"The religion of many slaves was mostly superstition. They feared to
break the Sabbath, feared to violate any of the Commandments, believing
that the wrath of God would follow immediately, blasting their lives.

"Things changed at the George homestead as they change everywhere," said
George Fortman. "When the Civil War broke out many slaves enlisted in
hopes of receiving freedom. The George Negroes were already free but
many thought it their duty to enlist and fight for the emancipation of
their fellow slaves. My mother took her family and moved away from the
plantation and worked in the broom cane. Soon she discovered she could
not make enough to rear her children and we were turned over to the
court to be bound out.

"I was bound out to David Varnell in Livingston County by order of Judge
Busch and I stayed there until I was fifteen years of age. My sister
learned that I was unhappy there and wanted to see my mother, so she
influenced James Wilson to take me into his home. Soon goodhearted Jimmy
Wilson took me to see Mother and I went often to see her."

Sometimes George would become stubborn and hard to control and then Mr.
Wilson administered chastisement. His wife could not bear to have the
boy punished. 'Don't hit him, Jimmie, don't kick him,' would say the
good Scotch woman, who was childless. 'If he does not obey me I will
whip him,' James Wilson would answer. So the boy learned the lesson of
obedience from the old couple and learned many lessons in thrift through
their examples.

"In 1883 I left the Wilson home and began working and trying to save
some money. River trade was prosperous and I became a 'Roustabout'. The
life of the roustabout varied some with the habits of the roustabout and