Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? Search > Record Type > Slave Narratives > Search ResultsFebruary 12, 2000 Previous Page Next Page SOYD CO. (Carl F. Hall) The Commonwealth of Kentucky, having for a northern boundary the Ohio River--the dividing line between the northern free states and the southern slave states has always been regarded as a southern state. As in the other states of the old south, slavery was an institution until the Thirteenth Ammendment to the Constitution of the United States gave the negro freedom in 1865. Kentucky did not, as other southern states, secede from the Union, but attempted to be neutral during the Civil War. The people, however, were divided in their allegience, furnishing recruits for both the Federal and Confederate armies. The president of the Union, Abraham Lincoln, and the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, both were born in this state. Boyd County was formed in 1860 from parts of Lawrence, Greenup and Carter Counties, and we are unable to find any records, in Boyd County, as to slave holders and their slaves, though it is known that many well to do families the Catletts, Davis, Poages, Williams and others were slave holders. (42.) Slaves were not regarded as persons, had no civil rights and were owned just as any other chattel property, were bought and sold like horses and cattle, and knew no law but the will of their white masters and like other domestic animals could be, and were, acquired and disposed of without regard to family ties or other consideration. Usually, as each slave represented a large investment of money, they were well cared for, being adequately fed, clothed and sheltered, having medical attention when silk. As, along the border in Kentucky, there were no large plantations where field workers could be used, most of the slaves in this region were house servants, who were housed in wings of the master's house, where the plantation were large enought to need many slaves, they were furnished one, or two, rooms cabins close by the mansion on the master's estate. As educated people are apt to be able to figure out ways to improve their lot, learning among the negroes was not encouraged, in fact it was illegal to teach them. In some instances an enlighted and humane master would teach a servant, and often they could find some one who would teach them secretly. As a race, however, they were, at the time they were set free, without any education at all. Tales are told of cruel masters who overworked, flogged and otherwise mistreated their helpers and slaves; these masters, however, seem to have been an exception to the rule and considering that they were generally well provided for, many slaves were better off economically that the laborer of today who is a victim of misfortunes such as sickness, disability and old age. Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & Conditions | Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? earch > Record Type > Slave Narratives > Search ResultsFebruary 12, 2000 Previous Page Next Page One reason why slaves were better treated here than further south, was that Kentucky was a border state, and throughout Ohio and other northern state was an organization known as the "Underground Railroad." This was a sort of (43.) secret society whose members were sworn to assist escaped slaves to run away to Canada where they would be free. When a run-away slave crossed the Ohio River he would be met by some one of this organization and taken where he could remain in hiding by day, then by traveling by night, could reach another place of concealment by morning, where he would be fed and hidden until darkness permitted him to reach the next haven. By this means many were successful in reaching freedom, though they were hunted by officers, armed with guns, and assisted by fierce dogs especially trained for this work. Negroes who were unruly, or were caught attempting to escape, were usually sold to planters in the far south whore they could not hope to escape, and were forced to end their days in unremitting toil in the cotton and cane fileds, forever separated from relatives and friends. It was the barbarism practiced by cruel masters, so vividly portrayed in such books as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and songs like "Nellie Gray," that awakened the nation's conscience and brought about the bloody "Civil War" which resulted in the race being set free. Just before the war, George Davis, a mulatto, son of his master and a black servant girl, was in Cincinnati and was accosted by two white man who offered to use the good offices of the "Underground Railroad" to help him to get away to Canada. Being well treated, as a trusted servant of his white father and master, he did not avail himself of this opportunity to escape and stayed on as a slave until Freed by the war, after which he went to Ohio and settled and prospered until his death. Another slave, Asberry Parker, did escape, and traveling by night hiding by day, reached safety in Canada where he worked and saved until he became wealthy. After the war, when he could safely return to the United States, he moved to Ironton, Ohio, where he made his home for the rest of his life. (44.) He belonged in his days of slavery, to a Williams family, in Carter County, Kentucky. Another slave, George McVodie, belonging to the Poage family, of Boyd Co., escaped and went to Canada, no as to whether he ever came back later. Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Statement | Y2K| Contact Us Ancestry.com - Slave NarrativesMember Login | Guest Registry | Why Join? Search > Record Type > Slave Narratives > Search ResultsFebruary 12, 2000 Search Results Database: Full Context of Slave Narratives Combined Matches: Previous Page Next Page A sister of George Davis was sold to a planter in Louisana where she lived until 1877, when she returned to Boyd County as a free women. As negroes, in slavery days, were regarded as beasts of burden not much interest was taken in the welfare of their souls. Some kind hearted masters would allow them the privilege of meeting in religious service, where some one of their race in spite of the conditions of the times, could read and explain the Bible, would preach. Other masters would not allow this to be done. A negro would become, in character much like the family who owned him, i.e., an honest, moral and kindly master would have slaves of like qualities, ?? while a cruel, dishonest master would usually affect his slaves so that they would be tricky and unreliable. Where the master did not personally supervise his slaves and left them to the mercies of a hired "over-seer," their lot was usually much worse, as these task-masters were almost always tyranical and were not restrained by a sense of ownership from abusing the helpless creatures under their authority as were the master's, whose money was invested in them. On one occasion, a young negro saw his own sister stripped naked and unmercifully whipped by one of these over-seers. He gathered up all of his small belongings and tied them in a bundle and securing a club of wood, laid in wait for the cruel 'boss' until dark, when he killed him with the club. He then escaped, via the "Underground Railroad." One thing he was careful to do, was to avoid all telegraph poles, as that he thought the wires could detect and betray him, the telegraph was a mystery (47.) Politics: Formerly, the negro, attributing his freedom to the efforts of Abraham Lincoln in his behalf, voted almost solidly for the Republican Party. Now, however, the Democrats have, by remembering the race when passing out jobs, gained recruits among the colored people, and some negro Democrats are found here. The negro has been accused of voting for money, but it is doubtful if as a race, he is any more prone to this practice than his white fellow citizens among whom this abuse seems to be growing. BELL CO. (Nelle Shumate) Mandy Gibson There were auction-blocks near the court houses where the slaves were sold to the highest bidders. A slave would be placed on a platform and his merits as a speciman of human power and ability to work was enomerated the bidding began. Young slave girls brought high prices because the more slave children that were born on one's plantation the richer he would be in the future. Some slaves were kept just for this purpose, the same as prize thorough-bred stock is kept. In many instances slaves were treated like brutes and their places to sleep were like barn sheds with only a little straw, on which to sleep. Mrs. Neikirk's mother said that she distinctly remembered that the slaves she knew of had only the roughest of food such as: corn bread molasses, and scraps from their owner's table. Their clothing was such as their owners saw fit to give them and the cheapest. Copyright 1998-2000, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Statement | Y2K| Contact Us From: Ms42son@aol.com To: hermfagley@juno.com Cc: OHCLERMO-L-request@rootsweb.com Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 20:35:41 EST Subject: Rev Garrard Riley MWed, 22 Dec 1999 20:35:48 -0500 (EST) R Garrard Riley s/o Ninian and Elizabeth Taylor Riley info taken from copy of transcript of The Long-Lost Manuscript of Nancy Riley Clark Salt "Garrard, who was a lad of 17 when he, with his parents moved to NC (aprox 1783). Soon after they arrived there was a call for volunteers to guard the settlement against the Torys or Refugees, as they were called. John Wright was Captain. They mustered at Captain Wrights's , and when the call was made, Garrard felt his heart beat warm in his country's cause, and though he was young he, with many more, turned out as a volunteer to be ready at any time when wanted. Their rendezvous was a Captain Wright's." ......................................................................... ..... ......................................................................... ..... ............John Wright died 31 Oct 1789 His wife, Ann, then left with 9 children with her--9were married, some lived near her. Her oldest son, Thomas, was a Baptist, lived near and joined farms with his mother. She had a good farm and two old negroes, she living on the sme farm until her death. She raised alll the 9 children, some of them very small when their father died. They all married and moved off--some to KY, some to MO, and some to Alabama.................................................................. ..... ...........................She died in her ninetieth year. She had belonged to the Baptist Church with her husband many years before his death. She lived about seventy years in the church. The most of her children joined the Baptist Church." I included the above as the Wright's were also Baptist and Garrard married Captain John Wright's daughter Frances. they were married in January, 1786. Garrard and Frances were baptised together by Rev Wm. Petty They both went to Petty's Church at Weirs Creek and were baptised in the Yadkin River. They along with 10 families most of them his relations left Surry Co NC in the summer of 1796 bound for KY. " In the winter of 1799 There was a great revival of religion commenced among the Baptists, some eight or ten miles off. Garrad heard of it and soon caught the spirit and went to Bryant's there he heard and saw so much of the good work.................. that he came home all alive with religion. He wouuld work hard all day, and in the evening take his horse and ride six or eight miles to a meeting and back again, sometimes near midnight. The revival soon reached Marble Creek Church, where Garrard and wife belonged, The Rev John Price, pastor. Price was a very hard Calvinist but not very entertaining--though he was a very good man. Other preachers soon caught the flame and visited Marble Creek. Peter Wood from Madison Co, John Shackelford from Scott Co KY, Ambrose Dudley for Scott, Elder Redden and old Thomas Ammons from Fiatt(Fayette) Co-- these were all good preachers, the greatest in their day. There were others-- George Boon a great revivalist, and Ambrose Boren also a very good lively preacher. Some of these preachers did attend nearly every sabbath at Marble Creek Church, where the church would be crowded to overflowing. There was such an excitement that it seemed as if all were affected more or less."................................................................... ..... ......................................................................... ..... ..................After the revival, the church was so large that they thought best to divide it and form another as the members were so scattered. So all that were on the south of the church four miles off, took letters. Among them were Garrad and his wife and daughter and most of his relations and many more and were constitued into a church called Mount Gillead. They had no house but they all had a mind to work and soon commeced to prepare brick and lumber and in one year they had a good house, though not plastered............... ( illegible)............... comfortable. Here they lived happily. Garrad and his two sons had worked very hard in making the brick for the house, now it was done. The church called Rev. Ambrose Boren as their pastor. He was a very warm-hearted preacher and was well- recieved by all. The church gave Garrard license to preach or exercise his gifts in the bounds of the church." Per the new Riley Book out "The Colonial Riley's of the Tidewater Frontier" by Robert S. Riley Garrard Riley b. 26May1766, d. 26Jan1832. Gerrard originally was an Episcopalian. He and Frances wereunited with the Baptist cChurch and were baptized in the Yadkin River by Rev Wm. Petty. They were on the member ship roll of Flat Rock Baptist Church Surry Co NC for the years 1789-1792 it was in Sept of that year that the sold their land and moved to KY. They joined the Marble Creek Baptist Church. He became a Baptist Preacher as a result of having attended the Mammoth camp Meeting held at Cane Ridge near Paris, KY in 1799-1800 Nearly 20,000 people assembled at this meeting. Garrard felt the 'call' and studied for the ministry. He was pastor of many Baptist Churches in Northern KY and Southern OH in the following years. Garrard and Frances (Wright )Riley had 13 children. They were Nancy, ( writer of above manuscripts), Ninian (III) , John Wright, Zachariah, (father of Garrard Polycarp), Elizabeth, Sarah(Sally), William Wright, James Hickman, Williams Wright, Frances Wright, Garrard, Jr., and Mary (Polly) Riley. Now this all still doesnt answer how, why, when,or where Garrard Polycarp Riley became an extremist. Guess this will give me just one more thing to do research on. HA! By the way I am a descendent of Ninian Sr and Elizabeth thru their youngest son John Wright Riley brother of Rev Garrard. Have a great week end and New year everyone Happy Hunting and thanks for all the info on Garrard Polycarp as I didnt have any of that. Sondra Riley Peterson > family names: RILEY, POWELL,DILL, FOWLER, TATE, KEISER, STRADTER, DUNNING, > PITMAN, CONLIN,MCBRIDE > VISIT THE 'CLAN O'REILLY' WEB Lots of IRISH HISTORY to be > found on these pages. http://www.gofast.to/ClanOReilly/ ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.