(Ex—slave stories)
	i90038	~ 66
JA}~Eb V~IGGIN~, Ex-slave


	Reference : Personal ihterview with James Wiggins ‚ ex-slave ~at his home, 625 Barre St.


“I was born in ~&tme Arundel County, on a farm near West River about 1850 or 1851, I do not know whic1~ I do not know my father or mother.

Peter Brooks, one of the oldest colored men in the county, told me that my father‘s name was lNiggins. lie said that he was one of the RevellÇ)sJ slaves. He acquired my father at an auction sale held in Baltimore at a.~high price

from a trader who had an office on Pratt Street about 1845. He wäs given a wife by Mi‘. Reveil and as a result of this union I was born. L‘Iy father was a car~ penter by trade, he was hired out to different farmers by Mr. Reveil to repair and build harns, fences and houses. I have been told that my father could read

and write~ Onee he was charged With v~riting passes for some slaves in the

L:	COUfl~T~ as a result of this he was given 15 lashes b7 the sheriff of the.county,

irmnediately afterwards ho ran away, went to Philadelphia, where he died while

~	working to save money to purchase iao the t s freedom, through a white I3apti st

.	minister in Baltimore.

----~ “I was caLled “Gingerbread“ by the Reveils. They reared me until .1 reached the age of about nine or ten years old. My duty was to put logs on the fireplaces in the RevelJ/~ house and work around the house. I remember-well

when I was taken to ~napolis, how I usèd to dance in the stores for men and women, • they would give me permies and three cexat piece~ all of which was given to me by the Reveil s ‚ They bought me sho es and cl othes with the money c ol le oted .

	“Mr. Reveil died in 1861 or 62, The sheriff ‘and men carae from~Annapolis, sold the 1, stock and other chattels • I was purchased by a Mr • ~[ayland, who • kept a store in Annapolis. I was sold by hini to a slave trader to be shipped to

Georgia, I was brought to Baltimore, and was jailed in a small house on Paca near

Lombard, The trader was buying other slaves to n~ake a load. I escaped through ~.: •-the aid of ~‚ Ger.ui.n s1~ioe~aker, •who sold shoes to o‘wners for 6laves. ~ . . ~
L	~	~	?	-s-J