Дванадцять років рабства

           Thecarriageproceededinadvance,thewagonfollowing;behindthistheslaveswerearranged,whilethetwohorsemenbroughtuptherear,andinthisordertheprocessionmovedoutofHolmesville. 

           ThatnightwereachedaMr.McCrow’splantation,adistanceoftenorfifteenmiles,whenwewereorderedtohalt. Largefireswerebuilt,andeachonespreadinghisblanketontheground,laiddownuponit. Thewhitemenlodgedinthegreathouse. Anhourbeforedaywewerearousedbythedriverscomingamongus,crackingtheirwhipsandorderingustoarise. Thentheblanketswererolledup,andbeingseverallydeliveredtomeanddepositedinthewagon,theprocessionsetforthagain. 

           Thefollowingnightitrainedviolently. Wewerealldrenched,ourclothessaturatedwithmudandwater. Reachinganopenshed,formerlyagin-house,wefoundbeneathitsuchshelterasitafforded. Therewasnotroomforallofustolaydown. Thereweremained,huddledtogether,throughthenight,continuingourmarch,asusual,inthemorning. Duringthejourneywewerefedtwiceaday,boilingourbaconandbakingourcorn-cakeatthefiresinthesamemannerasinourhuts. WepassedthroughLafayetteville,Mountsville,New-Town,toCentreville,whereBobandUncleAbramwerehired. Ournumberdecreasedasweadvanced—nearlyeverysugarplantationrequiringtheservicesofoneormore. 

           OnourroutewepassedtheGrandCoteauorprairie,avastspaceoflevel,monotonouscountry,withoutatree,exceptanoccasionalonewhichhadbeentransplantednearsomedilapidateddwelling.