Slave Life in Georgia - African American History

Slave Life in Georgia 32
24.03.2006
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had seized fast hold of Morgan. The poor fellow struggled very hard to get
away, but Stevens was by my side, shouting to me to hold on, and dodging
round me and Morgan as we fought, and wrestled. I do not know whether he
thought Morgan would get away, but all at once, and whilst we were still
tusseling,he lowered his gun, and discharged it. I thought I was shot. the fire and
smoke were so close to me, but at the same moment Morgan gave a leap right
out of my arms, and fell with a loud cry flat upon his face in the road. He had
received the whole contents of the piece in his right side. Hardly knowing what
I was doing, I took to my heels, and never stopped till I got safe to quarters,
where I remained for about an hour and a half. I was very much terrified at what
had taken place, and feared lest Stevens should accuse me of having killed
Morgan, so I thought I would run round and tell his wife all about it, and she
would then be able to clear me. I listened whether I could hear any one about,
and as all seemed quiet, I slipped out, and made my way to her house, as fast as
I could. It was between eleven and twelve when I knocked at the door She was
up, and dressed, and seemed to be
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expecting her husband. I told her my master had shot a man that evening, and
that I was sure it was her husband. She could not speak, but burst out crying. I
told here where he was lying, and then ran back to my quarters.
It seems she was afraid to go out that night; but quite early in the morning she
went down to the place, with three poor white men named Elias Cammel, James
Cammel, and Bill Cannon. They found the poor fellow quite stiff dead, about a
hundred and fifty yards from the spot where he had fallen. He had struggled
hard, and they had traced him by his blood to the hedge where he had at last
dropped down for good. The men who came were his friends, and they buried
him in Cannon's wood, just across a little creek. They all persuaded Morgan's
widow to take the case in hand, and lay an information against Stevens, so she
went to a magistrate to get a warrant. But the magistrate asked her on whose
evidence the warrant was to be granted. She told him that it was on that of
Stevens' man, Fed; meaning me. He refused then to give her a warrant, because,
as I was a slave, my evidence would not be received in the Courts. She said it
was very hard, for she knew I had told the truth;
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