ABSTRACT
James ____ was a slave to David McCalmont, of Newcastle county, State of Delaware. Preferring liberty to slavery, about the year 1805, he took the liberty to walk off. He went to the neighborhood of Pilesgrove, Salem county, New Jersey, and lived with a farmer. He was then about thirty years old. After remaining in that situation some months, and finding that his employer was friendly to the colored people, and was of course opposed to slavery, James ventured to open his heart to him. About this time, several persons, similarly circumstanced with himself, were arrested and taken to the South, whence they had fled. This greatly increased his fears; and he resolved to endeavor to get some person to advance a sum of money sufficient to redeem him from bondage, promising to remunerate him by a temporary servitude. The individual to whom he had made known his situation, proposed that application should be made to me, to negotiate the matter between him and his master. James approved of the plan; and the person, at his request, called upon me. He stated that he had full confidence in the man, and said he believed he would faithfully adhere to any agreement he might make.
