Thirty Years a Slave

About this eBook

Author

Hughes, Louis, 1832-1913

Title

Thirty Years a Slave From Bondage to Freedom: The Institution of Slavery as Seen on the Plantation and in the Home of the Planter: Autobiography of Louis Hughes

Credits

E-text prepared by Brett Koonce and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders HTML file produced by David Widger Transcriber's note: The inconsistent spellings of the original have been retained in this etext.

Language

English

LoC Class

E300: History: America: Revolution to the Civil War (1783-1861)

Subject

Enslaved persons -- Alabama -- Social conditions -- 19th century

Category

Text

eBook-No.

10431

Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10431

Release Date

December 1, 2003

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.THIRTY YEARS A SLAVE
2. 2.By Louis Hughes
3. 3.PREFACE.
4. 4.CHAPTER I. — LIFE ON A COTTON PLANTATION. — BIRTH—SOLD IN A RICHMOND SLAVE PEN. — A SLAVE MARKET. — SLAVE WHIPPING AS A BUSINESS. — SOLD IN THE MARKET. — ON THE AUCTION BLOCK — PRICE OF SLAVES. — STARTED FOR A COTTON PLANTATION. — MY MISSISSIPPI HOME. — PLANTATION LIFE. — THE GREAT HOUSE. — HOUSE SERVANT AND ERRAND BOY. — CRUEL TREATMENT. — INSTRUCTIONS IN MEDICINE. — THE OVERSEER—WHIPPINGS AND OTHER CRUELTIES. — THE SLAVE CABIN. — COTTON RAISING. — THE COTTON WORM. — THE COTTON HARVEST. — PREPARING COTTON FOR MARKET. — OTHER FARM PRODUCTS. — FARM IMPLEMENTS. — THE CLEARING OF NEW LAND. — COOKING FOR THE SLAVES. — CARDING AND SPINNING. — WEAVING—CLOTHES OF THE SLAVES. — SLAVE MOTHERS—CARE OF THE CHILDREN. — METHODS OF PUNISHMENT. — FOURTH OF JULY BARBECUE. — ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH. — RELIGIOUS MEETINGS OF THE SLAVES. — A NEIGHBORHOOD QUARREL
5. 5.CHAPTER II. — SOCIAL AND OTHER ASPECTS OF SLAVERY. — REMOVAL TO MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. — A NEW AND SPLENDID HOUSE. — THE NEW STYLE OF LIVING. — THE ADORNMENT OF THE GROUNDS. — THE GARDEN. — PROFUSION OF FLOWERS. — THE FRUIT ORCHARD. — I PRACTICE MEDICINE AMONG THE SLAVES. — A SWELL RECEPTION. — RELATIVES VISIT AT THE MANSION. — ONE OF THE VISITORS DISTRUSTS ME. — THE MADAM IN A RAGE. — THE MADAM'S SEVERITY. — A SHOCKING ACCIDENT. — MASTER'S NEW COTTON PLANTATION. — INCIDENTS. — LONGING FOR FREEDOM. — MY FIRST BREAK FOR FREEDOM. — MY SECOND RUNAWAY TRIP. — PREACHING TO THE SLAVES. — A FAMILY OF FREE PERSONS SOLD INTO SLAVERY. — MY MARRIAGE—BIRTH OF TWINS. — MADAM'S CRUELTY TO MY WIFE AND CHILDREN. — EFFORTS TO LEARN TO READ AND WRITE. — TOM STRIKES FOR LIBERTY AND GAINS IT. — NEWS OF TOM'S REACHING CANADA. — M'GEE EXPECTS TO CAPTURE TOM. — MAKING CLOTHES. — A SUPERSTITION. — MEMPHIS AND ITS COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE.
6. 6.CHAPTER III. — SLAVERY AND THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. — BEGINNING OF THE WAR. — PETTY DISRESPECT TO THE EMBLEM OF THE UNION. — THE BATTLE OF SHILOH, APRIL 9, 1862. — MOURNING IN MASTER'S FAMILY. — ALARM OF THE MEMPHIS REBELS. — THE FAMILY FLEE FROM MEMPHIS. — I AM TAKEN TO BOLIVAR FARM. — CAPTURE OF A UNION TRADING BOAT. — BOSS TAKEN PRISONER. — MY THIRD EFFORT FOR FREEDOM. — REBELS BURN THEIR COTTON. — MY FOURTH RUNAWAY TRIP. — INCIDENTS. — UNION RAID AT MASTER'S FARM. — UNION SOLDIERS PASS THE PANOLA HOME. — HIDING VALUABLES FROM THE YANKEES. — DEATH TO RUNAWAY SLAVES. — SLAVES HUNG AND LEFT TO ROT AS A WARNING. — RUNAWAY SLAVE CAUGHT AND WHIPPED. — A HOME GUARD ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS HIMSELF. — SUBSTITUTES FOR COFFEE.
7. 7.CHAPTER IV. — REBELLION WEAKENING—SLAVES' HOPES STRENGTHENING. — M'GEES SLAVES TAKEN TO ALABAMA. — M'GEE'S GREAT SCHEME. — M'GEE'S DEATH. — I MAKE SOME MONEY. — GOING BACK TO PANOLA. — INCIDENTS. — MY FIFTH STRIKE FOR FREEDOM IS A SUCCESS. — GOING BACK FOR OUR WIVES. — A HAZARDOUS TRIP. — TWO BRAVE MEN. — OUT OF BONDAGE AT LAST. — A WORD FOR MY OLD MASTER.
8. 8.CHAPTER V. — FREEDOM AFTER SLAVERY. — COMING NORTH. — IN CANADA. — A CLEW TO MY BROTHER WILLIAM. — WORK IN CHICAGO. — ATTENDING NIGHT SCHOOL. — I SETTLE IN MILWAUKEE. — BEGIN BUSINESS FOR MYSELF IN A SMALL WAY. — MEETING RELATIVES OF MY OLD MASTER. — FINDING MY BROTHER WILLIAM. — GROWTH OF THE LAUNDRY BUSINESS. — EMPLOYED AS A NURSE. — A TRIP SOUTH. — I MAKE NURSING MY REGULAR BUSINESS.

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