Chapter I: Preface

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The following Narrative was taken entirely from the lips of Peter Wheeler. I have in all instances given his own language, and faithfully recorded his story as he told it, _without any change whatever_. There are many astonishing facts related in this book, and before the reader finishes it, he will at least feel that

“Truth is stranger than fiction.”

But the truth of every thing here stated can be relied on. The subject of this story is well known to the author, who for a long time brake unto him “the bread of life,” as a brother in Christ, and beloved for the Redeemer’s sake. There are, likewise, hundreds of living witnesses, who have for many years been acquain’ted with the man, and aware of the incidents here recorded, who cherish perfect confidence in his veracity.

He has many times, for many years, related the same facts, to many persons, in the same language _verbatim_; and individuals to whom the author has read some of the following incidents, have recognized the story and language, as they heard them from the hero’s lips long before the author ever heard his name. There are also persons yet living, whom I have seen and known, who witnessed many of Peter’s most awful sufferings.

* * * * *

Of course, the book lays no claim to the merit of _literature_, and will not be reviewed as such; but it does claim the merit of _strict verity_, which is no mean characteristic in a book, in these days.

The subject, and the author, have but one object in view in bringing the book before the public:—a mutual desire to contribute as far as they can, to the freedom of enchained millions for whom Christ died. And if any heart may be made to feel one emotion of benevolence, and lift up a more earnest cry to God for the suffering slave; if one generous impulse may be awakened in a slaveholder’s bosom towards his fellow traveller to God’s bar, whose crime is, in being “born with a skin not coloured like his own;” and if it may inspire in the youthful mind, the spirit of that sweet verse, consecrated by the hallowed associations of a New-England home—

“I was not born a little slave
To labour in the sun,
And wish I were but in my grave,
And all my labor done.”

it will not be in vain.

* * * * *

That it may hasten that glorious consummation which we know is fast approaching, when slavery shall be known only in the story of past time, is the earnest prayer of the

AUTHOR.

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_Certificate of the Citizens of Spencertown._

This is to certify, that we, the undersigned, are, and have been _well acquain’ted_ with Peter Wheeler, for a number of years, and that we place _full confidence in all his statements_:—

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.

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BOOK THE FIRST.

CHAPTER I.

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.

CHAPTER II.

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.

CHAPTER III.

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.