Biography of a Slave Being the Experiences of Rev. Charles Thompson, a Preacher of the United Brethren Church

The amazing autobiographical narrative of Charles Thomson, a former slave and preacher of the United Brethren Church. Topics covered include:Charles Thompson, born in Atala County, Mississippi--Division of Kirkwood's slaves among his six Children--The writer and his two sisters fall to Mrs. Wilson--The parting between mother and child--Deprived of a fond mother forever--Old Uncle Jack--Wilson buys Uncle Ben from Strucker--Uncle Ben runs away and is hunted with blood-hounds--Two hundred dollars reward.Not sent to hell by Wilson--Mrs. Wilson protects me, to whom I belong--Sent to school with the children--The school-children teach me to read and write--What came of it--Mount that mule or I'll shoot you--I mounted the mule--A start for the railroad to work--I dismount and take to the woods--I owe allegiance to God and my country only.Caught, tried, and taken back home to James Wilson--My mistress saves me from being whipped--I go to the railroad and work one month precisely--Go back home--Wilson surprised--Left the railroad at 3 o'clock A.M.--Did not want to disturb Leadbitter's rest--Sent to Memphis with a load of cotton--Afraid of the slave-pens and slave-auction--Start for home--Not sold--Pray, sing, and shout--Get home and ordered to hire myself out.Start out on my travels to hunt a new master--Find Mr. Dansley--Hire to him--Thirty dollars per month for my master and five dollars for myself--Wilson astonished--Appointed superintendent of Dansley's farm--Rules and regulations--Peace and tranquillity--My moral labors successful--Prayer and social meetings--Meetings in the woods--Quarrel and fight like very brothers--Time comes to be moved to another field of labor.James Wilson comes along--Wants me to go with him to Saulsbury, Tennessee, to help build a house for a grocery-store--Takes me along with him--Wilson taken sick--I take care of him--He gels well--I make another attempt to escape from slavery--What came of it.Was hired to Mr. Thompson, and adopted his name--Opened regular meetings, and preached on the plantation and other places--Took unto myself a wife--Was purchased by Thompson, duly installed on the plantation, and invested with authority--Various means and plans resorted to by the overseer to degrade me in the eyes of Mr. Thompson--Driven, through persecution, to run away--Return back to my master.