CHAPTER VI.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE FAMILY I LEFT IN SLAVERY--PROPOSAL TO PURCHASE MYSELF
AND PARENTS--HOW MET BY MY OLD MASTER.


It is but natural that the reader should wish to hear a word about the
family I left behind.

There are frequently large slave families with whom God seems to deal in a
remarkable manner. I believe my family is an instance.

I have already stated that when I fled, I left a father, mother, and
eleven brothers and sisters. These were all, except my oldest brother,
owned by the man from whom I fled. It will be seen at once then how the
fear of implicating them embarrassed me in the outset. They suffered
nothing, however, but a strong suspicion, until about six months after I
had left; when the following circumstance took place:--

When I left my friend W.W. in Pennsylvania to go on north, I ventured to
write a letter back to one of my brothers, informing him how I was; and
this letter was directed to the care of a white man who was hired on the
plantation, who worked in the garden with my father, and who professed a
warm friendship to our family; but instead of acting in good faith, he
handed the letter to my master. I am sorry that truth compels me to say
that that man was an Englishman.

From that day the family were handled most strangely. The history begins
thus: they were all sold into Virginia, the adjoining state. This was done
lest I should have some plan to get them off; but God so ordered that they