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A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom : Including Their Own Narratives Of Emancipation
Slave narratives, some of the most powerful records of our past, are extremely rare, with only fifty-five post–Civil War narratives surviving. A mere handful are first-person accounts by slaves who ran away and freed themselves. Now two newly uncovered narratives, and the biographies of the men who wrote them, join that exclusive group with the publication of A Slave No More, a major new addition to the canon of American history. Handed down through family and friends, these narratives tell gripping stories of escape: Through a combination of intelligence, daring, and sheer luck, the men reached the protection of the occupying Union troops. David W. Blight magnifies the drama and significance by prefacing the narratives with each man’s life history. Using a wealth of genealogical information, Blight has reconstructed their childhoods as sons of white slaveholders, their service as cooks and camp hands during the Civil War, and their climb to black working-class stability in the north, where they reunited their families. In the stories of Turnage and Washington, we find history at its most intimate, portals that offer a rich new answer to the question of how four million people moved from slavery to freedom. In A Slave No More, the untold stories of two ordinary men take their place at the heart of the American experience.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2007
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About the author
David W. Blight
124 books349 followersDavid William Blight is the Sterling Professor of History, of African American Studies, and of American Studies and Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. Previously, Blight was a professor of History at Amherst College, where he taught for 13 years. He has won several awards, including the Bancroft Prize and Frederick Douglass Prize for Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, and the Pulitzer Prize and Lincoln Prize for Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. In 2021, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
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February 7, 2025
Two Narratives Of Emancipation
Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are among a handful of former slaves in the Old South who wrote famous narratives of their lives in slavery and their ultimate escape to freedom. It is a rare and important event to find additional first-person narratives that document the efforts of slaves to become free. The noted historian David Blight had the good fortune to become aware of two such narratives which had previously been held close by the families of their authors. Blight has published these accounts in his recent book "A Slave no More" (2007), together with background information on the manuscripts, a discussion of the lives of the authors following their escapes from slavery, and a brief history of Emancipation during and following the Civil War.
The attraction of this book lies more in the narratives than in Blight's commentary. The narratives were composed by John Washington (1838 -- 1918) and Wallace Turnage (1846-1916). Washington and Turnage both discuss their lives in slavery and the factors impelling them to make their escape. The narratives do not extend to the subsequent lives of the narrators in freedom. The narratives are written in a non-literary style which nevertheless have great power from their very simplicity. Neither man was writing for the public. Their accounts of slavery offer the opportunity to get to know two people who did not make it into the history books but whose stories have much to teach.
The narrative of John Washington, which he titled "Memorys of the Past" is the more literary of the two. Washington vowed to escape from slavery when his mother was sold away when he was a child. Washington spent most of his early life as an urban slave in Virginia working as a house servant in a tobacco factory and in an inn, among other places. With the advance of the Union army through Fredericksburg in 1862, Washington saw his opportunity to cross the river to the Union lines. He became an aide to several Union officers and ultimately established himself with his wife, who had been born free, in Washington D.C. Washington's narrative has some excellent portrayals of the movements of the soldiers on both sides and of his experiences with the Union army.
Turnage's account is untitled and substantially less polished that Washington's. Turnage spent most of his time in slavery in the deep south near Pickensville, Alabama. He was a field hand and subjected to more cruelty and violence than was Washington. His account is replete with descriptions of whippings given to himself and, especially, to women. Witnessing and receiving these whippings made Turnage determined to escape. Turnage made at least four unsuccessful attempts at escape before he succeeded, after each of which he was punished with increasing severity. In the first several attempts, Turnage went west to try to reach the Union lines in Corinth, Mississippi. He nearly succeeded but was returned to his master on each occasion. Turnage finally succeeded in a daring attempt to reach Mobile Bay, the site of a great Union naval victory. Turnage had to cross snake-infested swamps and achieved freedom only when Union soldiers rescued him from the sinking makeshift boat in which he had been riding to freedom. Turnage offers a graphic, gritty account of his escape and of the harshness of slavery in the deep south. Importantly, Turnage does not show bitterness towards his oppressors. He writes at the outset of his narrative: "I do not mean to speak disparagingly of those who sold me, nor of those who bought me. Though I seen a hard time, it had an attendency to make a man out of me." (Blight, page 213)
In his introductory material, Blight retells and expands upon the narratives of Washington and Turnage. Through laborious historical research, Blight also describes the lives of the two men and their families after their escape. Washington spent most of his life as a painter in Washington D.C. and was active in the church and the developing African-American community. His five children went on to careers, with his youngest son enjoying success as a science teacher and athletic coach. Turnage had a much more difficult time of it living in the overcrowded, disease-infested sections of New York City and witnessing the deaths of his mother, wife, and several children. One of his daughters was able to "pass" for white, and she was the source for recovering her father's manuscript.
Blight also offers an interesting discussion of the Emancipation Proclamation which focuses on the immediate reaction to it in African American communities in both North and South. I found Blight's discussion somewhat broader and more polemical than it needed to be to elucidate the narratives of Washington and Turnage. But most of his discussion makes for interesting reading.
Washington and Turnage wrote inspiring narratives of their journey from slavery to freedom. Blight has done a service in making these narratives available to the public. This book will be of interest to readers concerned with American slavery, the Civil War, and African American history. Readers unfamiliar with other slave narratives may wish to explore Frederick Douglass's autobiographies and the volume titled "Slave Narratives," both of which are available from the Library of America.
Robin Friedman
Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs are among a handful of former slaves in the Old South who wrote famous narratives of their lives in slavery and their ultimate escape to freedom. It is a rare and important event to find additional first-person narratives that document the efforts of slaves to become free. The noted historian David Blight had the good fortune to become aware of two such narratives which had previously been held close by the families of their authors. Blight has published these accounts in his recent book "A Slave no More" (2007), together with background information on the manuscripts, a discussion of the lives of the authors following their escapes from slavery, and a brief history of Emancipation during and following the Civil War.
The attraction of this book lies more in the narratives than in Blight's commentary. The narratives were composed by John Washington (1838 -- 1918) and Wallace Turnage (1846-1916). Washington and Turnage both discuss their lives in slavery and the factors impelling them to make their escape. The narratives do not extend to the subsequent lives of the narrators in freedom. The narratives are written in a non-literary style which nevertheless have great power from their very simplicity. Neither man was writing for the public. Their accounts of slavery offer the opportunity to get to know two people who did not make it into the history books but whose stories have much to teach.
The narrative of John Washington, which he titled "Memorys of the Past" is the more literary of the two. Washington vowed to escape from slavery when his mother was sold away when he was a child. Washington spent most of his early life as an urban slave in Virginia working as a house servant in a tobacco factory and in an inn, among other places. With the advance of the Union army through Fredericksburg in 1862, Washington saw his opportunity to cross the river to the Union lines. He became an aide to several Union officers and ultimately established himself with his wife, who had been born free, in Washington D.C. Washington's narrative has some excellent portrayals of the movements of the soldiers on both sides and of his experiences with the Union army.
Turnage's account is untitled and substantially less polished that Washington's. Turnage spent most of his time in slavery in the deep south near Pickensville, Alabama. He was a field hand and subjected to more cruelty and violence than was Washington. His account is replete with descriptions of whippings given to himself and, especially, to women. Witnessing and receiving these whippings made Turnage determined to escape. Turnage made at least four unsuccessful attempts at escape before he succeeded, after each of which he was punished with increasing severity. In the first several attempts, Turnage went west to try to reach the Union lines in Corinth, Mississippi. He nearly succeeded but was returned to his master on each occasion. Turnage finally succeeded in a daring attempt to reach Mobile Bay, the site of a great Union naval victory. Turnage had to cross snake-infested swamps and achieved freedom only when Union soldiers rescued him from the sinking makeshift boat in which he had been riding to freedom. Turnage offers a graphic, gritty account of his escape and of the harshness of slavery in the deep south. Importantly, Turnage does not show bitterness towards his oppressors. He writes at the outset of his narrative: "I do not mean to speak disparagingly of those who sold me, nor of those who bought me. Though I seen a hard time, it had an attendency to make a man out of me." (Blight, page 213)
In his introductory material, Blight retells and expands upon the narratives of Washington and Turnage. Through laborious historical research, Blight also describes the lives of the two men and their families after their escape. Washington spent most of his life as a painter in Washington D.C. and was active in the church and the developing African-American community. His five children went on to careers, with his youngest son enjoying success as a science teacher and athletic coach. Turnage had a much more difficult time of it living in the overcrowded, disease-infested sections of New York City and witnessing the deaths of his mother, wife, and several children. One of his daughters was able to "pass" for white, and she was the source for recovering her father's manuscript.
Blight also offers an interesting discussion of the Emancipation Proclamation which focuses on the immediate reaction to it in African American communities in both North and South. I found Blight's discussion somewhat broader and more polemical than it needed to be to elucidate the narratives of Washington and Turnage. But most of his discussion makes for interesting reading.
Washington and Turnage wrote inspiring narratives of their journey from slavery to freedom. Blight has done a service in making these narratives available to the public. This book will be of interest to readers concerned with American slavery, the Civil War, and African American history. Readers unfamiliar with other slave narratives may wish to explore Frederick Douglass's autobiographies and the volume titled "Slave Narratives," both of which are available from the Library of America.
Robin Friedman
September 28, 2012
Though lacking the depth and description one might hope to garner from a firsthand account of slavery and escape, A Slave No More... still captures the essence and importance of these men's tales.
Blight introduces at exhaustive length the two slave's narratives, expounding with such great insight that it makes the roughly written narratives from the mouths of the uneducated slaves almost redundant when you actually get around to reading them. However, his explanations go a long way to enliven and enlighten the text, helping the modern day reader gather more understanding of the times and circumstances.
Very much worth the reading. Highly recommended as a companion to studies of Frederick Douglas.
Blight introduces at exhaustive length the two slave's narratives, expounding with such great insight that it makes the roughly written narratives from the mouths of the uneducated slaves almost redundant when you actually get around to reading them. However, his explanations go a long way to enliven and enlighten the text, helping the modern day reader gather more understanding of the times and circumstances.
Very much worth the reading. Highly recommended as a companion to studies of Frederick Douglas.
October 20, 2008
I heard an interview of David Blight on Fresh Air and knew right away that I had to read this book. These two narratives are amazing. Each man was a slave who escaped to freedom during the civil war and then later wrote the story of his escape. And each story was protected, but hidden, for almost a hundred years so that they are now available to us completely unaltered from their original writing (which wouldn't be the case if they'd been published at the time of their writing).
It goes without saying that slavery was and is a horrible, evil institution with lasting ramifications that is (and should be) a permanent stain on our country. But I imagine that most people who aren't Black probably haven't really thought about what slavery was.
Reading this book, which begins with Blight's excellent description of the overall times and history and which weaves in parts of Wallace Turnage's and John Washington's narratives and ends with the narratives themselves, really made me stop and think about slavery. Just one example: I think all of us know that slave owners raped their slaves and that children resulted from these rapes. And these children were themselves slaves. But how many of us have stopped to really think about what this means?
Fathers enslaved their own children. Their own children! Sold them, separated them from their mothers, beat them, killed them. Their own children.
I don't know if slavery made slave owners inhuman or if the inhuman chose to own slaves. Whichever, one remarkable thing is proven true by these two narratives: not even slavery could rob these men of their incredible dignity, their strength, or their determination to be free, no matter what it took. And what is true of these two men is undoubtedly true for the many millions of slaves who were prevented from writing their stories for us.
It goes without saying that slavery was and is a horrible, evil institution with lasting ramifications that is (and should be) a permanent stain on our country. But I imagine that most people who aren't Black probably haven't really thought about what slavery was.
Reading this book, which begins with Blight's excellent description of the overall times and history and which weaves in parts of Wallace Turnage's and John Washington's narratives and ends with the narratives themselves, really made me stop and think about slavery. Just one example: I think all of us know that slave owners raped their slaves and that children resulted from these rapes. And these children were themselves slaves. But how many of us have stopped to really think about what this means?
Fathers enslaved their own children. Their own children! Sold them, separated them from their mothers, beat them, killed them. Their own children.
I don't know if slavery made slave owners inhuman or if the inhuman chose to own slaves. Whichever, one remarkable thing is proven true by these two narratives: not even slavery could rob these men of their incredible dignity, their strength, or their determination to be free, no matter what it took. And what is true of these two men is undoubtedly true for the many millions of slaves who were prevented from writing their stories for us.
June 23, 2018
I really disliked how Blight did not let the narratives speak for themselves. They were very understandable and well written. Basically he re-wrote their narratives. If he would have put the narratives first, then added the additional information about their lives and history I think it would have worked better. The history and information in the book is amazing, but Blight's organization and editing was too heavy handed.
August 9, 2009
Fascinating gripping narratives that speak to the legacy of slavery and the meaning of the Civil War and Reconstruction
June 8, 2010
I've always been a fan of those sort of rags-to-riches stories, but with slave narratives it takes these stories to a new level of awesome. How you go from chattel to society-man or -woman within one generation is astounding, perhaps impossible for most of those former slaves who have gone before us.
In their narratives, both Wallace Turnage and John Washington use geography in near-precise terms. Through this geography, David Blight was able to place these slaves' escapes within the larger landscape of the Civil War and other major national events. It was this juxtaposition that helped me see Turnage, Washington, and key political/wartime figures as real people in a real place in time. For instance, I learned here that Lincoln was not a champion of abolition but a troubling pragmatist willing to do anything (including the repatriation of slaves) to preserve the Union.
I give this book 5 stars not because of the narratives' "quality", but because of Blight's analysis of this time period in American history. This book and its accompanying narratives is a rare gem within the African American Diaspora and should be required reading for high school/college American history courses.
June 4, 2019
Compelling and important in so many ways. I was especially impressed with Turnage’s vivid description of his many escape attempts, including the final escape just after being whipped for attempting to escape. There are fools who imagine that slaves were content with their lot or that slaves had decent lives. They ought to be required to read this book and any other first person slave narratives available until they can recognize the complete inhumanity of the slave system.
June 1, 2011
I have read many of the WPA slave narratives in the past. This book however gives a complete profile of two men both slaves with different experiences who want to be free. Excellent book
July 6, 2017
If the editor of this book would have been less skillful at framing the slave narratives included here, this could have been a much less enjoyable work, but fortunately for any reader of this book, this is a compelling narrative placed superbly in context. As someone who is very familiar with books about slavery [1], this book caught my interest for fairly obvious reasons. I have to say that having read this book I am impressed both with the narratives themselves as well as with the way that the editor provides a context for those narratives in light of the historical situation both of the narratives are set. While each of these narratives would have made a short read on their own, combined they provide each other with a context in demonstrating some of the common traits and similarities that were experienced by both of the men and their families. The editor also excels in discussing the life of the authors before and after slavery were documentary evidence allows such an understanding, which makes the gripping and dramatic tales of self-emancipation discussed here even more compelling to the reader.
The slightly more than 250 pages of this book are divided into two parts. The first 160 pages or so of the book consists of written material by Professor Blight on the lives and narratives of two slaves who self-emancipated during the Civil War. The author discusses their similarities--both had white fathers, learned a taste for freedom as urban slaves, and ran away to Union lines and were accepted along with the intelligence they brought, both traveled for some time at least with the Union troops they met, and both wrote about their experiences and sought to demonstrate their citizenship through hard work and a drive to rise in the world. The second part of the book consists of two slave narratives and some additional material to the second one. The first narrative is from John Washington, who escaped from Fredericksburg in early 1862 with the approach of Union soldiers and later became a sign painter. The second narrative is from Wallace Turnage, a chronic runaway who finally succeeded in finding Union lines on his fifth (!) escape attempt while in Mobile in late August of 1864. This second narrative also includes a eulogy for his deceased son in 1865 in the aftermath of national mourning over Lincoln's death.
This book excels for at least a few reasons. For one, these two narratives are very rare examples of runaway slave writings from the period of the Civil War. Likewise, the eulogy to Turnage's dead son is a rare example of a black narrative of the mid-19th century of such a circumstance. The narratives themselves, although filled with a large degree of spelling and grammatical errors, are compelling stories told with a great deal of rawness and authenticity. These were not heavily doctored and ghostwritten accounts designed to appeal to a mass audience, but rather handwritten documents written for the family of the authors and unpublished until this book. In addition to this, the editor's own writing is filled with nuance and balance. He comments on the duel of wills both of the narratives display between masters and slaves, on the corrupting/liberating habits of urban life for slaves, and on the fact that self-emancipation required both the initiative of the escapee as well as the opportunity to be able to reach Union lines. In both of these cases, both qualities were met and the result was a successful bid to freedom that increased the personal dignity both men felt and also felt it worthwhile to put down in writing to the best of their abilities, for the benefit of posterity.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...
The slightly more than 250 pages of this book are divided into two parts. The first 160 pages or so of the book consists of written material by Professor Blight on the lives and narratives of two slaves who self-emancipated during the Civil War. The author discusses their similarities--both had white fathers, learned a taste for freedom as urban slaves, and ran away to Union lines and were accepted along with the intelligence they brought, both traveled for some time at least with the Union troops they met, and both wrote about their experiences and sought to demonstrate their citizenship through hard work and a drive to rise in the world. The second part of the book consists of two slave narratives and some additional material to the second one. The first narrative is from John Washington, who escaped from Fredericksburg in early 1862 with the approach of Union soldiers and later became a sign painter. The second narrative is from Wallace Turnage, a chronic runaway who finally succeeded in finding Union lines on his fifth (!) escape attempt while in Mobile in late August of 1864. This second narrative also includes a eulogy for his deceased son in 1865 in the aftermath of national mourning over Lincoln's death.
This book excels for at least a few reasons. For one, these two narratives are very rare examples of runaway slave writings from the period of the Civil War. Likewise, the eulogy to Turnage's dead son is a rare example of a black narrative of the mid-19th century of such a circumstance. The narratives themselves, although filled with a large degree of spelling and grammatical errors, are compelling stories told with a great deal of rawness and authenticity. These were not heavily doctored and ghostwritten accounts designed to appeal to a mass audience, but rather handwritten documents written for the family of the authors and unpublished until this book. In addition to this, the editor's own writing is filled with nuance and balance. He comments on the duel of wills both of the narratives display between masters and slaves, on the corrupting/liberating habits of urban life for slaves, and on the fact that self-emancipation required both the initiative of the escapee as well as the opportunity to be able to reach Union lines. In both of these cases, both qualities were met and the result was a successful bid to freedom that increased the personal dignity both men felt and also felt it worthwhile to put down in writing to the best of their abilities, for the benefit of posterity.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...
May 7, 2024
To, after many trials, gain freedom fro
m slavery is as powerful a story as I can imagine. Two of these stories, told first hand, make this an outstanding book.
m slavery is as powerful a story as I can imagine. Two of these stories, told first hand, make this an outstanding book.
April 5, 2015
"A Slave No More" tells the true story of two men (Wallace Turnage and John Washington) who escaped slavery and lived the remainder of their lives as freedmen. This story is the narrative of their slave life and escape rather than an account of their lives after that.
The book is divided up into two main parts: the first part is the retelling of the narratives by David Blight, the author. In it, Blight takes the words of the men and rewrites their stories, embellishing the tale with historical events for the reader as well as adding opinions and thoughts of his own. The second part of the book is the actual accounts written by the men themselves.
The format of the book was really troubling to me as a reader. I disliked how Blight rewrote the men's stories, explaining that their poor grammar and syntax was the cause. The importance of their first person account was diminished with the retelling and, in many parts, Blight seems to be speak with the arrogance of a historian lecturing down to the reader. I disliked Blight's historical references, many of which were unneeded, and bogged the story down. The real force of the book, the tales told by slaves who lived and breathed almost seemed tagged on as an afterthought at the end of the book. It seems to me that their stories should have come first and then Blight's thoughts after that, or perhaps mixed in along the way. I did enjoy learning what happened to the men and their families after their narratives were finished, though. Overall, its isn't a book I can recommend, either for a good story or for an important historical read.
The book is divided up into two main parts: the first part is the retelling of the narratives by David Blight, the author. In it, Blight takes the words of the men and rewrites their stories, embellishing the tale with historical events for the reader as well as adding opinions and thoughts of his own. The second part of the book is the actual accounts written by the men themselves.
The format of the book was really troubling to me as a reader. I disliked how Blight rewrote the men's stories, explaining that their poor grammar and syntax was the cause. The importance of their first person account was diminished with the retelling and, in many parts, Blight seems to be speak with the arrogance of a historian lecturing down to the reader. I disliked Blight's historical references, many of which were unneeded, and bogged the story down. The real force of the book, the tales told by slaves who lived and breathed almost seemed tagged on as an afterthought at the end of the book. It seems to me that their stories should have come first and then Blight's thoughts after that, or perhaps mixed in along the way. I did enjoy learning what happened to the men and their families after their narratives were finished, though. Overall, its isn't a book I can recommend, either for a good story or for an important historical read.
May 9, 2016
A Slave No More by David W. Blight is a great book on the civil war. The book talks about two different slaves that escape to freedom. On may 20, 1838 John M. Washington was born a slave. He married a free born girl and eventually Washington made it to union lines. Wallace Turnage was born on August 24, 1846 as a slave. married three times and sadly only three of his seven children make it. However, he did live a long life and had time to enjoy his freedom.
I liked this book, because of the information it gives on the civil war. I was able to mentally see slavery through the eyes of two different slaves. I found the journey both horrifying and satisfying at different times. Overall this book has opened my eyes to the hardships of the civil war.
I recommend this book to those who have a high reading level or are in 8-10th grade, because of the technique an author uses and because of the sometimes graphic things that happen to the to slaves and to fellow slaves. I also recommend this book to people who like reading non-fiction. In conclusion this book was a very informational and I liked it quite a bit.
I liked this book, because of the information it gives on the civil war. I was able to mentally see slavery through the eyes of two different slaves. I found the journey both horrifying and satisfying at different times. Overall this book has opened my eyes to the hardships of the civil war.
I recommend this book to those who have a high reading level or are in 8-10th grade, because of the technique an author uses and because of the sometimes graphic things that happen to the to slaves and to fellow slaves. I also recommend this book to people who like reading non-fiction. In conclusion this book was a very informational and I liked it quite a bit.
August 11, 2008
As the civil war was being waged, two slaves, John M. Washington and Wallace Turnage, seized the moment and escaped across Confederate lines and into the union army. Both men left narratives or autobiographies that were passed down through friends and family and only recently came to attention of historians. Blight, a foremost authority on emancipation and professor at Yale University, published them with no changes to grammar or spelling, adding a lengthy analysis that reveals how the narratives came to light, puts them in historical context, and fills in biographical gaps with genealogical information. An incredible amount of work went into filling in the gaps of their lives.
February 21, 2008
Book club selection: If you have any sense of the history of slavery and the civil war, just skip to the actual narratives. I found the "introduction" part long and condescending to the reader, but was very interested in the actual narratives from two very different personalities. I did like hearing about the descendents of the authors of the narratives as well.
September 16, 2009
I really struggled to read this- yet was so interested in the topic. very difficult read- choppy-
January 28, 2024
Facing a seven-hour drive, I picked up this audiobook so that I wouldn’t have to listen to a business book for that long in one day. The author David Blight had won a Pulitzer Prize and is renowned for his annals of African-American history. I knew his writing to be eloquent and clear, and his observations of human nature, compassionate and acute. I had great hopes for this drive, and thankfully, with Blight’s erudite help, it passed very quickly. I was drawn into and moved by these self-written life stories of two self-emancipated slaves.
Self-written emancipation narratives are extremely rare. Though oral stories circulated in American culture after the Civil War, few were written down. Even fewer were written down by the formerly enslaved person themselves. These two narratives fit squarely in that category, grammatical errors and all. Only in recent decades, the public became aware of them. Blight artfully retells each of these stories for modern readers and then shares both stories in their original, unedited form.
Listening to this book is like peeling a vidalia onion, each step slightly tear-inducing yet commingled with a savory sweetness. Blight opens with an introduction and then tells their stories using scholarly knowledge to bring modern readers up to speed. Then, he shares broader historical information not in the original accounts, like what we know happened to them afterwards and how their lives fit into wider American history. Finally, the essential core is shared in the life stories in the self-emancipated heroes themselves, told in their own words. The entire product is moving and engrossing.
John Washington was enslaved in Virginia yet became literate as a city slave. After escaping, he ended up helping the Union army while fighting for his wife and children’s freedom. Wallace Turnage, enslaved in the fields of Alabama, tried to escape an impressive five times as a teenager before finally succeeding. Turnage’s tale became more exciting each time I heart it, and the final telling – in his own words – stirred my heart within. He overcame being hunted, whippings, hunger, daunting landscapes, and the waters of Mobile Bay in order to gain freedom. What better voice to tell of America’s deep meaning!
Since after the Civil War all the way to today, many white people have tried to sweep slavery’s unseemliness into a forgotten past. That’s unfortunate. Not only is that unjust for people still struggling with similar racist obstacles today, but it also lacks the depths of inspiration for all of us. People like John Washington and Wallace Turnage are inspiring human beings for what they overcame to treasure life’s freedoms. They just happened to be black slaves. They are proud emblems of America. During the upcoming Black History Month, they inspire me, a white man with plenty of privilege, to learn more about the people around me in America and to benefit from their stories, their courage, and their heart.
Self-written emancipation narratives are extremely rare. Though oral stories circulated in American culture after the Civil War, few were written down. Even fewer were written down by the formerly enslaved person themselves. These two narratives fit squarely in that category, grammatical errors and all. Only in recent decades, the public became aware of them. Blight artfully retells each of these stories for modern readers and then shares both stories in their original, unedited form.
Listening to this book is like peeling a vidalia onion, each step slightly tear-inducing yet commingled with a savory sweetness. Blight opens with an introduction and then tells their stories using scholarly knowledge to bring modern readers up to speed. Then, he shares broader historical information not in the original accounts, like what we know happened to them afterwards and how their lives fit into wider American history. Finally, the essential core is shared in the life stories in the self-emancipated heroes themselves, told in their own words. The entire product is moving and engrossing.
John Washington was enslaved in Virginia yet became literate as a city slave. After escaping, he ended up helping the Union army while fighting for his wife and children’s freedom. Wallace Turnage, enslaved in the fields of Alabama, tried to escape an impressive five times as a teenager before finally succeeding. Turnage’s tale became more exciting each time I heart it, and the final telling – in his own words – stirred my heart within. He overcame being hunted, whippings, hunger, daunting landscapes, and the waters of Mobile Bay in order to gain freedom. What better voice to tell of America’s deep meaning!
Since after the Civil War all the way to today, many white people have tried to sweep slavery’s unseemliness into a forgotten past. That’s unfortunate. Not only is that unjust for people still struggling with similar racist obstacles today, but it also lacks the depths of inspiration for all of us. People like John Washington and Wallace Turnage are inspiring human beings for what they overcame to treasure life’s freedoms. They just happened to be black slaves. They are proud emblems of America. During the upcoming Black History Month, they inspire me, a white man with plenty of privilege, to learn more about the people around me in America and to benefit from their stories, their courage, and their heart.
November 14, 2020
This book starts with 160 pages of commentary. After that come the two actual stories, neither of which was ever previously published, but both of which were preserved by family members. Wallace Turnage and John M. Washington were both young men at the time of Emancipation, and both managed to escape slavery during the Civil War. Their stories are valuable additions to the canon, in part because they were written soon after the men were free and were unedited. The stories, as do all narratives of enslaved persons, confront the reader with the inhumanity of the system of slavery, with the humanity of the enslaved individuals, and with how a mainstream culture can be built around dehumanizing people, with constant cruelty.
I read the introduction and a bit of the commentary, but then I skipped to the actual stories. I then looked briefly at the commentary, but did not read much of it, as I've read much on the subject before. I'm sure it's good, and am glad the author took the opportunity to put this book together when he was offered the manuscripts.
I read the introduction and a bit of the commentary, but then I skipped to the actual stories. I then looked briefly at the commentary, but did not read much of it, as I've read much on the subject before. I'm sure it's good, and am glad the author took the opportunity to put this book together when he was offered the manuscripts.
November 8, 2023
I read a lot of historical books and very much enjoy a well written historical account. If this book was just the first hand narratives I would have given it 5 stars. However, I feel that the author did a huge disservice to these two men. The entire first half of the book is a history of the times and a telling of what happened to the men after the war. This information would have been better to have after presenting the narratives so you had the context of their first hand narratives.
In writing this first half the author is also so condescending about the quality of the first hand narratives, repeatedly mentioning lack of grammatical and spelling accuracy of the narratives. These men found a way to be educated and wrote down their narratives despite being slaves...they should be applauded for this not ridiculed for spelling errors.
I loved reading the actual narratives but the first half of this book was a slog.
In writing this first half the author is also so condescending about the quality of the first hand narratives, repeatedly mentioning lack of grammatical and spelling accuracy of the narratives. These men found a way to be educated and wrote down their narratives despite being slaves...they should be applauded for this not ridiculed for spelling errors.
I loved reading the actual narratives but the first half of this book was a slog.
July 18, 2017
In a slave no more, David W. Blight tells the stories of two men who escaped from slavery during the American Civil War. He takes us through their lives before, during, and after their escapes. In the first few chapters, he mingles their stories and explains a lot about the history of the time as he does so. It is not until the final chapters that the reader is introduced to the men’s own accounts of their escapes.
While the first few chapters were filled with a lot of historical details, it was hard to connect with the men because the narrative kept jumping around. However, once the personal narratives are reached, it becomes a lot easier to relate to the men and understand them. I wish I had read their versions of their lives and story before reading all the information that Mr. Blight provided.
While the first few chapters were filled with a lot of historical details, it was hard to connect with the men because the narrative kept jumping around. However, once the personal narratives are reached, it becomes a lot easier to relate to the men and understand them. I wish I had read their versions of their lives and story before reading all the information that Mr. Blight provided.
July 7, 2023
Oh, David Blight, WHY didn't you put the actual slave narratives first? Your highly-curated, ponderous prose frustrated me. You dangled snippets of quotes from the slave narratives which made me yearn to read the narratives sans commentary.
If I had read the hardcover edition (or checked the table of contents on the audio version - my bad) I would have jumped to the first-person accounts. They were pure gold.
Five stars and cheers for John Washington and Wallace Turnage!
David Blight: not so much.
Oh that I may, when done with this toilsome world even with three times the difficulties and persecutions that I met with in obtaining my temporal freedom, by God's assistance reach that Blistful abode, and triumph over the enemies of my soul at last. That will be a day of joy to me, which no tongue can express, for I will then be free indeed. —Wallace Turnage
If I had read the hardcover edition (or checked the table of contents on the audio version - my bad) I would have jumped to the first-person accounts. They were pure gold.
Five stars and cheers for John Washington and Wallace Turnage!
David Blight: not so much.
Oh that I may, when done with this toilsome world even with three times the difficulties and persecutions that I met with in obtaining my temporal freedom, by God's assistance reach that Blistful abode, and triumph over the enemies of my soul at last. That will be a day of joy to me, which no tongue can express, for I will then be free indeed. —Wallace Turnage
September 10, 2019
This is one of those that caught my eye perhaps as much based on the red letters on the dust jacket, but with little thought on the subject matter, and turned out to actually be a pretty good listen. The stories of African-Americans who sought freedom in the Union Forces, but were treated as badly by their liberators as by their former 'owners,' was very interesting in that they risked their lives when they traveled back into their Southern homelands. They could easily have been executed as spies or collaborators, yet they kept coming in to be emancipated. Quite a story!
November 23, 2021
Really interesting perspective. I read this book for my Civil War history class. Unfortunately, I do not think I would read this again. David Blight is a great writer. I maintain that his books are friendly for practically all readers regardless of their background in the American Civil War. If you're looking for a unique perspective from enslaved people themselves as well as fantastic secondary analysis on the ways in which enslaved people actively wrote their own history, then this is for you.
July 11, 2023
I listened to the audiobook. I was having some trouble following the story, so I started looking at the reviews and noticed some people suggested first reading the autobiographies and then going back and reading the beginning with the author's contextual information. I agree with this suggestion. The beginning part written by the author combined the two stories which made it hard to keep track of people and events. If I had read it that way I might have rated it a five or at least a four and a half.
July 22, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! The author begins by telling a story that incorporates parts of the autobiographies of the two escaped slaves. In my opinion, this story provides the reader with a good picture of what life was like for slaves and non-slaves during this time. Following the author’s story, both autobiographies of the escaped slaves are presented. The autobiographies are presented verbatim, exactly as written by the two men. Very good!
February 15, 2019
I can only stand to read the half of this book that contains the writing of the actual enslaved writers. This guy, Blight, is so arrogant and patronizing that he clearly doesn't even realize how offensive he is. His caucasian conjectures on the experiences of enslaved people are truly offensive. He actually calls a tortured enslaved man's prose "unpolished." The man survived multiple escape attempts!
There are so many things wrong with even the premise of this book in this person's hands.
There are so many things wrong with even the premise of this book in this person's hands.
June 13, 2023
A great book to read for Juneteenth. The narratives by Wallace and John are 5's, but the part by David is a 1. David writes the first half and basically tells the ENTIRE story of each narrative plus that each person could have, might have or maybe was at sone historical event. My suggestion to you is start halfway through with the narratives which are compelling and exciting and skip David's part entirely.
October 30, 2018
I thought the history and build-up added needed context to the narratives. There was so build-up that I was a little disappointed in the actual journals. I think the historical context gave good perspective to the conditions. I think everybody should read a book about cultures that have historically been disadvantaged.
March 3, 2021
There are former slaves, like Frederick Douglass, who wrote their memoirs and of course their stories are also well known. In this book, however, we have two former slaves who are not at all well known who, after escaping from slavery during the Civil War, wrote down their stories. Engrossing reading that I HIGHLY recommend.
July 16, 2017
Totally recommend this book! I would have put the original narratives first and then the historical commentary, but these accounts are incredibly enlightening. The historic background fills in the gaps and provides the context for the story.
December 27, 2023
I am a big fan of David Blight. This work includes two original slave narratives, as well as Blight's efforts to provide a fuller picture of these mens' lives. Multiply this story many, many times over to begin to understand the plight of slavery and the natural desire for freedom.
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