Chains and Freedom: or, The Life and Adventures of Peter Wheeler, a Colored Man Yet Living

ERASTUS PRATT, Justice of the Peace. CHARLES B. DUTCHER, Justice of the Peace. ABIAH W. MAYHEW, Deacon of the Presbyterian Church. CHARLES H. SKIFF, M.D. WILLIAM. A. DEAN. JOHN GROFF. DANIEL BALDWIN. ELISHA BABCOCK. PHILIP STRONG. PATRICK M. KNAPP. WILLIAM TRAVER. EPHRAIM BERNUS. SAMUEL HIGGINS. WILLIAM PARSONS. JAMES BALDWIN. FRANCIS CHAREVOY.

[It may be proper to state that many of these gentlemen have known Peter more than thirteen years; likewise, that they are men of the first respectability.

AUTHOR.]

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CONTENTS.

Author’s first interview with Peter—Peter calls on the Page 17–35 Author, and begins his story—his birth and residence—is adopted by Mrs. Mather and lives in Mr. Mather’s house—his “_red scarlet coat_”—fishing expedition on Sunday with Hagar when he sees the Devil—a feat of horsemanship—saves the life of master’s oldest son, and is bit in the operation by a wild hog—an encounter with an “old-fashioned cat owl” in the Cedar Swamp—a man killed by wild cats—a short “sarmint” at a Quaker Meeting—“I and John makes a pincushion of a calf’s nose, and got tuned for it I tell ye”—holyday’s amusements—the marble egg—“I and John great cronies”—Mistress sick—Peter hears something in the night which he thinks a forerunner of her death—_she dies a Christian_—her dying words—Peter’s feelings on her death.

Peter emancipated by his old Master’s Will—but is stolen Page 36–55 and sold at auction, and bid off by GIDEON MOREHOUSE ☜ Hagar tries to buy her brother back—parting scene—his reception at his new Master’s—sudden change in fortune—Master’s cruelty—the Muskrat skins—prepare to go into “the new countries”—start on the journey “incidents of travel” on the road—Mr. Sterling, who is a sterling-good man, tries to buy Peter—gives him a pocket full of “Bungtown coppers”—abuse—story of the Blue Mountain—Oswego—Mr. Cooper, an Abolitionist—journey’s end—Cayuga county, New York.

They get into a wild country, “full of all kinds of Page 56–82 varmints,” and begin to build—Peter knocked off of a barn by his master—story of a rattlesnake charming a child—Peter hews the timber for a new house, and gets paid in lashes—Tom Ludlow an abolitionist—Peter’s friends all advise him to run off—the fox-tail company, their expeditions on Oneida Lake—deer stories—Rotterdam folks—story of a pain’ter—master pockets Peter’s share of the booty and bounty—the girls of the family befriend him—a sail on the Lake—Peter is captain, and saves the life of a young lady who falls overboard, and nearly loses his own—kindly and generously treated by the young lady’s father, who gives Peter a splendid suit of clothes worth seventy dollars, and “a good many other notions”—his master ☞ steals his clothes ☜ and wears them out himself—Mr. Tucker’s opinion of his character, and Peter’s of his fate.

An affray in digging a cellar—Peter sick of a typhus Page 83–124 fever nine months—the kindness of “the gals”—physician’s bill—a methodist preacher, and a leg of tain’ted mutton—_“master shoots arter him” with a rifle!!_—a bear story—where the skin went to—a glance at religious operations in that region—“a camp meeting”—Peter tied up in the woods in the night, and “expects to be eat up by all kinds of wild varmints”—master a drunkard—owns a still—abuses his family—a story of blood, and stripes, and groans, and cries—Peter finds ‘Lecta a friend in need—expects to be killed—Abers intercedes for him, and “makes it his business”—Mrs. Abers pours oil into Peter’s wounds—Peter goes back, and is better treated a little while—master tries to stab him with a pitchfork, and Peter nearly kills him in self-defence—tries the rifle and swears he will end Peter’s existence now—but the ball don’t hit—the crisis comes, and that night Peter swears to be free or die in the cause.

Peter’s master prosecuted for abusing him, and fined Page 155–171 $500, and put under a bond of $2000 for good behavior—Peter for a long time has a plan for running away, and the girls help him in it—“the big eclipse of 1806”—Peter starts at night to run away, and the girls carry him ten miles on his road—the parting scene—travels all night, and next day sleeps in a hollow log in the woods—accosted by a man on the Skeneateles bridge—sleeps in a barn—is discovered—two pain’ters on the road—discovered and pursued—frightened by a little girl—encounter with “two black gentlemen with a white ring round their necks”—“Ingens” chase him—“Utica quite a thrifty little place”—hires out nine days—Little Falls—hires out on a boat to go to “Snackady”—makes three trips—is discovered by Morehouse ☜—the women help him to escape to Albany—hires out on Truesdell’s sloop—meets master in the street—goes to New York—a reward of $100 offered for him—Capt. comes to take him back to his master, for “one hundred dollars don’t grow on every bush”—“feels distressedly”—but Capt. Truesdell promises to protect him, “as long as grass grows and water runs”—he follows the river.

Beginning of sea stories—sails with Captain Truesdell for Page 173–185 the West-Indies—feelings on leaving the American shore—sun-set at sea—shake hands with a French frigate—a storm—old Neptune—a bottle or a shave—caboose—Peter gets two feathers in his cap—St. Bartholomews—climate—slaves—oranges—turtle—a small pig, “but dam’ old”—weigh anchor for New York—“sail ho!”—a wreck—a sailor on a buoy—get him aboard—his story—gets well, and turns out to be an enormous swearer—couldn’t draw a breath without an oath—approach to New York—quarantine—pass the Narrows—drop anchor—rejoicing times—Peter jumps ashore “a free nigger.”

Peter spends the winter of 1806–7 in New York—sails in Page 185–199 June in the Carnapkin for Bristol—a sea tempest—ship becalmed off the coast of England—catch a shark and find a lady’s hand, and gold ring and locket in him—this locket, &c. lead to a trial, and the murderer hung—the mother of the lady visits the ship; sail for home—Peter sails with captain Williams on a trading voyage—Gibralter—description of it—sail to Bristol—chased by a privateer—she captured by a French frigate—sail for New York—Peter lives a gentleman at large in “the big city of New York.”

Peter sails for Gibralter with Captain Bainbridge—his Page 202–230 character—horrible storm—Henry falls from aloft and is killed—a funeral at sea—English lady prays—Gibralter and the landing of soldiers—a frigate and four merchantmen—Napoleon—Wellington and Lord Nelson—a slave ship—her cargo—five hundred slaves—a wake of blood fifteen hundred miles—sharks eat ’em—Amsterdam—winter there—Captain B. winters in Bristol—Dutchmen—visit to an old battle field—stories about Napoleon—Peter falls overboard and is drowned, _almost_—make New York the fourth of July—Peter lends five hundred dollars and loses it—sails to the West Indies with Captain Thompson—returns to New York and winters with Lady Rylander—sails with Captain Williams for Gibralter—fleet thirty-seven sail—cruise up the Mediterranean—Mt. Etna—sails to Liverpool—Lord Wellington and his troops—war between Great Britain and the United States—sails for New York and goes to sea no more—his own confessions of his character—dreadful wicked—sings a sailor song and winds up his yarn.

Lives at Madam Rylander’s—Quaker Macy—Susan a colored Page 233–248 girl lives with Mr. Macy—she is kidnapped and carried away, and sold into slavery—Peter visits at the “Nixon’s, mazin’ respectable” colored people in Philadelphia—falls in love with Solena—gits the consent of old folks—fix wedding day—“ax parson”—Solena dies in his arms—his grief—compared with Rhoderic Dhu—lives in New Haven—sails for New York—drives hack—Susan Macy is redeemed from slavery—she tells Peter her story of blood and horror, and abuse, and the way she made her escape from her chains.

Kidnappin’ in New York—Peter spends three years in Page 249–260 Hartford—couldn’t help thinkin’ of Solena—Hartford Convention—stays a year in Middletown—hires to a man in West Springfield—makes thirty-five dollars fishin’ nights—great revival in Springfield—twenty immersed—sexton of church in Old Springfield—religious sentiments—returns to New York—_Solena again_—Susan Macy married—pulls up for the Bay State again—lives eighteen months in Westfield—six months in Sharon—Joshua Nichols leaves his wife—Peter goes after him and finds him in Spencertown, New York—takes money back to Mrs. Nichols—returns to Spencertown—lives at Esq. Pratt’s—Works next summer for old Captain Beale—his character—falls in love—married—loses his only child—wife helpless eight months—great revival of 1827—feels more like gittin’ religion—“One sabba’day when the minister preached at me”—a resolution to get religion—how to become a christian—evening prayer-meeting—Peter’s convictions deep and distressing—going home he kneels on a rock and prayed—his prayer—the joy of a redeemed soul—his family rejoice with him.

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Dedicated to

Every body who hates oppression, and don’t believe that it is right, under any circumstances, to buy and sell the image of the Great God Almighty; and to all who love Human Liberty well enough to help to break every yoke, that the oppressed may go free——God bless all such!

“I own I am shocked at the purchase of slaves, And fear those that buy them and sell them are knaves; What I hear of their hardships, their tortures and groans, Is almost enough to draw pity from stones.”

COWPER.

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Author’s first interview with Peter—Peter calls on the Author, and begins his story—his birth and residence—is adopted by Mrs. Mather and lives in Mr. Mather’s house—his “_red scarlet coat_“—fishing expedition on Sunday with Hagar when he sees the Devil—a feat of horsemanship—saves the life of master’s oldest son, and is bit in the operation by a wild hog—an encounter with an “old-fashioned cat owl” in the Cedar Swamp—a man killed by wild cats—a short “sarmint” at a Quaker Meeting—“I and John makes a pincushion of a calf’s nose, and got tuned for it, I tell ye”—holyday’s amusements—the marble egg—“I and John great cronies”—Mistress sick—Peter hears something in the night which he thinks a forerunner of her death—_she dies a Christian_—her dying words—Peter’s feelings on her death.