The Narrative of Lunsford Lane, Formerly of Raleigh, N.C. | Page 7

me. After my master died, my mistress sold a number of her
slaves from their families and friends--but not me. She sold several
children from their parents--but my children were with me still. She
sold two husbands from their wives--but I was still with mine. She sold
one wife from her husband--but mine had not been sold from me. The
master of my wife, Mr. Smith, had separated members of families by
sale--but not of mine. With me and my house, the tenderer tendrils of
the heart still clung to where the vine had entwined; pleasant was its
shade and delicious its fruit to our taste, though we knew, and what is
more, we felt that we were slaves. But all around I could see where the
vine had been torn down, and its bleeding branches told of vanished
joys, and of new wrought sorrows, such as, slave though I was, had
never entered into my practical experience.
I had never been permitted to learn to read; but I used to attend church,
and there I received instruction which I trust was of some benefit to me.
I trusted, too, that I had experienced the renewing influences of the
gospel; and after obtaining from my mistress a written permit, (a thing
always required in such a case,) I had been baptised and received into
fellowship with the Baptist denomination. So that in religious matters, I
had been indulged in the exercise of my own conscience--a favor not
always granted to slaves. Indeed I, with others, was often told by the
minister how good God was in bringing us over to this country from
dark and benighted Africa, and permitting us to listen to the sound of

the gospel. To me, God also granted temporal freedom, which man
without God's consent, had stolen away.
I often heard select portions of the scriptures read. And on the Sabbath
there was one sermon preached expressly for the colored people which
it was generally my privilege to hear. I became quite familiar with the
texts, "Servants be obedient to your masters."--"Not with eye service as
men pleasers."--"He that knoweth his master's will and doeth it not,
shall be beaten with many stripes," and others of this class: for they
formed the basis of most of these public instructions to us. The first
commandment impressed upon our minds was to obey our masters, and
the second was like unto it, namely, to do as much work when they or
the overseers were not watching us as when they were. But connected
with these instructions there was more or less that was truly excellent;
though mixed up with much that would sound strangely in the ears of
freedom. There was one very kind hearted Episcopal minister whom I
often used to hear; he was very popular with the colored people. But
after he had preached a sermon to us in which he argued from the Bible
that it was the will of heaven from all eternity we should be slaves, and
our masters be our owners, most of us left him; for like some of the
faint hearted disciples in early times we said,--"This is a hard saying,
who can bear it?"
My manumission, as I shall call it; that is, the bill of sale conveying me
to Mr. Smith, was dated Sept. 9th, 1835. I continued in the tobacco and
pipe business as already described, to which I added a small trade in a
variety of articles; and some two years before I left Raleigh, I entered
also into a considerable business in wood, which I used to purchase by
the acre standing, cut it, haul it into the city, deposit it in a yard and sell
it out as I advantageously could. Also I was employed about the office
of the Governor as I shall hereafter relate. I used to keep one or two
horses, and various vehicles, by which I did a variety of work at
hauling about town. Of course I had to hire more or less help, to carry
on my business.
In the manufacture of tobacco I met with considerable competition, but
none that materially injured me. The method of preparing it having

originated with me and my father, we found it necessary, in order to
secure the advantage of the invention, to keep it to ourselves, and
decline, though often solicited, going into partnership with others.
Those who undertook the manufacture could neither give the article a
flavor so pleasant as ours, nor manufacture it so cheaply, so they either
failed in it, or succeeded but poorly.
Not long after obtaining my own freedom, I began seriously to think
about purchasing the freedom of my family. The first proposition was
that I should buy my wife, and that we should jointly