Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 190 pages of information about Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself.

Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 190 pages of information about Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself.

I was taken away from my mother, and hired out to labor for various persons, eight or ten years in succession; and all my wages were expended for the education of Harriet White, my playmate.  It was then my sorrows and sufferings commenced.  It was then I first commenced seeing and feeling that I was a wretched slave, compelled to work under the lash without wages, and often without clothes enough to hide my nakedness.  I have often worked without half enough to eat, both late and early, by day and by night.  I have often laid my wearied limbs down at night to rest upon a dirt floor, or a bench, without any covering at all, because I had no where else to rest my wearied body, after having worked hard all the day.  I have also been compelled in early life, to go at the bidding of a tyrant, through all kinds of weather, hot or cold, wet or dry, and without shoes frequently, until the month of December, with my bare feet on the cold frosty ground, cracked open and bleeding as I walked.  Reader, believe me when I say, that no tongue, nor pen ever has or can express the horrors of American Slavery.  Consequently I despair in finding language to express adequately the deep feeling of my soul, as I contemplate the past history of my life.  But although I have suffered much from the lash, and for want of food and raiment; I confess that it was no disadvantage to be passed through the hands of so many families, as the only source of information that I had to enlighten my mind, consisted in what I could see and hear from others.  Slaves were not allowed books, pen, ink, nor paper, to improve their minds.  But it seems to me now, that I was particularly observing, and apt to retain what came under my observation.  But more especially, all that I heard about liberty and freedom to the slaves, I never forgot.  Among other good trades I learned the art of running away to perfection.  I made a regular business of it, and never gave it up, until I had broken the bands of slavery, and landed myself safely in Canada, where I was regarded as a man, and not as a thing.

The first time in my life that I ran away, was for ill treatment, in 1835.  I was living with a Mr. Vires, in the village of Newcastle.  His wife was a very cross woman.  She was every day flogging me, boxing, pulling my ears, and scolding, so that I dreaded to enter the room where she was.  This first started me to running away from them.  I was often gone several days before I was caught.  They would abuse me for going off, but it did no good.  The next time they flogged me, I was off again; but after awhile they got sick of their bargain, and returned me back into the hands of my owners.  By this time Mr. White had married his second wife.  She was what I call a tyrant.  I lived with her several months, but she kept me almost half of my time in the woods, running from under the bloody lash.  While I was at home she kept me all the time rubbing furniture, washing, scrubbing the floors; and when I was not

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Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.