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She
had
a
genial
and
pleasant
temper
,
and
was
faithful
and
obedient
.
Naturally
,
she
was
a
joyous
creature
,
a
laughing
,
light-hearted
girl
,
rejoicing
in
the
mere
sense
of
existence
.
Yet
Patsey
wept
oftener
,
and
suffered
more
,
than
any
of
her
companions
.
She
had
been
literally
excoriated
.
Her
back
bore
the
scars
of
a
thousand
stripes
;
not
because
she
was
backward
in
her
work
,
nor
because
she
was
of
an
unmindful
and
rebellious
spirit
,
but
because
it
had
fallen
to
her
lot
to
be
the
slave
of
a
licentious
master
and
a
jealous
mistress
.
She
shrank
before
the
lustful
eye
of
the
one
,
and
was
in
danger
even
of
her
life
at
the
hands
of
the
other
,
and
between
the
two
,
she
was
indeed
accursed
.
In
the
great
house
,
for
days
together
,
there
were
high
and
angry
words
,
poutings
and
estrangement
,
whereof
she
was
the
innocent
cause
.
Nothing
delighted
the
mistress
so
much
as
to
see
her
suffer
,
and
more
than
once
,
when
Epps
had
refused
to
sell
her
,
has
she
tempted
me
with
bribes
to
put
her
secretly
to
death
,
and
bury
her
body
in
some
lonely
place
in
the
margin
of
the
swamp
.
Gladly
would
Patsey
have
appeased
this
unforgiving
spirit
,
if
it
had
been
in
her
power
,
but
not
like
Joseph
,
dared
she
escape
from
Master
Epps
,
leaving
her
garment
in
his
hand
.
Patsey
walked
under
a
cloud
.
If
she
uttered
a
word
in
opposition
to
her
master
's
will
,
the
lash
was
resorted
to
at
once
,
to
bring
her
to
subjection
;
if
she
was
not
watchful
when
about
her
cabin
,
or
when
walking
in
the
yard
,
a
billet
of
wood
,
or
a
broken
bottle
perhaps
,
hurled
from
her
mistress
'
hand
,
would
smite
her
unexpectedly
in
the
face
.
The
enslaved
victim
of
lust
and
hate
,
Patsey
had
no
comfort
of
her
life
.
These
were
my
companions
and
fellow-slaves
,
with
whom
I
was
accustomed
to
be
driven
to
the
field
,
and
with
whom
it
has
been
my
lot
to
dwell
for
ten
years
in
the
log
cabins
of
Edwin
Epps
.
They
,
if
living
,
are
yet
toiling
on
the
banks
of
Bayou
Bœuf
,
never
destined
to
breathe
,
as
I
now
do
,
the
blessed
air
of
liberty
,
nor
to
shake
off
the
heavy
shackles
that
enthrall
them
,
until
they
shall
lie
down
forever
in
the
dust
.
The
first
year
of
Epps
'
residence
on
the
bayou
,
1845
,
the
caterpillars
almost
totally
destroyed
the
cotton
crop
throughout
that
region
.
There
was
little
to
be
done
,
so
that
the
slaves
were
necessarily
idle
half
the
time
.
However
,
there
came
a
rumor
to
Bayou
Bœuf
that
wages
were
high
,
and
laborers
in
great
demand
on
the
sugar
plantations
in
St.
Mary
's
parish
.
This
parish
is
situated
on
the
coast
of
the
Gulf
of
Mexico
,
about
one
hundred
and
forty
miles
from
Avoyelles
.
The
Rio
Teche
,
a
considerable
stream
,
flows
through
St.
Mary
's
to
the
gulf
.
It
was
determined
by
the
planters
,
on
the
receipt
of
this
intelligence
,
to
make
up
a
drove
of
slaves
to
be
sent
down
to
Tuckapaw
in
St.
Mary
's
,
for
the
purpose
of
hiring
them
out
in
the
cane
fields
.
Accordingly
,
in
the
month
of
September
,
there
were
one
hundred
and
forty-seven
collected
at
Holmesville
,
Abram
,
Bob
and
myself
among
the
number
.
Of
these
about
one-half
were
women
.
Epps
,
Alonson
Pierce
,
Henry
Toler
,
and
Addison
Roberts
,
were
the
white
men
,
selected
to
accompany
,
and
take
charge
of
the
drove
.
They
had
a
two-horse
carriage
and
two
saddle
horses
for
their
use
.
A
large
wagon
,
drawn
by
four
horses
,
and
driven
by
John
,
a
boy
belonging
to
Mr.
Roberts
,
carried
the
blankets
and
provisions
.
About
2
o'clock
in
the
afternoon
,
having
been
fed
,
preparations
were
made
to
depart
.
The
duty
assigned
me
was
,
to
take
charge
of
the
blankets
and
provisions
,
and
see
that
none
were
lost
by
the
way
.
The
carriage
proceeded
in
advance
,
the
wagon
following
;
behind
this
the
slaves
were
arranged
,
while
the
two
horsemen
brought
up
the
rear
,
and
in
this
order
the
procession
moved
out
of
Holmesville
.
That
night
we
reached
a
Mr.
McCrow
's
plantation
,
a
distance
of
ten
or
fifteen
miles
,
when
we
were
ordered
to
halt
.
Large
fires
were
built
,
and
each
one
spreading
his
blanket
on
the
ground
,
laid
down
upon
it
.
The
white
men
lodged
in
the
great
house
.
An
hour
before
day
we
were
aroused
by
the
drivers
coming
among
us
,
cracking
their
whips
and
ordering
us
to
arise
.
Then
the
blankets
were
rolled
up
,
and
being
severally
delivered
to
me
and
deposited
in
the
wagon
,
the
procession
set
forth
again
.
The
following
night
it
rained
violently
.
We
were
all
drenched
,
our
clothes
saturated
with
mud
and
water
.
Reaching
an
open
shed
,
formerly
a
gin-house
,
we
found
beneath
it
such
shelter
as
it
afforded
.
There
was
not
room
for
all
of
us
to
lay
down
.
There
we
remained
,
huddled
together
,
through
the
night
,
continuing
our
march
,
as
usual
,
in
the
morning
.
During
the
journey
we
were
fed
twice
a
day
,
boiling
our
bacon
and
baking
our
corn-cake
at
the
fires
in
the
same
manner
as
in
our
huts
.
We
passed
through
Lafayetteville
,
Mountsville
,
New-Town
,
to
Centreville
,
where
Bob
and
Uncle
Abram
were
hired
.
Our
number
decreased
as
we
advanced
--
nearly
every
sugar
plantation
requiring
the
services
of
one
or
more
.
On
our
route
we
passed
the
Grand
Coteau
or
prairie
,
a
vast
space
of
level
,
monotonous
country
,
without
a
tree
,
except
an
occasional
one
which
had
been
transplanted
near
some
dilapidated
dwelling
.
It
was
once
thickly
populated
,
and
under
cultivation
,
but
for
some
cause
had
been
abandoned
.
The
business
of
the
scattered
inhabitants
that
now
dwell
upon
it
is
principally
raising
cattle
.
Immense
herds
were
feeding
upon
it
as
we
passed
.
In
the
centre
of
the
Grand
Coteau
one
feels
as
if
he
were
on
the
ocean
,
out
of
sight
of
land
.
As
far
as
the
eye
can
see
,
in
all
directions
,
it
is
but
a
ruined
and
deserted
waste
.
