When heaven opened to his view,
Poor Reuben's gone away;
His pain and sorrow of heart are passed,
He's gone;
He arrived in heaven just safe at last;
Poor Reuben's gone away.

Poor Sally, his wife, lays by his side,
He's gone;
For whom poor Reuben so nobly died;
Poor Reuben's gone away;
A mournful look on her he cast,
He's gone,
Five minutes before he breathed his last,
Poor Reuben's gone away.

In Jordan the angel heard him cry,
He's gone;
Elijah's chariot was passing by,
Poor Reuben's gone away;
His body lays in the earth quite cold,
He's gone,
But now he walks in the streets of gold,
Poor Reuben's gone away.

After working in Tennessee three years and seven months, my master hired
me to Mr. Steele. This gentleman was going to New Orleans, and I was to
act as his servant, but I contrived to get away from him, and went to the
house of a free black, named Gibson, and after working four days on the
levy (or wharf) I succeeded in secreting myself in a ship, well supplied