[Sansevierias] non plant-related

American Slave Henry Bibb escapes slavery on Christmas of 1837

American Slave Henry Bibb escapes slavery on Christmas of 1837

Henry Bibb (1815-1854) was born in Shelby County, Kentucky. His 
father was state senator James Bibb, and his mother was a slave named 
Mildred Jackson who worked for Willard Gatewood. Henry Bibb was 
married twice, once before his escape to a slave named Malinda, and 
again after his escape to a woman named Mary Miles. In 1842, Bibb 
began lecturing on slavery and became a well known African American 
activist. In 1849 he published his autobiography, Narrative of the 
Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave. Bibb helped 
create Canada's first black newspaper, Voice of the Fugitive a 
publication that worked to convince African slaves to settle in 
Canada. He was also the founding director of a Canadian black 
colonization project, the Refugee Home Society. He died in 1854.

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In the fall or winter of 1837 I formed a resolution that I would 
escape, if possible, to Canada, for my Liberty. I commenced from that 
hour making preparations for the dangerous experiment of breaking the 
chains that bound me as a slave. My preparation for this voyage 
consisted in the accumulation of a little money, perhaps not 
exceeding two dollars and fifty cents, and a suit which I had never 
been seen or known to wear before; this last was to avoid detection.

On the twenty-fifth of December, 1837, my long anticipated time had 
arrived when I was to put into operation my former resolution, which 
was to bolt for Liberty or consent to die a Slave. I acted upon the 
former, although I confess it to be one of the most self-denying acts 
of my whole life, to take leave of an affectionate wife, who stood 
before me on my departure with dear little Frances in her arms, and 
with tears of sorrow in her eyes as she bid me a long farewell. It 
required all the moral courage that I was master of to suppress my 
feeling while taking leave of my little family.

Had Malinda known my intention at that time, it would not have been 
possible for me to have got away, and I might have this day been a 
slave. Notwithstanding every inducement was held out to me to run 
away if I would be free, and the voice of liberty was thundering in 
my very soul, "Be free, oh, man! be free," I was struggling against a 
thousand obstacles which had clustered around my mind to bind my 
wounded spirit still in the dark prison of mental degradation. My 
strong attachments to friends and relatives, with all the love of 
home and birth-place which is so natural among the human family, 
twined about my heart and were hard to break away from. And withal, 
the fear of being pursued with guns and blood-hounds, and of being 
killed, or captured and taken to the extreme South, to linger out my 
days in hopeless bondage on some cotton or sugar plantation, all 
combined to deter me. But I had counted the cost, and was fully 
prepared to make the sacrifice. The time for fulfilling my pledge was 
then at hand. I must forsake friends and neighbors, wife and child, 
or consent to live and die a slave.

By the permission of my keeper, I started out to work for myself on 
Christmas. I went to the Ohio River, which was but a short distance 
from Bedford. My excuse for wanting to go there was to get work. High 
wages were offered for hands to work in a slaughter-house. But in 
place of my going to work there, according to promise, when I arrived 
at the river I managed to find a conveyance to cross over into a free 
state. I was landed in the village of Madison, Indiana, where 
steamboats were landing every day and night, passing up and down the 
river, which afforded me a good opportunity of getting a boat passage 
to Cincinnati. My anticipation being worked up to the highest pitch, 
no sooner was the curtain of night dropped over the village, than I 
secreted myself where no one could see me, and changed my suit ready 
for the passage. Soon I heard the welcome sound of a Steamboat coming 
up the river Ohio, which was soon to waft me beyond the limits of the 
human slave markets of Kentucky. When the boat had landed at Madison, 
notwithstanding my strong desire to get off, my heart trembled within 
me in view of the great danger to which I was exposed in taking 
passage on board of a Southern Steamboat; hence before I took 
passage, I kneeled down before the Great I Am, and prayed for his aid 
and protection, which He bountifully bestowed even beyond my 
expectation; for I felt myself to be unworthy. I then stept boldly on 
the deck of this splendid swift-running Steamer, bound for the city 
of Cincinnati. This being the first voyage, that I had ever taken on 
board of a Steamboat, I was filled with fear and excitement, knowing 
that I was surrounded by the vilest enemies of God and man, liable to 
be seized and bound hand and foot by any white man, and taken back 
into captivity. But I crowded myself back from the light among the 
deck passengers, where it would be difficult to distinguish me from a 
white man. Every time during the night that the mate came round with 
a light after the hands, I was afraid he would see I was a colored 
man, and take me up; hence I kept from the light as much as possible. 
Some, men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are 
evil; but this was not the case with myself; it was to avoid 
detection in doing right. This was one of the instances of my 
adventures that my affinity with the Anglo-Saxon race, and even 
slaveholders, worked well for my escape. But no thanks to them for 
it. While in their midst they have not only robbed me of my labor and 
liberty, but they have almost entirely robbed me of my dark 
complexion. Being so near the color of a slaveholder, they could not, 
or did not find me out that night among the white passengers. There 
was one of the deck hands on board called out on his watch, whose 
hammock was swinging up near by me. I asked him if he would let me 
lie in it. He said if I would pay him twenty-five cents that I might 
lie in it until day. I readily paid him the price and got into the 
hammock. No one could see my face to know whether I was white or 
colored, while I was in the hammock; but I never closed eyes for 
sleep that night. I had often heard explosions on board of 
Steamboats; and every time the boat landed, and blowed off steam, I 
was afraid the boilers had bursted and we should all be killed; but I 
lived through the night amid the many dangers to which I was exposed. 
I still maintained my position in the hammock, until the next morning 
about 8 o'clock, when I heard the passengers saying the boat was near 
Cincinnati; and by this time I supposed that the attention of the 
people would be turned to the city, and I might pass off unnoticed.

There were no questions asked me while on board the boat. The boat 
landed about 9 o'clock in the morning in Cincinnati, and I waited 
until after most of the passengers had gone off of the boat; I then 
walked as gracefully up street as if I was not running away, until I 
had got pretty well up Broadway. My object was to go to Canada, but 
having no knowledge of the road, it was necessary for me to make some 
inquiry before I left the city. I was afraid to ask a white person, 
and I could see no colored person to ask. But fortunately for me I 
found a company of little boys at play in the street, and through 
these little boys, by asking them indirect questions, I found the 
residence of a colored man.

         "Boys, can you tell me where that old colored man lives who 
saws wood, and works at jobs around the streets?"

         "What is his name?" said one of the boys,

         "I forget."

         "Is it old Job Dundy?"

         "Is Dundy a colored man?"

         "Yes, sir."

         "That is the very man I am looking for; will you show me, 
where he lives?"

         "Yes," said the little boy, and pointed me out the house.

Mr. D. invited me in, and I found him to be a true friend. He asked 
me if I was a slave from Kentucky, and if I ever intended to go back 
into slavery? Not knowing yet whether he was truly in favor of slaves 
running away, I told him that I had just come over to spend my 
christmas holydays, and that I was going back. His reply was, "my 
son, I would never go back if I was in your place; you have a right 
to your liberty.' I then asked him how I should get my freedom? He 
referred me to Canada, over which waved freedom's flag, defended by 
the British Government, upon whose soil there cannot be the foot 
print of a slave.

He then commenced telling me of the facilities for my escape to 
Canada; of the Abolitionists; of the Abolition Societies, and of 
their fidelity to the cause of suffering humanity. This was the first 
time in my life that ever I had heard of such people being in 
existence as the Abolitionists. I supposed that they were a different 
race of people. He conducted me to the house of one of these 
warm-hearted friends of God and the slave. I found him willing to aid 
a poor fugitive on his way to Canada, even to the dividing of the 
last cent, or morsel of bread if necessary.

Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American 
Slave, Written by Himself. With an Introduction by Lucius C. Matlack.
Written by Himself.
  With an Introduction by Lucius C. Matlack.
  207 p., 18 ill.
  New Yor