Historical Romance of the American Negro

by Charles Henry Fowler

In due time we reached Columbus, the capital of the State, as nice a little country city as ever I saw. Here a small contingent of our own beloved people came on board the train for Cincinnati and Louisville. They were in a state of high excitement over the forthcoming events. Some of them, no doubt, had fled away from the curse and chains of slavery in Kentucky, and more remote States; but now they could return without fear. "Slavery there had lost the day!"

Continuing our journey, we all reached Cincinnati in safety, a fine city, of which Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland often heard, but had never seen; and they were quite captivated with its beauty, reposing so sweetly on the hills that line the northern banks of the "beautiful river," as the French discoverers delighted to call it. With what wonder and delight did Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland behold the beautiful hills and dells of Kentucky, just across the mighty stream! Mrs. Sutherland had of course seen the Ohio at Riverside, and all the way down to the Mississippi, but it was the first time her husband had seen the beautiful river of the Frenchmen, or even slave land, and it produced in his mind mingled feelings of pain and pleasure to behold it, for though born free himself, his forefathers had fled across the Ohio river as they made their escape from the South.

We decided to spend a night at sweet Cincinnati, where we paid a visit to A. M. E. Church parsonage, where my beloved Tom and I put up when we were married at the church there, and what was our surprise and joy to find the very same family there, the self-same reverend gentleman having been called back for a second time. What kissing, embracing and joy there was between the two families upon this happy, happy reunion! Heaven alone can tell, my dear reader, how very much good this meeting did us all. My goodness! this poor pen of mine is altogether unequal to the task. It was indeed a heavenly union!

There being a class that night at the dear, dear church, after tea, we all went along with the pastor and his family and had a glorious time, where we praised the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever. Many old friends remembered us still, and gave us a warm welcome. O Christianity! Christianity! What joys has this world like them?

After this grand meeting was over, we all made our way to the private quarters, which we had engaged for the night, and where we had a most refreshing sleep. We were all quite amused with the girls, for they were worse than wild birds for sheer delight. The fine weather and the great events in the immediate future were mighty stimulants. Indeed the whole of us were completely carried away by our feelings, and we ran the city and suburbs of Cincinnati in all directions, our private boarding-house being our rendezvous at three o'clock in the afternoon, so that we could all start together for the boat that was to leave an hour or two later for Louisville.

It is a remarkable thing how rapidly some people become acquainted. By the time we had spent some twenty-four hours with the kind people at the boarding-house, we were almost as fond of one another as if we had been brought up together. Some of them even accompanied us to the Public Landing, where we were to embark for Louisville. I don't know what the neighbors along the street thought of us, for we were more excited and exultant and louder than a lot of barn-yard fowl, with laughing and one thing and another! Well, it was a time for laughing, I think, and after two hundred and fifty years of slavery, I also think we had a right to laugh, and to laugh with all our might and main!

At last we reached the Public Landing, marched on board, secured our cabins, and settled ourselves down for our passage to Louisville, greatly admiring the scenery and traffic of "The Beautiful River."

A great many passengers came on board at Cincinnati, all bound for the great celebration. All eyes were bright with animation, and high-beating hope swelled in every human heart. The rush to the colossal exhibition at Louisville reminded me of the tides of people on the grand march to see a circus; but this was a circus of a most unusual kind. From the grand reports that had been circulated all over the country for weeks, we all expected a high old time, we expected the colored race and their friends at Louisville to make a mighty effort to place a great show before the whole State, and also expected to swell the mighty chorus and throng by our own presence. Many persons on board had never been back to Louisville since they took French leave of the same place; whilst others had numerous friends and relations whom they greatly desired to see. But all wished to behold the old Kentucky shore again, for who does not love the scenes of their youth?

We were now fairly launched out upon the great river. The sweet spring winds blew over us, and seemed to accompany and cheer us upon our way. At such times the imagination gives play to all sorts of sweet things, and the very surges of the Ohio river seemed to rejoice as they bore us along on their downward course to the Mississippi and the Gulf States. The sun went down, and the moon arose upon the fleeting scene. The night was now upon us, and all the hills and dells that lined both sides of the beautiful river enchanted the eyes and hearts of all beholders. A sweet peace stole into our hearts that came down from heaven.

With what interest did we view the little wooden cabins that lay along the shores of the river on the Kentucky side, and along the slopes of her hills! What tales of grief and joy those dear little homes could have told if they had been able to speak. My two dear children were awed into silence as they looked upon the passing scenes, for they had both read "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and many other plaintive books besides; and heard from us and from others a thousand tales of slavery in days gone by. Many eyes besides our own were wet with tears of love, sorrow and emotion, as we viewed those little cabin homes, and saw the lights that night on the "Old Kentucky Shore" of the poet, and in our hearts we thanked the Lord that slavery here had indeed passed away forever. It has been often a wonder to me that the Lord allowed the curse to continue so long; but then He knows what is for the best, and I am always willing to take things on trust that I cannot understand. "The Lord is good; a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them who put their trust in Him." How true, how very true, indeed!