Двенадцать лет рабства

           AboutthetimeofwhichIamnowwriting,aneventoccurredinourimmediateneighborhood,whichmadeadeepimpressionuponme,andwhichshowsthestateofsocietyexistingthere,andthemannerinwhichaffrontsareoftentimesavenged. Directlyoppositeourquarters,ontheothersideofthebayou,wassituatedtheplantationofMr.Marshall. Hebelongedtoafamilyamongthemostwealthyandaristocraticinthecountry. AgentlemanfromthevicinityofNatchezhadbeennegotiatingwithhimforthepurchaseoftheestate. Onedayamessengercameingreathastetoourplantation,sayingthatabloodyandfearfulbattlewasgoingonatMarshall’s—thatbloodhadbeenspilled—andunlessthecombatantswereforthwithseparated,theresultwouldbedisastrous. 

           OnrepairingtoMarshall’shouse,ascenepresenteditselfthatbeggarsdescription. OnthefloorofoneoftheroomslaytheghastlycorpseofthemanfromNatchez,whileMarshall,enragedandcoveredwithwoundsandblood,wasstalkingbackandforth,"breathingoutthreateningsandslaughter." Adifficultyhadariseninthecourseoftheirnegotiation,highwordsensued,whendrawingtheirweapons,thedeadlystrifebeganthatendedsounfortunately. Marshallwasneverplacedinconfinement. AsortoftrialorinvestigationwashadatMarksville,whenhewasacquitted,andreturnedtohisplantation,rathermorerespected,asIthought,thanever,fromthefactthatthebloodofafellowbeingwasonhissoul.