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Wilson f\on< 
 
 M 
 
 LIFE OF 
 
 ISAAC MASON 
 
 AS A SLAVE. 
 
 WOBCESTER, MASS. 
 1893. 
 
 „-■ 
 
(0 
 
 Worcester, Mass., July 19, 1893. 
 
 I have known Isaac Mason very well since 1850. He 
 has done a great deal of work for me and ray household. I 
 know him to be an honest, faithful and intelligent man. I 
 have not had time to examine his book in manuscript, but I 
 am sure his statements may be trusted, and that his experi- 
 ence will prove very interesting. I hope his book will have a 
 
 t 
 
 good sale, and commend it to the public. 
 
 Geo. F. Hoar. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Having repeatedly been asked by my many friends to 
 write the history of my life as a slave, especially by some 
 who have heard me lecture on certain portions of that ever 
 memorable period of my life, I have, after some hesitation 
 as to its advisability, reluctantly concluded to accede to 
 their wishes, and now present to them a truthful sketch 
 of my eventful life in the dark days of slavery. As these 
 checkered scenes of my early life reflectively present them- 
 selves to my mind at my advanced state of life, I wonder 
 how I withstood all the abuse and cruelty of these early 
 years. Our lives are largely composed of sorrow and joy, 
 but my cup, it seems to me, has been full to overflowing 
 with sorrow, but God has been my strength and my salvation, 
 and has brought me thus far in the journey of life, and in him 
 I trust, praying that, in his good time he will take me to 
 that heavenly home where our earthly trials will cease and 
 where there will be no more sorrow. 
 
 My story is told in a plain matter-of-fact way, and I hope 
 my readers will overlook and excuse the defects which must 
 necessarily abound throughout the book, owing to lack of 
 educational advantages. 
 
 ISAAC MASON. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 EAKLIEST RECOLLECTIONS. 
 
 In Kent County, in the northern part of the State of 
 Maryland, there was at the time of my earliest recollections 
 (and I suppose it yet remains), a small town known as George 
 Town Cross Oats, having a population of about 500 or 600. 
 It was in this town, on the 14th day of May, 1822, A. D., 
 that I inhaled my first supply of air, that my eyes, for 
 the first time, were brought in contact with the beautiful 
 light surrounding the terrestrial world, the earthly home of 
 mankind, and the first sound of my infant voice was raised 
 in shrill cries for a mother's tender care and parental affec- 
 tion. This was the place of my nativity and the date of my 
 birth. It was also the time that my mistress became the 
 owner of one more slave and so much richer by my birth. 
 My mother was, unfortunately, numbered in the family of 
 slavedom, belonging to one Mrs. Hannah Woodland, and 
 according to the institution of slave law, I legally, or illegally, 
 became her property. Though my father was a free man still 
 he had no claim to me. My mother's name was Sophia 
 Thompson, and she served in the capacity of house servant. 
 She was the mother of five children, four sons and one daugh- 
 ter, of whom I was the first born, and William Anderson, of 
 the city of Worcester, Mass., the second. My father, 
 Zekiel Thompson, was, as I said, a free man, and most of his 
 time served as a farm hand on one of the farms owned by my 
 mistress. Whether from his activity and knowledge of farm 
 
10 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 work or as an inducement to remain near his wife, I do not 
 know, but he was permitted to hold the position of overseer 
 of the work and farm hands. 
 
 My mistress, Mrs. H. Woodland, was a widow — her hus- 
 band being a sea captain and lost at sea before I was born 
 or had any knowledge of him. They were both natives of 
 Scotland. He owned two farms, and at his death his wife 
 became the owner of both, carrying on business until the 
 time of her death. She was the mother of five children, 
 one son and four daughters. I The son, Samuel Woodland, 
 who was said to be rich, owning two farms, several houses, 
 and from one hundred to one hundred and fifty slaves, 
 was, as near as language can express it, a lifetime tyrant 
 to his farm hands and house servants. His tyranical 
 passion was so great that on the day of his death he 
 called in the men from their work, and with a stick in his 
 dying hand struck each one across their hands. As each 
 one received the parting gift he had to file out and another 
 take his place. This ceremony continued to within two hours 
 of his death, when from exhaustion he had to cease. Those 
 who were on the end of the line of march on that day 
 fortunately lost their master's parting blessing. My mis- 
 tress was naturally of a good disposition, just the reverse 
 of her son, or he from her. My grandfather (my mother's 
 father) had charge of the farm hands and all that pertained 
 to the farm, as he was considered faithful and trustworthy. 
 The principal products of the farms were corn, wheat and 
 oats. Infant years rapidly passed by and the time drew 
 near when little Will, alias Isaac, had to leave his mother's 
 knee and childish play to enter upon the duties of serving 
 his owners. 
 
AS A SLAVE. 11 
 
 Accordingly, when between five and six years of age, 
 I was assigned to the duties of housework, to wait on ray 
 mistress and to run errands. When she went out driving 
 I had to accompany her in the capacity of a page, 
 to open the gates and to take down guard fences for her 
 to drive through. That I might be found at night as well 
 as by day my sleeping apartment was in her chamber on a 
 truckbed, which was during the day time snugly concealed 
 under her bedstead and drawn out at night for the reposing 
 place of Isaac's weary body while he dreamed of days yet 
 to come. I remained in this distinguished position until I 
 was about fifteen years old, when a change in common with 
 all slave life had to be made either for the better or for the 
 worse. 
 
 On the day that proved to be her last to be spent on 
 this earth I was required to accompany her on a visit to 
 the farm, the second farm, which was not so frequently 
 visited, where she spent the afternoon in looking over the 
 stock and products which detained her until towards even- 
 ing. Her examinations were completed and she returned 
 home. This visit was made in the gig drawn by the old 
 black mare. My place was, as customary, by her side. 
 We arrived home about seven o'clock in the evening. She 
 told me to ' ' take care of the old mare ' ' ; that meant to 
 unharness and put her in the stable, and when I had com- 
 pleted my task to ' c come to her, as she wanted me to go 
 on an errand." I obeyed her orders and went direct 
 to her chamber, where I found her lying on the floor in an 
 unconscious state and unable to speak. 
 
 I immediately ran down stairs and informed my mother 
 how I had found mistress. She sent me at once after Mrs. 
 
12 LIFE OS [SAAC MASON 
 
 Island, a daughter of Mrs. H. Woodland, who lived about 
 half a mile from us. Upon hearing the sad news she hur- 
 ried with me back to the house and sent for the doctor. 
 He lost no time in attending to the call, and did all he 
 could to restore her to cousciousness and life, but his med- 
 ical skill failed to produce a favorable result. About 11 
 o'clock that right she died, as the doctor said, from a 
 stroke of paralysis. The last words she was known to 
 utter were the orders she gave me that evening. Thus 
 ended the life of mistress at the age of ninety years. 
 
 My grandfather, Richard Graham Grimes, was sent 
 down that night to a place called Morgan's Creek, to a man 
 by the name of Hugh Wallace, to come up immediately and 
 make arrangements for the funeral. His first wife was the 
 daughter of my mistress. He lost no time in answering 
 the summons and attended to all the necessary require- 
 ments for the obsequies, and on the third day after her 
 death my mistress was consigned to mother earth. 
 
 At last the day dawned when this group of slaves 
 had to part, not only from the old homestead but from 
 each other, and to go to scenes and climes unknown to 
 them. At last the sunshine was passing and the gloom 
 fast overspreading. Mother and children, brothers and 
 sisters to separate, perhaps forever. 
 
 The farm with all of its contents were left, for the time 
 being, under the care and supervision of my grandfather. 
 He continued to hold charge till July of the same year, 
 about the space of three months, at which time Mr. H. 
 Wallace appeared on the estate to make arrangements for 
 settling the affairs. Everything belonging to the estate 
 excepting the slaves were sold. The farm with its contents 
 
AS A SLAVE. 13 
 
 was bought by a mau by the name of Isaac Taylor. My 
 grandfather, in consideration of his old age and the time 
 being past for useful labor, was handsomely rewarded with his 
 freedom, an old horse called the "old bay horse" — which 
 was also past the stage of usefulness — and an old cart ; but, 
 alas! no home to live in or a place to shelter his head from 
 the storm. 
 
 My father, as I said before, was a free man and had the 
 privilege of purchasing my mother and my sister, who was 
 then about a year old, for $600. My mother at this time 
 was in very ill health, and it was thought by many she 
 could not live very long. My father not being able to pay 
 the amount asked, had to find a sufficient security before he 
 could obtain a bill of sale. He was fortunate enough to 
 find that assistance in the person of Dr. Hyde, with whom 
 I was soon to become personally acquainted. The remainder 
 of the slaves each received a note from the hands of Mr. H. 
 Wallace, and were directed by him to carry it to a certain 
 person named by him, which act showed that each slave had 
 been previously disposed of. Some were sold and some 
 were hired out for a certain time to pay debts due by the 
 estate. 
 
 I received my little note and was told to carry it to 
 Dr. Hyde, who was liviug in the same place where I was 
 born. 1 was not sold, but only hired out to pay a small bill 
 of $25 which would not take very long as regards to time, 
 but by an economical table of work I was destined to fill 
 the place of more than one servant. The Doctor and his 
 considerate wife were determined to utilize my whole time 
 in their service. My work at this place consisted in cook- 
 ing, washing, sweeping, taking care of the horses, attending 
 
14 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 to the garden, which contained about half an acre of land, 
 and milking two cows. The good training of my former 
 mistress had very materially fitted me for the varied duties 
 of this house. By hard work early and late I could accom- 
 plish my daily tasks. 
 
 Some persons may suppose that by accomplishing all 
 this work in one day would satisfy au employer, master or 
 mistress, but satisfaction was hard to find. I was only 
 the property of another, working to pay the debt of another, 
 who I suppose thought he ought to receive interest on his 
 bill ; and that interest had to be paid by me in addition to 
 the daily labor, by receiving a whipping every day besides 
 losing a meal — either a breakfast, a dinner, or a supper — 
 according to their best judgment. Some may wonder which 
 I regretted most, the whipping or the meal. I sorrowed the 
 loss of the meal more than anything else. To me this cer- 
 tainly was a great punishment. / 
 
 The last day I stayed with the Doctor he told me that 
 he wanted me to stay at home for he was going away and 
 would not be back till after nightfall. I had made arrange- 
 ments with some other boys to go rabbit hunting. Knowing 
 it was Christmas week, and I was not bound to stay there, 
 as my time was out, I concluded to have my rabbit hunt as 
 agreed; so off I went with my associates. I did not get 
 back to the house till after dark. Wanting to complete my 
 day's work before the Doctor arrived I made my way into 
 the kitchen, as I thought unseen by any person, to get the 
 milk pail which was always kept in there, and milk the 
 cows. Mrs. Hyde, the Doctor's wife, saw me, skipped out 
 from somewhere and locked the kitchen door behind me. 
 This was not a very pleasant situation, for a slave and the 
 
AS A SLAVE. 15 
 
 mistress to be locked up in the same room. She had a 
 purpose in view, but I had none just then; my future 
 actions had to be governed by what she was about to do. 
 She told me to take off my coat so that she could give me a 
 whipping for going off. According to her orders I obeyed ; 
 then she commenced work in right good earnest with her 
 well roasted hickory wottels. Their smarting pains did not 
 feel pleasant on my head and shoulders, so I laid hold of 
 them and contested my strength with the fair feminine 
 tyrant. In the struggle for victory I managed to jerk her 
 down to the floor, and before she could regain her feet J 
 jumped out of' the window ; and as the Doctor had not 
 yet arrived home I made good my safety. 
 
 I went to the barn and crept away under the back part 
 of the hay, where I knew I would be secure for the night. I 
 stayed there lamenting over my stripes till midnight; then 
 I came out and went to my mother's, which was about half 
 a mile off. She told me the Doctor had been there hunting 
 for me. Thinking he might soon return I did not stay there 
 very long. I next started off for my grandfather's, which 
 was about four miles away. I found him at home and he let 
 me in. I did not learn that my pursuer had been to this 
 place, so I thought myself safe for a while. He told me 
 he had received a letter from Mr. H. Wallace directing 
 him to bring me down to Morgan's Creek, as the Doctor 
 had nothing more to do with me and that I was going to 
 another place. 
 
 Next morning grandfather arose, shelled a bushel of corn 
 and was going to Headchester to dispose of it for other 
 necessary comforts, telling me I might go along with him. 
 Soon the old bay horse and cart, the legacy from the Wood 
 
16 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 land estate, were hitched together and started on the jour- 
 ney. On our way I was surprisingly met by the Doctor on 
 horseback. As soon as I saw him I crouched down in the 
 bottom of the old cart thinking to avoid him, but I was 
 much mistaken. His keen eye had caught sight of me, and 
 no doubt his breast was burning with revenge on account of 
 his wife having to kiss the kitchen floor. He drew near to 
 my hiding-place and strove his best to cut me with his 
 horsewhip, but he missed me. I jumped out of the cart 
 and hid in the fields till I thought he was gone. When I 
 came out of my hiding-place he could not be seen, so I 
 joined the old man in the cart once more, pursuing our 
 journey. He told my grandfather, "If he did not have me 
 back to his house before four o'clock that day he would 
 have an officer after me and have me back." The officer 
 failed to come, consequently I have not seen the Doctor nor 
 his wife since. 
 
 This Doctor Hyde had become security for the payment 
 of the $600 required from my father for the purchase of my 
 mother and sister. He was so much enraged on account of 
 this trouble with me, that he demanded immediate payment 
 of the money. This brought a gloom over my father and 
 mother's humble but happy home. He had no money nor 
 the means of getting it. The spiteful bondsman could soon 
 find the way to get it, and that was by selling mother and 
 sister. This means was well understood by them, and plans 
 were considered to avoid this sacrifice when mother resolved 
 to take her young child and flee to Baltimore, Md. Her 
 conclusions were soon put in practice, and it was not long 
 before she found herself and child in that famous city. 
 There she found a philanthropic Quaker, who had saved a 
 
AS A SLAVE. 17 
 
 great number of families from being separated under such 
 circumstances. He told her be would furnish her with the 
 money if her husband would make out a bill of sale for the 
 child she had with her. She sent father word of what she 
 found in way of a partial relief. The opportunity was 
 readily embraced by him and he hastened to Baltimore and 
 gave the bill of sale for my sister, which was to last till she 
 was eighteen years old. My parents further agreed that in 
 the event of my sister's death before the expiration of that 
 time, they were to finish out the time or give sufficient work 
 to the value of the amount. All was finally settled and they 
 returned to George Town Cross Oats, minus their only 
 daughter that they had to sell to save themselves. My 
 father had paid H. Wallace $200 down, which left $400 to 
 be raised by the Quaker. To the great astonishment of the 
 Doctor father called and paid the amount. He was so much 
 perplexed that he wanted to know where the money came 
 from — supposing it had been stolen. My sister remained 
 with the Quaker family till she was sixteen years old, when 
 they gave her two years off her time. This generous friend 
 sent for my father to come to Baltimore and emancipate 
 both my mother and sister, as they were sold under debt. 
 He did so, and consequently they were all three free people 
 according to the laws of the State of Maryland. 
 
 To return to my own personal narrative — by jumping 
 from the old cart to escape from Dr. Hyde and rejoining 
 grandfather. We rode on to Headchester, which is now 
 known as Millerton, remained there until night and then 
 returned home. I stayed there all night and next morning 
 after breakfast we started for Morgan's Creek, which was to 
 be my new home. We had to ride a distance of twenty-two 
 
18 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 miles, arriving there about night. This was New Year's 
 eve. I had an uncle living at this place by the name of Joe 
 Grimes. His wife lived in Chestertown with the same man 
 I was destined to live with. Mr. H. Wallace gave Uncle 
 Joe a note, with instructions to deliver it and Isaac into 
 the hands of Mr. James Mansfield, jr. He arrived there 
 about eight o'clock that night, a distance of three miles, 
 when I for the first time saw my new master. His wife was 
 named Mary. They had two children — a girl and a boy ; 
 the former was about five years of age and the latter three 
 years. He was a cabinet-maker by trade and worked with 
 his father who followed the same business. He very soon 
 bought his father out, taking the business into his own 
 hands, and began to thrive very rapidly. 
 
CHAPTER IT. 
 
 IN A NEW HOME. 
 
 Chestertown was quite a thriving place, having five 
 thousand or more inhabitants, and was the county seat for 
 Kent County. It bordered on the Chesapeake Bay, where 
 we had ready transportation to Baltimore, Md., three or 
 four times a week. There were a large number of wealthy 
 families living there at that time who owned large planta- 
 tions. On being introduced to my master the next morning 
 I was informed what I was expected to do. I was told that 
 I was coming sixteen years old the next spring, and he had 
 bought me for the special purpose to work about the house 
 and to do whatever was wanted of me ; and, also, I was 
 expected to do what I was set about, and to do it well and 
 quick. He said he would not overlook one fault. If I did 
 as he said I would be properly treated ; if I did not I would 
 get the hickory wottel. I assured him faithfully I would do 
 the best I could. I found that my work was precisely the 
 same as that I had performed at Dr. Hyde's, my last place, 
 so I got along for the first two weeks very nicely. I gave 
 them satisfaction, as I thought ; they, that is my master and 
 his wife, appeared pleased. I concluded I was all right and 
 was going to have a nice time at my new home. At this 
 time there was not the dread of a daily whipping and the 
 loss of one meal a day. It was not long before I was to 
 learn that storms followed calms, and war came after peace. 
 19 
 
20 LIFE OF ISAAC HAS ON 
 
 One Friday morning, after being there about four weeks, 
 I well remember the day, I was busy at work on my hand- 
 irons. My mistress came out and wanted to know what I 
 had been doing all the morning. I turned round and looked 
 at her, and saw that her face was awfully red ; there was 
 something wrong but I could not divine it. She hurriedly 
 went out of the room where I was, into the back room, and 
 got her cowhide; without the least ceremony she lit on me — 
 the same as a hungry hawk on an innocent chicken. Her 
 descent upon me was so sudden that I did not know what to 
 do. I begged, I entreated her to stop ; but she grew worse 
 and worse. The blows came faster aud faster, and every 
 one brought the blood streaming from my head and back till 
 I was covered from head to foot. Being a large, fleshy 
 woman, she at last became fatigued and exhausted, and had 
 to quit her inhuman chastisement. I was so unmercifully 
 beaten that I was unfit for work that day/ 
 
 Next morning I could not stand up I was so weak and 
 exhausted from loss of blood. My eyes and head were 
 completely swollen, and for a few days I had to remain a 
 poor sufferer — the victim of a woman's spite and hatred for 
 a poor despised race. / w hat I had done to deserve all this 
 treatment I knew not. Here I was, no one to care for me, 
 no one to console me. After awhile I got so that I could 
 resume work. She never repeated that kind of treatment 
 again, but consigned me to a worse fate for the future — 
 I may say for a limited period. /Whenever I did anything 
 that was considered wrong after that I had to go to the 
 cellar, where I was stripped naked, my hands tied to a 
 beam over head, and my feet to a post, and then I was 
 whipped by master till the blood ran down to my heels.\ 
 
AS A SLAVE. 21 
 
 This he continued to do every week, for my mistress would 
 always find something to complain of, and he had to be the 
 servant of her will and passion for human blood. At last 
 he became disgusted with himself and ceased the cruel 
 treatment. I heard him tell her one day — after he had got 
 through inflicting the corporal punishment-— that he would 
 not do it any more to gratify her. 
 
 One day, to my great astonishment, I found that my work 
 was to be changed from a domestic servant to a farm hand. 
 Having been trained to do a little of both it did not seem 
 hard for me to work at either. Mr. Mansfield had purchased 
 a little farm a few years before I went to live with him, 
 containing sixty acres. It cost him three dollars an acre, 
 and was very poor land. I, together with an older hand, 
 was placed on this farm to work. It was about a mile out 
 of Chestertown and had no house or barn on it, so we had 
 to travel the distance four times a day to get meals and to 
 feed the horses. Having to carry manure to the farm we 
 had the privilege of riding there and back every time. I 
 continued to work on this farm a little over five years. 
 When we commenced reaping the first year it yielded only 
 from five to six bushels of corn and wheat to the acre ; after 
 five years it yielded thirty bushels > to the acre. The last 
 three years I worked on the farm it was under my charge. 
 
 Besides attending to the work of the farm I had to drive 
 the hearse which conveyed the dead to the grave, for my 
 master being a cabinet-maker, was also an undertaker. I 
 had to attend the funerals of all the prominent men and 
 women within a radius of twenty miles of that place. My 
 boss had so much confidence in me that he would send me 
 twenty miles alone with a coffin to bury some great person, 
 
22 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 and I would be gone, sometimes, as long as two days. He 
 was the only man in that town that attended to such business. 
 On one occasion I went to bury the wife of a high sheriff, 
 and to my surprise and confusion found that all the men were 
 drunk. When they arrived at the burying ground they 
 were just fit for business — not to bury, but to quarrel. As 
 they were removing the corpse from the hearse they let it 
 fall to the ground, bursting open the coffin. They were in 
 great confusion over it and I did not know how it would 
 end. I drove off and left them, as my duties were ended. 
 It was always customary on these funeral occasions, that 
 after the burial a dinner was served to all who took part in 
 the exercises — "rejoicing at the death." By this accident I 
 lost my funeral dinner, as I fled for home not knowing what 
 they might do to me if I remained — though the accident 
 was no fault of mine ; I was a slave, subject to anybody's 
 insult and bad treatment. 
 
 ^During the five years and over that I worked on the 
 farm I was never struck a blow.\ There was no one to find 
 fault with my work. The boss was but seldom there and I 
 was taken from under the control of my mistress. In the 
 year 1845 I had done so well for my master, or at least he 
 thought so — and I knew I had — that just before Christmas 
 he told me to take the other man that was with me and shell 
 out one hundred bushels of corn, and the same of wheat, 
 and put them on board the sloop General Washington, to be 
 taken to Baltimore. On the following Tuesday, after this 
 was done, he gave me a new suit of clothes, and at ten 
 o'clock we went on board the sloop and sailed for Baltimore 
 to dispose of the corn and wheat. We arrived there the 
 next morning, which was Wednesday. Mr. Mansfield went 
 
AS A SLAVE. 23 
 
 ashore and proceeded up town to see some friend of his, and 
 left me at the vessel. Not receiving any orders from him 1 
 thought I would like to see something of the city ; so off I 
 started alone. /While passing up Pratt Street 1 fell in with 
 two men standing on the sidewalk. They were not standing 
 close together. I could not very well pass around them, 
 and to proceed I had to go between them, which I attempted 
 to do. They soon stopped and severely beat me for so 
 doing. When they got through my clothes were all full of 
 blood that flowed from my own body. I was ignorant, yes, 
 completely ignorant of their law, forbidding a negro from 
 passing between two or more white men or women who were 
 walking or standing on the sidewalk, and that he or she 
 must take the street to give place to their superiors. /By 
 the time they got through inflicting their punishment I 
 had learned something of the penalty of the crime. With 
 my painful bruises and blood-stained garments I found my 
 way back to the sloop to await the return of Mr. Mansfield. 
 When he saw my unfortunate condition and had heard my 
 pitiful story, he became quite indignant over it. He tried to 
 obtain redress by offering a reward to discover the parties 
 that had done the deed. To his astonishment, he was 
 politely informed that his reward would do no good, as 
 negroes are not allowed to pass between white men when 
 they are standing talking. This is one of the methods they 
 took to teach negroes their manners to white people. This 
 was my first experience of a city walk. 
 
 Our freight was unloaded and disposed of, and on the 
 following Friday we returned home. As usual, I resumed 
 my customary work. Everything went along quite smoothly 
 at the farm, at the hearse business, and at the house, until 
 
24 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 the month of August, 1846, when the golden dreams of my 
 sunshine of peace began to draw near the horizon of that 
 place I was doomed to call home ; but I saw it not. Dark 
 clouds were swiftly gathering over my head in uninterrupted 
 succession for many days to come; but I discerned them not. 
 The life of a slave is a wretched one in its best condition ; if 
 he always knew what awaited him in the future, it would be 
 most wretched. He who holds the destiny of the world in 
 His hands wisely hides from our eyes what a day may bring- 
 forth. 
 
 At this time the family became short of meat. We 
 had two steers that had been turned loose in what was 
 called the "common" — a tract of land about twelve miles 
 off, containing two hundred acres of forest land — a pleasure 
 and pasture ground for unused cattle. Another hand, with 
 myself, was told to go to the common and capture one of the 
 steers, and to bring it home to be slaughtered and packed 
 away for the use of the family. According to orders we 
 started on our journey, which was the last day of August. 
 We labored hard all that day trying to find them, among a 
 number of others, in the dense forest. As night began to 
 set in we discovered our search, by the private mark that 
 had been placed on them when they were put there. To our 
 disappointment, the fast overspreading darkness prevented 
 our capturing them that night, so we had to take the horses 
 and return home, with the intention of renewing our labors 
 early next day. At an early hour next morning we started 
 on our journey. On our arrival we soon found our search, 
 the lasso was thrown with steady, true aim, and the prize was 
 captured. We mounted our horses and were soon on our 
 way home — one leading and the other driving. Our captive 
 
AS A SLAVE. 25 
 
 did some considerable struggling for liberty, detaining us on 
 the road so long that we did not reach home before four 
 o'clock in the afternoon, when we were told to take him to 
 Tom Carroll's slaughter house. At five o'clock he was 
 slaughtered and hanging on the gallows, and by seven 
 o'clock that night he was in the cellar, salted down and 
 packed away for future use. In less than three days our 
 supply of beef was completely spoiled, having maggots in it 
 nearly as long as a little finger. A new life had come 
 into it. 
 
 At this time my mistress had become the mother of 
 another child ; it was about two weeks old. She had stop- 
 ping with her a young girl, a niece of hers, who performed 
 the duty of housekeeper. She was the daughter of Hugh 
 Wallace. When this miss of a housekeeper discovered the 
 great calamity that had befallen the store of beef — making it 
 unfit for the delicate stomachs of her aunt, uncle-in-law, 
 cousins, and ber own — she ordered that some of it be taken 
 to the kitchen and boiled for the hands. After it had gone 
 through the culinary department, its flavor and unpalatable 
 taste made it too much for human stomachs of the strongest 
 kind to endure. A slave's stomach was considered not to be 
 human, but this undainty dish proved that it was. None of 
 us could eat it. It had to be rejected because the stomach 
 refused it. I was so bold as to cast my portion out to the dog, 
 an act, I thought, unseen by any but those who were with 
 me. /I was mistaken ; other eyes were on me but I knew it \ 
 not then. This awful crime that I committed had at last sent 
 my peace below the horizon, and the cloud had burst. The 
 keen eye of the girlish housekeeper had seen it fall to the 
 dog's mouth, Master, mistress and chief servant all 
 
26 LIFE OF ISAAC 3IAS0N 
 
 agreed that I had been impudent to Miss Wallace, and of 
 course I must pay the penalty. In Baltimore I was chas- 
 tized for passing between two white men ; now I am treated 
 worse than that for casting rotten meat to a dog, because 
 I could not force it down my throat when given me by 
 my mistress' representative. 
 
 This remarkable event happened on a Saturday, at 
 noon. Mr. Mansfield had that day gone away from home 
 and was not to return before night. "When he had been 
 home but a short time he came out and met me in the yard, 
 after I had put the horse up that he had been using, and 
 wanted to know what I had done. Before I could think of 
 any serious fault he picked up a stick four feet long and 
 began to fire away at me with all his force, crying out, 
 "What have you been doing?" I told him I had done 
 nothing, and he exclaimed, u You are a liar! " He told me 
 to go to the cellar and he would see. Though a slave, and 
 his property, yet I dared to assert the lion of my manhood that 
 he had aroused in me, and I replied, " I will not doit!" 
 then he renewed the attack with the stick. I caught hold of 
 it to prevent him from using it. He wrung and I twisted ; 
 he twisted and"! wrung. At last I lost control of my temper 
 and pushed him over a pile of wood that was in the yard. 
 As he fell he cried out for Mary, his wife, to bring him his 
 gun. Before she arrived with the deadly instrument I was 
 over one fence and across the street. As I ascended the 
 second fence to find refuge in the field he aimed his gun, 
 firing three shots at me. The first shot grazed my head, 
 removing a little hair ; the second touched my ear, and the 
 third passed through my hat; but they did not stop me 
 from running. On reaching the mulberry thicket, where I 
 
AS A SLAVE. 27 
 
 thought I was safe, I stopped. I was ignorant of what I had 
 so seriously done to cause all this. I remained here all that 
 nighty 
 
 At last Sunday morning dawned and found me hiding 
 from the fierce anger of a man who would soon be making 
 his way to church; but I could not go. Iliad no one to 
 speak to but God. Alone, yet not alone. My thoughts 
 may be somewhat surmised when I inform my readers of the 
 sacred relationship of the man who had just attempted to 
 take my life. He was a local preacher in the Methodist 
 Church, and considered one of its most pious and consistent 
 members. His religious fervor was so great that he could 
 not coutent himself with his own church, but also identified 
 his name with the colored Methodist Church of which I was 
 a membsr. He would frecpiently attend our meetings, jump, 
 shout and sing, like the rest of us. He was the leader of 
 my class, my spiritual adviser and counsellor in the time of 
 trouble. ISTow, by his merciless treatment, I am driven from 
 the shelter of his home. What could I think of him? How 
 could I judge of his religious profession? How could I 
 receive his religious instructions? The more I thought of 
 him this day the more my confidence in him grew weaker. 
 He was my master, and by the inhuman law of slavery 1 
 was his property and must obey his mandates. During the 
 day my hiding-place was discovered by a fellow-slave who 
 brought me food, which removed a portion of sorrow from 
 my wounded breast. In this affliction I found, as in former 
 instances, that by turning my heart towards God, He would 
 take care of me and provide for my wants. The Sabbath 
 day drearily passed away, and night found me still among 
 the mulberry bushes to spend a second night without 
 shelter, bed or covering. 
 
28 LIFE OF 18 A AC MASON 
 
 On Monday morning my pious master told one of the 
 slave hands if he saw me to tell me to "come home! " 
 When I received the message I immediately returned. On 
 my arrival I met the would-be murderer, and he wanted to 
 know " why I acted so; why I threw the meat to the dog V 
 In an instant the cause of Saturday's conflict and Sunday's 
 sorrow came to my mind. Refusing to eat rotten beef and 
 casting it to the dog had brought down his vengeance on my 
 much-defenceless head. The secret was revealed. Miss 
 Wallace had witnessed the act, taking it as a great insult 
 to herself. To use his own expression: "It was an insult 
 to Miss Wallace, for she had sent it out to the kitchen." I 
 replied that I did not know it was an insult, I did not mean 
 to insult her, and she did not know how bad it smelled. He 
 abruptly told me to go to work and he would see about it. 
 So we parted ; he to counsel other methods of punishment or 
 revenge, and I to my work on the farm. At this season we 
 were busily engaged hauling lime to the farm. We com- 
 pleted this job in three weeks, then we had to gather in the 
 corn and tread out some wheat. The treading was done by 
 horses in what was called the "treading yard." It was 
 about the middle of November when this portion of our 
 annual work was completed. 
 
 The first important job that was assigned to Will (for 
 my master always called me by that name), after finishing 
 the farm work, was to take the horse and cart, with a note, 
 and go to Mr. H. Wallace's for a barrel of turkeys and 
 geese that were to be sent to Baltimore, Md. During all this 
 time I had not heard anything about the spoiled meat 
 trouble. I concluded it had all passed by, and to me almost 
 forgotten. My conception of the trickery of mankind were 
 
AS A SLAVE. 29 
 
 very small at that time. If I had known the contents of the 
 note, and what kind of poultry I was sent after, I would no 
 doubt have been tempted to have resorted to my mulberry 
 home, or some other more distant, but I did not. T had 
 more lessons to learn. At two o'clock I started on my 
 errand. The distance by the public road was ten miles, 
 and it would be some time before I could return. I was 
 acquainted with a road that would take me directly there, 
 by crossing lands belonging to other persons, and the 
 distance would not be more than three miles ; so in order to 
 economize time for the boss I took that route. This way I 
 knew would bring me in contact with a creek a little below 
 Mr. W's house. He always kept a boat on this creek, so 
 that persons coming to or going from his house by that way 
 could be ferried across by one of the slaves. The horse and 
 cart were secured ; I gave the signal and was soon safely 
 landed on the other side. I inquired for the master of the 
 mansion, aad was directed to the treading yard. I soon 
 found him, and delivered to him in person my trust and the 
 message for the featherless and lifeless birds that were never 
 to be seen. He gave me a pitchfork, telling me to shake up 
 that straw, he would give me what I wanted pretty soon. 
 I always endeavored to obey orders, so I complied by going 
 to work with a good will pitching straw. I worked on, 
 expecting every moment to receive the answer to my errand, 
 but still it did not come. As it began to grow dark I became 
 apprehensive that something was wrong. Finally, I told 
 Mr. Wallace that I must be going home as I had work to 
 do; would he please give me the turkeys and geese? He, 
 to my great astonishment, struck me with his pitchfork with 
 so much force that he broke it over my shoulders. 
 
30 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 At this sudden change of affairs I suddenly started on 
 the run, with he and his son after me like hounds in full 
 chase after the fleeing fox. My safety depended upon my 
 agile movements. My active feet did me good service and 
 soon left my pursuers far behind. My impulsive thought 
 was to flee directly home and secure the protection of him 
 whom I was compelled to call master. Alas! alas! I was 
 placing my trust in one who was betraying me, who was 
 deceiving me ; and soon I was to discover the blackness of 
 his heart toward me. The vigorous efforts of the maddened 
 foe pressed on me so great that the road for home had to be 
 abandoned, and I had to flee to the dense woods for refuge. 
 They were safely reached, and I could once more breathe 
 easily. Here I remained till after midnight, when I thought 
 I could venture out and try to find my way home. The 
 great wonder was, how could I succeed. I knew Mr. W. 
 always kept his boats in such a manner that I could get one 
 and row across the creek ; but then came the dread that they 
 might be watching that means of escape and would capture 
 me. That route had to be abandoned and another found . 
 Blinded with grief and darkness I started up the creek in 
 search of some shallow place where I might walk across. 
 On I walked till at last I halted at a spot that I thought 
 would do. The stream here was narrow; in I ventured. 
 Step after step brought me into deeper water. Suddenly I 
 found that I was beyond my depth. I could not swim, I 
 could not go back. The scenes of death were before me. 
 There was no one near by to call upon to save me. In the 
 midst of my dilemma I remembered the Lord ; upon Him 
 with my whole heart I did call. If ever I prayed in my life 
 I did this time. Soon my eyes became dim, my mind 
 
AS A SLAVE. 31 
 
 bewildered, and consciousness had departed from me. How 
 long [ remained in the water after that I know not. When 
 consciousness returned I found myself safely resting on the 
 opposite shore, wet and cold. My escape was miraculous, 
 and I attributed it all to God. 
 
 Once more on terra firma I started for home, arriving 
 there about four o'clock in the morning. I found that the 
 horse and cart had arrived home during the night, having 
 been brought there by one of Mr. Wallace's men. Next 
 morning my boss met me when I was coming from the barn. 
 He informed me that "Mr. W. was going to whip me for 
 being impudent to his daughter in throwing that meat to 
 the dog, and I had better have stayed and got it and had it 
 over." I told him that I belonged to him, and if he wanted 
 to do it I would submit — I did not want anybody else to do 
 it. He bade me take off the wet clothes and put on the 
 hearse clothes. I did so, and was quickly on my way with 
 the hearse to the shop. 
 
 Though I was but a poor, despised slave, having no 
 rights that I could call my own, even to the refusal of such 
 food that I could not eat, yet I possessed that principle of 
 true manhood to despise deceit in my employers. Here I 
 found a man who had told me from time to time how to 
 serve God, how to live right, and now had proved to be a 
 base deceiver and a falsifier. Instead of the note asking for 
 turkeys and geese, it was to whip me for what they deemed 
 impudence. / Could I believe him hereafter? Could I trust 
 him any more 1 ? No! lie had told me a lie my confidence 
 in him was gone, and my feelings towards him were 
 changed. Was I happy or contented? No! for I did not 
 know how soon another trap would be set for me to fall 
 
 - 
 
32 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 into the hands of my enemies. This uncertain state of mind 
 was my daily, bnt yet unpleasant, companion. Its duration 
 was uncertain. I would have felt somewhat at ease if the 
 boss had inflicted this punishment, but he would not do it. 
 
 On December 15 Mr. Mansfield sent me down to the 
 wharf to Jim Frisby, to get his scow, and proceed up to 
 Mr. Wallace's and get ten cords of hickory wood. I was 
 told to take another man with me. As I had to enter 
 within the bounds of Wallace's estate again, I concluded to 
 prepare myself for emergencies and a hasty retreat. I had 
 come to know the trickery of the man I was dealing with 
 and was determined to disappoint him. Jim Frisby was 
 an old colored man who owned the scow, and he owned, 
 besides, a small boat — just what was needed, and served my 
 purpose admirably. While arranging for the scow I also 
 bargained for the boat, taking care not to divulge my secret 
 to any one. About ten o'clock we started on our journey. 
 The distance was but five miles, the tide was running in our 
 favor, and we were soon at our journey's end. We found 
 the wood piled up on the shore ready for us. We began to 
 load up the scow, but night came on us so fast that we could 
 not finish. We took our lunch into the small boat and 
 rowed to the other side of the creek, and sought out an old 
 barn that I had frequently seen in that neighborhood, where 
 we rested for the night. Being tired after our day's work 
 we soon sought sweet sleep for our weary bodies. 
 
 Next morning w T e were both up by daylight and resumed 
 our work, and by nine o'clock we were ready to return with 
 our load of wood. My readers must not suppose that my 
 eyes were idle while working here. My hands were working 
 to serve Mansfield, and my eyes were working or watching 
 
AS A SLAVE. 33 
 
 to serve Will, alias Isaac. I knew my man, and I felt he was 
 on the watch and only waiting for a chance to pounce 
 down upon me. As we were preparing to start I looked up 
 the road and saw Mr. W. coming towards the scow. I 
 remarked to my fellow-workman that he waf coming and 
 there would be trouble for me. On he came with his silver- 
 headed stick in hand. He drew near and jumped on board, 
 the scow, and I very deliberately stepped into Jim Frisby's 
 little boat and struck out for the opposite shore. He was so 
 sorely disappointed at his second defeat, that he took a keen 
 aim at my head with his stick ; but oh ! he missed me and off 
 I went. He tried another plan by sending two of his men 
 in another boat after me, with instructions to bring me back 
 dead or alive. I out-rowed them and jumped ashore with 
 paddle in hand. I was making for a place of safety, but 
 before I could secure myself they had overtaken me. Then 
 a desperate struggle took place. They rushed for me. I 
 dodged, threatening them to stand back or I would kill them. 
 Still they ti ied to carry out the demand of the tyrant. In 
 my struggles I looked on them as men in slavish bondage 
 like myself, and executors of a master's will./ They fought 
 to obey him, I fought to save my body from bruises, 
 and for aught I know, my life from sacrifice. Finding 
 words of persuasion and threat of no avail, I brought my 
 weapon down with full strength and true aim on the head of 
 one of the attacking party, when he fell to the ground like a 
 log. 1 he other fellow ran off and left me to make good my 
 flight from the avenger — not of blood, but of pretended 
 impudence to his presumptuous daughter/ 
 
 To return to the boat was impossible. To render- 
 assistance in carrying home the scow was out of the 
 
34 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 question. The way to Chestertown by land was the most 
 convenient. As I drew near the house who did I see ride 
 into the yard from a different direction but my mortal 
 enemy, Mr. H. Wallace. He failed to see me, so I at once 
 made a hasty retreat. To have gone nearer the house would 
 have been as bad, if not worse, than staying on board the 
 scow and having the unmerciful thrashing that was laid out 
 for me. Moved by the impulse of the moment I turned 
 around, made my way into the meadows and secured a 
 position where I could see when he left the premises. 
 These remarkable escapes from his hands were, to me, 
 great miracles. / 1 had formed a resolution that he should 
 not beat me, and was determined to disappoint him at 
 every attempt. He was aided by my cunning master, but I 
 had no one to help me./ Thus far success attended the 
 resolve, and I make bold to assert that God helped me in 
 emergencies. Mr. Wallace lingered around the house for 
 some time, thinking I would come home. A watchful eye 
 was kept on the path he must take on leaving the house. 
 The moment for his departure came at last, and my heavy 
 heart was lightened when I saw his retreating footsteps 
 making their way homeward. I forsook my hiding-place 
 and went home. To my great astonishment I learned that 
 the scow with her load of wood was at the wharf, Mr. W. 
 had sent one of his hands to assist in bringing it home. 
 Shortly after I entered the yard I met Mr. Mansfield. His 
 look and manner of speech indicated that something was 
 wrong. He ordered me to go to the wharf immediately and 
 "pitch the wood off the scow,'' he was afraid it would sink, 
 "and get it home pretty quiek!" Off I went, as usual, 
 wondering what could be up now. /My utmost endeavor 
 was always to try and please him, 
 
AS A SLAVE. 35 
 
 In the evening his son came to me, looking sad, and 
 appeared anxious to say something. I was then working in 
 the barn, and it was a convenient place for a kind of private 
 interview, for no one at the house could see us. He in- 
 formed me that his Uncle Wallace had that day urged his 
 father to sell me to him, promising to give his boy, George, 
 who was twenty-two years old, and $300 into the bargain. 
 His father, after a little persuasion, had agreed to do so, 
 though he did not want to part with me till after the second 
 day of January next. At that time the papers were to be 
 made out and signed. I gained further information from 
 him concerning my future destiny — arranged by those un- 
 generous slave-holders. His uncle, H. Wallace, had a 
 nephew living in New Orleans, a slave owner; he had a 
 supply about once a year, and the time having arrived for a 
 batch to be sent on I found I was to form one of the number, 
 January being the month allotted for the transportation. 
 By their unjust treatment they had forced me to form plans 
 to make my escape from slavery. To New Orleans I did not 
 intend to go if I could prevent it. These tidings caused me 
 to devise means to put into execution an immediate flight. 
 Whatever I was to do must be done at once. Christmas 
 was drawing near, and New Year's was soon to follow; if 
 alive, then my fate would be determined, and Wallace and 
 Will had to decide that. Mr. Mansfield had put me out of 
 his reach by making the bargain to sell/ 
 
36 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ESCAPE FEOM SLAVERY. 
 
 On the following Saturday night, after hearing this news, 
 I hired a horse from an old colored man, Jim Willmer, 
 for a bushel of oats. These were waste oats that I had 
 saved from time to time from the horse's feed. That night 
 I rode to George Town Cross Oats, the place of my nativity. 
 I went in search of a colored man by the name of Joe 
 Brown, arriving at his house about eleven o'clock that night. 
 He had not gone to bed but was smoking his pipe; his wife 
 had retired for the night, so everything was favorable as the 
 business was highly important and only required two to 
 discuss it at this time. I had known him ever since I was a 
 boy, and he appeared kindly disposed toward me, so there 
 was no feeling of scrupulousness in teding him what I 
 intended and wanted. I related all my troubles to him, and 
 finally told him that I wanted to get away and that he must 
 assist me. He listened attentively to my statement and 
 wishes, then he asked how many there were of us. I told 
 him I thought I could bring two more with me. He 
 arranged that I was to come to his house a week from that 
 night, and if there were three to bring along with us nine 
 dollars, and if we stood by him he would stand by us, 
 landing us safely in Philadelphia. The coming Thursday 
 from this night Avould be Christmas day, consequently the 
 day of meeting would be in Christmas week during the 
 
AS A SLAVE. 37 
 
 holidays, when slaves are generally allowed to visit their 
 friends for one or two days. Our business being over I left 
 Joe Brown to enjoy his pipe a little longer and then retire to 
 take his rest, while I joined the company of Jim Willmer's 
 horse. There was not much time to linger on the road to 
 meditate on the future. My faithful horse, moved by in- 
 stinctiveness, made light of his burden and soon covered 
 the distance between the two places. About two o'clock 
 Sunday morning the horse was in the barn and I on my 
 master's premises. Nobody knew that I had been from 
 home, much less out of the city. 
 
 Mr. Mansfield had secured from his father's estate a 
 young fellow by the name of Joshua. He had been with 
 him about two years this Christmas. We were very inti- 
 mate and I had placed the utmost confidence in him. 
 Feeling he would not betray my secret, I ventured to inform 
 him where I had been and what I had done. He felt much 
 elated over the project and said he would go with me. We 
 had a little money saved up that was earned by sawing 
 wood and doing odd jobs at night for some of the neighbors, 
 but that was not sufficient, therefore we had to enter into 
 ways and means to secure the balance. We solicited work 
 and were fortunate enough to find it, and by Saturday night 
 our treasury showed the sum of $12. At last Christmas 
 day had come — the bright and hopeful day of all Christendom 
 when master and mistress with their friends were to make 
 merry, and the poor slave to hope that he might be happy 
 for a few hours at least. Mrs. Mary Mansfield attempted to 
 make her slaves feel cheerful by giving them a Christmas 
 breakfast, consisting of one quart of molasses, being one and 
 one-third of a gill for each servant as there were six of us, 
 
38 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 about six pounds of sausage meat, which was the scrapings 
 of the meat-block, and, after we had extracted the wood of 
 the suffering block from it, we had, approximately, three 
 pounds of meat, allowing each one-half of a pound. Along 
 with this her bountiful heart permitted her to give a pan of 
 middlings. This constituted our Christmas breakfast. 
 While we were eating this festive meal Mr. Mansfield made 
 his appearance and gave us each fifty cents, and at the same 
 time told me I could go and see my father and mother on 
 Saturday morning, but be sure and get back by Monday 
 night without fail. If I had known that by casting decayed 
 meat to the dog would have cost me so much trouble I 
 would not have attempted it ; and if he had known of my 
 plans for making my escape he would not have given me 
 money nor permission to visit the very place at the very 
 time I wanted to go. 
 
 The young man George that I made mention of as 
 coining to take my place, came to Chestertown on Friday, 
 as he thought, to spend Christmas. I informed him that he 
 was sold to Mansfield to take my place, and that the plot 
 was to send me to New Orleans ; that Joshua and myself 
 had made arrangements to run away, and if he wanted lo 
 go with us he could do so. It did not take him long to 
 decide to make one of the number. There was one difficulty 
 in the way with him — he had no money. In order to obviate 
 that difficulty Joshua and myself agreed to furnish it. I 
 told George to return home and meet us at a certain place 
 about nine o'clock with a boat to take us across the creek. 
 Instead of my going away in the morning as permitted I 
 remained until Saturday night, in order that we might be 
 together, as Joshua was not acquainted with the route. 
 
AS A SLAVE. 39 
 
 When night came we bade farewell to the Mansfield 
 house with its cares and lashes, and started for the land 
 of liberty and a city where we could breathe the refreshing 
 air of freedom. When we reached our place of meeting, 
 according to previous arrangement, about nine o'clock 
 George was there with the boat waiting for us. The creek 
 was soon crossed and our course was shaped for George 
 Town Cross Oats, a distance of about twenty miles. We 
 reached the town about two o'clock in the morning. The 
 most interesting place to be found by us was the house of 
 our guide, Joe Brown. To the horror of all we found Joe 
 lying on the flcor dead drunk. Joshua and George did not 
 know Brown's failings; they became alarmed at the situa- 
 tion and talked strongly about going back home. This 
 increased my anxiety considerably, for if they went back 
 my plans would be destroyed and I returned into the hands 
 of my enemies, or else hunted down and killed. I at 
 last prevailed on them to go with me to my mother's and 
 stay a few hours. This was Sunday morning, the distance 
 was but half a mile, and we were soon sheltered and out of 
 sight of Joe Brown. We stayed there all day concealed 
 away up in the attic. This was a day of great suspense. 
 No one could advise what would be the next best step to 
 take. We were three helpless beings fleeing from the cruel 
 chains of bondage. 
 
 To my happy surprise that afternoon Joe Brown put 
 in his appearance. He did not remain long nor have much 
 to say, but told us to meet him that night at Price's Woods 
 at seven o'clock. As a signal of our meeting in safety he 
 would give the sign by crying out, " yea! yo!'' and we were 
 to answer "Friend to the guard!" The place was well 
 
40 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 known to me and could be easily found. At seven o'clock, 
 as near as we could judge, we were on the spot. The sign 
 and countersign were exchanged, and we met. Brown was 
 master of ceremonies. The first business to be done was the 
 invocation and pledge. We all four knelt down and prayed 
 and then took an oath that we would fight for each other till 
 we died. This done, the next was to pay over the liber- 
 ation money, nine dollars. Next came the hasty-eaten but 
 substantial meal of bread and meat that was provided for us 
 by our guide. We remained there half an hour. The ground 
 was well covered with snow, making good sleighing. 
 
 The night of inarch had come, aud with our anxious 
 faces directed northward we started for Wilmington, 
 Delaware, it being about thirty-five miles away. When 
 we had arrived within eight miles of Wilmington, Brown 
 took us to the house of an old colored man who was an 
 acquaintance of his. I did not understand why he went 
 there, but I judged it was to seek for information ; and we 
 did receive some very important news. The old man told 
 him not to go any further on that road as there was a gang 
 of body-snatchers waiting by the bridge to mob every 
 colored person that came that way. He directed him to 
 return about eight miles and take the first left hand road he 
 came to, and that would bring him into Wilmington another 
 way where he would not meet with any trouble. The old 
 man's advice was heeded. We accordingly went back, and 
 by the time we got there the grey dawn of morning began to 
 appear. Day was breaking, and travelers like the three of 
 this band had to seek a hiding-place while the glorious rays 
 of the king of light prevailed, and men were abroad upon 
 the face of the earth. 
 
AS A SLAVE. 41 
 
 Fortune, thus far, had bountifully smiled on our path, 
 aud nature had lent us her aid, bidding us good- speed on 
 our journey. As daylight lifted the sable curtain of night 
 we saw but a short distance from us a dense wood, and we 
 made for it in haste. On entering this forest we found a 
 very large white oak tree that could not endure the mighty 
 winds of the early fall, and it had been ruthlessly torn up 
 by the roots before its leaves had fallen. There it lay, form- 
 ing a complete arbor and place of safety. When the full 
 light of day came, under it we crept, not knowing how long 
 we were to remain, nor what might be the result. Joe 
 Brown left us with strict orders to remain where we were 
 until his return, that he was going to Wilmington. We had 
 voluntarily placed ourselves under his care and direction 
 for the safety of our escape, consequently it was no more 
 than just that we should submit to his judgment and obey 
 orders for the time being. We stayed all day — or as long 
 as daylight lasted. This was the greatest and most mem- 
 orable day in this undertaking for liberty. Fugitives from 
 slavery. 
 
 While lying on the cold ground under this tree, our 
 "city of refuge," we were greatly surprised at seeing a 
 number of fox hounds, numbering, I suppose, from twenty 
 to fifty, running about the forest near to us. They were 
 accompanied by about fifty men on horseback, who were all 
 white. The reader may judge the terrible anxiety we had to 
 endure. We w T ere slaves fleeing from bondage, they were 
 freemen, and to have fallen into their hands would have 
 been so much added to their gain, and to us, perhaps, a 
 more sorrowful condition than the one we were fleeing from. 
 They rode and hunted after a fox throughout the whole day. 
 
42 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 Several times the fleeing fox made his unwelcome appear- 
 ance under the tree that secreted us from the horsemen's 
 view, and to my great astonishment I discovered we were 
 lying over the hole that led to reynard's den. He made two 
 or three attempts to get into the hole but we succeeded in 
 beating him off, and the result was he did not return any 
 more that day. Our anxiety became more and more intense 
 as we recognized among the band of hunters some well- 
 known faces, who, it cannot be claimed, were " a terror to all 
 evil doers," but to ' all honest, trustworthy slaves. Had 
 Mister Fox succeeded in entering the hole we would have 
 been caught, and our jig would have been up sure. It was 
 in this large, dense forest, in the State of Delaware, that I 
 was led to see my own fate compared with that of the wild 
 beast of the forest. True, there was some difference; the 
 fox was free, and I was seeking for freedom ; it's pursuers 
 were near by, but mine were, for all I knew, afar off. Our 
 much-dreaded visitors remained in the neighborhood all day. 
 It was almost dark before they relieved us of their presence. 
 This was a day of "foes without and fears within," for 
 while I wondered how this day's events would end from 
 outward appearances, my two companions became so badly 
 frightened that my words failed to comfort them. Their 
 fears were so great that they determined to go back — not to 
 the "flesh pots of Egypt," but to the stinted fare and cowhide 
 of slavery. I determined differently. I longed for the 
 home of the free. Finally, to quiet their fears, I promised 
 if they would only keep silent I would take them back 
 home. 
 
 After it got dark, I waited until th3 north star had 
 risen, for I determined, as Joe Brown had not returned, that 
 
AS A SLAVE. 43 
 
 the journey should be continued. One day in a place like 
 those woods, with two tired, discontented companions, was 
 long enough to remain there. As my star of hope, the 
 guide of the night, came fully in view, we started on our 
 tramp, as the boys thought for our former home ; but not so 
 with me. ^1 had gained some early knowledge of the north v 
 star for the express purpose for which I was now about to 
 use it. An old man by the name of Charley Miller had / 
 told me where that star was, and if " I could follow it it 
 would guide me north, that the Lord had placed it there to 
 lead people out of slavery.^' I used it that night, believing 
 what he told me was true. I followed it for about five miles, 
 when, to my great astonishment, I met Joe Brown, our 
 leader. He had with him another man who proved, after- 
 wards, to be our guide for the remainder of the journey. 
 Joe had with him something to appease our hunger and to 
 cheer us on, in the substance of a boiled hog's head and a 
 loaf of corn bread. He fed us, and we were truly glad to 
 receive it, for we had been without food the whole day. 
 The fear of being captured and returned to our masters, or 
 else sold to new ones, had, no donbt, kept uuder the desire 
 to eat. But now the evil threatenings of the day were over, 
 and in the presence of help we could do justice to the 
 nourishment our pilot had brought us. We stopped and 
 talked for awhile, and Brown placed us under the care of 
 this new comer, and he continued his journey homeward. 
 
 Having taken leave of our former friend and guide we 
 continued to the goal of our ambition under the care of our 
 new leader. There are a great many venturesome things a 
 man will do, when determined to escape from danger or an 
 evil, that he would not do when otherwise situated. To 
 
44 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 think that we had placed our fate in the hands of a man who 
 was, to us, an utter stranger. The confidence that had been 
 reposed in the integrity of Brown concerning our welfare 
 was, simply, a transferable one. His deep interestedness in 
 rescuing his race from the cruel chaius of slavery, had 
 established the faith that he would not permit us to be 
 betrayed into the hands of a friend or advocate of the 
 cruel institution. The experience of the past had taught us 
 the lesson to trust and go forward, and forward we went. 
 About midnight of that same day we passed by Wilmington 
 unmolested by any one, and, as near as I can judge, it 
 was three o'clock that morning when the dividing line that 
 runs between the States of Delaware and Pennsylvania were 
 crossed. No words can depict the joy and gratitude that 
 filled the bosom of one who had, as it were — not rather as it 
 actually was — stepped from bondage into liberty, from dark- 
 ness into light. 
 
 I had no means of keeping the days of the month, but 
 was fortunate enough to remember the day of the week. So 
 it was on a Tuesday morning that our eyes rested on a State 
 where liberty for the negro slave could be enjoyed. Perry 
 Augustus, our guide, with much seeming satisfaction and 
 delight, informed us that we had crossed out of slavery into 
 freedom. We had had our faithful guides, and they had 
 discharged their obligations to us to the letter ; but I had 
 not forgotten my early impressions of the existence of an 
 ever kind Providence, for which gratitude should be shown, 
 consequently I suggested that we should have a season of 
 prayer and return thanks to God for this safe deliverance. 
 The old man readily consented to the proposal, and we all 
 knelt down on the snow-covered ground and offered up 
 
AS A 8 LAVE. 45 
 
 humble thanksgiving, and petitions for future protection 
 and guidance, to the Great Supreme Ruler of heaven and 
 earth. Those who have been under some heavy burden, 
 weighing them down by continued torture and misery, when 
 to their relief has come some happy event, or some sympa- 
 thising friend who has removed the torturing evil, may form 
 some idea of the felicity enjoyed by us on that memorable 
 morning. 
 
 When the other two boys learned that we had been suc- 
 cessful in crossing into the land of freedom, they became 
 reconciled, and expressed themselves as being sorry for the 
 unnecessary trouble they had caused me, especially while 
 concealed in the forest. We journeyed on for a distance of 
 about ten miles when we came to a place called New Garden. 
 At this place we were made acquainted with an old man by 
 the name of Nelson Wiggins. This we found also to be the 
 resting place of Perry Augustus. Further developments 
 showed that it was more than a resting place, it was a tem- 
 poral home, a little heaven on earth for a fugitive. The old 
 man had two daughters, who had charge of the house, as his 
 wife was dead ; one of these tender-hearted and benevolent 
 ladies, with her father, bid us welcome and make ourselves at 
 home. The invitation was readily accepted and we were com- 
 fortably housed and seated. Her agile step and busy hands 
 were soon employed in preparing a breakfast for the weary 
 travelers. When it had been prepared we were bid to partake 
 of it. Breakfast over we were directed to go up stairs where 
 we would find beds upon which to rest ourselves. The direc- 
 tions were soon followed, and we laid us down to rest and 
 sleep, to dream of the past and plan for the future. We 
 remained there all day. 
 
46 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 The next night a great number of persons called to see us 
 and congratulate us on our successful venture. Some of 
 them we had known in by-gone days. This was delight 
 added to pleasure. Companions in slavery once, now 
 companions in freedom. Two days were spent in this state 
 of ease and comfort, and on the third day it was deemed best 
 that we should start out in search of employment. It being 
 winter time, work, as a general thing, was very scarce ; 
 there did not seem to be anything to do in New Garden, so 
 we concluded to make our way to Philadelphia. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 In the Land of Freedom. 
 
 On Saturday morning, we bid our kind host and benev- 
 olent daughters good-by and started on our journey. On 
 account of not being acquainted with the road, we did not 
 reach our destination until about seven o'clock that night. 
 Going down (what we afterwards learned to be Market 
 Street,) we found the markets open and crowded with people. 
 I cannot say we were surprised, but I must confess that we 
 were wonderfully frightened at seeing so many people at one 
 place at the same time. The like was never seen by either of 
 us before. 
 
 We continued down Market Street until we came to 
 the ferry boat. Not daring to look to the right or left, we 
 walked on board supposing all the while we were walking 
 on the street. If it had not been for the guard chain at the 
 bow of the boat, we would have walked overboard, when the 
 waters below would have informed us of the blunder. Soon 
 the whistle sounded, the engine was put in motion, and in a 
 very short time we found ourselves in a little town called 
 Camden. Here we wandered about for a short time, but at 
 last concluded to seek the woods for shelter. We remained 
 in seclusion all day Sunday, not daring to go to any body's 
 house for fear of being kidnapped or imprisoned. When 
 night came, we started back by the same way we came, for 
 we had neither money or friends. We knocked around there 
 until the following Sunday; sometimes visiting somebody's 
 house, and sometimes secreting ourselves in the woods. 
 47 
 
■IS LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 One day we were successful in obtaining a job in cutting 
 wood for a farmer who very liberally paid us for oar services 
 by giving us a supper and a night's lodging in his barn. 
 "Whether from the fear of us robbing his house, or for the 
 welfare of our safe keeping I know not, but this I do know 
 and well remember, that after we had gone into the barn, he 
 locked the door and, I suppose, put the key in his pocket. 
 By this ingenious precaution of safety, we had to remain 
 whether we wanted to or not. 
 
 On the following Sunday during our travels, probably it 
 would seem better to say wanderings, we met an old colored 
 gentleman who very kindly took us to his home, a distance 
 of about half a mile. Our feet at this time had become very 
 much swollen and painful ; and we were exceedingly tired. 
 He proved to be "a friend in need as well as a friend in- 
 deed. 11 He fed us sumptuously, and took special care of us. 
 It was our happy lot to remain under his kind hospitality 
 until the following Sunday morning. As was his custom, he 
 went to church and should bave us accompany him to the 
 place of worship. After the service was ended, he an- 
 nounced in the church that he had with him three travelers, 
 and wanted some of the brethren to care for them. A 
 woman by the name of Mary Jackson arose and said that 
 her employers wanted a man, and if one of them could go 
 home with her, she thought she could get him a place. The 
 opportunity was too good to be lost, and there was no time 
 to be spent in thought. There was three of us, and one 
 place presented, and it may well be imagined I hastened to 
 speak up quickly, and said I would go. When she got 
 ready we started, leaving my old companions in sorrow. 
 We had to go a distance of five miles. The week's rest and 
 
AS A SLAVE. 49 
 
 good fare, with the expectation of obtaining work afforded 
 strength and cheer for the journey. This place proved to be 
 Doe Bun, in Chester County, and the man's name was James 
 Pile, a farmer. When I saw him he told me he could give 
 me work with a compensation of four dollars a month, 
 board, lodging and washing. I accepted his terms, and 
 made a bargain to work for him until the first of the coming 
 April. One of the boys (my former associate) procured a 
 situation similar to mine, and the other went to live with a 
 colored family to cut wood for the winter. Just two weeks 
 from the time we started from the land of slavery for that of 
 freedom, we were settled down, independently workiug for 
 our own bread, and choosing our own employers. 
 
 I remained in the employ of James Pile for nearly three 
 months, and then renewed the agreement for an indefinite 
 time, for eight dollars a month. I must mention something 
 here with regard to a daughter of Mr. Pile's. It was a sight 
 unseen by me in my southern home ; and that was the 
 daughter of a farmer or planter standing by the side of her 
 father's workmen with a hay-fork in her hand, not idly 
 standing by to see" the work done properly, or that the men 
 did not idle away their time, but to share in the labor of 
 spreading and stacking the hay. When the time came to 
 take it to the barn, she could do her part in pitching it on 
 the cart. I continued to work on this farm until September. 
 
 When I left Mr. Pile's I went to a place called Chatham, 
 where I hired myself to a man by the name of Sam Hooper, 
 as a farmer; but my particular work was to thrash wheat. 
 He agreed to pay me thirteen dollars a month with board and 
 lodging. I did not remain in his employ very long. T 
 worked around in different places until the month, of April of 
 
50 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 the following year, sometimes thrashing wheat, sometimes 
 quarrying stone and at other times cutting wood. On the 
 1st day of April, 1848, I entered into an agreement with Mr. 
 David Chambers to work for him for eight months for ten 
 dollars a month as a farmer. He made me his principal 
 farm hand, and I continued in his service until the winter of 
 1849. On leaving this farm I went to live with a Mr. Joshua 
 Pusey, another farmer, who agreed to give me fifty cents a 
 day, a house to live in and two acres of planting land for my 
 own use, six months firewood, with the use of a horse and 
 team, and a horse to plough the ground. Perhaps some of 
 my readers may wonder why these additions were made to 
 my former contracts ; why this house, this garden and fire- 
 wood? I did not wonder at it, neither will you, dear reader, 
 when I tell you I was making preparations to be married, 
 and wanted a comfortable home for my bride and self. I an- 
 ticipated great things. Once a slave, but now free and soon 
 to be a married man. Yes, I was building airy castles in my 
 imagination. 
 
 As the time advanced and I was to enter upon my new 
 contract, my hopes grew brighter and my joys expanded. 
 When my expectations were at their height, three slave- 
 holders drove up from Maryland in a team and went to a 
 neighboring house that was occupied by a colored man 
 named Tom Mitchell, knocked the door in, took the man out 
 aud drove off with him, leaving his wife and children scream- 
 ing for the loss of a fond, industrious husband and a loving 
 father. This Tom Mitchell was like myself, a runaway slave 
 and came from the same county as I did. That kind of 
 work thoroughly frightened me, and I resolved that I would 
 break the Pusey bargain and leave that region immediately. 
 
A3 A SLAVE. 51 
 
 Mitchell's captors were drovers, and knew him as a slave 
 and of his whereabouts, and they made good use of their 
 knowledge ; they got fifty dollars for him. The Quakers, 
 moved with sympathy for the wife and children, and know- 
 ing the worth of the captive, raised five hundred dollars and 
 went south, purchased his freedom and brought him back. 
 
 I had agreed to be married March the first and go 
 housekeeping April the first, but Mitchell's mishap up- 
 set my plans, at least for the time being. 
 
 I left and went to Philadelphia where I thought safety 
 would be best secured. I worked there as a hod carrier up 
 to September 12, then I went back to Chester county to 
 fnlfil my promise, not as to time, but to the person with 
 whom I had agreed to marry. This was in 1849. After we 
 were married, I took my wife to Philadelphia and went 
 housekeeping. 
 
 I had not been long settled at housekeeping before the 
 Fugitive Slave Law came into full force. One day while 
 climbing the ladder with a hod of bricks on my shoulder, I 
 looked down at the passers by, which was not an uncommon 
 thing to do, and who should I see but the son of the man 
 Wallace, who I had occasion to mention in my darkest 
 days of slavery life. I continued my course upwards until I 
 came to the staging. Discontent and fear would not permit 
 me to remain there any time ; to descend by the same 
 way I ascended might prove dangerous, as young Wal- 
 lace might still be somewhere near by, so I concluded to 
 go down the back way. The first impression that c.xme to 
 me was to seek for counsel, so I at once notified some of the 
 leading colored men, in whom I had confidence, of what I 
 had seen and of my great dilemma. They immediately ud- 
 
52 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 dertook to find out where he was stopping, and what his 
 business was in this city, through lawyer Paul Brown, 
 His business was soon found out and made known. He was 
 searching for his runaway slaves, of whom I was one. As 
 leader of the band, I was advised to make my way into 
 Massachusetts, and that without much delay. "O the 
 terror and curse of Slavery!" I concluded to sell out the 
 little comforts that I had collected to make home pleasant, 
 and leave for regions farther North, where the foot of the 
 slave owner doth not tread. So I thought then, but came to 
 know differently very soon afterwards. "We sold what we 
 could, and what we could not dispose of had to be given 
 away. 
 
 Home was broken up, and travel or tramp was the 
 order of the hour. I had a letter of recommendation 
 given to me, which I was to present to a Mr. Gibbs, of 
 New York City, on my arrival there, enroute for Boston, 
 Mass. He was a worker in the Under Ground Bailroad 
 scheme, and was a colored man. We left Philadelphia by 
 boat, and had a pleasant sail to New York. "When we 
 arrived, we did not meet Mr. Gibbs as we anticipated. He 
 was late in getting to the boat. A hack driver came to me 
 and said he worked for Mr. Gibbs. Being an entire stranger 
 in that part of the country, and to the customs of the people, 
 I was easily deluded. Depending on the truthfulness of the 
 hackman, I handed my wife into the hack, put in my choice 
 bundles, and then got in myself, leaving the driver to get the 
 trunk and drive off. But while he was getting the trunk, 
 Mr. Gibbs came and told us we were in the wrong hack, and 
 to get out, to which the hackman objected. After consider- 
 able word wrangling, the driver and two other men jumped 
 
AS A SLAVE. 53 
 
 ou Mr. Gibbs, and beat him unmercifully. During the con 
 test I got out of the hack, removing my wife and bundles. 
 The result was that the three hackmen were arrested and 
 put in the lockup. Mr. Gibbs was beaten so badly that he 
 had to be carried to his home. This was one of the unfortu- 
 nate scenes that caused regret to fill my bosom, as it was on 
 my account that a fellow-man, one of my own race, a helper 
 to the poor tortured slave had been so cruelly handled. 
 Another colored man took Mr. Gibbs' hack, and drove us to 
 Bonaventure Street where we remained all night, to rest, to 
 think and dream of the future, and to question what shall 
 come next. We remained in this place until three o'clock 
 the next day. 
 
 Mr. Gibbs was fortunate enough as to recover from the 
 effects of the beating, so as to be out the next day. He 
 came around to the place where we were stopping, and took 
 us to the Fall Eiver boat. He gave me a recommendation 
 to a man in Boston by the name of Snowdon who would 
 help me as he said. He informed me that it would cost 
 four dollars each to go to Boston, Mass., and to give him 
 the money and he would purchase the tickets. As a 
 stranger I gave him the required sum supposing it was 
 all right, as I was under his direction. He bought the 
 tickets and gave them to me. We shook hands and bade 
 each other good-by. The steam whistle blew, the 
 moorings were loosed, the engine put in motion, the wheels 
 rotated, and we were on our way to Boston. To my sur- 
 prise I found, after we had reached the stream, that the 
 tickets were second-class and not first, as Mr. Gibbs repre- 
 sented. He only paid two dollars each for them, and kept 
 half the amount for himself. We had got beyond hailing 
 
54 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 power now ; be was on the land and we on the water ; per- 
 haps he was out of the sight of the steamboat for all I 
 knew. I pitied him when he got the beating, but on the 
 discovery of deception, and his having taken unlawfully a 
 part of my own hard earned and scanty means, the old 
 Adam rose in my bosom, and destroyed the sympathy that 
 was there, turning pity into passion and disdain. ''Some 
 men live by the sweat of their own brow, and some live by 
 the sweat of others." 
 
 Not knowing the difference at first my wife and self went 
 down in the first cabin and as we did not have the right kind 
 of tickets, were ordered out. This was bad for my wife ; I 
 did not mind it so much. We had now been married about a 
 month, and for her to be placed in that embarrassing state 
 made me feel the condition more keenly. I paid one dollar 
 more for her so that she could enjoy the comforts of a cabin 
 passenger while I betook my weary self to the smoke-stack 
 and there roasted my sides against the boiler in order to keep 
 warm. So much for Mr. Gibbs 1 generosity. Onward glided 
 our steamboat through the epiiet sea, bearing us rapidly to a 
 more northern home. Onward sped my wandering thoughts 
 of a near future ; what kind of a reception was awaiting me, 
 and what would the prospects of employment and an income 
 for labor be? The arrival of the boat at Fall River, the 
 bustling crowd, the disembarking passengers aroused me 
 from mental roamings. I had to join the busy throng and 
 make my way to the cars, which was done and we were soon 
 comfortably seated. The whistle blew and the train rolled 
 out of the depot. My wife and I occupied seats together, 
 thinking that all was right, but another trouble awaited me, 
 another separation. Oh! those tickets. Oh! that man Gibbs. 
 
AS A SLAVE. 55 
 
 Our tickets were through ones, I did not understand the 
 difference between first and second-class fares on the 
 trains. I had learnt the method of boat traveling and 
 was now about to take my first lesson on the railroad. The 
 conductor was passing through the car collecting the tickets, 
 everybody appeared to be all right until he came to me. I 
 handed my ticket supposing I was like the rest, but soon 
 found out there was a mistake. He told me to get up and 
 go into the forward car, and wanted to know what I was 
 " doing there." So I had to get up aud leave ; yes, to leave 
 my wife to ride alone. When we arrived at Boston the first 
 business my attention was directed to was to find Mr. Snow- 
 don to whom I had a letter of introduction from Mr. Gibbs. 
 After making some inquiry I was sadly disappointed to 
 learn that he was dead. The gloom that began to spread over 
 me was soon to disappear; the silvery lining was near by. A 
 place of rest and shelter was providentially prepared for us 
 in the hospitable residence of the late Lewis Hayden. We 
 stayed with him two or three weeks, and being unsuccessful in 
 obtaining work in that city we were sent to ' Worcester. In 
 using the term we here is in reference to two young men, like 
 myself seeking liberty and employment. I left my wife in 
 Boston with the Hayden family. Mr. William C. Nell a 
 colored man, and an agent of the Anti-Slavery Society sent 
 us to Worcester with letters of introduction to Mr. William 
 Brown, now living and widely known. On arriving in this 
 city, we soon found Mr. Brown and stayed with him that 
 night. The next day we secured permanent lodging with 
 Mr. Ebenezer Hemenway. 
 
 After jobbing around in various ways, I obtained steady 
 employment on the farm of the late Major Newton on Pleas- 
 
56 LIFE OF ISAAC 3IA80N 
 
 ant Street. I worked on that farm until April 15, 1851, in 
 company with Mr. C. B. Had win. Everything went on 
 smoothly np to this time, when those tormenting slave- 
 holders, who had come that winter, began to make them- 
 selves very conspicuous in hunting for slave property. The 
 poor despised negro slave was a valuable article. Dollars 
 and cents with thousands of miles of hard travel and priva- 
 tions were no objects of consideration in the long chase and 
 capture of a runaway slave. This hunting slave fever got so 
 bigh that our sympathizing friends advised me to leave at 
 once and go to Canada. The two men that came with me 
 from Boston, met and consulted at Abram Howland's store 
 what had best be done. To remain here, there would be a 
 chance of capture, to leave, there would be an opportunity 
 to escape. The latter we agreed on, making our departure 
 a speedy issue. However, before going I hired rooms and 
 had my wife come here to live ; for I thought her opportun- 
 ities to get along would be better than in Boston. 
 
 On the fifteenth day of April, 1851, the three of us took 
 the train to Montreal, Dominion of Canada. We left on 
 Saturday and arrived at our destination about eleven o'clock 
 Sunday. The river being frozen over we had to cross on the 
 ice on runners, but I did not know of the change until I got 
 to the depot. The snow was packed up so high in the 
 streets that pedestrians could not see each other from op- 
 posite sidewalks. It was soon discovered that Montreal was 
 not the place to welcome the laboring man when a stranger ; 
 for there was nothing doing there, or anything we could find 
 to do that would give us an honest living. Consequently we 
 did not stay there but a few days. We went from there to a 
 place called Kingston, on the Lake, and stayed there but 
 
AS A SLAVE. 57 
 
 one day as the prospects of work was far worse than 
 in Montreal. 
 
 Next we went to Toronto where Ave found the climate 
 warmer, and general business a little better. We concluded 
 to find a boarding place and try our luck there. The place 
 we sought was soon obtained, and agreed to pay three dol- 
 lars a week for board and lodging. Near the end of the 
 second week after being there, we procured work with an 
 old colored man who done a trucking business. At this 
 time he had taken a contract to move a building, and being 
 in want of assistance, he hired the three of us at rates of 
 fifty cents a day. Just enough to meet our boarding charges. 
 The distance the house was to be moved was about two 
 miles. Work was begun by employers and employees 
 arduously, and progressed as we thought safely. Well it 
 did for nine days, but on the tenth day, a sad disaster was in 
 store for us, and another draw-back to poor Isaac's pro- 
 gress. On this day we came to the descent of a hill over 
 which our road lay. The old rope was not new nor none of 
 the best, so when the weight of the building becoming 
 greater and greater by the declivity of the road, the hempen 
 or flaxen cords were strained beyond their strength. At last 
 they snapped, they break asunder ; and away went the house 
 without the aid of man or beast down the hill. With almost 
 breathless astonishment, we stood gazing at the sliding 
 object, when suddenly a collision is observed, a crushing 
 noise is heard, the house has collapsed and gone to pieces. 
 
 The man w.io owned the building sued the contractor 
 for damages, got judgment against him; and, also, got all the 
 old man owned, horses and trucks. So we unfortunates got 
 nothing for our work and were in debt for board to the 
 
58 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 amount of six dollars, and nothing to pay it with. It was a 
 sad loss to us. Our clothes and all we had were held in 
 payment for indebtedness. They were placed under lock 
 and key. Among - my clothing was my wedding suit that cost 
 me fifty dollars, also a valuable pair of boots. We quitted 
 boarding at that place at once and went to Queen's Bush, 
 about seven miles from Toronto. There we made arrange- 
 ments with a man to cut fire wood, at fifty cents a cord — 
 four feet long. He kept a store and promised to furnish us 
 with meat, bread and potatoes ; our working tools such as 
 axes, mauls, wedges, &c, &c, were to be had from him. 
 After all necessary arrangements had been perfected, we 
 went into the woods, cut down some logs and put up a 
 log house, covering it with bushes, old boards and slabs 
 which made it pretty tight. With our rude home and home 
 comforts provided, we went into chopping fire-wood in good 
 earnest. When we had chopped about one hundred cords, 
 we proposed to make a settlement, and get our money and 
 visit Toronto to redeem our clothes. The employer's 
 account against us was fifteen dollars, which left a balance 
 due us of about thirty-five dollars, which would be more 
 than enough to carry out our honest plan. But instead of 
 receiving that amount we only got fifty cents a piece ; yes 
 that was all we got. This was on Saturday and we intended 
 to spend Sunday in Toronto. Being thus disappointed, we 
 concluded to spend the Sabbath in the lonely woods, as we 
 could not then better our condition. He promised to pay 
 us in full the next following Saturday . Monday morning we 
 resumed our work, looking forward to be amply rewarded 
 for the disappointment by the end of the next six days' 
 labor. On went the days and up and down w T ent our toil- 
 
AS A SLAVE. 59 
 
 ing hands cutting, splitting and stacking. At last Saturday 
 arrives, and we appear before our employer for settlement. 
 It is said, "The last state of that man was worse than the 
 first. " This saying was fully verified in this man, for his 
 last state was worse than the first one, and this Saturday 
 was worse than the last one, for we did not get one cent. 
 We found out that he did not own the land on which we 
 worked, but that he himself was hired by a man in Toronto 
 to cut and deliver this wood at the steamboat pier. This 
 Saturday I determined to go to Toronto myself. I left the 
 other boys in the woods and started for the city of Toronto. 
 I began to make search for the man that had the wood cut or 
 owned the land on which we worked, and found he was a 
 steamboat owner. I learned from him that the man who was 
 doing the work for him had been all paid up, and there was 
 not anything due him. Even the horses and carts that were 
 used in drawing the wood were all owned by the same man 
 — that is the owner of the steamboat. He told me if my 
 companions and myself would go back to work chopping 
 wood, he himself would see us paid, but we would have to 
 be the loosers of what he had already paid the agent. While 
 we were studying to be honest in paying our board bill ; an- 
 other was studying to dishonestly rob us of strength and 
 labor. 
 
 While in Toronto this time, I sought out a friend with 
 whom I had become acquainted with when there before, and 
 got him to write a letter for me to Mr. Joshua Spooner, who 
 was then living on the Major Newton farm in Worcester, 
 Mass., and asking him to send me six dollars as I wanted to 
 come home to Worcester. Within five days from the time I 
 sent the letter his reply came containing the amount I sent for. 
 
60 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 I did not go back to the woods again. Disgust and dis- 
 couragement prevented me from laboring for a man who 
 cheated me out of my just due. I left the other boys there, 
 how long they remained "? do not know. During these five 
 days of interval between the sending and receiving the 
 Worcester letter, I did a job for the man who had my 
 clothes in bond or locked up, which amounted to three dol- 
 lars. I left in his hands two, on account, and kept one for 
 myself. 
 
 I went to the steamboat pier every day at four o'clock, 
 and became familiar with the faces of the different boats that 
 plied between Toronto and Rochester, N. Y. On the receipt 
 of the monev from Worcester, I immediately paid the balance 
 of four dollars due on board bill, redeeming my clothes, and 
 leaving me two dollars for traveling expenses. As soon as I 
 got my goods out of the possession of my former boarding 
 master, I bade him good-by and started for the pier. This 
 was on the night of the same Friday I received the money. 
 
 I sought the captain of the boat that left Saturday even- 
 ing, and asked him to allow me to work my way to 
 Rochester, N. Y. He quickly replied : "No; he would not 
 allow it." I took out the letter I had received that day 
 from Worcester, Mass., containing an account of my wife's 
 sickness, and requesting him to read it. He did so, and I 
 informed him how I was compelled to pay away what money 
 I had received. The letter with my pleadings moved his 
 sympathy towards me ; he turned and said, I could go but 
 that I should have to work every hour of the time. I said 
 his sympathy was towards me, but that only went as far as 
 being on board the steamboat ; I had to pay by hard work 
 and no sleep. I was content to comply with his demands ; 
 
AS A SLAVE. 61 
 
 I had started for home, and could not pay for my traveling 
 expenses with money, so would have to pay it by labor. He 
 told me to go to the steward and get my supper, which T did. 
 That was Friday night, and Saturday morning T went to 
 work helping to load the steamboat. This work continued 
 until four o'clock in the afternoon, the appointed time for 
 the boat to start. 
 
 At the hour designated we left the pier and was stop- 
 ping at different places off and on all night, putting off and 
 taking on freight and passengers until eight o'clock Sunday 
 morning, when we arrived in Rochester. I had not taken 
 off my clothes or taken a wink of sleep all night. Being 
 tired and sleepy after a day and night's hard toil, I took 
 a conveyance and went to hunt for a lodging house, and my 
 search was soon found. I went to bed and slept soundly 
 until four o'clock in the afternoon. When I landed iu 
 Rochester I was the owner of two dollars and no more. This 
 was the extent of my cash account. It cost me twenty-five 
 cents for conveyance, and fifty cents for lodging and dinner. 
 Here I was in the western part of New York state, miles 
 from the city of Worcester, Mass., my place of destination, 
 with one dollar and twenty-five cents to purchase a railroad 
 ticket. 
 
 I went to the depot and inquired the fare to Worcester, 
 and was informed it would be fifteen dollars. My readers 
 who may have been placed in such a predicament can have 
 some idea of the situation and can extend some sympathy ; 
 and those who have not may draw upon their imagination 
 and perhaps gain a faint knowledge of the condition of an 
 almost penniless traveler. With wishful eyes I gazed at the 
 departing trains with their freight of living beings, but that 
 
62 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 was only vexation of spirit to me, and a force of circum- 
 stances beyond my control. 
 
 Worcester and my sick wife loomed up before me de- 
 manding my appearance. To purchase a ticket was im- 
 possible, to beg one was decidedly out of the question. At 
 last I concluded.it was no use of tarrying any longer in that 
 place. My feet and legs had done me good service in my 
 flight from Chestertown, Maryland to Philadelphia, Penn. 
 I now made up my mind to trust to them at this time to 
 reach my home, so off I started with the determination to 
 walk to Worcester. It was about half past five P. M. with 
 my knapsack on my back, I started on my long tedious 
 inarch without friend, guide or compass. I followed the 
 railroad track going east as a conductor on the way. Soon 
 night began to spread its dark mantle around me, yet undis- 
 mayed, I pressed forward deeply occupied with thoughts of 
 the future. Midnight came in its stillness finding me still 
 widening the distance between myself and the Rochester 
 depot. Midnight passes, the small hours of the morn in- 
 crease, until at last the light of a new day begins to dawn 
 upon the world, when men begin to rise from their warm 
 comfortable beds after a night of refreshing sleep. In 
 rapid flight of early dawn, the king of day, the centre of 
 celestial light, rises in majestic splendor over the eastern 
 hills, indicating the cardinal point to which my journey lay. 
 With it came the cheer that one night had passed away, 
 shortening the distance between the starting point and that 
 of my destination. At eight o'clock to my surprise, I found 
 I had covered a distance of seventy-five miles that night. A 
 night's walk without a halt to rest or refresh. As the day 
 began to grow I determined to change my road of travel. I 
 
AS A SLAVE. 63 
 
 now abandoned the railroad for the tow-path, thinking to 
 facilitate the travel ; but I soon found out I did not get along 
 so fast. My feet became sore and lame, the continual walk- 
 ing was beginning to manifest itself on my physical constitu- 
 tion; but ambition with the force of will obviated the pain 
 and urged the man of suffering and disappointment onward. 
 
 After continuing in this condition for two or three days, 
 the captain of a canal boat asked me how I would like to 
 ride one of the horses at night, and remain on the boat 
 during the day. The proposal had its charms for me. 
 There would be a chance for sleep during the day, there was 
 an opportunity for a good warm meal, and at night to sit on 
 the horse's back. The offer was accepted and I went on 
 board the boat. 
 
 The first night passed off without anything to cause 
 alarm or to hinder the work. In the morning I did 
 a little work on the boat, got my own breakfast and sought 
 to lie down and sleep. Ou the second night I resumed my 
 task, mounted the horse, who with slow, steady tread, 
 tramped out the time allotted him. Night wore on, all on 
 board the boat was stillness ; all had retired for the night to 
 enjoy Nature's refreshing invigorator, sleep. As the light 
 of early dawn lifted the curtain of night, so that surrounding 
 objects could be distinctly descerned, it brought another gleam 
 of light, for I was so much farther advanced on my journey, 
 and had enjoyed a little sleep and rest. We had reached 
 Utica, N. Y. The time would soon come when I should 
 dismount my horse to betake myself to the boat for rest and 
 sleep. Sometimes it is remarkable easy to plan out a few 
 hours or days, but they are not as soon brought to perfection. 
 Difficulties in some form are apt to appear before us and im- 
 
Gt LIFE OF ISAAC 31 AXON 
 
 pede our progress. Surprises are constantly — well nearly 
 so — approaching us. There is the agreeable and disa- 
 greeable. Well there was a surprise in reserve for this 
 morning. I leave my reader to judge whether it was a 
 disagreeable or agreeable one after I have related it. 
 
 As we drew near a bridge under which we had to pass, 
 I cast my eyes upwards and to my utter surprise and aston- 
 ishment what should I see but the form of a man looking 
 down on me. How quickly I remembered those well known 
 features. The man who live years ago was my master, who 
 held me in the bonds of slavery, who had cut and slashed 
 my back ; from whom I had fled to enjoy the pure air of 
 liberty. 
 
 He did not recognize me, but I did him, and that was 
 enough for the hunted. I at once took in the whole situa- 
 tion of the present and future. I felt positive he was hunt- 
 ing for me. To remain long exposed to his gaze would cause 
 me danger and trouble. I dropped my head to conceal my 
 face from his longing, anxious eyes, and as soon as I had 
 gone out of his sight, I dismounted the horse, went on board 
 the boat, got my lit le bundle of goods and left the boat and 
 horses in a great hurry. I did not see the captain or any of 
 the hands as they were all asleep, and I had no time to call 
 them. The horses were left to take care of themselves, and 
 go on of their own accord, as far as I know. These moments 
 with me were most precious for self preservation. The 
 hunter was on my track, had seen but not scented out my 
 course. The necessity of the hour compelled me to be as 
 agile as a hare and as cunning as a fox. 
 
 I took to the main road intending to continue my journey 
 on foot the remainder of the way. Once more I found iny* 
 
AS A SLAVE. 65 
 
 self aloue, with the end of my destination before me and not 
 the means to buy the cheapest means of travel ; depending 
 upon the charity of the world. With a spirit of determin- 
 ation and courage I pressed forward hour after hour in the 
 cheering light of day. Night overtakes me, a weary traveler, 
 without shelter or food. To lie down and rest I could not, 
 in fact rest had no charms for me in this lonely journey. 
 Worcester and those who were all to me in this life were 
 anxious companions of my nocturnal travel. Saturday night 
 I found myself at the railroad station in the city of Albany, 
 N. Y. Crossing the ferry, a thunder storm coming up 
 suddenly, I took shelter in an inviting freight car, which 
 was standing conveniently near the landing. I sat down, 
 or rather lay down, to rest and await the conclusion of the 
 storm, but tired and weary nature asserted her rights, 
 and I was soon fast asleep. When I awoke I found the car 
 had been traveling, and I became somewhat alarmed, as I 
 did not know the route I had been going, or where I might 
 possibly be. But my doubts were soon dispelled, for the 
 car stopped at a way station and switched, so getting 
 out, and looking up to the sun I soon discovered that 
 I had been traveling in the right direction, and upon 
 inquiry found that I had come ten miles due east on my 
 direct road to Worcester. The day being Sunday I strayed 
 out to a camp meeting of colored people and had a pleasant 
 time with them. 
 
 Finding my efforts had been so satisfactory, my hopes 
 revived, and my courage enlivened at the thought of soon 
 ending this toilsome labor. Starting off again Sunday night, 
 I continued my travel until reaching Worcester, Mass., 
 which was on the second day of July, 1851, just two weeks 
 
\ 
 
 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 from the day I went on board the steamboat at Toronto, 
 Canada. The relief of over exertion, of physical fatigue, 
 mental anxiety and the privation of natural comforts are 
 better felt and appreciated in thought than expressed in 
 
 words. 
 
 Having again joined my family and friends, I concluded 
 to remain in Worcester, Mass., or I may say to make it my 
 home, as I had not found a place in preference. It was not 
 long before I found plenty of good employment and benevo- 
 lent sympathizers, and for forty-three years Worcester has 
 been my residence. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 A Flying Visit to Hayti. 
 
 Being at this age a man of an enterprising turn of mind 
 and inclined to be somewhat of an adventurer, or, as some of 
 my readers will say, only extending an acquired habit, I was 
 ready to enter upon any new enterprise that might hold out 
 inducements for benefiting my condition or the advancement 
 of the human family. For the purpose of furthering those 
 ambitious ideas I sought the fraternity of the best and most 
 popular societies as a means to carry out that end. 
 
 Coming thus far in my history there is a portion of 
 my life that is connected with a foreign land, and I can 
 not refrain from adding it here. In the year 1859, Mr. 
 James Kedpath went to Hayti, and while there made 
 arrangements to emigrate as many colored people from the 
 United States to that island as he could induce. He re- 
 turned to this country and through his influence a large 
 number of persons became interested in the emigration 
 scheme, that during that year he sent two or three vessel 
 loads of human freight to the foreign isle. Early in the 
 following year he sent more from New York, Providence and 
 Boston. He succeeded in making arrangements so that all 
 emigrants should be landed free of charge. He also further 
 arranged with the Haytian government that such emigrants 
 arriving in their country should receive sixteen days 
 provisions from the time of landing. I heard so much about 
 this country and the prospects it held out to such enter- 
 prisers, and the possibility of soon becoming well-to-do there 
 67 
 
68 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 that I concluded there might be a possible chance for me to 
 enjoy a part of its wealthy production. Time and heresay 
 increased the desire, and I finally thought- of going to see the 
 land of milk and honey for myself. I wrote to Mr. Eedpath, 
 the agent, informing him of my intentions, and also stating 
 that I preferred to pay my own expenses. His answer came 
 stating that my application and wishes were accepted. No 
 time was wasted in making the necessary preparations for 
 the voyage. May 14th, 1860, found me with an anxious 
 number standing on Liverpool wharf, Boston, Mass., waiting 
 to embark on the schooner Pearl, commanded by captain 
 Porter. Oar vessel was not of sufficient capacity to accom- 
 modate the number about to go. There were seventy-five 
 emigrants, five cabin passengers, including myself, and a 
 crew consisting of five ; too large a number to be assigned to 
 a small schooner. About 5 P. m., we sailed out of the 
 harbor in search of southern islands and southern wealth. 
 
 That night we experienced a very severe gale, lasting 
 the whole night. The next morning, Sunday, found us in 
 much sadness. It revealed the horrors of the previous 
 night. Not in the rented sails or strained ropes, but its 
 deadly effects upon a human creature. Among the number 
 that embarked with us the day previous was a young lady 
 full of bright anticipations and apparently hale and hearty, 
 going to seek a living in a foreign land, now lying before 
 us cold and lifeless. The howling winds, the raging billows 
 and the rolling vessel during the night proved a monster too 
 strong for her. Overpowered with exhaustion and fright of 
 being a castaway upon the ocean deep, she falls a victim to 
 death. Others became severely ill and were made speechless 
 for a time from the ordeal of that night. I considered my- 
 
AS A SLAVE. 69 
 
 self to be one of the fortunate ones in not experiencing any 
 siekness or fear. During the gale our two small boats and 
 galley were washed away from the deck. Sunday was a 
 beautiful day, all that could be desired to raise our hopes 
 and quell our fears of the return or approach of another 
 such storm. During the voyage of four weeks and four 
 days after the Saturday night's storm nothing eventful 
 occurred; all was pleasant and cheerful. As is always cus- 
 tomary for travelers seeking for homes in distant lands, 
 speculation and expectation were the chief subjects of con- 
 versation. 
 
 When the land of our destination was reached, and 
 owing to the lateuess of the day, the captain was prevented 
 from having the vessel securely moored to the pier that 
 night, consequently our anchorage had to be about half a 
 mile from the shore. As we were not in a sheltering harbor, 
 we became exposed to the gales. As the angry elements 
 united to bid us farewell from Massachusetts shores, so ap- 
 parently they had agreed to welcome us to Haytian lands ; 
 for that night the winds became exceedingly angry, tossing 
 and forcing our craft before it with such pressure that our 
 fears and anxieties of safety were greatly increased. At last 
 the increasing power of the gale caused the chain to part; 
 but fortunately the wind blew from the shore and we 
 were driven to sea. If the wind had been blowing from a 
 different direction, it is probable that the schooner and 
 all on board would have been lost that night. It took us 
 two days to return and cast a second anchor and prepare for 
 landing. 
 
 When we went ashore the natives received us very hos- 
 pitably, which made us feel that we were not intruders, but 
 
70 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 welcome aliens. The weather was so exceedingly hot that it 
 seemed impossible for living creatures to exist there. Of 
 course we just arrived from a northern climate, and would 
 consequently feel the change more readily than one who had 
 become accustomed to it. On inquiry I learned that the 
 death rate averaged from thiee to four per day. This was 
 not very pleasing information to be made known to those 
 who came seeking a permanent home. At a place called St. 
 Marks there were settled about five hundred persons that 
 had emigrated to Hayti at different times. The natives were 
 mostly of Eoman Catholic persuasion. Sundaj 7 with them 
 was a great day. I suppose it might have been termed a 
 weekly holiday : and they seemed to have an order of exer- 
 cises for the day, and it was somewhat after the fol- 
 lowing order : first they would turn out by thousands, have 
 a military drill : second, they would all go to church and 
 perform their religious services ; third, then would follow 
 a dance. The rest of the day was then spent iu all kinds 
 of amusements. These exercises seemed significant to their 
 habits and customs. The drill indicative to their war-like 
 habits, the church the respect, if not the piety for the Deity; 
 the dance as tokens of victory achieved, ending the day with 
 diversion to fill out the time. 
 
 The women do or are made to do the work of men at 
 home and general laboring. They also had to do a part of 
 military duty, such as keeping guard in defence of the 
 country in times of peace as well as in war. The people are 
 very small or generally of medium size, and of a general 
 healthy apj>earance. I did not see any cripples among them 
 The women are not forced to do hard work because they are 
 bad looking ; for on the contrary they are handsome. 
 
AS A SLAVE. 71 
 
 Among the peculiarities of the people may be noticed the 
 manner in which they slay animals for food. When an 
 ox is to he prepared he is taken to the burying ground, and 
 there it is beaten until all the blood is out of it. If it is a 
 chicken they first pray over it. If it is a hog, its head is 
 chopped off on a log of wood. These seemed to be the gen- 
 eral methods of slaughtering. 
 
 The fertility of the island was of the highest order. It 
 was so productive that cotton and all kinds of vegetables 
 grew without any great degree of labor to cultivate. To en- 
 courage emigration, and to introduce foreign enterprises and 
 customs into Hayti, the government had given to all emi- 
 grants the exclusive use of Artibinique Eiver, and the lands 
 surrounding it. This settlement was about five miles from 
 St. Marks. Each emigrant was entitled to sixteen acres free. 
 One day four others with myself hired horses, and rode out 
 to see the situation and examine the land. As to the 
 land everything seemed hopeful, but when] we came to talk 
 with some that had settled there, it was found that some- 
 thing more than good soil was needful to ensure safety and 
 to produce grain. We were told that the winds at times were 
 so terrific that houses were carried away before them, and it 
 was almost impossible to keep oneself on the land during the 
 gale. 
 
 After long and patient struggling of those hard deter- 
 mined toilers of the soil, the whole project proved a failure 
 and had to be abandoned. Not only were the winds a bar- 
 rier to their prospects, but the burning rays of the 
 sun, was more than strangers could live under. At 
 times (and that frequently) the thermometer would register 
 1752 in the shade. During my stay there I was taken very 
 
72 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 ill, and at one time life was despaired of by those who went 
 out with me. Some of those kind-hearted fellow travelers 
 stood around my sick bed expecting every moment to see 
 me breathe my last. While I was lying in this uncertain 
 condition, one of the native women passing by my door 
 took in the situation ; for I was partially unconscious and 
 my lips firmly closed, so I learned afterwards. She took the 
 peel of an orange, (the white inner part) and poured boiling 
 water on it, opened my mouth and poured it in. In less 
 than ten minutes my lips began to move, and from that time 
 a change for the better was manifested, and my restoration 
 to health soon followed. I have great reason in commending 
 the skill of that woman who saved my life, and my body 
 from being buried beneath the burning sands of a tropical 
 clime. I believed then and have since, in that illness 
 my end was near, but restoration was possible, and it 
 came by the hand of a Haytian doctress. 
 
 When recovering frcm this fit of sickness, one Sunday 
 morning I took a walk out, slowly measuring my feeble steps, 
 while my eyes roved from one object to another, and they 
 were attracted to the various flags floating in the air, rep- 
 resenting all, or nearly all the nations. The sight of them 
 enlivened me and as I paused to view them closely there 
 seemed to be one that surpassed them all for splendor; and 
 that was the stars and stripes of America. Its granduer 
 was such that I felt a spirit of national pride for it, that I 
 had never felt before. 
 
 After recovering from my sickness, I turned my thoughts 
 more towards this emigration scheme determined to find out 
 if it was good or evil, if there was anything in it or not for 
 the good of uiy race. There was a large number that bad 
 
AS A SLAVE. 73 
 
 been misled to emigrate there ; they had no money to carry 
 them there, and no means of procuring any to bring them 
 back. If they had been required to pay their way out there, 
 they could not have gone. After getting there they could 
 not work or live, because they were not acclimated, and many 
 died. With the knowledge of all this before me, what must be 
 be my conclusion? That it was misleading of the innocent by 
 the false representation of a canning plotter. To me it was 
 false and evil to the race, and by me it was denounced. My 
 conclusions were made and they were, if possible, to re- 
 turn home to Worcester, Mass., and so I informed my com- 
 panions and others. As Captain Porter had not sailed for 
 the north, but would do so on the latter part of July, I de- 
 termined to be one of the number that his craft should con- 
 vey home. Before leaving I had placed in my hands three 
 hundred and twenty-five letters from the emigrants to be 
 forwarded to their friends in different parts of America. 
 They all went through the Post Office in Worcester to their 
 destination. Their personal contents were not known to me, 
 but my return and the expressions contained in these letters 
 broke up Haytian emigration. When Mr. Redpath found 
 out my determination to return, he persuaded and threatened 
 against my leaving ; and when he found his arguments were 
 of no avail, he tried to buy me over to his cause, but it was 
 all in vain, for I was determined that this scheme should be 
 exposed and destroyed. To carry out this intention I pub- 
 lished it in the Worcester daily papers showing that it was 
 only a premature graveyard for the race. That out of the 
 five thousand who emigrated there under the Redpath 
 scheme, two-thirds fell victims to disease and death. 
 
 The superstitious would have said that the waiting and 
 
74 LIFE OF ISAAC MASON 
 
 welcome gales were bad omens. Well they seemed so for 
 the fury of the elements set their fury against it. The home- 
 ward voyage was not like the outward for we returned on 
 the last day of August to the city of Boston, Mass., on peace- 
 ful seas and gentle winds, which characterized the whole 
 passage. 
 
 When I arrived at my home, I returned thanks to the 
 Lord for his mercy to me, sparing my life through the 
 perils of the storm, from the perils of the heat, through 
 the perils of sickness, and from the perils of death. I then 
 made up my mind that Worcester should be my future home, 
 and here I should dwell until the end of my days.