Дванадцять років рабства

           Helookeduponacoloredman,notasahumanbeing,responsibletohisCreatorforthesmalltalententrustedtohim,butasa"chattelpersonal,"asmereliveproperty,nobetter,exceptinvalue,thanhismuleordog. Whentheevidence,clearandindisputable,waslaidbeforehimthatIwasafreeman,andasmuchentitledtomylibertyashe —when,onthedayIleft,hewasinformedthatIhadawifeandchildren,asdeartomeashisownbabestohim,heonlyravedandswore,denouncingthelawthattoremefromhim,anddeclaringhewouldfindoutthemanwhohadforwardedtheletterthatdisclosedtheplaceofmycaptivity,iftherewasanyvirtueorpowerinmoney,andwouldtakehislife. Hethoughtofnothingbuthisloss,andcursedmeforhavingbeenbornfree. Hecouldhavestoodunmovedandseenthetonguesofhispoorslavestornoutbytheroots—hecouldhaveseenthemburnedtoashesoveraslowfire,orgnawedtodeathbydogs,ifitonlybroughthimprofit. Suchahard,cruel,unjustmanisEdwinEpps. 

           TherewasbutonegreatersavageonBayouBœufthanhe. JimBurns’plantationwascultivated,asalreadymentioned,exclusivelybywomen. Thatbarbariankepttheirbackssosoreandraw,thattheycouldnotperformthecustomarylabordemandeddailyoftheslave. Heboastedofhiscruelty,andthroughallthecountryroundwasaccountedamorethorough-going,energeticmanthanevenEpps.