There was one man in our neighborhood who was
called rich, having, I think, over a hundred slaves, and I
wish to mention him, as he and his family were real
friends to me "Father Jacob Warwick." -
His daughter Betsey used to come to our house and
give me lessons, and with her I learned to read and
write before I ever went a day to school.
Father Warwick was very fond of smart boys, and I
must here tell the boys of a little thing that happened
to me in his case which would please any boy.
In those early times, when men and boys got together,
even in harvest-time, they never were too tired , if leisure
'was afforded, to have a friendly foot-race, or a wrestle,
or a hop, or a jump.
One day, when a big crowd was gathered, putting up a
big log house, at a leisure time the favorite sport of foot-
racing was going on, and a large young man, by the
name of Freel, seemed quite boastful of his success.
Father Warwick took me aside, and said : "Now, if you
will beat Freel, I will give you something very pretty."
I told him I would do my very best.
So the race was soon arranged, and I did beat him
fairly twice out of three heats, while the men and boys
had lots of fun. Father Warwick patted me heartily,
and whispered, "Come up next week." I went, and he
gave me a beautiful filly ; and I can here add with great
pleasure that by this filly I have virtually had my stock
of horses all my life since.
The country, I have already told you, was new. I
heard this Father Warwick tell how he and his colored
man, Sam, almost miraculously escaped being murdered.
They succeeded in hiding in a corn-field, and saw the Indians burn the house and carry off
all they could lay their hands on, even picking the feath-
ers off the few chickens they left alive, leaving only the
topnots and the tails.
I have often had pointed out to me the places in West
Virginia where men and women were killed by the
Indians. Near my father's house was an old camping
place, where bushels of river shells had been thrown,
after the meat of them had doubtless been used for
food. I am sure that such was the hostile feeling against
Indians there then, that no Indian band could have
passed safely through and got out of the country. I
was myself thus much prejudiced when a boy against
"Poor Lo."
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