liked to killed me, so I had to take the fire out. One time a snake come
to the tree, poked its head in the hollow and was coming in, and I took
my axe and chopped him in two. It was a poplar leaf moccasin, the
poisonest kind of a snake we have. While in the woods all my thoughts
was how to get away to a free country."

[Illustration: ]

Subsequently, in going back over his past history, he referred to the
fact, that on an occasion long before the cave and tree existence,
already noticed, when suffering under this brutal master, he sought
protection in the woods and abode twenty-seven months in a cave, before
he surrendered himself, or was captured. His offence, in this instance,
was simply because he desired to see his wife, and "stole" away from his
master's plantation and went a distance of five miles, to where she
lived, to see her. For this grave crime his master threatened to give
him a hundred lashes, and to shoot him; in order to avoid this
punishment, he escaped to the woods, etc. The lapse of a dozen years and
recent struggles for an existence, made him think lightly of his former
troubles and he would, doubtless, have failed to recall his earlier
conflicts but for the desire manifested by the Committee to get all the
information out of him they could.

He was next asked, "Had you a wife and family?" "Yes, sir,". he
answered, "I had a wife and eight children, belonged to the widow
Slade." Harry gave the names of his wife and children as follows: Wife,
Susan, and children, Oliver, Sabey, Washington, Daniel, Jonas, Harriet,
Moses and Rosetta, the last named he had never seen. "Between my
mistress and my master there was not much difference."

[Illustration: ]

Of his comrades time admitted of writing out only very brief sketches,
as follows:

EDWARD LEWIS.

$100 REWARD.--Ran away from the subscriber, on the 7th of
November, negro slave, EDGAR. He is 36 years old, 6 feet high,
of dark brown complexion, very high forehead, is a little bald,
and is inclined to stoop in the shoulders. Edgar says he was
raised in Norfolk county, has worked about Norfolk several
years. I bought him at the Auction house of Messrs. Pulham &
Davis, the 20th of July, 1856. The bill of sale was signed by
W.Y. Milmer for Jas. A. Bilisoly, administrator of G.W.
Chambers, dec'd. He told one of my negroes he was going to
Norfolk to sell some plunder he had there, then go to Richmond,