold the last one of her children. This man was N—S—.
These are facts which cannot be denied by the persons whom I have named, and I intend to be a terror to the system while I live.
Personally, I have suffered on account of my color in regard to education. I was not allowed to go to school publicly,—had to learn privately. The reason of my coming away was, I knew that I was open to the assaults of any ruffian, if he were a white man, and if I made any reply, I was liable to nine and thirty before what they call a justice of the peace. Further, I could not educate my children there, and make them feel as women and men ought—for, un