Twelve Years a Slave

Industry - Cleanliness and Clothes - Exercising in the Show Room - The Dance - Bob, the Fiddler - Arrival of Customers - Slaves Examined - The Old Gentleman of New-Orleans - Sale of David, Caroline, and Lethe - Parting of Randall and Eliza - Small-Pox - The Hospital - Recovery and Return to Freeman's Slave Pen - The Purchaser of Eliza, Harry, and Platt - Eliza's Agony on Parting from Little Emily CHAPTER VII The Steamboat Rodolph - Departure from New-Orleans - William Ford - Arrival at Alexandria, on Red River - Resolutions - The Great Pine Woods - Wild Cattle - Martin's Summer Residence - The Texas Road - Arrival at Master Ford's - Rose - Mistress Ford - Sally and Her Children - John, the Cook - Walter, Sam, and Antony - The Mills on Indian Creek - Sabbath Days - Sam's Conversion - The Profit of Kindness - Rafting - Adam Taydem, the Little White Man - Cascalla and his Tribe - The Indian Ball - John M. Tibeats - The Storm Approaching CHAPTER VIII Ford's Embarrassments - The Sale to Tibeats - The Chattel Mortgage - Mistress Ford's Plantation on Bayou Boeuf - Description of the Latter - Ford's Brother-in-law, Peter Tanner - Meeting with Eliza - She Still Mourns for Her Children - Ford's Overseer, Chapin - Tibeats' Abuse - The Keg of Nails - The First Fight with Tibeats - His Discomfiture and Castigation - The Attempt to Hang Me - Chapin's Interference and Speech - Ramsey - Lawson and the Brown Mule - Message to the Pine Woods CHAPTER IX The Hot Sun - Yet Bound - The Cords Sink into My Flesh - Chapin's Uneasiness - Speculation - Rachel, and Her Cup of Water - Suffering Increases - The Happiness of Slavery - Arrival of Ford - He Cuts the Cords which Bind Me, and takes the Rope from My Neck - Misery - The Gathering of the Slaves in Eliza's Cabin - Their Kindness - Rachel Repeats the Occurrences of the Day - Lawson Entertains His Companions with an Account of His Ride - Chapin's apprehensions of Tibeats - Hired to Peter Tanner - Peter Expounds the Scriptures - Description of the Stocks CHAPTER X Return to Tibeats - Impossibility of Pleasing Him - He Attacks Me with a Hatchet - The Struggle over the Broad Axe - The Temptation to Murder Him - Escape across the Plantation - Observations from the Fence - Tibeats Approaches, Followed by the Hounds - They Take my Track - Their Loud Yells - They Almost Overtake Me - I Reach the Water - The Hounds Confused - Moccasin Snakes - Alligators - Night in the "Great Pacoudrie Swamp" - The Sounds of Life - North-West Course - Emerge into the Pine Woods - Slave and his Young Master - Arrival at Ford's - Food and Rest CHAPTER XI The Mistress' Garden - The Crimson and Golden Fruit - Orange and Pomegranate Trees - Return to Bayou Boeuf - Master Ford's Remarks on the Way - The Meeting with Tibeats - His Account of the Chase - Ford Censures his Brutality - Arrival at the Plantation - Astonishment of the Slaves on Seeing Me - The Anticipated Flogging - Kentucky John - Mr. Eldret, the Planter - Eldret's Sam - Trip to the "Big Cane Brake" - The Tradition of "Sutton's Field" - Forest Trees - Gnats and Mosquitoes - The Arrival of Black Women in the Big Cane - Lumber Women - Sudden Appearance of Tibeats - His Provoking Treatment - Visit to Bayou Boeuf - The Slave Pass - Southern Hospitality - The Last of Eliza - Sale to Edwin Epps CHAPTER XII Personal Appearance of Epps - Epps, Drunk and Sober - A Glimpse of his History - Cotton Growing - The Mode of Ploughing and Preparing Ground - Of Planting, of Hoeing, of Picking, of Treating Raw Hands - The Difference in Cotton Pickers - Patsey a Remarkable One - Tasked According to Ability - Beauty of a Cotton Field - The Slave's Labors - Fear of Approaching the Gin-House - Weighing - "Chores" - Cabin Life - The Corn Mill - The Uses of the Gourd - Fear of Oversleeping - Fear Continually - Mode of Cultivating Corn - Sweet Potatoes - Fertility of the Soil - Fattening Hogs - Preserving Bacon - Raising Cattle - Shooting-Matches - Garden Products - Flowers and Verdure CHAPTER XIII The Curious Axe-Helve - Symptoms of Approaching Illness - Continue to Decline - The Whip Ineffectual - Confined to the Cabin - Visit by Dr. Wines - Partial Recovery - Failure at Cotton Picking - What May be Heard on Epps' Plantation - Lashes Graduated - Epps in a Whipping Mood - Epps in a Dancing Mood - Description of the Dance - Loss of Rest no Excuse - Epps' Characteristics - Jim Burns - Removal from Huff Power to Bayou Boeuf - Description of Uncle Abram; of Wiley; of Aunt Phebe; of Bob, Henry, and Edward; of Patsey; with a Genealogical Account of Each - Something of Their Past History, and Peculiar Characteristics - Jealousy and Lust - Patsey, the Victim CHAPTER XIV Destruction of the Cotton Crop in 1845 - Demand for Laborers in St. Mary's Parish - Sent Thither in a Drove - The Order of the March - The Grand Coteau - Hired to Judge Turner on Bayou Salle - Appointed Driver in his Sugar House - Sunday Services - Slave Furniture; How Obtained - The Party at Yarney's, in Centreville - Good Fortune - The Captain of the Steamer - His Refusal to Secrete Me - Return to Bayou Boeuf - Sight of Tibeats - Patsey's Sorrows - Tumult and Contention - Hunting the Coon and Opossum - The Cunning of the Latter - The Lean Condition of the Slave - Description of the Fish Trap - The Murder of the Man from Natchez - Epps Challenged by Marshall - The Influence of Slavery - The Love of Freedom CHAPTER XV Labors on Sugar Plantations - The Mode of Planting Cane - Of Hoeing Cane - Cane Ricks - Cutting Cane - Description of the Cane Knife - Winrowing - Preparing for Succeeding Crops - Description of Hawkins' Sugar Mill on Bayou Boeuf - The Christmas Holidays - The Carnival Season of the Children of Bondage - The Christmas Supper - Red, the Favorite Color - The Violin, and the Consolation it Afforded - The Christmas Dance - Lively, the Coquette - Sam Roberts, and his Rivals - Slave Songs - Southern Life as it is - Three Days in the Year - The System of Marriage - Uncle Abram's Contempt of Matrimony CHAPTER XVI Overseers - How they are Armed and Accompanied - The Homicide - His Execution at Marksville - Slave Drivers - Appointed Driver on Removing to Bayou Boeuf - Practice Makes Perfect - Epps's Attempt to Cut Platt's Throat - The Escape from Him - Protected by the Mistress - Forbids Reading and Writing - Obtain a Sheet of Paper after Nine Years' Effort - The Letter - Armsby, the Mean White - Partially confide in him - His Treachery - Epps' Suspicions - How they were quieted - Burning the Letter - Armsby leaves the Bayou - Disappointment and Despair CHAPTER XVII Wiley Disregards the Counsels of Aunt Phebe and Uncle Abram, and is Caught by the Patrollers - The Organization and Duties of the Latter - Wiley Runs Away - Speculations in Regard to Him - His Unexpected Return - His Capture on the Red River, and Confinement in Alexandria Jail - Discovered by Joseph B. Roberts - Subduing Dogs in Anticipation of Escape - The Fugitives in the Great Pine Woods - Captured by Adam Taydem and the Indians - Augustus Killed by Dogs - Nelly, Eldret's Slave Woman - The Story of Celeste - The Concerted Movement - Lew Cheney, the Traitor - The Idea of Insurrection CHAPTER XVIII O'Niel, the Tanner - Conversation with Aunt Phebe Overheard - Epps in the Tanning Business - Stabbing of Uncle Abram - The Ugly Wound - Epps is Jealous - Patsey is Missing - Her Return from Shaw's - Harriet, Shaw's Black Wife - Epps Enraged - Patsey Denies his Charges - She is Tied Down Naked to Four Stakes - The Inhuman Flogging - Flaying of Patsey - The Beauty of the Day - The Bucket of Salt Water - The Dress Stiff with Blood - Patsey Grows Melancholy - Her Idea of God and Eternity - Of Heaven and Freedom - The Effect of Slave-Whipping - Epps' Oldest Son - "The Child is Father to the Man" CHAPTER XIX Avery, on Bayou Rouge - Peculiarity of Dwellings - Epps Builds a New House - Bass, the Carpenter - His Noble Qualities - His Personal Appearance and Eccentricities - Bass and Epps Discuss the Question of Slavery - Epps' Opinion of Bass - I Make Myself Known to Him - Our Conversation - His Surprise - The Midnight Meeting on the Bayou Bank - Bass' Assurances - Declares War against Slavery - Why I did not Disclose my History - Bass Writes Letters - Copy of his Letter to Messrs. Parker and Perry - The Fever of Suspense - Disappointments - Bass Endeavors to Cheer Me - My Faith in Him CHAPTER XX Bass Faithful to his Word - His Arrival on Christmas Eve - The Difficulty of Obtaining an Interview - The Meeting in the Cabin - Non-arrival of the Letter - Bass Announces his Intention to Proceed North - Christmas - Conversation Between Epps and Bass - Young Mistress McCoy, the Beauty of Bayou Boeuf - The "Ne plus ultra" of Dinners - Music and Dancing - Presence of the Mistress - Her Exceeding Beauty - The Last Slave Dance - William Pierce - Oversleep Myself - The Last Whipping - Despondency - Cold Morning - Epps' Threats - The Passing Carriage - Strangers Approaching Through the Cotton-Field - Last Hour on Bayou Boeuf CHAPTER XXI The Letter Reaches Saratoga - Is Forwarded to Anne - Is Laid Before Henry B. Northup - The Statute of May 14, 1840 - Its Provisions - Anne's Memorial to the Governor - The Affidavits Accompanying it - Senator Soule's Letter - Departure of the Agent Appointed by the Governor - Arrival at Marksville - The Hon. John P. Waddill - The Conversation on New-York Politics - It Suggests a Fortunate Idea - The Meeting with Bass - The Secret out - Legal Proceedings Instituted - Departure of Northup and the Sheriff from Marksville for Bayou Boeuf - Arrangements on the Way - Reach Epps' Plantation - Discover his Slaves in the Cotton-Field - The Meeting - The Farewell CHAPTER XXII Arrival in New-Orleans - Glimpse of Freeman - Genois, the Recorder - His Description of Solomon - Reach Charleston Interrupted by Custom House Officers - Pass through Richmond - Arrival in Washington - Burch Arrested - Shekels and Thorn - Their Testimony - Burch Acquitted - Arrest of Solomon - Burch Withdraws the Complaint - The Higher Tribunal - Departure from Washington - Arrival at Sandy Hill - Old Friends and Familiar Scenes - Proceed to Glens Falls - Meeting with Anne, Margaret, and Elizabeth - Solomon Northup Staunton - Incidents - Conclusion Appendix