![]() ![]() There have, I am told, often been calls for the book, which could not be answered, and I have been urged by many friends as well as by Harriet herself, to prepare another edition. But that book has long been out of print, and the facts stated there are all unknown to the present generation. The first edition of this little story was published through the liberality of Gerritt Smith, Wendell Phillips, and prominent men in Auburn, and the object for which it was written was accomplished. Secretary Seward exerted himself in every pos sible way to procure her a pension from Congress, but red-tape proved too strong even for him, and her case was rejected, because it did not come un der any recognized law. She managed to support herself, as well as to take care of the suffering soldiers. Here for four years she labored without any re muneration, and during the time she was acting as nurse, never drew but twenty days' rations from our Government. Her own escape from slavery, and then returning to the South nineteen times, and bringing away with her over three hundred fugitives, she was sent by Governor Andrew of Massachusetts to the South at the beginning of the War, to act as spy and scout for our armies, and to be employed as hos pital nurse when needed. After her almost superhuman efforts in making Seward, of Gerritt Smith, of Wendell Phillips, of William Lloyd Garrison, and of many other distin guished philanthropists before the War, as of very many officers of the Union Army during the con flict. San born says of her, " she is too real a person, not to be true." Many incidents quite as wonderful as those re lated in the story, I have rejected, because I had no way in finding the persons who could speak to their truth. No one can hear Harriet talk, and not believe every word she says. I did this for the satisfaction of others, not for my own. For the satisfaction of the incredulous (and there will naturally be many such, when so strange a tale is repeated to them), I will here state that so far as it has been possible, I have received corroboration of every incident related to me by my heroic friend. The book has now been in part re-written and the let ters and testimonials placed in an appendix. Were penned down rapidly, as they came in. There was pressing need for this book, to save the poor woman's little home from being sold under a mortgage, and letters and facts ![]() Stowe had carried out the plan she once projected, of being the historian of our sable friend by her graphic pen, the incidents of such a life might have been wrought up into a tale of thrilling interest, equaling, if not exceeding her world renowned " Uncle Tom's Cabin." The work fell to humbler hands, and the first edition of this story, under the title of " Harriet Tubman," was written in the greatest possible haste, while the writer was preparing for a voyage to Europe. Her name deserves to be handed down to pos terity, side by side with the names of Jeanne D'Arc, Grace Darling, and Florence Nightingale, for not one of these women, noble and brave as they were, has shown more courage, and power of endurance, in facing danger and death to relieve human suf fering, than this poor black woman, whose story I am endeavoring in a most imperfect way to give you. Not even he imperiled life and limb more will ingly, than did our courageous and self-sacrificing friend. Her cry to the slave-holders, was ever like his to Pharaoh, " Let my people go !" and And though the results of her unexampled hero ism were not to free a whole nation of bond-men and bond-women, yet this object was as much the desire of her heart, as it was of that of the great leader of Israel. But I only give her here the name by which she was familiarly known, both at the North and the South, during the years of terror of the Fugitive Slave Law, and during our last Civil War, in both of which she took so prominent a part. The title I have given my black heroine, in this second edition of her story, viz.: The Moses of Her People, may seem a little ambitious, con sidering that this Moses was a woman, and that she succeeded in piloting only three or four hun dred slaves from the land of bondage to the land of freedom. ![]() He who died has gone before you, Trod de wine-press all alone." "Jesus, Jesus will go wid you, He will lead you to His throne. 'Farewell, ole Marster, don't think hard of me, I'm going on to Canada, where all de slaves are free.*
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