One of my sisters who lived at the same place where we were living was
detained and the soldiers had go three times before they could get her,
for they said that she had died since we had left, for I would not stay
at the place as he, Mr. House, did not want us to go on Monday to see my
mother, on whom I should look to, as she had come to claim her own. I
told my oldest sister that we would leave, and my sister Annie was at
one of Mr. House's sons, who found that we were going to see mother and
she came with us, so that left three there yet; that was sister Lavinia
and the baby, sister Rosa, and they let mother have the baby, as it was
a sickly child; and she had to send there three times before she could
get sister Lavinia, and the last time the soldiers, with horses, went,
and the House's took off all of her clothing and put them into water to
keep them from taking her, and they had to take blankets and wrap her in
them, and bring her to mother, and she took sick from that time from the
long ride, and getting cold she nearly died.

One they hid in the garden; one they put in the cellar, and so these
were hard times for mother and us, who were in the road one night
walking to find some place to get out of the rain and let those wet
garments get dried, for it was so dark that we could not see a hand
before us.

But after all the hard trials we reached this lovely city, where there
are those that love and fear God, and who love the souls of the negro as
well as those of the white, the red, the yellow or brown races of the
earth, for we have ever found some of the people who do not forget us
day or night in their prayers, that God will send a blessing to us as a
race.