ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN
by
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It was the spring of 1856 the newly arrived slaves had been on their slave master’s plantation less the four days. The trip to the new slave owner’s plantation had taken six hours. Abraham knew that slaves were deprived of the rights held by free white men. Slaves were human chattel and could be bought and sold at the discretion of the slave owner. A rebellious or defiant slave would be severely punished, whipped, have fingers cut off, and on some plantations even a foot or hand amputated. This abusive punishment was a deterrent to other slaves who entertained any thought about escaping to freedom.
Abraham attempted to run away on his fifth day on the Collins plantation. His ankles were still sore from the rough train ride from Savannah into the pine barrens of Tattnall County. A few minutes after daybreak Abraham made his move to escape. But he was betrayed by one of master Collins loyal slaves. “There he goes,” Claude yelled out. Abraham dashed from the small slave cabin at full speed hobbled by sore ankles from the shackles around his ankles. “Get those dogs after him, and hurry up,” shouted the overseer.
“Don’t let him get far,” yelled the large rotund man to the two slaves who were chasing Abraham through the woods west of “Massa Collins” farm as the other slaves called the place. The dogs trailed him about fifty yards behind. Abraham dashed across a small creek as the dogs increased their speed. A hundred yard from the creek Abraham slowed down and ran up a tree. Minutes later, the dogs converged on the tree barking and jumping high into the air. And the exhausted slaves chasing Abraham arrived four minutes later, wearied, and out of breath.
“Come down from there boy! We got you now, get on down,” the obese overseer yelled.
“Call your dogs off, I’ll come down. “Not before those dogs go.” Master Collins had now arrived with his shotgun in one hand and his whip in the other. Seconds later, Abraham leaped from the tree and the dogs on him. He was chained and shackled and his first attempt to escape was unsuccessful.
An hour later, Abraham the two faithful slaves, Master Collins and his overseer arrived back to the plantation. Both of Abraham’s ankles were sore as they arrived at the big house and the area where unruly and disobedient slaves were punished. The obese overseer grabbed the whip from Master Collins. A delightful distasteful grin flashed across his face. “Jump to your feet, you black nigger, I’ll teach you to run away from Mr. Collins place. You’ll wish you never had feet when I finish with you.”
The other slaves passively watched in a submissive manner as Abraham stood up to receive the sharp piercing lashes on his back. His hands were tied above his shoulders; his legs were spread apart to restrict his movement. The vile overseer turned and looked at the other slaves standing in fear. “What I’m going to do will teach the rest of you darkies a lesson. Never try to run away from Master Collins place. I’m going to tear the meat off his back with this whip.”
The wicked overseer gave young Abraham twenty-five lashes across his back. The slave Claude held Abraham up as the overseer cut the rope from around his wrists and legs. Blood trickled slowly from his back as Claude carried him to the tiny slave cabin where Abraham and four other slaves lived.
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About the Book
This book is about an ordinary man who lived in extraordinary times during the period of slavery in southern history. Abraham was born into an institution which viewed him as three-fifths of a white person by the United States Constitution. He was sold into the slave state of Georgia from South Carolina in 1856, one year before the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857. This decision proclaimed in March of 1857 declared that African Americans were not citizens of the United States and could not sue in federal courts. A United States citizen had a constitutional right to take his slave property into any state or territory based on the property clause of the Fifth Amendment.
This book is not about the life of an invisible historical figure in a remote period of time in Southern and United Sates history. It’s about a real person and his family who survived the brutality and savagery of slavery. This book is about a people who experienced disenfranchisement, the violence of the Ku Klux Klan, lynching, the loss of property through trickery, and deceit.
It’s about a man who left his wife and four small children to join the union army. He wanted to be free. He arrived in Savannah on a cold rainy wind- swept day; dressed in raggedy clothes with worn out shoes with holes in each one. His body exposed to the near freezing cold and rainy weather of February 1865. On March 7, 1865 he enlisted in the union army with Company C, Thirty-Third Regiment United States Colored Troops. Abraham knew that his fate and the destiny of thousands of other slaves and free African Americans rested upon the outcome of union victory.
About the Author
I was born in Tattnall County Georgia on May 11, 1941. I was an educator for thirty-eight years. During my thirty-eight year tenure, I served as a Social Studies teacher and teacher of Georgia History for eighteen years. The latter part of my educational career I was a Vice Principal and school principal. I attended Savannah State University, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Georgia Southern University, Columbus State University, and did my doctoral studies at Berne University.
I was raised on stories as told to me by my great uncle; two uncles, and three aunts. From the time I turned twenty, my three older brothers all of whom are twenty plus years older than I, and my mother and father supplied me with a good deal of information for this book.
My mother’s paternal grandfather amassed over three hundred acres of land after he was freed from slavery and her maternal grandfather accumulated two hundred seventy-five acres of land. Both men were outstanding citizens in their county and were weel respected by everyone.
Gene A. Nash – All of God’s Children