arm.

Old master had seventy slaves, mostly field-hands. My mother was a
field-hand. He finally died; but after that everything went on as usual
for about six years, at the end of which time the brothers, David and
William, divided the land and the slaves. Then, with many others,
including my brother and uncle, it fell to my lot to go with Master
David, who built a house on the southeast part of the farm and called it
Nearo.

Over the hands at Nearo an overseer name Robert Brown was placed; but as
he was liked by neither master nor slaves, he was soon discharged. The
following circumstance led to his dismissal sooner, perhaps, than it
would otherwise have happened.

While master was at Annapolis, my mistress, who was hard to please, fell
out with one of the house-servants, and sent for Mr. Brown to come and
whip her. When he came, the girl refused to be whipped, which angered
Brown, and he beat her so badly that she was nearly killed before she
gave up. When Master David came home, and saw the girl's condition, he
became very angry, and turned Brown away at once.

Master David owned a colored man named Bob Wallace. He was a trusty man;
and as he understood farming thoroughly, he was installed foreman in
place of Brown. Everything went on very well for a while under Wallace,
and the slaves were as contented as it is possible for slaves to be.

Neither of our young masters would allow his hands to be beaten or
abused, as many slaveholders would; but every year they sold one or more
of them,--sometimes as many as six or seven at a time. One morning word
was brought to the Quarter that we should not work that day, but group
to the "great house." As we were about obeying the summons, a number of
strange white men rode up to the mansion. They were Negro-traders.
Taking alarm, I ran away to the woods with a boy of about my own age,
name Levi Storax; and there we remained until the selections for the
sale were made, and the traders drove away. It was a serious time while
they remained. Men, women, and children, all were crying, and general
confusion prevailed. For years they had associated together in their
rude way,--the old counseling the young, recounting their experience,
and sympathizing in their trials; and now, without a word of warning,
and for no fault of their own, parents and children, husbands and wives,
brothers and sisters, were separated to meet no more on earth. A slave
sale of this sort is always as solem