USA > Delaware > Methodism of the peninsula, or, Sketches of notable characters and events in the history of Methodism in the Maryland and Delaware peninsula > Part 14
USA > Maryland > Methodism of the peninsula, or, Sketches of notable characters and events in the history of Methodism in the Maryland and Delaware peninsula > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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younger or less influential servants over whom, for the time, ye are appointed by your masters as overseers ! And so do ye, as masters, to your slaves !" Of course, this was simply saying, The law of might, that makes some men slaves and some others masters, is right ; the entire slave code is right because it is law. If a man is under that law he ought to be satisfied with his condi- tion. He ought to want to be dealt with according to the laws and usages of slavery. His interpretation meant that because a human being had been wrongfully deprived of his kingdom of manhood, he ought to smother his instincts, trample on his crown of royalty, and obliterate God's image from his soul ! As well might one say that the flame shall cease to ascend or gravitation lay aside its forces ! The reputation of the Rector, however, was thenceforth assured; and these lawful heirs of poor Stephen's life and labors, " in love and charity with their neighbors, and following God's commandments," could, with one hand, take the holy communion, and with the other appropriate the property and the soul and body of a defenceless brother, redeemed by the same Sacrifice whose shed blood they were celebrating.
The heirs to the estate explained both the Law and the Gospel, bearing on the case, to Stephen, in justifica- tion of their course ; and the poor negro was utterly bewildered. He, however, as he said, "left it all wid de Lord," and resolved if possible to retrieve his broken fortunes. Being put up for sale, at the vendue of the
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personal estate, for the term of one year, with the privi- lege to extend the term; by permission of the Adminis- trator, he bid himself off at one hundred and twenty dollars a year for life. He then rented of the heirs his own house and lot, and was permitted to take his wife and children with him, on condition that he would support them; and thus, while rearing a family of slaves for the market, relieve the owners of the expense of their main- tenance. It took very hard work, almost night and day, on the part of both Stephen and Rachel, to pay the price of their precarious liberty and support the family; but the obligations were all faithfully met, and something accumulated towards another effort for real freedom.
This condition of affairs lasted for three years. Mean- time, while two other souls were born into slavery in the little cabin, the three elder children had grown to be valuable. Very strangely the W. estate had so dwindled in the interim, and the farming had been so unremunerative, that in order to keep up their accus- tomed style, the family found it necessary to dispose of some property in exchange for ready cash. Stephen's wife and three elder children were singled out as the victims. While eating their frugal meal, one day, two men came to the cabin and notified Rachel that she could have a half hour to bundle up such clothing as she thought necessary for her and the three children ; and that then, in obedience to orders received from the family, they must separate her and the older children
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from her husband and the two little ones, and take them to the slave pen at Princess Anne, to be inspected by the traders preparatory to the day of sale. From the scene that ensued, angels must have turned away their sympathetic eyes. The prayers and wailings of the stricken parents and children were heart-rending. For a few moments wife and children, clinging to husband and father, begged the protection the law of nature and of God would seem to have placed in his keep- ing. And then, when rudely thrust away by the interposing " officers," the poor mother, with stream- ing eyes, fell on her knees; and, wringing her hands in the anguish of despair, cried out : "Oh, Jesus ! pity an' help dis po' slave wife an' mudder, an' her lone 'panion an' 'stressed chil'n. Oh, Lord ! how kin I go 'way from my po' little babies !" Heaven and earth seemed to be deaf to her wail. In a little while, she and the three older children, tied together and hurried on before the men, who were on horseback, passed out of sight of the desolate cabin and the heart- broken man at the door. Gathering the two little ones in his arms, Stephen fell on his knees by the rough stand, whereon lay his old Bible, and cried out : "O, dou God ob dis Book-dou whom I trust an' love,- why has dou fo'saken me !" And then, obeying a sud- den impulse, and taking the little motherless waifs with him, he sped to the plantation mansion to intercede for his wife and children. His entreaties, however, were in vain. In fact, the family, incensed at what they called
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his "impudence," threatened that they would "turn him into money too," if he didn't behave more respectfully.
Having obtained permission to leave the two little ones in the care of old Aunt Dinah at the "Quarters," Stephen returned to his cheerless home ; secured his few possessions as best he could; took the one hundred and fifty dollars he had saved in three years from its hiding-place, and went forth praying God to help him in the rescue of his wife and children. Before the night of the day following, he found three kind-hearted men, who agreed to purchase the children, so as to keep them in the neighborhood; and a fourth, who promised to lend him a sum sufficient to enable him to become the redeemer of his wife from bondage. The sale was to take place in Princess Anne the following Tuesday. Stephen was there at an early hour, vainly seeking an interview with his distressed wife. He was rejoiced, however, in due time, to meet all the gentlemen who had promised to aid him. At length the ringing of the auc- tion-bell announced the hour of sale; and, in a little while Stephen's wife and children, with some other slaves, emerged from the prison and were led to the auction-block. Poor Rachel scarcely lifted her dejected eyes, from which the tears of an unutterable agony were silently falling ; and the distressed children sent forth their plaintive wailings. The scene was so pathetic that some of the spectators were constrained to retire from the locality, and the eyes of some who remained were moistened with sympathetic tears.
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Stephen stood a little in the rear of the group, and was unobserved by his heart-broken family. He shall tell the story in his own way :
" While I was a standin' dar a prayin' fo' de good Lord to stan' by me in dis hour ob need; an' while de auctioneer was a tellin' 'bout de age ob my wife, an' a braggin' on her counastution an' fine qualitycations; one o' dem 'bruited, red-nosed nigger-buyers as was dar, he come up to my wife an' takes her by de chin an' nose to open her mouth so he could 'zamine her teeth, like she was an ole hoss or mule, de same time sayin' 'Well, ole mare, le's look at yer teeth ;' an' I tells ye, folkes, it was more'n dis chile could stan'. I got mad; I felt de bery Debil all through my blood an' bones; an' I took one step to hit him wid de heavy club I had; when the Marster he speak to de ragin' storm in my sould an' it come calm in a minit. An' right den an' dar de Lord saved me more'n I'd eber bin saved before, an' I foun' myself a whisperin' to myself, 'Dou shill keep dem in perfeck peace, whose heart am stayed on dee.'
"Well; den dey went to biddin'-the Georgia men an' my friend ; an' dey run'd her up from two hundred dol- lars to five hundred-dat was Mars Neddy Payne's bid fo' me-an' den de trader he come up an' slap my po' wife on de shoulder, an' poke her in de sides an' breast, an' feel her mussel ; an den he put on another twenty-five dollah bid, an' Mars Neddy he made it thirty. Den de trader wait some time; but bime bye he say five hun- dred an' thirty-three dollahs, an' Mars Neddy say 'five
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thirty-five.' Den de trader he say suffin' 'bout fools an' went off; an' a little while arter, de auctioneer he say, 'goin'-goin'-goin', three times ; and-gone!' an' de nex' moment, honeys, I had Rachel in my arms, an' we bofe forgot we wasn't in de meetin'-house, an' begun to shout an praise de Lord. But de crier ob de sale fetch me a whack wid his stick, an' say, 'Hold on ole man; dis my meetin'.' Den de chil'n was sold. De boy fotch four hundred; de oldest girl three fifty, an' de little one three hundred dollahs; an' de gemmens was all true to dere words an' bought 'em; an' dey lem'me take 'em home wid me, same as afore.
"Mars Neddy he paid de four hundred an' I paid de hundred an' thirty-five dollahs, an' den I gibs him my wife till I could pay 'im de four hundred. Rachel went out washin'; I worked in de shipyard all day, an' cotch oysters or made an' 'paired shoes half de night; an' in four years time I had Mars Neddy nearly paid off. 'Bout den de family needed some mo' funs', an' dey makes up der minds to sell me. When I hearn about it I wus in a mighty trouble; but de Lord he'd allers helped me, an' so Sat'day night I went out inter de pine thicket, 'way off, an' prayed an' wrasseled all night dat de Lord would help me dis one time mo'. 'Bout de break ob day, jes as I seed a little streak o' light 'way off in de east, it seem to me mighty strong arms got under me, an' a voice whisper 'Cast di burden on de Lord an' he will 'stain dee;' an' chil'n, when I waked up de sun was 'way up an' a shinin' right down in my
10*
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face! Den I went to de cabin kind o' peaceful like, an' Rachel she say, 'Steve, where's ye bin?' 'Ise bin a prayin,' to git the vict'ry,' sez I; for I didn't want Rachel to know de trouble afo' de time. 'Well,' sez she, 'I thinks ye'd better git de victory in de day time heresomeafter;' but she didn't know how dark dat night was, and how much I needed de victr'y right den.
"Well, dat mornin' me an' Rachel went to meetin' at de ole Saint Peter's Church down by Mr. Coulburn's creek. De preachah's tex war, 'Light am sowed fo' de righteous, an' joy fo' de upright in heart;' an' it seem to me de clouds got thinner, but I couln't see yit which way de sun was a goin' to come through at; but I was a watchin an' a prayin'. After meetin' a gem'man by de name of William R-, -a nigger trader's agent- he call me one side an' say, 'Steve, do you know you've got to be sold?' Sez I, 'Yes, sir, I've hearn so.' 'Well," sez he, 'what ye doin' fo' yourself?' An' sez I, 'I don' know what to do.' An' den sez he, 'You come over an' see me to-night.' So dat night I goes over, an' Mr. R- gib me a 'greement in writin' fo' me to git gem'men to sign, bindin' 'em to help me buy myself; 'an' now,' sez he, 'you go an' see how many you kin git to sign it.'
"So den I started. I had two weeks afo' de sale. I went as fur as I could o' nights, an' got a few to sign it. When Sunday come, it was a dark rainy day, an' I . walked all day from one to anudder till I was bout gib out ; but I got sev'el mo' signers; an' dey all promist to
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keep it secret; for de family wanted to git me out'n de way; 'cause while I was dar, dey was all de time 'minded 'bout der treatment o' me; an' 'sides when de neighbors seed me, dey gen'ly had somethin' to say 'bout de treat- ment. Ef de fam'ly 'd a knowed what I was a doin', dey'd a sold me right off, or a put me in de pen.
"Fine'ly I got all de names but one. Dar was a near neighbor ob de family dat was one o' der 'tickler frien's. His son was a grown up young man an' had money, an' wanted to help me, but his father wouldn't agree to it. But de young man he say to me one night, 'Stephen; ef ye do all ye kin, an' jest lack one man to 'scribe twenty- five or fifty dollahs, you come to me, an' I'll stan' by you ; but I don' want de ole gemman to know it.'
"Well, it turn out I couldn't git along widout his name. It was de las' night I had to work afo' de sale. Dere was three great ferocial dogs, dat was mighty dan- gersome, an' it war a'most wo'th a man's life to go dar in de night. But I went a prayin' de Lord to 'tect me. Dere was anudder difficulty : I didn't know what room de young gem'man slep' in, an' it wouldn't do to wake de ole man. So I prayed, 'O, Lord, take charge o' de dogs' mouths, an' 'rect my steps, an' keep ole Mars Ward fast asleep.' Den I went to de eend ob de house, under a upper winder, an' give three thumps on de wea- therboardin' ; an' de nex' minit here come one o' de dogs a trottin' roun' de corner ! I was terrible skeered ; but I chirup'd to him, an' he come a waggin' his tail an' begun to lick my hand. Jes' den de winder raised, an'
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young Mars Tommy Ward put his head out an' kind o' whispered, 'Dat you, Uncle Stephen? All right; I'll be dar in a minit.' So he come out, wid a pencil, an' put de paper up agin de house an' writ his name ; an' den I jes' cotch de boy in my arms an' cried fo' joy, an' said, ' Lord, bress an' 'ward dis deah boy fo' his kindness to a po' slave.' Afo' I left, I had it all 'ranged wid him dat he was to 'tend de sale an' bid me off, an' also collec' de 'scribed money an' fix all de business, de which he done so.
" Well, when de day 'rived, de officer come 'bout light, when I was a eatin' my pone an lasses ; an', sez he, ' Ole man, I'se got orders to take you an' de two little niggers to Princess Anne.'
"'What fo', mars ?' sez I. 'You've got to be sold,' sez he. 'Oh !' sez I, 'not the po' babies, I hope ! Dey won't fetch any money hardly.' 'Can't help it,' sez he. ' I've got de orders from de family.'
" An' den Rachel, she begun to take on fo' sartin, an' pray an' beg; but it warn't no use. She had to go to de little trunnel bed, an' pull de po' babies out an' put on der close, afo' dey got' wide awake ; an' wid her tears a rainin' down on der po' little, 'stonished faces, Rachel gived 'em a mudder's last kiss ob 'fection an' a hunk o' co'n pone; an' den we was tore away from her 'stracted clingin', an' hurried off down de path to de road.
" Ef it hadn't a bin fo' de po' little chil'n, I should a told Rachel I 'spected to git back to her; but I was so 'stracted 'bout dem,-'cause not knowin' de 'tentions o'
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de family, I'd made no 'vision to save 'em,-dat I neber thought 'bout myself. Fact is, ef I'd a bin sure we'd all a gone to de same neighborhood in Georgy or Caro- liner, I'd a give up buyin' myself, an' gone wid 'em, to take keer o' de po' little things; but dere was no chance fo' dat; an', 'sides, de good Lord had helped me in de plan to buy myself, an' I reckoned it was best to carry it out, an' trust him to take keer ob de dear little babies in de strange land.
" Well; when de boy was sold a gemman from de Souf bought him ; an' den I begun to pray de Lord dat he might 'duce him to buy de little sister; fo' he was a nice lookin' man. So I cotch his eye an' beckon to him, an' he come to me; an' I told him to please to buy de little girl an' keep 'em togedder an' teach em to be good, an' dat I would pray fo' him an' dem as long as I lived. Den he promist me, an' told me he was tryin' to sarve de same Marster, an' dat he would try to bring 'em up right; an' aldo de tears run'd down my face, I felt a mighty comfort. I knowed po' Rachel would feel better too on dat resurance. Shore 'nuff de gemman bought de sister; an' den de auctioneer call me to de block. Mr. R- had 'vised me not to shave, so dat de white in my beard would make me look old an' I wouldn't sell so high; de which I done so. 'Cept fo' dis, I 'spec' I'd a fotch a thousan' dollahs. But young Mars Tommy Ward was dar as he promist, an' he bid me off fo' six hundred an' eighty dollahs. Mr. R- told me after de sale dat he 'swaded de traders dat
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was a biddin', not to go bery high fo' a old nigger like me.
" When I got de matters all fixed up by de help o' Mars Tommy, it war about night. I wanted to see de little chil'n afo' I left; so I went to de hotel, an' de gemman dat bought dem gim'me a note to de keeper, an' when I went in de po' little things was a playin' wid some ole blocks on de floor. Little Neddy he say, ' Pappy ; is ye gwine ter take us home to mammy now ?' An' dem words a most broke my heart. I'd a give up my life dat moment to a sent de dear babies back to der mudder's arms ! But it warn't no use; so I knelt down an' took 'em to my 'stressed heart fo' de las' time. Den I prayed fo' strength ; an' 'mitted de po' little slave orphans to de Lord; an' said, ' Be good Neddy ; be good Rachie, an' de blessed Jesus, he'll be yer friend; an' bime bye yo'll git free an' come home to pappy an' mammy in Heaven. When ye git tired a playin', lay down togedder dere in de corner on dat ole bed kiver, an' go to sleep; an' ter-morry a nice gemman-will come an' take you to live wid him in a purty house all full of nice things. Den dey axed: 'Is you an' mammy comin' too ?' I kissed dem fo' de answer, an' tore myself away. It was de last kiss-de last sight ob der little wonderin' faces. I have neber laid my eyes on 'em since dat night; an' never got any tidins'. When de wah was ober, I went down to de Caroliners an' Georgy, an' 'quired an' wrote eberywhere, but I had to come home widout any tidins'. Der mudder was den gone to de
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better lan', an' maybe dey an' she'd got togedder agin, where der's 'no mo' tears, neider sorry nor cryin', kase de former things is passed away.'"
"Well, den I started to walk home, some twelve or fifteen miles. I'd had no dinner nor supper 'cept two ginger-cakes. Fact is, my grief fo' de po' chil'n made me almost forgit de wants ob natur; an' now, as I trudged along through de mud and de dark, I felt pow'ful weak like, and begun to think I should give out; but I kep' a prayin' an' a trudgin' until at last, 'bout midnight, I got home. All was dark in de cabin, an' it never looked so awful gloomy afore since de day dey took Rachel an' de udder chil'n away. I stopped and lisened. All was still at fust; den I heared a groan, an' dreckly anudder. It seem like de dyin' groan ob despair; an' I knowed jest what it meant. It was my po' heart-broken Rachel's all-night wrastle wid de angel, in de dreary land ob de inemy. So I steps up softly to de door an' tapped on it. Den all was still, an' I tapped agin. 'Who's dar?' sez a faint voice. 'It's me, Rachel,' sez I; an' de nex' minit de door was opened an' Rachel swooned away on de floor. When, at last, I got her fotched to, she 'turned her thanks to de Lord fo' bringin' me back to her, an' den axed about de babies. So I had to tell her all about de whole transaction, an' 'bout de partin' an' all; an' den we talked, an' prayed, an' cried, an' tried to say somethin' to comfort each udder all night long; an' in de mornin' -thank God fo' de mornin', it always comes sometime,
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somehow-in de mornin' we started on one mo' struggle fo' freedom an' de kingdom. Seven years from dat time I paid back de las' dollah fo' myself, an' it all 'mounted, wid de interest counted in, to 'bout twelve hundred dollahs."
Just after Stephen had paid the last dollar of the above obligation, the War of the Rebellion broke out ; and in 1864, by the voluntary action of her loyal citi- zens, the chains of slavery were all broken, and Mary- land became a free state. This event gave Stephen his three children, who had served in the neighborhood, all of whom were now about grown up; and, in the general rejoicing that ensued among the colored people, this Christian family, come up out of great tribulation, took a prominent part. Stephen had meantime graduated into the local ministry ; and, by reason of accumulated years that rendered him venerable, he now began to receive the designation by which the colored people at that time were wont universally to express their rever- ential appreciation : he received the honorary degree of "Uncle." On the great watch-night occasion of Mary- land emancipation, more fully described in another chapter, Uncle Stephen, it is said, selected the Jewish year of Jubilee as the foundation of his address, and ''livered a pow'ful 'scourse,' concluding after the follow- ing manner :
" Now, chil'n ; some o' ye was born free ; some o' ye was sot free ; some o' ye God an' de 'Publicans has jest 'mancipated free; but, like de ole gineral said to de
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'Postle, 'wid a great sum 'tained I dis freedom.' But, bress de Lord ! anyhow, we's now all ob us got free. P'raps some feller say, ' Now I'm gwine ter do es I please.' But ye haint got no right to do es you please, onless ye please to do right. 'Mancipation don't turn you loose an' shet udder peoples up ; nor put you bosses an' de ole owners slaves. Ef we all do de right way, de time will come bime-bye, when de chil'n an' gran'chil'n ob de ole marsters 'll jine our chil'n an' gran'chil'n in celeberatin' dis day same as de 4th o' July. Fo' dey'll find out arter awhile dis day 'mancipates dem same de which it do us.
" But, chil'n, I wants ter tell ye :- Der's a wosser bondage nor slavery ob de body. Dere am de bondage ob de sould to sin an' de Debil; an' some ob ye's a sarvin' old Satin, a doin' de dirtiest work in his kitchen an' hog-pen, an' not a gittin' nothin' but 'lyin' promises an' promisin' lies. De blessed Jesus, he 'mended de ole constitution an' sine an' seal it wid his blood ; an' he open de do' an' say come forth to de juberlee ; an' he bring along de Gospel train to take yer all to de heabenly land, wher we'll all be free an' happy, an' sing an' shout de juberlee forever ; bress de Lord !"
Then, being himself a fine singer, Uncle Stephen led the assembly in the following song :
" De Gospel train am a comin'; I hears her jest at hand ; I hears de car wheels a movin' on ; Dey're a rumblin' through de land. Chorus .- Git on board, childring; Dere's room fo' many mo'.
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"I thinks she'll halt a minit; She'll wood up on dis line; She'll give ye time to step on board; An' yit she'll make her time. Chorus .- Git on board, etc.
"I sees de injine banner, A flutt'rin' in de breeze ; It's a drippin' wid de Saviour's blood, And yit it floats wid ease. Chorus. - Git on board, etc.
"De 'spences am not heavy; De rich .an' po' are dare : No second class on board dis train ; No diff'rence in de fare. Chorus .- Git on board, etc.
"Dere's Abraham an' Noah, An' all de prophets too ; An' all de saints from ebery land ;- An' oh, what a heav'nly crew! Chorus .- Git on board, etc.
" Bime-bye she'll climb de mountain, An' roun' de curve she'll fly ; An' blow de final toot, an' halt At de mansions in de sky. Chorus .- Git on board, etc."
And during the remainder of that memorable night, Uncle Stephen and his fellow-servants in Christ cele- brated their emancipation, as a race, from human bond-
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age; while some there were of the bondmen of sin, who accepted the invitation of his exhortation and song; paid the fare in the surrender of self to Christ; were by him made "free indeed," and took passage for the heavenly city.
Not long after this event, a circus exhibited in Princess Anne. So universally did the laboring class patronize shows, that it was deemed impossible to do anything in the ship-yard; and a holiday was declared in order that all might feel free to avail themselves of the opportunity to see the circus. Uncle Stephen, believing that such exhibitions were injurious to his race, called together the ship-yard hands and others within reach; and proposed that, instead of visiting the circus, they hold an all-day meeting at the little chapel near Coulbourne's Creek. The invitation was accepted by a few, who, like those of old in the upper room, "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," and with a similar result. A revival of remarkable power followed, in which a moral revolution was wrought among the colored people of that region, the good effects of which are still visible.
When toiling to pay for his own body, Stephen cove- nanted with the Lord that, if he would bless him with prosperity and help him finish the unnatural and weari- some task, he would then give himself wholly to the work of the Lord for the religious instruction and elevation of his race. But his success in business, for the accomplish- ment of the above purpose, caused him to lose sight of his promise. Money began to be attractive; and he set
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his heart on its accumulation. His faithful Rachel had meantime gone up to her reward, and a young wife had come to supply the vacant place. "Why," thought he, "can't I remain here, and lay up something for a rainy day, and do what I can for the salvation and elevation of my people in this neighborhood?"
The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held in 1864, took the preliminary steps for the organization of the Delaware Conference; and when the plans were finally matured, and the list of local preach- ers, who were to form the nucleus, was published, the name of Uncle Stephen was among the number. Notice of this fact and of the place of meeting for organization was duly communicated to him, causing him great uneasiness. Everything was in the way : his business engagements and attractions ; his young wife and child, -how could he take them out into a work so unpro- mising? And, besides, he was growing old-couldn't work long; and who was going to feed him and his family when he was worn out? Finally one Sunday, as the time neared for the conference meeting, Stephen stole forth from the cabin to a solitary walk, in which he hoped so to adjust the matter with his conscience, that he could remain where he was ; when, suddenly, the hand of his young wife, who had softly stolen up behind him, was laid upon his shoulder. Addressing him, she said : "Stephen, when I 'cepted your 'posal an' married you, suffin' seem to whisper to me dat you'd become a trav'ler fo' de Lord; an', mind wot I tells
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