giving precedence to his, though I was his senior by ten or twelve
years. The plantation being four miles from the city, I had to drive the
family to church. I always dreaded the approach of the Sabbath; for,
during service, I was obliged to stand by the horses in the hot broiling
sun, or in the rain, just as it happened.

One Sabbath, as we were driving past the house of D.D. Page, a gentleman
who owned a large baking establishment, as I was sitting upon the box of
the carriage, which was very much elevated, I saw Mr. Page pursuing a
slave around the yard, with a long whip, cutting him at every jump. The
man soon escaped from the yard, and was followed by Mr. Page. They came
running past us, and the slave perceiving that he would be overtaken,
stopped suddenly, and Page stumbled over him, and falling on the stone
pavement, fractured one of his legs, which crippled him for life. The
same gentleman, but a short time previous, tied up a woman of his, by
the name of Delphia, and whipped her nearly to death; yet he was a
deacon in the Baptist church, in good and regular standing. Poor
Delphia! I was well acquainted with her, and called to see her while
upon her sick bed; and I shall never forget her appearance. She was a
member of the same church with her master.

Soon after this, I was hired out to Mr. Walker; the same man whom I have
mentioned as having carried a gang of slaves down the river, on the
steamboat Enterprize. Seeing me in the capacity of steward on the boat,
and thinking that I would make a good hand to take care of slaves, he
determined to have me for that purpose; and finding that my master would
not sell me, he hired me for the term of one year.

When I learned the fact of my having been hired to a negro speculator,
or a "soul-driver" as they are generally called among slaves, no one can