I immediately resolved to run away
I immediately resolved to run away
What I believe is so remarkable about my great-great grandfather is his mindset on freedom. He understood the systemic implications of slavery, yet did not let it permeate his soul. He remained independent and steadfast in making something of himself and leaving a legacy. He was the kind of man who played by the rules until he realized he was being manipulated unjustly. Then, he found the resolve to throw caution to the wind and fearlessly flee.
“At the beginning of the Civil War I was still at this place as a slave. It looked at the first of the war as if the south would win, as most of the big battles were won by the South. This was because we slaves stayed at home and tended the farms and kept their families.”
“To eliminate this solid support of the South, the Emancipation Act was passed, freeing all slaves. Most of the slaves were so ignorant they did not realize they were free. The planters knew this and as Kentucky never succeeded from the Union, they would send slaves into Kentucky from other states in the south and hire them out to plantations. ”
“For these reasons I did not realize that I was free until 1864. I immediately resolved to run away and join the Union Army and so my brother and I went to Owensburg, Kentucky and tried to join. My brother was taken, but I was refused as being too young. I then tried to find work and was finally hired by a man at $7.00 a month. That was my first independent job.”