My brother James was my mother's oldest child. He was sent away to the
war to keep his master at home, and we did not hear from him for a long
time, but we made up our minds that if he did not get killed he would go
over to the Northern side as soon as he should get the chance, though we
did not see him to tell him to do so, for all of my mother's children
were like herself in the love of freedom. My mother was one that the
master could not do anything to make her feel like a slave and she would
battle with them to the last that she would not recognize them as her
lord and master and she was right.

My brother did try to get away, but he was caught and locked up in
Richmond, Va., and for a awhile we heard them say that he would be
killed, but God was there to help him, so he came out all right and went
to work on the breastworks, and when he did try again he got over on the
Northern side. They almost caught him again, but as the Lord was his
leader at night, he made his escape, and to hear him tell of that river
that he crossed and how he walked on the water and he was so scared that
he did not know he got wet; but I know that he did get wet, though. He
said the Lord carried him over the river without letting him get wet. I
am sure that I could not help laughing at my brother to hear of such a
thing, for there never was a time that I have read of since the time of
Peter that any one was called to walk on the water. The Lord was there
Himself to show Peter how small his strength was when he trusted in his
own strength, and Peter would have failed entirely if his Lord and
Master had not been there.

And so it would have been with my dear brother. He would have been taken
by the Southerners, and that would have been his last trial on this side
of the grave.