sister and make her escape. There was so much excitement at that time,
(1861), by the Union soldiers rendering the fugitives shelter and
protection, he was aware that if she applied to them, as he did not
fulfill his promise in my case, he would stand a poor chance. If my
mother made application to them for protection they would learn that
he did not return me home, and immediately detect the intrigue. After
I was safely secured in the trader's yard, Mr. L. took my mother home.
I remained in the yard three months. Near the termination of the time
of my confinement I was passing by the office when the cook of the
Arsenal saw and recognized me and informed the General that Mr. L. had
disobeyed his orders, and had put me in the trader's yard instead of
taking me home. The General immediately arrested Mr. L. and gave him
one hundred lashes with the cowhide, so that they might identify him
by a scarred back, as well as his slaves. My mother had the pleasure
of washing his stained clothes, otherwise it would not have been
known. My master was compelled to pay three thousand dollars and let
me out. He then put me to service, where I remained seven months,
after which he came in great haste and took me into the city and put
me into the trader's yard again. After he received the punishment he
treated my mother and the children worse than ever, which caused her
to take her children and secrete themselves in the city, and would
have remained undetected had it not been for a traitor who pledged
himself to keep the secret. But King Whiskey fired up his brain one
evening, and out popped the secret. My mother and sister were
consequently taken and committed to the trader's yard. My little
brother was then eight years of age, my sister sixteen, and myself
eighteen. We remained there two weeks, when a rough looking man,
called Capt. Tirrell, came to the yard and enquired for our family.
After he had examined us he remarked that we were a fine looking
family, and bid us retire. In about two hours he returned, at the edge