t of her slave property was kept on her plantation not far
from Old Point Comfort. According to William's testimony "of times Mrs.
Twyne would meddle too freely with the cup, and when under its influence
she was very desperate, and acted as though she wanted to kill some of
the slaves."

After the evil spirit left her and she had regained her wonted
composure, she would pretend that she loved her "negroes," and would
make a great fuss over them. Not infrequently she would have very
serious difficulty with her overseers. Having license to do as they
pleased, they would of course carry their cruelties to the most extreme
verge of punishment. If a slave was maimed or killed under their
correction, it was no loss of theirs. "One of the overseers by the name
of Bill Anderson once shot a young slave man called Luke and wounded him
so seriously that he was not expected to live." "At another time one of
the overseers beat and kicked a slave to death." This barbarity caused
the mistress to be very much "stirred up," and she declared that she
would not have any more white overseers; condemned them for everything,
and decided to change her policy in future and to appoint her overseers
from her own slaves, setting the property to watch the property. This
system was organized and times were somewhat better.

William had been hired out almost his entire life. For the last twelve
or fifteen years he had been accustomed to hire his time for one hundred
and thirty dollars per annum. In order to meet this demand he commonly
resorted to oystering. By the hardest toil he managed to maintain
himself and family in a humble way.

For the last twenty years (prior to his escape) the slaves had
constantly been encouraged by their mistress' promises to believe that
at her death all would be free, and transported to Liberia, where they
would enjoy their liberty and be happy the remainder of their days.

With full faith in her promises year by year the slaves awaited her
demise with as much patience as possible, and often prayed that her time
might be shortened for the general good of the oppressed. Fortunately,
as the slaves thought, she had no children or near relatives to deprive
them of their just and promised rights.

In November, previous to William's escape, her long looked-for
dissolution took place. Every bondman who was old enough to realize the
nature and import of the change felt a great anxiety to learn what the
will of their old