GORE—HIS SENSE OF DUTY—HOW HE WHIPPED—MURDER OF POOR DENBY—HOW IT
OCCURRED—SENSATION—HOW GORE MADE PEACE WITH COL. LLOYD—THE MURDER
OF SLAVES CAN BE ENFORCED IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
As I have already intimated elsewhere, the slaves on Col. Lloyd’s plantation6, whose hard lot, under Mr. Sevier, the reader has already noticed and deplored7, were not permitted to enjoy the comparatively moderate rule of Mr. Hopkins. The latter was succeeded by a very different man. The name of the new overseer was Austin Gore. Upon this individual I would fix particular attention; for under his rule there was more suffering from violence and bloodshed than had—according to the older slaves ever been experienced before on this plantation. I confess, I hardly know how to bring this man fitly before the reader. He was, it is true, an overseer, and possessed8, to a large extent, the peculiar characteristics of his class; yet, to call him merely an overseer, would not give the reader a fair notion of the man. I speak of overseers as a class. They are such. They are as distinct from the slaveholding gentry9 of the south, as are the fishwomen of Paris, and the coal-heavers of London, distinct from other members of society. They constitute a separate fraternity at the south, not less marked than is the fraternity of Park Lane bullies10 in New York. They have been arranged and classified[94] by that great law of attraction, which determines the spheres and affinities11 of men; which ordains12, that men, whose malign13 and brutal14 propensities15 predominate over their moral and intellectual endowments, shall, naturally, fall into those employments which promise the largest gratification to those predominating instincts or propensities. The office of overseer takes this raw material of vulgarity and brutality16, and stamps it as a distinct class of southern society. But, in this class, as in all other classes, there are characters of marked individuality, even while they bear a general resemblance to the mass. Mr. Gore was one of those, to whom a general characterization would do no manner of justice. He was an overseer; but he was something more. With the malign and tyrannical qualities of an overseer, he combined something of the lawful17 master. He had the artfulness and the mean ambition of his class; but he was wholly free from the disgusting swagger and noisy bravado18 of his fraternity. There was an easy air of independence about him; a calm self-possession, and a sternness of glance, which might well daunt19 hearts less timid than those of poor slaves, accustomed from childhood and through life to cower20 before a driver’s lash21. The home plantation of Col. Lloyd afforded an ample field for the exercise of the qualifications for overseership, which he possessed in such an eminent22 degree.
Mr. Gore was one of those overseers, who could torture the slightest word or look into impudence23; he had the nerve, not only to resent, but to punish, promptly24 and severely25. He never allowed himself to be answered back, by a slave. In this, he was as lordly and as imperious as Col. Edward Lloyd, himself; acting26 always up to the maxim27, practically maintained by slaveholders, that it is better that a dozen slaves suffer under the lash, without fault, than that the master or the overseer should seem to have been wrong in the presence of the slave. Everything must be absolute here. Guilty or not guilty, it is enough to be accused, to be sure of a flogging. The very presence of this man Gore was[95] painful, and I shunned28 him as I would have shunned a rattlesnake. His piercing, black eyes, and sharp, shrill29 voice, ever awakened30 sensations of terror among the slaves. For so young a man (I describe him as he was, twenty-five or thirty years ago) Mr. Gore was singularly reserved and grave in the presence of slaves. He indulged in no jokes, said no funny things, and kept his own counsels. Other overseers, how brutal soever they might be, were, at times, inclined to gain favor with the slaves, by indulging a little pleasantry; but Gore was never known to be guilty of any such weakness. He was always the cold, distant, unapproachable overseer of Col. Edward Lloyd’s plantation, and needed no higher pleasure than was involved in a faithful discharge of the duties of his office. When he whipped, he seemed to do so from a sense of duty, and feared no consequences. What Hopkins did reluctantly, Gore did with alacrity31. There was a stern will, an iron-like reality, about this Gore, which would have easily made him the chief of a band of pirates, had his environments been favorable to such a course of life. All the coolness, savage32 barbarity and freedom from moral restraint, which are necessary in the character of a pirate-chief, centered, I think, in this man Gore. Among many other deeds of shocking cruelty which he perpetrated, while I was at Mr. Lloyd’s, was the murder of a young colored man, named Denby. He was sometimes called Bill Denby, or Demby; (I write from sound, and the sounds on Lloyd’s plantation are not very certain.) I knew him well. He was a powerful young man, full of animal spirits, and, so far as I know, he was among the most valuable of Col. Lloyd’s slaves. In something—I know not what—he offended this Mr. Austin Gore, and, in accordance with the custom of the latter, he under took to flog him. He gave Denby but few stripes; the latter broke away from him and plunged33 into the creek34, and, standing35 there to the depth of his neck in water, he refused to come out at the order of the overseer; whereupon, for this refusal, Gore shot him dead! It is said that Gore gave Denby three calls, telling him that[96] if he did not obey the last call, he would shoot him. When the third call was given, Denby stood his ground firmly; and this raised the question, in the minds of the by-standing slaves—“Will he dare to shoot?” Mr. Gore, without further parley36, and without making any further effort to induce Denby to come out of the water, raised his gun deliberately37 to his face, took deadly aim at his standing victim, and, in an instant, poor Denby was numbered with the dead. His mangled38 body sank out of sight, and only his warm, red blood marked the place where he had stood.
This devilish outrage39, this fiendish murder, produced, as it was well calculated to do, a tremendous sensation. A thrill of horror flashed through every soul on the plantation, if I may except the guilty wretch40 who had committed the hell-black deed. While the slaves generally were panic-struck, and howling with alarm, the murderer himself was calm and collected, and appeared as though nothing unusual had happened. The atrocity41 roused my old master, and he spoke42 out, in reprobation43 of it; but the whole thing proved to be less than a nine days’ wonder. Both Col. Lloyd and my old master arraigned44 Gore for his cruelty in the matter, but this amounted to nothing. His reply, or explanation—as I remember to have heard it at the time was, that the extraordinary expedient45 was demanded by necessity; that Denby had become unmanageable; that he had set a dangerous example to the other slaves; and that, without some such prompt measure as that to which he had resorted, were adopted, there would be an end to all rule and order on the plantation. That very convenient covert46 for all manner of cruelty and outrage that cowardly alarm-cry, that the slaves would “take the place,” was pleaded, in extenuation47 of this revolting crime, just as it had been cited in defense48 of a thousand similar ones. He argued, that if one slave refused to be corrected, and was allowed to escape with his life, when he had been told that he should lose it if he persisted in his course, the other slaves would soon copy his example; the result of which would be, the freedom of the slaves, and the enslavement of the[97] whites. I have every reason to believe that Mr. Gore’s defense, or explanation, was deemed satisfactory—at least to Col. Lloyd. He was continued in his office on the plantation. His fame as an overseer went abroad, and his horrid49 crime was not even submitted to judicial50 investigation51. The murder was committed in the presence of slaves, and they, of course, could neither institute a suit, nor testify against the murderer. His bare word would go further in a court of law, than the united testimony52 of ten thousand black witnesses.
All that Mr. Gore had to do, was to make his peace with Col. Lloyd. This done, and the guilty perpetrator of one of the most foul53 murders goes unwhipped of justice, and uncensured by the community in which he lives. Mr. Gore lived in St. Michael’s, Talbot county, when I left Maryland; if he is still alive he probably yet resides there; and I have no reason to doubt that he is now as highly esteemed54, and as greatly respected, as though his guilty soul had never been stained with innocent blood. I am well aware that what I have now written will by some be branded as false and malicious55. It will be denied, not only that such a thing ever did transpire56, as I have now narrated, but that such a thing could happen in Maryland. I can only say—believe it or not—that I have said nothing but the literal truth, gainsay57 it who may.
I speak advisedly when I say this,—that killing58 a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community. Mr. Thomas Lanman, ship carpenter, of St. Michael’s, killed two slaves, one of whom he butchered with a hatchet59, by knocking his brains out. He used to boast of the commission of the awful and bloody60 deed. I have heard him do so, laughingly, saying, among other things, that he was the only benefactor61 of his country in the company, and that when “others would do as much as he had done, we should be relieved of the d—d niggers.”
As an evidence of the reckless disregard of human life where the life is that of a slave I may state the notorious fact, that the[98] wife of Mr. Giles Hicks, who lived but a short distance from Col. Lloyd’s, with her own hands murdered my wife’s cousin, a young girl between fifteen and sixteen years of age—mutilating her person in a most shocking manner. The atrocious woman, in the paroxysm of her wrath62, not content with murdering her victim, literally63 mangled her face, and broke her breast bone. Wild, however, and infuriated as she was, she took the precaution to cause the slave-girl to be buried; but the facts of the case coming abroad, very speedily led to the disinterment of the remains64 of the murdered slave-girl. A coroner’s jury was assembled, who decided65 that the girl had come to her death by severe beating. It was ascertained66 that the offense67 for which this girl was thus hurried out of the world, was this: she had been set that night, and several preceding nights, to mind Mrs. Hicks’s baby, and having fallen into a sound sleep, the baby cried, waking Mrs. Hicks, but not the slave-girl. Mrs. Hicks, becoming infuriated at the girl’s tardiness68, after calling several times, jumped from her bed and seized a piece of fire-wood from the fireplace; and then, as she lay fast asleep, she deliberately pounded in her skull69 and breast-bone, and thus ended her life. I will not say that this most horrid murder produced no sensation in the community. It did produce a sensation; but, incredible to tell, the moral sense of the community was blunted too entirely70 by the ordinary nature of slavery horrors, to bring the murderess to punishment. A warrant was issued for her arrest, but, for some reason or other, that warrant was never served. Thus did Mrs. Hicks not only escape condign71 punishment, but even the pain and mortification72 of being arraigned before a court of justice.
Whilst I am detailing the bloody deeds that took place during my stay on Col. Lloyd’s plantation, I will briefly73 narrate4 another dark transaction, which occurred about the same time as the murder of Denby by Mr. Gore.
On the side of the river Wye, opposite from Col. Lloyd’s, there lived a Mr. Beal Bondley, a wealthy slaveholder. In the direction[99] of his land, and near the shore, there was an excellent oyster74 fishing ground, and to this, some of the slaves of Col. Lloyd occasionally resorted in their little canoes, at night, with a view to make up the deficiency of their scanty75 allowance of food, by the oysters76 that they could easily get there. This, Mr. Bondley took it into his head to regard as a trespass77, and while an old man belonging to Col. Lloyd was engaged in catching78 a few of the many millions of oysters that lined the bottom of that creek, to satisfy his hunger, the villainous Mr. Bondley, lying in ambush79, without the slightest ceremony, discharged the contents of his musket80 into the back and shoulders of the poor old man. As good fortune would have it, the shot did not prove mortal, and Mr. Bondley came over, the next day, to see Col. Lloyd—whether to pay him for his property, or to justify81 himself for what he had done, I know not; but this I can say, the cruel and dastardly transaction was speedily hushed up; there was very little said about it at all, and nothing was publicly done which looked like the application of the principle of justice to the man whom chance, only, saved from being an actual murderer. One of the commonest sayings to which my ears early became accustomed, on Col. Lloyd’s plantation and elsewhere in Maryland, was, that it was “worth but half a cent to kill a nigger, and a half a cent to bury him;” and the facts of my experience go far to justify the practical truth of this strange proverb. Laws for the protection of the lives of the slaves, are, as they must needs be, utterly82 incapable83 of being enforced, where the very parties who are nominally84 protected, are not permitted to give evidence, in courts of law, against the only class of persons from whom abuse, outrage and murder might be reasonably apprehended85. While I heard of numerous murders committed by slaveholders on the Eastern Shores of Maryland, I never knew a solitary86 instance in which a slaveholder was either hung or imprisoned87 for having murdered a slave. The usual pretext88 for killing a slave is, that the slave has offered resistance. Should a slave, when assaulted, but raise his hand in self defense, the white assaulting[100] party is fully89 justified90 by southern, or Maryland, public opinion, in shooting the slave down. Sometimes this is done, simply because it is alleged91 that the slave has been saucy92. But here I leave this phase of the society of my early childhood, and will relieve the kind reader of these heart-sickening details.
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1
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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affinities
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| n.密切关系( affinity的名词复数 )；亲近；（生性）喜爱；类同 | |
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ordains
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的第三人称单数 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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malign
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| adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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propensities
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| n.倾向，习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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daunt
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| vt.使胆怯，使气馁 | |
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cower
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| v.畏缩，退缩，抖缩 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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atrocity
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| n.残暴，暴行 | |
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42
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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reprobation
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| n.斥责 | |
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44
arraigned
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| v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责 | |
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45
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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46
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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extenuation
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| n.减轻罪孽的借口；酌情减轻；细 | |
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48
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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53
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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transpire
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| v.(使)蒸发，(使)排出 ；泄露，公开 | |
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gainsay
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| v.否认，反驳 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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tardiness
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| n.缓慢；迟延；拖拉 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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condign
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| adj.应得的，相当的 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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oyster
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| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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trespass
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| n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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