Behind The Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Elizabeth Keckley

seemed to bring sunshine with her handsome cheery face. She came to where I was, and in her sweet way said:

      "Lizzie, I hear that you are going to New York to beg for money to buy your freedom. I have been thinking over the matter, and told Ma it would be a shame to allow you to go North to beg for what we should give you. You have many friends in St. Louis, and I am going to raise the twelve hundred dollars required among them. I have two hundred dollars put away for a present; am indebted to you one hundred dollars; mother owes you fifty dollars, and will add another fifty to it; and as I do not want the present, I will make the money a present to you. Don't start for New York now until I see what I can do among your friends."

      Like a ray of sunshine she came, and like a ray of sunshine she went away. The flowers no longer were withered, drooping. Again they seemed to bud and grow in fragrance and beauty. Mrs. Le Bourgois, God bless her dear good heart, was more than successful. The twelve hundred dollars were raised, and at last my son and myself were free. Free, free! what a glorious ring to the word. Free! the bitter heart-struggle was over. Free! the soul could go out to heaven and to God with no chains to clog its flight or pull it down. Free! the earth wore a brighter look, and the very stars seemed to sing with joy. Yes, free! free by the laws of man and the smile of God — and Heaven bless them who made me so!

      The following, copied from the original papers, contain, in brief, the history of my emancipation: —

      "I promise to give Lizzie and her son George their freedom, on the payment of $1200.

      "ANNE P. GARLAND.

      "June 27, 1855."

      "LIZZY: — I send you this note to sign for the sum of $75, and when I give you the whole amount you will then sign the other note for $100.

      "ELLEN M. DOAN.

      "In the paper you will find $25; see it is all right before the girl leaves."

      "I have received of Lizzy Keckley $950, which I have deposited with Darby & Barksdale for her — $600 on the 21st July, $300 on the 27th and 28th of July, and $50 on 13th August, 1855.

      "I have and shall make use of said money for Lizzy's benefit, and hereby guarantee to her one per cent. per month — as much more as can be made she shall have. The one per cent., as it may be checked out, I will be responsible for myself, as well as for the whole amount, when it shall be needed by her.

      "WILLIS L. WILLIAMS.

      "ST. LOUIS, 13th August, 1855."

      "Know all men by these presents, that for and in consideration of the love and affection we bear towards our sister, Anne P. Garland, of St. Louis, Missouri, and for the further consideration of $5 in hand paid, we hereby sell and convey unto her, the said Anne P. Garland, a negro woman named Lizzie, and a negro boy, her son, named George; said Lizzie now resides at St. Louis, and is a seamstress, known there as Lizzie Garland, the wife of a yellow man named James, and called James Keckley; said George is a bright mulatto boy, and is known in St. Louis as Garland's George. We warrant these two slaves to be slaves for life, but make no representations as to age or health.

      "Witness our hands and seals, this 10th day of August, 1855.

      "JAS. R. PUTNAM, [L.S.]

       "E. M. PUTNAM, [L.S.]

       "A. BURWELL, [L.S.]"

      "The State of Mississippi, Warren County, City of Vicksburg. SS.

      "Be it remembered, that on the tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, before me, Francis N. Steele, a Commissioner, resident in the city of Vicksburg, duly commissioned and qualified by the executive authority, and under the laws of the State of Missouri, to take the acknowledgment of deeds, etc., to be used or recorded therein, personally appeared James R. Putnam and E. M. Putnam, his wife, and Armistead Burwell, to me known to be the individuals named in, and who executed the foregoing conveyance, and acknowledged that they executed the same for the purposes therein mentioned; and the E. M. Putnam being by me examined apart from her husband, and being fully acquainted with the contents of the foregoing conveyance, acknowledged that she executed the same freely, and relinquished her dower, and any other claim she might have in and to the property therein mentioned, freely, and without fear, compulsion, or undue influence of her said husband.

      "In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal, this 10th day of August, A.D. 1855.

      [L.S.] "F. N. STEELE,

       "Commissioner for Missouri."

      "Know all men that I, Anne P. Garland, of the County and City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, for and in consideration of the sum of $1200, to me in hand paid this day in cash, hereby emancipate my negro woman Lizzie, and her son George; the said Lizzie is known in St. Louis as the wife of James, who is called James Keckley; is of light complexion, about 37 years of age, by trade a dress-maker, and called by those who know her Garland's Lizzie. The said boy, George, is the only child of Lizzie, is about 16 years of age, and is almost white, and called by those who know him Garland's George.

      "Witness my hand and seal, this 13th day of November, 1855.

      "ANNE P. GARLAND, [L.S.]

      "Witness: — JOHN WICKHAM,

       "WILLIS L. WILLIAMS."

      In St. Louis Circuit Court, October Term, 1855. November 15, 1855. "State of Missouri, County of St. Louis. SS.

      "Be it remembered, that on this fifteenth day of November, eighteen hundred and fifty-five, in open court came John Wickham and Willis L. Williams, these two subscribing witnesses, examined under oath to that effect, proved the execution and acknowledgment of said deed by Anne P. Garland to Lizzie and her son George, which said proof of acknowledgment is entered on the record of the court of that day.

      "In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and affix the seal of said court, at office in the City of St. Louis, the day and year last aforesaid.

      [L.S.] "WM. J. HAMMOND, Clerk."

      "State of Missouri, County of St. Louis. SS.

      "I, Wm. J. Hammond, Clerk of the Circuit Court within and for the county aforesaid, certify the foregoing to be a true copy of a deed of emancipation from Anne P. Garland to Lizzie and her son George, as fully as the same remain in my office.

      "In testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and affix the seal of said court, at office in the City of St. Louis, this fifteenth day of November, 1855.

      "WM. J. HAMMOND, Clerk. "By WM. A. PENNINGTON, D.C."

      "State of Missouri, County of St. Louis. SS.

      "I, the undersigned Recorder of said county, certify that the foregoing instrument of writing was filed for record in my office on the 14th day of November, 1855; it is truly recorded in Book No. 169, page 288.

      "Witness my hand and official seal, date last aforesaid.

      [L.S.] "C. KEEMLE, Recorder."

      CHAPTER IV

       IN THE FAMILY OF SENATOR JEFFERSON DAVIS

       Table of Contents

      The twelve hundred dollars with which I purchased the freedom of myself and son I consented to accept only as a loan. I went to work in earnest, and in a short time paid every cent that was so kindly advanced by my lady patrons of St. Louis. All this time my husband was a source of trouble to me, and a burden. Too close occupation with my needle had its effects upon my health, and feeling exhausted with work, I determined to make a change. I had a conversation with Mr. Keckley; informed him that since he persisted in dissipation we must separate; that I was going North, and that I should never live with him again, at least until I had good evidence of his reform. He was rapidly debasing himself, and although I was willing to work for him, I was not willing to share his degradation. Poor man; he had his faults, but over these