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                             L I F E   O F



                              ISAAC MASON



                          A S   A   S L A V E.


                            WORCESTER, MASS.
                                 1893.




                           Table of Contents

                      1. Earliest Recollections.
                      2. In a New Home.
                      3. Escape from Slavery.
                      4. In the Land of Freedom.
                      5. A Flying Visit to Hayti.




                                  WORCESTER, MASS., JULY 19, 1893.

    I have known Isaac Mason very well since 1850. He has done a
    great deal of work for me and my household. I know him to be an
    honest, faithful and intelligent man. I have not had time to
    examine his book in manuscript, but I am sure his statements may
    be trusted, and that his experience will prove very interesting.
    I hope his book will have a good sale, and commend it to the
    public.

                                                     GEO. F. HOAR.




                                PREFACE.

                 *        *        *        *        *

Having repeatedly been asked by my many friends to write the history of
my life as a slave, especially by some who have heard me lecture on
certain portions of that ever memorable period of my life, I have, after
some hesitation as to its advisability, reluctantly concluded to accede
to their wishes, and now present to them a truthful sketch of my
eventful life in the dark days of slavery. As these checkered scenes of
my early life reflectively present themselves to my mind at my advanced
state of life, I wonder how I withstood all the abuse and cruelty of
these early years. Our lives are largely composed of sorrow and joy, but
my cup, it seems to me, has been full to overflowing with sorrow, but
God has been my strength and my salvation, and has brought me thus far
in the journey of life, and in him I trust, praying that, in his good
time he will take me to that heavenly home where our earthly trials will
cease and where there will be no more sorrow.

My story is told in a plain matter-of-fact way, and I hope my readers
will overlook and excuse the defects which must necessarily abound
throughout the book, owing to lack of educational advantages.

                                                          ISAAC MASON.




                              _CHAPTER I._


                        EARLIEST RECOLLECTIONS.

In Kent County, in the northern part of the State of Maryland, there was
at the time of my earliest recollections (and I suppose it yet remains),
a small town known as George Town Cross Oats, having a population of
about 500 or 600. It was in this town, on the 14th day of May, 1822, A.
D., that I inhaled my first supply of air, that my eyes, for the first
time, were brought in contact with the beautiful light surrounding the
terrestrial world, the earthly home of mankind, and the first sound of
my infant voice was raised in shrill cries for a mother’s tender care
and parental affection. This was the place of my nativity and the date
of my birth. It was also the time that my mistress became the owner of
one more slave and so much richer by my birth. My mother was,
unfortunately, numbered in the family of slavedom, belonging to one Mrs.
Hannah Woodland, and according to the institution of slave law, I
legally, or illegally, became her property. Though my father was a free
man still he had no claim to me. My mother’s name was Sophia Thompson,
and she served in the capacity of house servant. She was the mother of
five children, four sons and one daughter, of whom I was the first born,
and William Anderson, of the city of Worcester, Mass., the second. My
father, Zekiel Thompson, was, as I said, a free man, and most of his
time served as a farm hand on one of the farms owned by my mistress.
Whether from his activity and knowledge of farm work or as an inducement
to remain near his wife, I do not know, but he was permitted to hold the
position of overseer of the work and farm hands.

My mistress, Mrs. H. Woodland, was a widow—her husband being a sea
captain and lost at sea before I was born or had any knowledge of him.
They were both natives of Scotland. He owned two farms, and at his death
his wife became the owner of both, carrying on business until the time
of her death. She was the mother of five children, one son and four
daughters. The son, Samuel Woodland, who was said to be rich, owning two
farms, several houses, and from one hundred to one hundred and fifty
slaves, was, as near as language can express it, a lifetime tyrant to
his farm hands and house servants. His tyranical passion was so great
that on the day of his death he called in the men from their work, and
with a stick in his dying hand struck each one across their hands. As
each one received the parting gift he had to file out and another take
his place. This ceremony continued to within two hours of his death,
when from exhaustion he had to cease. Those who were on the end of the
line of march on that day fortunately lost their master’s parting
blessing. My mistress was naturally of a good disposition, just the
reverse of her son, or he from her. My grandfather (my mother’s father)
had charge of the farm hands and all that pertained to the farm, as he
was considered faithful and trustworthy. The principal products of the
farms were corn, wheat and oats. Infant years rapidly passed by and the
time drew near when little Will, _alias_ Isaac, had to leave his
mother’s knee and childish play to enter upon the duties of serving his
owners.

Accordingly, when between five and six years of age, I was assigned to
the duties of housework, to wait on my mistress and to run errands. When
she went out driving I had to accompany her in the capacity of a page,
to open the gates and to take down guard fences for her to drive
through. That I might be found at night as well as by day my sleeping
apartment was in her chamber on a truckbed, which was during the day
time snugly concealed under her bedstead and drawn out at night for the
reposing place of Isaac’s weary body while he dreamed of days yet to
come. I remained in this distinguished position until I was about
fifteen years old, when a change in common with all slave life had to be
made either for the better or for the worse.

On the day that proved to be her last to be spent on this earth I was
required to accompany her on a visit to the farm, the second farm, which
was not so frequently visited, where she spent the afternoon in looking
over the stock and products which detained her until towards evening.
Her examinations were completed and she returned home. This visit was
made in the gig drawn by the old black mare. My place was, as customary,
by her side. We arrived home about seven o’clock in the evening. She
told me to “take care of the old mare”; that meant to unharness and put
her in the stable, and when I had completed my task to “come to her, as
she wanted me to go on an errand.” I obeyed her orders and went direct
to her chamber, where I found her lying on the floor in an unconscious
state and unable to speak.

I immediately ran down stairs and informed my mother how I had found
mistress. She sent me at once after Mrs. Island, a daughter of Mrs. H.
Woodland, who lived about half a mile from us. Upon hearing the sad news
she hurried with me back to the house and sent for the doctor. He lost
no time in attending to the call, and did all he could to restore her to
consciousness and life, but his medical skill failed to produce a
favorable result. About 11 o’clock that night she died, as the doctor
said, from a stroke of paralysis. The last words she was known to utter
were the orders she gave me that evening. Thus ended the life of
mistress at the age of ninety years.

My grandfather, Richard Graham Grimes, was sent down that night to a
place called Morgan’s Creek, to a man by the name of Hugh Wallace, to
come up immediately and make arrangements for the funeral. His first
wife was the daughter of my mistress. He lost no time in answering the
summons and attended to all the necessary requirements for the
obsequies, and on the third day after her death my mistress was
consigned to mother earth.

At last the day dawned when this group of slaves had to part, not only
from the old homestead but from each other, and to go to scenes and
climes unknown to them. At last the sunshine was passing and the gloom
fast overspreading. Mother and children, brothers and sisters to
separate, perhaps forever.

The farm with all of its contents were left, for the time being, under
the care and supervision of my grandfather. He continued to hold charge
till July of the same year, about the space of three months, at which
time Mr. H. Wallace appeared on the estate to make arrangements for
settling the affairs. Everything belonging to the estate excepting the
slaves were sold. The farm with its contents was bought by a man by the
name of Isaac Taylor. My grandfather, in consideration of his old age
and the time being past for useful labor, was _handsomely_ rewarded with
his freedom, an old horse called the “old bay horse”—which was also
past the stage of usefulness—and an old cart; but, alas! no home to
live in or a place to shelter his head from the storm.

My father, as I said before, was a free man and had the privilege of
purchasing my mother and my sister, who was then about a year old, for
$600. My mother at this time was in very ill health, and it was thought
by many she could not live very long. My father not being able to pay
the amount asked, had to find a sufficient security before he could
obtain a bill of sale. He was fortunate enough to find that assistance
in the person of Dr. Hyde, with whom I was soon to become personally
acquainted. The remainder of the slaves each received a note from the
hands of Mr. H. Wallace, and were directed by him