up from slavery-第5部分

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　regiments　had　been　paroled；　were　constantly　passing　near　our　place。　The　〃grape…vine　telegraph〃　was　kept　busy　night　and　day。　The　news　and　mutterings　of　great　events　were　swiftly　carried　from　one　plantation　to　another。　In　the　fear　of　〃Yankee〃　invasions；　the　silverware　and　other　valuables　were　taken　from　the　〃big　house；〃　buried　in　the　woods；　and　guarded　by　trusted　slaves。　Woe　be　to　any　one　who　would　have　attempted　to　disturb　the　buried　treasure。　The　slaves　would　give　the　Yankee　soldiers　food；　drink；　clothinganything　but　that　which　had　been　specifically　intrusted　to　their　care　and　honour。　As　the　great　day　drew　nearer；　there　was　more　singing　in　the　slave　quarters　than　usual。　It　was　bolder；　had　more　ring；　and　lasted　later　into　the　night。　Most　of　the　verses　of　the　plantation　songs　had　some　reference　to　freedom。　True；　they　had　sung　those　same　verses　before；　but　they　had　been　careful　to　explain　that　the　〃freedom〃　in　these　songs　referred　to　the　next　world；　and　had　no　connection　with　life　in　this　world。　Now　they　gradually　threw　off　the　mask；　and　were　not　afraid　to　let　it　be　known　that　the　〃freedom〃　in　their　songs　meant　freedom　of　the　body　in　this　world。　The　night　before　the　eventful　day；　word　was　sent　to　the　slave　quarters　to　the　effect　that　something　unusual　was　going　to　take　place　at　the　〃big　house〃　the　next　morning。　There　was　little；　if　any；　sleep　that　night。　All　as　excitement　and　expectancy。　Early　the　next　morning　word　was　sent　to　all　the　slaves；　old　and　young；　to　gather　at　the　house。　In　company　with　my　mother；　brother；　and　sister；　and　a　large　number　of　other　slaves；　I　went　to　the　master's　house。　All　of　our　master's　family　were　either　standing　or　seated　on　the　veranda　of　the　house；　where　they　could　see　what　was　to　take　place　and　hear　what　was　said。　There　was　a　feeling　of　deep　interest；　or　perhaps　sadness；　on　their　faces；　but　not　bitterness。　As　I　now　recall　the　impression　they　made　upon　me；　they　did　not　at　the　moment　seem　to　be　sad　because　of　the　loss　of　property；　but　rather　because　of　parting　with　those　whom　they　had　reared　and　who　were　in　many　ways　very　close　to　them。　The　most　distinct　thing　that　I　now　recall　in　connection　with　the　scene　was　that　some　man　who　seemed　to　be　a　stranger　（a　United　States　officer；　I　presume）　made　a　little　speech　and　then　read　a　rather　long　paperthe　Emancipation　Proclamation；　I　think。　After　the　reading　we　were　told　that　we　were　all　free；　and　could　go　when　and　where　we　pleased。　My　mother；　who　was　standing　by　my　side；　leaned　over　and　kissed　her　children；　while　tears　of　joy　ran　down　her　cheeks。　She　explained　to　us　what　it　all　meant；　that　this　was　the　day　for　which　she　had　been　so　long　praying；　but　fearing　that　she　would　never　live　to　see。

For　some　minutes　there　was　great　rejoicing；　and　thanksgiving；　and　wild　scenes　of　ecstasy。　But　there　was　no　feeling　of　bitterness。　In　fact；　there　was　pity　among　the　slaves　for　our　former　owners。　The　wild　rejoicing　on　the　part　of　the　emancipated　coloured　people　lasted　but　for　a　brief　period；　for　I　noticed　that　by　the　time　they　returned　to　their　cabins　there　was　a　change　in　their　feelings。　The　great　responsibility　of　being　free；　of　having　charge　of　themselves；　of　having　to　think　and　plan　for　themselves　and　their　children；　seemed　to　take　possession　of　them。　It　was　very　much　like　suddenly　turning　a　youth　of　ten　or　twelve　years　out　into　the　world　to　provide　for　himself。　In　a　few　hours　the　great　questions　with　which　the　Anglo…Saxon　race　had　been　grappling　for　centuries　had　been　thrown　upon　these　people　to　be　solved。　These　were　the　questions　of　a　home；　a　living；　the　rearing　of　children；　education；　citizenship；　and　the　establishment　and　support　of　churches。　Was　it　any　wonder　that　within　a　few　hours　the　wild　rejoicing　ceased　and　a　feeling　of　deep　gloom　seemed　to　pervade　the　slave　quarters？　To　some　it　seemed　that；　now　that　they　were　in　actual　possession　of　it；　freedom　was　a　more　serious　thing　than　they　had　expected　to　find　it。　Some　of　the　slaves　were　seventy　or　eighty　years　old；　their　best　days　were　gone。　They　had　no　strength　with　which　to　earn　a　living　in　a　strange　place　and　among　strange　people；　even　if　they　had　been　sure　where　to　find　a　new　place　of　abode。　To　this　class　the　problem　seemed　especially　hard。　Besides；　deep　down　in　their　hearts　there　was　a　strange　and　peculiar　attachment　to　〃old　Marster〃　and　〃old　Missus；〃　and　to　their　children；　which　they　found　it　hard　to　think　of　breaking　off。　With　these　they　had　spent　in　some　cases　nearly　a　half…century；　and　it　was　no　light　thing　to　think　of　parting。　Gradually；　one　by　one；　stealthily　at　first；　the　older　slaves　began　to　wander　from　the　slave　quarters　back　to　the　〃big　house〃　to　have　a　whispered　conversation　with　their　former　owners　as　to　the　future。



Chapter　II。　Boyhood　Days

After　the　coming　of　freedom　there　were　two　points　upon　which　practically　all　the　people　on　our　place　were　agreed；　and　I　found　that　this　was　generally　true　throughout　the　South：　that　they　must　change　their　names；　and　that　they　must　leave　the　old　plantation　for　at　least　a　few　days　or　weeks　in　order　that　they　might　really　feel　sure　that　they　were　free。

In　some　way　a　feeling　got　among　the　coloured　people　that　it　was　far　from　proper　for　them　to　bear　the　surname　of　their　former　owners；　and　a　great　many　of　them　took　other　surnames。　This　was　one　of　the　first　signs　of　freedom。　When　they　were　slaves；　a　coloured　person　was　simply　called　〃John〃　or　〃Susan。〃　There　was　seldom　occasion　for　more　than　the　use　of　the　one　name。　If　〃John〃　or　〃Susan〃　belonged　to　a　white　man　by　the　name　of　〃Hatcher；〃　sometimes　he　was　called　〃John　Hatcher；〃　or　as　often　〃Hatcher's　John。〃　But　there　was　a　feeling　that　〃John　Hatcher〃　or　〃Hatcher's　John〃　was　not　the　proper　title　by　which　to　denote　a　freeman；　and　so　in　many　cases　〃John　Hatcher〃　was　changed　to　〃John　S。　Lincoln〃　or　〃John　S。　Sherman；〃　the　initial　〃S〃　standing　for　no　name；　it　being　simply　a　part　of　what　the　coloured　man　proudly　called　his　〃entitles。〃

As　I　have　stated；　most　of　the　coloured　people　left　the　old　plantation　for　a　short　while　at　least；　so　as　to　be　sure；　it　seemed；　that　they　could　leave　and　try　their　freedom　on　to　see　how　it　felt。　After　they　had　remained　away　for　a　while；　many　of　the　older　slaves；　especially；　returned　to　their　old　homes　and　made　some　kind　of　contract　with　their　former　owners　by　which　they　remained　on　the　estate。

My　mother's　husband；　who　was　the　stepfather　of　my　brother　John　and　myself；　did　not　belong　to　the　same　owners　as　did　my　mother。　In　fact；　he　seldom　came　to　our　plantation。　I　remember　seeing　his　there　perhaps　once　a　year；　that　being　about　Christmas　time。　In　some　way；　during　the　war；　by　running　away　and　following　the　Federal　soldiers；　it　seems；　he　found　his　way　into　the　new　state　of　West　Virginia。　As　soon　as　freedom　was　declared；　he　sent　for　my　mother　to　come　to　the　Kanawha　Valley；　in　West　Virginia。　At　that　time　a　journey　from　Virginia　over　the　mountains　to　West　Virginia　was　rather　a　tedious　and　in　some　cases　a　painful　undertaking。　What　little　clothing　and　few　household　goods　we　had　were　placed　in　a　cart；　but　the　children　walked　the　greater　portion　of　the　distance；　which　was　several　hundred　miles。

I　do　not　think　any　of　us　ever　had　been　very　far　from　the　plantation；　and　the　taking　of　a　long　journey　into　another　state　was　quite　an　event。　The　parting　from　our　former　owners　and　the　members　of　our　own　race　on　the　plantation　was　a　serious　occasion。　From　the　time　of　our　parting　till　their　death　we　kept　up　a　correspondence　with　the　older　members　of　the　family；　and　in　later　years　we　have　kept　in　touch　with　those　who　were　the　younger　members。　We　were　several　weeks　making　the　trip；　and　most　of　the　time　we　slept　in　the　open　air　and　did　our　cooking　over　a　log　fire　out…of…doors。　One　night　I　recall　that　we　camped　near　an　abandoned　log　cabin；　and　my　mother　decided　to　build　a　fire　in　that　for　cooking；　and　afterward　to　make　a　〃pallet〃　on　the　floor　for　our　sleeping。　Just　as　the　fire　had　gotten　well　started　a　large　black　snake　fully　a　yard　and　a　half　long　dropped　down　the　chimney　and　ran　out　on　the　floor。　Of　course　we　at　once　abandoned　that　cabin。　Finally　we　reached　our　destinationa　little　town　called　Malden；　which　is　about　five　miles　from　Charleston；　the　present　capital　of　the　state。

At　that　time　salt…mining　was　the　great　industry　in　that　part　of　West　Virginia；　and　the　little　town　of　Malden　was　right　in　the　midst　of　the　salt…furnaces。　My　stepfather　had　already　secured　a　job　at　a　salt…furnace；　and　he　had　also　secured　a　little　cabin　for　us　to　live　in。　Our　new　house　was　no　better　than　the　one　we　had　left　on　the　old　plantation　in　Virginia。　In　fact；　in　one　respect　it　was　worse。　Notwithstanding　the　poor　condition　of　our　plantation　cabin；　we　were　at　all　times　sure　of　pure　air。　Our　new　home　was　in　the　midst　of　a　cluster　of　cabins　crowded　closely　together；　and　as　there　were　no　sanitary　regulations；　the　filth　about　the　cabins　was　often　intolerable。　Some　of　our　neighbours　were　coloured　people；　and　some　were　the　poorest　and　most　ignorant　and　degraded　white　people。　It　was　a　motley　mixture。　Drinking；　gambling；　quarrels；　fights；　and　shockingly　immoral　practices　were　frequent。　All　who　lived　in　the　little　town　were　in　one　way　or　another　connected　with　the　salt　business。　Though　I　was　a　mere　child；　my　stepfather　put　me　and　my　brother　at　work　in　one　of　the　furnaces。　Often　I　began　work　as　early　as　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。

The　first　thing　I　ever　learned　in　the　way　of　book　knowledge　was　while　working　in　this　salt…furnace。　Each　salt…packer　had　his　barrels　marked　with　a　certain　number。　The　number　allotted　to　my　stepfather　was　〃18。〃　At　the　close　of　the　day's　work　the　boss　of　the　packers　would　come　around　and　put　〃18〃　on　each　of　our　barrels；　and　I　soon　learned　to　recognize　that　figure　wherever　I　saw　it；　and　after　a　while　got　to　the　point　where　I　could　make　that　figure；　though　I　knew　nothing　about　any　other　figures　or　letters。

From　the　time　that　I　can　remember　having　any　thoughts　about　anything；　I　recall　that　I　had　an　intense　longing　to　learn　to　read。　I　determined；　when　quite　a　small　child；　that；　if　I　accomplished　nothing　else　in　life；　I　would　in　some　way　get　enough　education　to　enable　me　to　read　common　books　and　newspapers。　Soon　after　we　got　settled　in　some　manner　in　our　new　cabin　in　West　Virginia；　I　induced　my　mother　to　get　hold　of　a　book　for