Thus she became the associate of
depraved negroes, and again, served Romescos as a victim. Not
content with this, after becoming tired of her, he secured her in
the slave-pen of one of his fellow traders. Here he kept her for
several weeks, closely confined, feeding her with grits. Eventually
"running" her to Vicksburg, he found an accomplice to sign a bill of
sale, by which he sold her to a notorious planter, who carried her
into the interior. The wretched girl had qualities which the planter
saw might, with a little care, be made extremely valuable in the New
Orleans market,--one was natural beauty. She was not suitable
property for the agricultural department of either a cotton or sugar
plantation, nor was she "the stripe" to increase prime stock; hence
she must be prepared for the general market. When qualified
according to what the planter knew would suit the fancy market, she
was conveyed to New Orleans, a piece of property bright as the very
brightest, very handsome, not very intelligent,--just suited to the
wants of bidders.
Here, at the shambles in the crescent city, she remained guarded,
and for several weeks was not allowed to go beyond the door-sill;
after which a sale was effected of her with the keeper of a brothel,
for the good price of thirteen hundred dollars. In this sink of
iniquity she remained nearly two years. Fearing the ulterior
consequences, she dared not assert her rights to freedom, she dared
not say she was born free in a free country.
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