s
seized with a fever, and for a while was totally unconscious. When he
regained his reason he found himself, near his journey's end, divested
of his free papers and all others. On his arrival at St. Charles he
was seized by a huge, surly looking slaveholder who claimed him as
his property. The contract had previously been concluded by his
Judas-like friend, who had received the bounty. Oh, what a sad
disappointment. After serving for thirty years to be thrust again into
bondage where a deeper degradation and sorrow and hopeless toil were
to be his portion for the remaining years of his existence. In deep
despair and overwhelmed with grief, he made his escape to the woods,
determined to put an end to his sorrows by perishing with cold and
hunger. His master immediately pursued him, and in twenty-four hours
found him with hands and feet frost-bitten, in consequence of which he
lost the use of his fingers and toes, and was thenceforth of little
use to his new master. He remained with him, however, and married a
woman in the same station in life. They lived as happily as their
circumstances would permit. As Providence allotted, they only had one
son, which was my father, Westly Jackson. He had a deep affection for
his family, which the slave ever cherishes for his dear ones. He had
no other link to fasten him to the human family but his fervent love
for those who were bound to him by love and sympathy in their wrongs
and sufferings. My grandfather remained in the same family until his
death. My father, Westly Jackson, married, at the age of twenty-two, a
girl owned by James Harris, named Ellen Turner. Nothing of importance
occurred until three years after their marriage, when her master,
Harris failed through the extravagance and mismanagement of his wife,
who was a great spendthrift and a dreaded terror to the poor slaves
and all others with whom she associated in common circumstances,
consequently the entire stock was sold by the sheriff to a trader
residing in Virginia. On account of the good reputation my mother
sustained as a worthy servant and excellent cook, a tyrannical and
much dreaded slaveholder watched for an opportunity to purchase her,
but fortunately arrived a few moments too late, and she was bid off in
too poor a condition of health to remain long a subject of banter and
speculation. Her husband was allowed to carefully lift her down from
the block and accompany her to her new master's, Charles Canory, who