You may perhaps think hard of us for running away from slavery, but as to myself, I have but one apology to make for it, which is this:  I have only to regret that I did not start at an earlier period.  I might have been free long before I was.  But you had it in your power to have kept me there much longer than you did.  I think it is very probable that I should have been a toiling slave on your plantation to-day, if you had treated me differently.

To be compelled to stand by and see you whip and slash my wife without mercy, when I could afford her no protection, not even by offering myself to suffer the lash in her place, was more than I felt it to be the duty of a slave husband to endure, while the way was open to Canada.  My infant child was also frequently flogged by Mrs. Gatewood, for crying, until its skin was bruised literally purple.  This kind of treatment was what drove me from home and family, to seek a better home for them.  But I am willing to forget the past.  I should be pleased to hear from you again, on the reception of this, and should also be very happy to correspond with you often, if it should be agreeable to yourself.  I subscribe myself a friend to the oppressed, and Liberty forever.

HENRY BIBB.

     WILLIAM GATEWOOD. 
     Detroit, March 23d, 1844.

The first time that I ever spoke before a public audience, was to give a narration of my own sufferings and adventures, connected with slavery.  I commenced in the village of Adrian, State of Michigan, May, 1844.  From that up to the present period, the principle part of my time has been faithfully devoted to the cause of freedom—­nerved up and encouraged by the sympathy of anti-slavery friends on the one hand, and prompted by a sense of duty to my enslaved countrymen on the other, especially, when I remembered that slavery had robbed me of my freedom—­deprived me of education—­banished me from my native State, and robbed me of my family.

I went from Michigan to the State of Ohio, where I traveled over some of the Southern counties of that State, in company with Samuel Brooks, and Amos Dresser, lecturing upon the subject of American Slavery.  The prejudice of the people at that time was very strong against the abolitionists; so much so that they were frequently mobbed for discussing the subject.

We appointed a series of meetings along on the Ohio River, in sight of the State of Virginia; and in several places we had Virginians over to hear us upon the subject.  I recollect our having appointed a meeting in the city of Steubenville, which is situated on the bank of the river Ohio.  There was but one known abolitionist living in that city, named George Ore.  On the day of our meeting, when we arrived in this splendid city there was not a church, school house, nor hall, that we could get for love or money, to hold our meeting in.  Finally, I believe that the whigs consented to let us have the use of their club room, to hold the meeting in; but before the hour had arrived for us to commence, they re-considered the matter, and informed us that we could not have the use of their house for an abolition meeting.