ouched my vanity by saying, that he had
observed my course at home and abroad, and wanted my co-operation. He
said he had been for the last thirty years looking for colored men to
whom he could safely reveal his secret, and had almost despaired, at
times, of finding such, but that now he was encouraged for he saw
heads rising up in all directions, to whom he thought he could with
safety impart his plan. As this plan then lay in his mind it was very
simple, and had much to commend it. It did not, as was supposed by
many, contemplate a general rising among the slaves, and a general
slaughter of the slave masters (an insurrection he thought would only
defeat the object), but it did contemplate the creating of an armed
force which should act in the very heart of the South. He was not
averse to the shedding of blood, and thought the practice of carrying
arms would be a good one for the colored people to adopt, as it would
give them a sense of manhood. No people he said could have
self-respect or be respected who would not fight for their freedom. He
called my attention to a large map of the U. States, and pointed out
to me the far-reaching Alleghanies, stretching away from the borders
of New York into the Southern States. "These mountains," he said, "are
the basis of my plan. God has given the strength of these hills to
freedom; they were placed here to aid the emancipation of your race;
they are full of natural forts, where one man for defense would be
equal to a hundred for attack; they are also full of good hiding
places where a large number of men could be concealed and baffle and
elude pursuit for a long time. I know these mountains well and could
take a body of men into them and keep them there in spite of all the
efforts of Virginia to dislodge me, and drive me out. I would take at
first about twenty-five picked men and begin on a small scale, supply
them arms and ammunition, post them in squads of fives on a line of
twenty-five miles, these squads to busy themselves for a time in
gathering recruits from the surrounding farms, seeking and selecting
the most restless and daring." He saw that in this part of the work
the utmost care must be used to guard against treachery and
disclosure; only the most conscientious and skillful should be sent on
this perilous duty. With care and enterprise he thought he could soon
gather a force of one hundred hardy men, men who would be content to
lead the free and adventurous life to w