Twelve Years a Slave Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, from a Cotton Plantation near the Red River in Louisiana

ARRIVAL IN NEW-ORLEANS--GLIMPSE OF FREEMAN--GENOIS, THE RECORDER--HIS DESCRIPTION OF SOLOMON--REACH CHARLESTON--INTERRUPTED BY CUSTOM HOUSE OFFICERS--PASS THROUGH RICHMOND--ARRI...

THE LETTER REACHES SARATOGA--IS FORWARDED TO ANNE--IS LAID BEFORE HENRY B. NORTHUP--THE STATUTE OF MAY 14, 1840--ITS PROVISIONS--ANNE'S MEMORIAL TO THE GOVERNOR--THE AFFIDAVITS...

DESTRUCTION OF THE COTTON CROP IN 1845--DEMAND FOR LABORERS IN ST. MARY'S PARISH--SENT THITHER IN A DROVE--THE ORDER OF THE MARCH--THE GRAND COTEAU--HIRED TO JUDGE TURNER ON BAY...

AVERY, OF BAYOU ROUGE--PECULIARITY OF DWELLINGS--EPPS BUILDS A NEW HOUSE--BASS, THE CARPENTER--HIS NOBLE QUALITIES--HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND ECCENTRICITIES--BASS AND EPPS DIS...

THE MISTRESS' GARDEN--THE CRIMSON AND GOLDEN FRUIT--ORANGE AND POMEGRANATE TREES--RETURN TO BAYOU BOEUF--MASTER FORD'S REMARKS ON THE WAY--THE MEETING WITH TIBEATS--HIS ACCOUNT...

THE STEAMBOAT RODOLPH--DEPARTURE FROM NEW-ORLEANS--WILLIAM FORD--ARRIVAL AT ALEXANDRIA, ON RED RIVER--RESOLUTIONS--THE GREAT PINE WOODS--WILD CATTLE--MARTIN'S SUMMER RESIDENCE--...

THE CURIOUS AXE-HELVE--SYMPTOMS OF APPROACHING ILLNESS--CONTINUE TO DECLINE--THE WHIP INEFFECTUAL--CONFINED TO THE CABIN--VISIT BY DR. WINES--PARTIAL RECOVERY--FAILURE AT COTTON...

RETURN TO TIBEATS--IMPOSSIBILITY OF PLEASING HIM--HE ATTACKS ME WITH A HATCHET--THE STRUGGLE OVER THE BROAD AXE--THE TEMPTATION TO MURDER HIM--ESCAPE ACROSS THE PLANTATION--OBSE...

LABORS ON SUGAR PLANTATIONS--THE MODE OF PLANTING CANE--OF HOEING CANE--CANE RICKS--CUTTING CANE--DESCRIPTION OF THE CANE KNIFE--WINROWING--PREPARING FOR SUCCEEDING CROPS--DESCR...

PAINFUL MEDITATIONS--JAMES H. BURCH--WILLIAMS' SLAVE PEN IN WASHINGTON--THE LACKEY, RADBURN--ASSERT MY FREEDOM--THE ANGER OF THE TRADER--THE PADDLE AND CAT-O'-NINETAILS--THE WHI...

WILEY DISREGARDS THE COUNSELS OF AUNT PHEBE AND UNCLE ABRAM, AND IS CAUGHT BY THE PATROLLERS--THE ORGANIZATION AND DUTIES OF THE LATTER--WILEY RUNS AWAY--SPECULATIONS IN REGARD...

PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF EPPS--EPPS, DRUNK AND SOBER--A GLIMPSE OF HIS HISTORY--COTTON GROWING--THE MODE OF PLOUGHING AND PREPARING GROUND--OF PLANTING--OF HOEING, OF PICKING, OF...

OVERSEERS--HOW THEY ARE ARMED AND ACCOMPANIED--THE HOMICIDE--HIS EXECUTION AT MARKSVILLE--SLAVE-DRIVERS--APPOINTED DRIVER ON REMOVING TO BAYOU BOEUF--PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT--EPP...

ARRIVAL AT NORFOLK--FREDERICK AND MARIA--ARTHUR, THE FREEMAN--APPOINTED STEWARD--JIM, CUFFEE, AND JENNY--THE STORM--BAHAMA BANKS--THE CALM--THE CONSPIRACY--THE LONG BOAT--THE SM...

THE HOT SUN--YET BOUND--THE CORDS SINK INTO MY FLESH--CHAPIN'S UNEASINESS--SPECULATION--RACHEL, AND HER CUP OF WATER--SUFFERING INCREASES--THE HAPPINESS OF SLAVERY--ARRIVAL OF F...

FORD'S EMBARRASSMENTS--THE SALE TO TIBEATS--THE CHATTEL MORTGAGE--MISTRESS FORD'S PLANTATION ON BAYOU BOEUF--DESCRIPTION OF THE LATTER--FORD'S BROTHER-IN-LAW, PETER TANNER--MEET...

O'NIEL, THE TANNER--CONVERSATION WITH AUNT PHEBE OVERHEARD--EPPS IN THE TANNING BUSINESS--STABBING OF UNCLE ABRAM--THE UGLY WOUND--EPPS IS JEALOUS--PATSEY IS MISSING--HER RETURN...

THE TWO STRANGERS--THE CIRCUS COMPANY--DEPARTURE FROM SARATOGA--VENTRILOQUISM AND LEGERDEMAIN--JOURNEY TO NEW-YORK--FREE PAPERS--BROWN AND HAMILTON--THE HASTE TO REACH THE CIRCU...

FREEMAN'S INDUSTRY--CLEANLINESS AND CLOTHES--EXERCISING IN THE SHOW ROOM--THE DANCE--BOB, THE FIDDLER--ARRIVAL OF CUSTOMERS--SLAVES EXAMINED--THE OLD GENTLEMAN OF NEW-ORLEANS--S...

ELIZA'S SORROWS--PREPARATION TO EMBARK--DRIVEN THROUGH THE STREETS OF WASHINGTON--HAIL, COLUMBIA--THE TOMB OF WASHINGTON--CLEM RAY--THE BREAKFAST ON THE STEAMER--THE HAPPY BIRDS...

Having been born a freeman, and for more than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free State--and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold into Slav...

BASS FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD--HIS ARRIVAL ON CHRISTMAS EVE--THE DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING AN INTERVIEW--THE MEETING IN THE CABIN--NON-ARRIVAL OF THE LETTER--BASS ANNOUNCES HIS INTENT...

Arrival in New-Orleans--Glimpse of Freeman--Genois, the Recorder--His Description of Solomon--Reach Charleston Interrupted by Custom House Officers--Pass through Richmond--Arriv...

Destruction of the Cotton Crop in 1845--Demand for Laborers in St. Mary's Parish--Sent thither in a Drove--The Order of the March--The Grand Coteau--Hired to Judge Turner on Bay...

The Mistress' Garden--The Crimson and Golden Fruit--Orange and Pomegranate Trees--Return to Bayou Boeuf--Master Ford's Remarks on the way--The Meeting-with Tibeats--His Account...

The Curious Axe-Helve--Symptoms of approaching Illness--Continue to decline--The Whip ineffectual--Confined to the Cabin--Visit by Dr. Wines--Partial Recovery--Failure at Cotton...

Wiley disregards the counsels of Aunt Phebe and Uncle Abram, and is caught by the Patrollers--The Organization and Duties of the latter--Wiley Runs Away--Speculations in regard...

The Letter reaches Saratoga--Is forwarded to Anne--Is laid before Henry B. Northup--The Statute of May 14, 1840--Its Provisions--Anne's Memorial to the Governor--The affidavits...

O'Niel, the Tanner--Conversation with Aunt Phebe overheard--Epps in the Tanning Business--Stabbing of Uncle Abram--The Ugly Wound--Epps is Jealous--Patsey is Missing--Her Return...

Personal Appearance of Epps--Epps, Drunk and Sober--A Glimpse of his History--Cotton Growing--The Mode of Ploughing and Preparing Ground--Of Planting, of Hoeing, of Picking, of...

Avery, on Bayou Rouge--Peculiarity of Dwellings--Epps builds a New House--Bass, the Carpenter--His Noble Qualities--His Personal Appearance and Eccentricities--Bass and Epps dis...

Labors on Sugar Plantations--The Mode of Planting Cane--of Hoeing Cane--Cane Ricks--Cutting Cane--Description of the Cane Knife--Winrowing--Preparing for Succeeding Crops--Descr...

The Hot Sun--Yet bound--The Cords sink into my Flesh--Chapin's Uneasiness--Speculation--Rachel, and her Cup of Water--Suffering increases--The Happiness of Slavery--Arrival of F...

Bass faithful to his word--His Arrival on Christmas Eve--The Difficulty of Obtaining an Interview--The Meeting in the Cabin--Non-arrival of the Letter--Bass announces his Intent...

Return to Tibeats--Impossibility of pleasing him--He attacks me with a Hatchet--The Struggle over the Broad Axe--The Temptation to Murder him--Escape across the Plantation--Obse...

Ford's Embarrassments--The Sale to Tibeats--The Chattel Mortgage--Mistress Ford's Plantation on Bayou Boeuf--Description of the Latter--Ford's Brother-in-law, Peter Tanner--Meet...

Overseers--How they are Armed and Accompanied--The Homicide--His Execution at Marksville--Slave Drivers--Appointed Driver on removing to Bayou Boeuf--Practice makes perfect--Epp...

The Steamboat Rodolph--Departure from New-Orleans--William Ford--Arrival at Alexandria, on Red River--Resolutions--The Great Pine Woods--Wild Cattle--Martin's Summer Residence--...

Freeman's Industry--Cleanliness and Clothes--Exercising in the Show Room--The Dance--Bob, the Fiddler--Arrival of Customers--Slaves Examined--The Old Gentleman of New-Orleans--S...

Eliza's Sorrows--Preparation to Embark--Driven Through the Streets of Washington--Hail, Columbia--The Tomb of Washington--Clem Ray--The Breakfast on the Steamer--The happy Birds...

Arrival at Norfolk--Frederick and Maria--Arthur, the Freeman--Appointed Steward--Jim, Cuffee, and Jenny--The Storm--Bahama Banks--The Calm--The Conspiracy--The Long Boat--The Sm...

Painful Meditations--James H. Burch--Williams' Slave Pen in Washington--The Lackey, Radburn--Assert my Freedom--The Anger of the Trader--The Paddle and Cat-o'-nine-tails--The Wh...

The two Strangers--The Circus Company--Departure from Saratoga--Ventriloquism and Legerdemain--Journey to New-York--Free Papers--Brown and Hamilton--The haste to reach the Circu...