Fifty Years in Chains, or the Life of an American Slave

by Charles Ball

 

 

FIFTY YEARS IN CHAINS;

 

OR,

 

THE LIFE OF AN

 

AMERICAN SLAVE.

 

"My God! can such things be?
Hast Thou not said that whatsoe'er is done
Unto thy weakest and thy humblest one,
Is even done to Thee?" — Whittier.

 

New-York:

H. DAYTON, PUBLISHER,

107 NASSAU STREET.

INDIANA: INDIANAPOLIS — DAYTON & ASHER.

1859.

 

 

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1858, by

H. DAYTON,

in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York

 

J. J. Reed,
printer & stereotyper
43 Centre St. N.Y.

 

 

 

PREFACE.

 

---

 

The story which follows is "true" in every particular. Responsible citizens of a neighboring State can vouch for the reality of the narrative. The language of the slave has not at all times been strictly adhered to, as a half century of bondage unfitted him for literary work. The subject of the story "is still a slave" by the laws of this country, and it would net be wise to reveal his name.

 

 

CONTENTS

 

 

Chapter I.	Separated from my mother	9
Chapter II.	Some short time after my wife	25
Chapter III.	It was manifest that I was now	49
Chapter IV.	It was now about the middle of June	73
Chapter V.	We had been stationed in the old	93
Chapter VI.	By the laws of the United States	110
Chapter VII.	The overseer was calling over the names	124
Chapter VIII.	At the time of which I now speak	144
Chapter IX.	It is impossible to reconcile the mind	148
Chapter X.	I have before observed that the	193
Chapter XI.	Early in March, my seine being now	211
Chapter XII.	After this the fishing season passed	240
Chapter XIII.	An affair was now in progress	262
Chapter XIV.	The country I now lived in was new	278
Chapter XV.	My master died in the month of May	307
Chapter XVI.	I could not believe it possible	324
Chapter XVII.	On the twenty-fourth of October	344
Chapter XVIII.	The month of November is, in all years	360
Chapter XIX.	In the month of June 18	390
Chapter XX.	The name of my new master was	407