The Indomitable George Washington Fields

Autobiography

with tears in her eyes. Mother said, “Goodbye, Miss Catherine.”l

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamunkey_River

A good deal less tolerant account of this mistress appears in Alice M. Bacon, From Slavery to Freedom (pt. 1), 21 S. Workman & Hampton Sch. Rec. 46 (1892). Based on information “gathered from the lips of her children,” that article about Martha Ann relates how the mistress breached solemn promises to her by selling Louisa and by abusing the family. The mistress planned to auction them all off in 1863. The departure went like this: “The mistress called to her as she passed along, ‘Martha Ann, are you going to leave me and take all the children too?’ ‘Yes,’ was the reply. ‘You have lied to me twice and you’ll never have the chance to do it again.’ At this the mistress fell down before her, praying and beseeching her to stay on with them . . . .”

The Indomitable George Washington Fields

Published on Jun 27, 2013

Cornell Law School

About

This book relates the story of a fortuitously unearthed but significant historical figure: George Washington Fields (1854-1932). Born into slavery in Hanover County, Virginia, Fields started at the bottom. But he, along with his remarkable family, made a historic escape to Hampton 150 years ago at the height of the Civil War. He next worked to support the family, and still pursued an education at the storied Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. Later going North, he worked for nearly a decade, including stints as manservant for various luminaries, before completing his legal studies as Cornell University’s first African-American graduate. He then went home to Hampton where—though blinded in 1896—he continued to overcome, eventually becoming a leading attorney of the region.

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