George Ross was interviewed at age forty-six in 1863 in Canada. He was enslaved in Maryland as a waiter and driver. He says; I came from Hagerstown, Md., & have been here twelve or thirteen years. I had a pretty hard time for three years, when I worked on a farm, but principally I was a waiter and driver. I came away because I was standing in fear of being separated from my wife and children. That was one of the principal reasons of my coming away, for I had lived pretty well, say for the last 25 years. I got my family all away. I had religious privileges at the South just the same as here. Sundays, I had my regular work just the same as I have here, and used to go to church three times a day on Sunday, and in the week, if I chose to go….The religious feeling is used to induce the slaves to feel that they owe a duty to their masters & mistresses, more than to their great Maker above. Certain parts of the Scripture, about obeying masters and mistresses, they quote very much, but not in the right light. I have known instances where clergymen owned slaves—Methodist preachers & Presbyterian preachers, I believe. We had one in our place that owned seven or eight, and also sold them.
Tags: George Ross, Maryland
Posted on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 12:00 am in Daily Stories, Faith to Freedom.
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