Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Fifty Years Ago No. 42 March 27, 1897
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Savanna King savanna18king@gmail.com August 11, 2023, 1:47 am

The Thibodaux Sentinel March 27, 1897
I have spoken of the peculiarity of slaves running away. Often these incidents 
occurred because the slaves desired to get rest for a while, but sometimes they 
went off in the hope of reaching a free state and obtaining their freedom.

A few years before the war a deaf and dumb man from the North came to 
Napoleonville, in the Parish of Assumption, on some mission or other. With his 
irrepressible slate and pencil he soon attracted the attention of the citizens 
so much so, that Mr. Arthur J. Foley, a planter residing on the lower line of 
Napoleonville, took him to his house and entertained him for several days. He 
went away and a few days afterwards two or three of Mr. Foley’s best slaves and 
as many more from a neighboring plantation failed to respond to the bell that 
was rung to summon the slave to their daily labor.

Then it was that Mr. Foley learned from some of his servants that the stranger 
that he had been entertaining was dumb in company with white people but could 
talk very glibly with slaves. The visit was simply an emissary of the 
Abolitionists who had taken that plan to obtain the opportunity to talk with 
slaves. So well did he instruct these negroes what to do and what routes to 
follow to reach Cairo, Illinois, that they actually traveled as far as, or above 
Memphis before they were apprehended and notification sent to their owners when 
they were sent for and returned.

In the border states success often followed the attempt of the fugitive in his 
race for freedom but from the extreme Southern states it was rare that he 
reached the desired border of safety.

The distance was too great and the watchful system of slave owners to arrest any 
negro without the necessary papers, place him in jail, and notify his master was 
so thorough.

Slavery produced some droll results. In the winter of 1855-6 a report spread all 
over the Southern country that there would be an uprising of the slaves about 
Christmas or New Year day. How it originated or where, is one of those 
impenetrable mysteries that has not nor ever will be unveiled. But that there 
was a feeling of alarm existing is undeniable, and when one remembers that in 
large portions of the slave countries the negroes greatly outnumbered their 
white owners, and whilst no fears as to the result of such a revolt was 
entertained yet many people, especially women and children might have been 
killed.

A general patrol system was inaugurated some weeks before the period of the 
anticipated rising so that no slave dared to put his head outside of his cabin 
during the night, while a strict watch was kept to prevent the slaves even from 
collecting together in their quarters for consolation or amusement. The patrols 
were on the public roads all night long and every precaution taken to prevent 
any threatened movement of the slaves. Christmas eve night was a bitter cold 
one. I was in Napoleonville; the little village as well as the entire parish, 
and I presume all slave holding states were on the alert for any emergency. The 
night and the holidays passed away in peace and tranquility when the excitement 
gradually subsided. The slaves were terrified and could not comprehend the 
meaning of such actions of their owners. There was about as much prospect of a 
revolt of slaves as there is today of an army coming down from the pale faced 
moon to attack this mundane planet.

There were doubtless emissaries from the northern section of the Union who 
passed through the South and when opportunity arose, instilled within the mind 
of the slave ideas of revolting and seizing the possessions of his master.

But as to an organized effort to accomplish such a purpose, there never was one. 
These hypocritical visitors by this insane talk with the slave often caused them 
to be unruly, and saucy, the result of which was that they received a good 
whipping to bring them back to their proper subjection.


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