The story of the trio of slave-traders is a fabrication asabsurd as it is base and unfounded. Were it true， I shouldnot have turned aside on my way back to liberty for thepurpose of prosecuting Burch. I should have avoidedrather than sought him. I should have known that sucha step would have resulted in rendering me infamous.
Under the circumstances —longing as I did to behold myfamily， and elated with the prospect of returning home—it is an outrage upon probability to suppose I would haverun the hazard， not only of exposure， but of a criminalprosecution and conviction， by voluntarily placing myselfin the position I did， if the statements of Burch and hisconfederates contain a particle of truth. I took pains toseek him out， to confront him in a court of law， charginghim with the crime of kidnapping； and the only motivethat impelled me to this step， was a burning sense of thewrong he had inflicted upon me， and a desire to bringhim to justice. He was acquitted， in the manner， and bysuch means as have been described. A human tribunalhas permitted him to escape； but there is another and ahigher tribunal， where false testimony will not prevail，and where I am willing， so far at least as these statementsare concerned， to be judged at last.
We left Washington on the 20th of January， andproceeding by the way of Philadelphia， New-York， andAlbany， reached Sandy Hill in the night of the 21st. Myheart overflowed with happiness as I looked around uponold familiar scenes， and found myself in the midst offriends of other days. The following morning I started， incompany with several acquaintances， for Glens Falls， theresidence of Anne and our children.
As I entered their comfortable cottage， Margaretwas the first that met me. She did not recognize me.
When I left her， she was but seven years old， a littleprattling girl， playing with her toys. Now she was grownto womanhood—was married， with a bright-eyed boystanding by her side. Not forgetful of his enslaved，unfortunate grand-father， she had named the childSolomon Northup Staunton. When told who I was，she was overcome with emotion， and unable to speak.
Presently Elizabeth entered the room， and Anne camerunning from the hotel， having been informed of myarrival. They embraced me， and with tears flowing downtheir cheeks， hung upon my neck. But I draw a veil over ascene which can better be imagined than described.
When the violence of our emotions had subsided to asacred joy—when the household gathered round the fire，that sent out its warm and crackling comfort throughthe room， we conversed of the thousand events that had occurred—the hopes and fears， the joys and sorrows， thetrials and troubles we had each experienced during thelong separation. Alonzo was absent in the western partof the State. The boy had written to his mother a shorttime previous， of the prospect of his obtaining sufficientARRIVAL HOME AND FIRST MEETING WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
money to purchase my freedom. From his earliestyears， that had been the chief object of his thoughts andhis ambition. They knew I was in bondage. The letterwritten on board the brig， and Clem Ray himself ， hadgiven them that information. But where I was， untilthe arrival of Bass’ letter， was a matter of conjecture.
Elizabeth and Margaret once returned from school— soAnne informed me—weeping bitterly. On inquiring thecause of the children’s sorrow， it was found that， whilestudying geography， their attention had been attracted tothe picture of slaves working in the cotton-field， and anoverseer following them with his whip. It reminded themof the sufferings father might be， and， as it happened，actually was， enduring in the South. Numerous incidents，such as these， were related—incidents showing they stillheld me in constant remembrance， but not， perhaps， ofsufficient interest to the reader， to be recounted.
My narrative is at an end. I have no comments to makeupon the subject of Slavery. Those who read this bookmay form their own opinions of the “peculiar institution.”
What it may be in other States， I do not profess toknow； what it is in the region of Red River， is truly andfaithfully delineated in these pages. This is no fiction，no exaggeration. If I have failed in anything， it has beenin presenting to the reader too prominently the brightside of the picture. I doubt not hundreds have been asunfortunate as myself； that hundreds of free citizens havebeen kidnapped and sold into slavery， and are at this moment wearing out their lives on plantations in Texasand Louisiana. But I forbear. Chastened and subdued inspirit by the sufferings I have borne， and thankful to thatgood Being through whose mercy I have been restoredto happiness and liberty， I hope henceforward to lead anupright though lowly life， and rest at last in the churchyard where my father sleeps.
ROARING RIVER.
A REFRAIN OF THE RED RIVER PLANTATION.
“Harper’s creek and roarin’ ribber，
Thar， my dear， we’ll live forebber；
Den we’ll go to de Ingin nation，
All I want in dis creation，
Is pretty little wife and big plantation.
Chorus.
Up dat oak and down dat ribber，
Two overseers and one little nigger”
APPENDIX.
A.
An act more effectually to protect the free citizens ofthis State from being kidnapped， or reduced to Slavery.
[Passed May 14， 1840]
The People of the State of New-York， represented inSenate and Assembly， do enact as follows：
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