WELTER AND HARDEN’S DECEPTION—WELTER ACTING AS UNITED STATES MARSHAL.
We rigged all six of the oars; one of the women pulled one oar and I pulled one; Wages sometimes spelled me, and I would steer the boat, and the women would sometimes spell each other, and we run at the rate of about ten miles an hour. About eleven o’clock that night we passed Shreveport, and before day sometime, we passed Natchitoches, the point we were striving to make, for we knew there was a bayou about five miles below, where we could hide ourselves and skiff through the day. We put into the bayou a little before day, and at daylight we landed our skiff in some bushes and high grass, and we all went on shore in a thick palmetto swamp, built a good fire, cooked and eat, and drank good whiskey and every one slept what they wanted; and about sunset we left and rowed into the river again. By this time they all had got themselves more accustomed to rowing, and made better headway and with more ease. We run on in the night and lay-by in the day; and the third night we reached the mouth of Red River and lay in the swamp that day; and the fourth night, about midnight, we reached Tunica, and run our skiff in a creek just above; made a fire in the swamp and remained till daylight. After daylight sometime, we eat breakfast and Wages and I made an excuse to go to the village of Tunica to buy some cigars, and to get some eggs, etc. The negroes set us over with the skiff; we went down to the village and went to the tavern. There we found our old friend, Welter, and Harden, and three other men whom Welter introduced us to as his friends and acquaintances, but they were in fact his “strikers.” Harden immediately after we left him at Shreveport had gone down the river to Welter’s and informed him where to meet us.
We held a consultation as to the best plan to pursue, and we all finally agreed that the safest and best plan was to let Welter take all the negroes and pay us for them. He was to pay Harden for the two free fellows one thousand dollars in cash and his note for one thousand payable in six months. He was to pay Wages and I for our seven negroes and the skiff with all the apparatus, eight hundred dollars in cash and his note for four thousand dollars, payable in six months. After this arrangement was concluded Wages and I went to the skiff, took our guns to go a hunting, and then returned to the village. About two hours before sunset Welter took Harden and his three men, got a small boat and went up to the creek where all the negroes were. But before they got to the place they tied Harden’s hands behind him to make the negroes believe that he was a prisoner for negro stealing. Welter and his men surrounded the camp and took all the negroes prisoners, and then brought up Harden tied. Welter then informed the two free negroes that he was the United States Marshal, and that it was his duty to take them and Harden back to Shreveport, where they would be tried for the crime of negro stealing, and that the punishment would be death or the penitentiary for life; but that he did not know that he could prove Harden guilty, and then asked them if Harden had been with them. They declared he had not. Welter then told the negroes that he knew them; that they had been stolen once before and sold in Louisiana, and that he knew all about them, and made them confess the truth. He then told the free negroes that their case was a desperate one; that it would be impossible for them to escape; and then asked them which they would prefer, to stand their trial or be sold as slaves for life. They said they had rather be sold as slaves; so he tied their feet, after putting them in the boat, and took in all their dunnage, and the other seven negroes. Upon their positive declaration that Harden was not concerned he was released, and a little after dark they rowed down to the village. Welter placed his three “strikers” to guard the boat and negroes, while he and Harden went on shore, and we all went into a private room in the tavern, where we executed bills of sale for the negroes, dated them in Buncombe county, N. C., and signed fictitious names and witnesses. Welter paid us our money according to contract and executed the notes, after which we took a good supper together and drank three or four bottles of wine, and Welter left us. We went with him nearly to his boat and bid him good-by and good luck, and he rowed off down the river for home. Wages, Harden and I returned to the tavern, went to our room and to bed and slept very sound. Next morning we arose much refreshed, and greatly relieved in mind. We went very early to a coffee house, took a cup of coffee and our bitters, and returned to our room to consult as to the best course to pursue. We concluded to leave in the first boat for Natchez. We accordingly got breakfast, paid our bills and placed our guns and baggage at the nearest depot to the landing. We had to wait till late in the day before we could get a boat. We at last saw one coming, and procured a skiff to put us on board. At a signal the boat rounded to, and we went on board, registered our names (all fictitious) and paid our passage to Natchez.