Betrayed
Chapter five
The tribulations and adventures of Josiah Henson
Peter van Gorder
The next morning, at the blowing of the horn, I went out to find Master Amos. I found him sitting on some steps by the fence, and as I drew near enough for him to recognize me, he shouted out a hearty welcome in his usual friendly style. “Why, halloa, Sie! is that you? Got back, eh! Why, you old son of a bitch, I’m glad to see you! My, my, why, you’re a regular black gentleman!”
He looked at my clothes with an appreciative grin said. “Well, boy, how’s your master?”
Without waiting for my answer, he continued, “Isaac says you want to be free. Want to be free, eh! I think your master treats you pretty hard, though. Six hundred and fifty dollars don’t come so easy in old Kentuck. How does he ever expect you to raise all that. It’s too much, boy, it’s too much.”
In the conversation that followed I found out that Issac Riley had tricked me, he had now raised the price of my freedom to one thousand dollars and had no plans to send my papers. Like Laban of old, my master had cheated me.
I was not undaunted but kept praising the Lord, knowing that He would work all things out for me in His time. It had been a miracle that I been able to raise this first amount. If it were His will for me to achieve freedom, He would make a way for me to raise the second amount.
I looked for ways to raise the extra money. I knew it would take a long time if ever to achieve. Inside I was in great torment and being tricked like this but it was useless to show my feelings. I went about my work with as quiet a mind as I could, resolved to trust in God, and never despair.
Amos was happy with the situation though, for it meant that he could keep me working for him longer. He had no idea to let me go again to raise the additional six hundred and fifty dollars.
He often took delight in my misfortune, “How’s it going raising that money you need for your freedom? You should plant some money trees, ha! Oh, by the way, Isaac is writing me wondering when he’s going to get his money.”
Things went on as usual for a year. I began to think more and more of a way to escape. One day my master suddenly informed me that his son, who was also named Amos, a young man about twenty-one years of age, was sailing down the river to New Orleans, with a flat-boat loaded with produce, and that I was to go with him. He was leaving the next day, and I was to go with him to help him sell his cargo for the best price I could get.
Although no one told me as much, I knew this meant that I was to be separated from my family and sold again as a slave. All my hopes seemed dashed. Even now, the Lord comforted me by telling me that where there is life, there is hope.
A battle royal was raging in my soul, between the temptation to despair and vent my rage and to keep trusting God. I felt like Christ on the cross when He called out, “My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me?”
I said my tearful goodbyes to my wife and children at the landing. We never knew if we would see each other again. The boat was manned by two white men and the captain, who had been hired for the trip. There was also Amos and I, making five in total. The load consisted of cattle, pigs, poultry, corn, whisky, and other articles from the farm, and from some of the neighboring estates, which were to be sold for the best price we could get as we sailed down the river.
As we traveled downstream, each one of us took turns steering the ship. I learned how to navigate the difficult currents and how to avoid logs that could snag us and sandbars in the quick current of the Mississippi River.
I was given more and more shifts until I was steering the boat most of the time. The captain of the boat became blind from the bright reflections on the river. As none of us knew the river and the captain was unable to help us, we had to sail only in the daytime. At night, we had to keep constant watch as attacks on ships to plunder goods were common.
On our way downriver, I got permission to visit a plantation near Vicksburg. I wanted to visit some of my old friends who had been sold there from Kentucky.
I was deeply saddened by what I saw when we met. Four years of working for a hard master, suffering starvation and disease had taken their toll. Their cheeks were caved in and their bodies infested with parasites. Toiling half naked in malaria marshes, under a burning, maddening sun, and poisoned by swarms of mosquitoes and black gnats, they looked forward to death as their only deliverance.
They cried for me knowing that the same fate awaited me. I went away sick at heart. To this day, the sight of that wretched group haunts me.
Now a dark storm cloud gathered over my thoughts. All that I saw on the river journey seemed to echo my despair – wretched slave pens, rotting carcasses of animals swarming with turkey buzzards and green flies, filthy water. An evil vapor seemed to rise from the scene like phantoms that took shape and filled the air with their choking fumes.
I thought only of a quick death to relieve me of the suffering I had seen in my former companions. My faith in God gave way and I surrendered my thoughts to the torments of hell that the devil cast in my face.
He said to me, “You see, you will become a walking skeleton like them. You’re not as young as you used to be or as young as your pitiful friends you just saw. Yes, two years should do it. God has abandoned you forever. Give up praying or trusting Him. Death is your friend. Only dying can release you from your suffering.
“Is it not written: ‘There the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?’ (Job 3)
“Look, you have done everything for your masters, but what do they care about you? They are ready to sacrifice you for their selfish interests and a few dollars.”
His line was working, but he was not finished, he heaped on more to get me to do his bidding and take me out of God’s protection.
One dark rainy night, it reached a pitch, “Here’s an idea. Take the life of those who have done this injustice to you. You can do it easily enough. They don’t suspect you. You have them in your power.
“Remember when you were in Ohio and you could have taken your freedom and you didn’t do it because you were trying to play by their rules? What happened? They cheated you. Now, is another opportunity to get back at them and get your freedom. You can kill them quickly and escape! Who would blame you for this after all that they have done to you? Not God, He would probably reward you.
“They are in the hold sleeping. Now is your chance. In a few days you will be in New Orleans and it will be too late. Do it now!
“Here’s a plan. Kill all four of them, steal their money, wreck the ship, and make your escape. Don’t let this chance go by, another one may not come again.
“Look, there is an axe.”
I grabbed the axe.
“Go down to the bedroom. Go quietly!”
I went down to the bedroom.
“There is Amos, nearest to you. Start with him.”
In the dim light I could make him out.
“Raise your axe.”
I did.
Another voice broke in that startled me. I turned my head to listen, “What are you doing committing murder? And you a Christian?”
I hesitated for a moment to argue with this new voice, “It’s not murder. It’s self-defense.”
“Has anyone tried to kill you?”
“No, not yet, but they will when they sell me.”
“It is a crime. If you kill these men. You will hang.”
“But what about the great warriors in the Bible? They killed and were praised. Is this any less worthy?”
“You are going to kill a young man who has done nothing to you. He is only obeying what he was told to do. Besides, if you do this, you will hate yourself and regret it forever.”
I knew this was right. I was certain to lose that peace of mind that had never left me through all I had endured. I put down the axe and went back upstairs.
“Thank you Lord, for stopping me from doing this horrible thing!” I thanked Him then, and I thanked Him every day after that as well that I had resisted this temptation.
The devil did not give up so easily. Now he took tried a different tactic by condemning me. “You are doomed. They will see it in your face. You’ll probably say a careless word that will give it away what you were planning to do. Maybe one of them even saw you.”
I gathered the strength to mount a counter attack, “Get out of here. I resign myself to the will of God. Whatever happens to me, I will take with thankfulness. If I die soon, it will be with a free conscience before God that I trusted in Him. If I go soon, it will mean less suffering and sooner to enjoy the taste of paradise.”
Like the three men who before they were thrown into the fiery furnace said,
Dan 3:17 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Dan 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Or as Job, “ Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
It wasn’t long before I recovered my self-control and serenity. I told no one of this incident for many years.
We arrived in New Orleans on time. We sold the rest of our cargo quickly. The only thing left to do was to sell me.
Amos no longer pretended to hide what he would do with me, “I’m sorry Sie, but I have to sell you. But don’t worry, I’ll get you a good master. I’ll find a job for you as a coachman or house servant.”
I began to cry and beg for mercy, “But Master Amos. Please don’t sell me away from my wife and children. I’ve done so much for your farm. I’ve doubled your crops and brought you good prices. I’ve done all you’ve asked of me and more. You would be better off keeping me.”
He began to cry too. But he was as trapped as I was. “ I’m sorry for you, Sie. Truly I am, but I have no choice.”
I fell at his knees and grabbed him pleading my case. He cursed me and gave me a kick to get me out of his way.
He left quickly and avoided talking with me. It was too painful on his conscience to bear.
Several planters came to the boat to look at me.
Amos praised me to them, “This is our top nigger. He is running our whole farm, he is – and getting top dollar for our goods, too. Smart nigger, this one. He’s fast too. I’ll show you. Sie, go buy some apples for us. Go quickly now.”
I did what he asked. When I came back they looked at me more closely as if I were a horse that they were about to purchase.
A buyer was found for me and I was to be sold the next day, our boat would be sold, and Amos would take the six PM steamboat back to the farm in Kentucky. That night I could not sleep. I felt as if I were a man sentenced to be hung on the morning.
Then God reached down and worked in His mysterious ways to change the current of my life.
Discussion point: When people are unkind to us, how should we deal with them? How do you think would have happened to Josiah had he not listened to the second voice?
Prayer: Lord, deliver us from temptation of evil and help us to show love to those that do evil to us.
Bringing Home the Elixir 