Ex—Slave Stories
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~anderb~r~h CounLy
Lauena ~~reei	The iaife ‘.~tory Of C~eor~e Taylor Iurns.





	~ie was badl:,r tr~tou while a slave but he has witnessec even more cruel treatment administered to lus fello~ slaves.

~iaon~:• other excitin~. occurrences rer:eiib~roL by the ola nerro ~iau when he rec~lIs

-t
early river adve~itures is one in whc~h a flat ~ sunJ~: ~iorr ~ Orleirns. Mter

clinginj~ for many hours to the c~rii~tiri:, wr~cka~,e he was rescued, half dead froi1-i exhaustion.

	:Ln memory, ~jeor~e Taylor burns stands in the slave mart at ~e~ Orleans and hears the ~ůcti~nc~ers‘ haruner, for ho was sold like a beast of“ burden by Greene Taylor, brother of his mistress. Greene Taylor, ho~ever, had to refund the money and return the slave to his mistress when hiscrippleci feet were discovered.

	“Greene Taylor VJaS like many other people L have kno~m. i~e was always ready to make life unhappy for a ne~ro.“

	Uncle George, althou.h possessing. an unusual amount of intelligence and ability to learO~ has a very limited education. ttThenegroes were not allovied an education,tt he relates • “it ~is dan:erous for any person to be cau~ht ~aach~ ing a ne~ro and severi~l ne~roes were put to death Uceause they could read.t‘

	Uncle Geor~e recalls a fei~i superstitions entertained by the rivermen. “It was bad luck for a i~hite c~t to co~~e aboard the boat.‘~ t*.or~e shoes were carried for ~ood luck.“ ttĎf rats left the boat the crew ~s uneasy, for fear of a wreck.“ Unôlo Geor.e has very ~1ittle faith in any superstition but remem— ber s some of the crews had.

	Among other boats oh which this old river man v~.s employed are “The Atlantic“ on which he was cabin ooy. The “Big dray Ea~1e“ on which he assisted in many ways. He worked where boats were being constructed while he lived at New Albany.

	I~ny soldiers wore returned to their homes by means of flat boats and steam boat$ ~when the Civil ~ar had ended and many recruits were sent by water during the viar. Just after peace was declared George met Elizabeth Slye, a young slave
girl who had just been set free. “Liza would come to see her mother who was