An Ex-Slave Catcher's Narrative Vol. 1

An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative

L. Allen Farmer 1

Volume Two

An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kara Ingraham
Email:[email protected]

Stamford, CT, - New author L. Allen Farmer of Washington, DC has released
the second volume of the historical fiction, “An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative”.
This is the second book of the trilogy. A continuation of the memoir of Balaam
Calais-Vega the story follows the Calais-Vega family West as they begin life
free of the bonds of slavery. Set against the historical backdrop of the American
West, the Calais-Vega family become allies of their Native American brethren
as they continue their freedom quest.

We travel through history in this winding tale, experiencing the conquest, valor
and struggles of the Calais-Vega clan as they stand with Makhpiyaluta (Scarlet
Cloud), known in English as Red Cloud, in the fight for native lands and the
freedom of native people.

This is the suspenseful tale of their continued quest for freedom. Farmer
has created a journey through history and written a story of uncompromising
determination and the choices that must be made to remain mentally free and
together as a family. A story where real games of treachery, deceit, and war are
played and nations are built.

L. Allen Farmer is available for interviews and appearances.

For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and book signings
contact: Kara Ingraham, EMMI Publications.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L. Allen Farmer is a first time author. He was born into a military family, and
spent his formative years in several states and countries prior to his family
settling stateside in Northern California. He currently resides in the Federal
District of Columbia, and works in the aviation industry. He is a graduate of
Howard University.

Mr. Farmer has travelled the world extensively, which no doubt led to the
formation of his writing and his gift for storytelling. He enjoys camping, hiking,
exercising, and lounging on some of the world’s most pristine beaches. He is a
avid art collector, and a great supporter and patron of the arts.

As a writer his philosophy is to always leave the reader wanting more, and
inspire them to expand their base of knowledge.

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An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative
PART FOUR

An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative 4

L. ALLEN FARMER
SERRA ME, SERVANT TE
(SAVE ME, AND I WILL SAVE YOU)

QUOTE: OPTIMISM IS THE MADNESS OF INSISTING THAT ALL IS WELL
WHEN WE ARE MISERABLE.

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An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative

John Brown’s last prophecy on the day of his execution was “I, John Brown, am now certain that
the crimes of this guilty land: will never be purged away, but with Blood. I had as I now think vainly
flattered myself that without very much bloodshed, it might be done.” So this changed the whole
landscape, and made a tense situation even more so, because everyone could sense that there
was going to be no way out of this situation, but by armed conflict. Which all of which really made
me think of Master Jack’s words, concerning the way in which the southern states would be forced
to act if they felt threatened, or backed into a corner. Then in January of 1861, Abraham Lincoln, a
Republican, who was a somewhat known opponent of slavery, was elected as the next President
of America, and things really began to change. The state of South Carolina’s State Legislature
not truly knowing what Lincoln’s next moves would be, seceded from the Union, then followed by
the secession of six more States. The leading freeman abolitionist of his time, the great Fredrick
Douglas, was himself, even skeptical of Lincoln, and his freeing of the slaves, and he called him,
the ‘King Slave Catcher,’ and it was known in many circles that Lincoln told darkie jokes, and freely
used the word ‘Nigger.’

Douglas was a powerful critic of Lincoln, because he refused to address the slavery issue, and
because he appeared to be going too slow, and somewhat reluctant in moving in that direction,
either in action, or speeches. He called him a proslavery wolf, in antislavery sheep’s clothing, and
voiced that, “Lincoln was no more fit for the place that he holds, than was James Buchanan, and the
latter was no more the miserable tool of traitors, than the former, is allowing himself to be.” Lincoln
early on in his presidency stated that his goal was to preserve the Union, and not end slavery. He
actually supported the Corwin Amendment, which would permanently allow slavery in the states
where it was presently legal and also would have forbidden any attempt to amend the Constitution
to abolish or interfere with the domestic institutions of the states, including persons held to labor
or service which meant slavery. Lincoln wanted the Southern states to accept it, but they refused,
thinking that it was a trick to entrap them with, to eventually change their way of life, not realizing
that all they had to do was to accept the Corwin Amendment, and not succeed, and then they would
be able to keep slavery alive and well in its present shape or form. But to the South, they needed
to be able to control their own destinies, and not have any one dictate political terms to them, about
what their way of life would, or more importantly should be.

The Civil War began in April of 1861, with the attack on Fort Sumter that is in South Carolina, by
forces loyal to the newly established Confederacy. The actual ground campaign began in May of
1861 in western Virginia, which is now called West Virginia, in the hills and mountain regions, as
President Lincoln commanded the Army of the Department of Ohio, which was under the command
of General McClellan, to cross the Ohio River and secure western Virginia, which was loyal to the
Union, for the Union. The only thing that slowed things down was a very terrible winter, and by
the time 1862 came around, the war shifted to the southeast region of the divided nation. Lincoln
suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus, closed down newspapers, and jailed dozens of citizens in

An Ex-Slave Catcher’s Narrative 6

an attempt to control and already worsening situation. The thing that I will always remember about
that year, of 1862 was that in April, I was witness to the slaughter that was known as the Battle of
Shiloh. I was cutting through and around the troops on either side of this crazy war, leading a group
of runaways towards freedom that lie in the North. Because of the current situation, we had to move
ever so slowly, in a western route, as we went from state to state, and we had just gotten around
the area of Shiloh Tennessee, about to finally make that turn to the north, when on April 6th, the
Confederate forces attacked the Union forces that were encamped along the Tennessee River, at
the Pittsburg Landing area. We barely had a chance to get settled down, on a nearby hillside and
seek cover when the battle began, and let me say that from our position, that had a commanding
view of the battle field, we saw everything as it unfolded, for the next two days. Almost 24,000 men
died and it was like a blood bath, as the generals stood back and continually threw their men into the
fray without a regard for human life or the consequences of such actions. On day one, which was
April 6th, the Confederates looked as if they were about to route the Federal troops, and it looked
many times during that day as if they were about to be defeated, yet they hung on until night time
fell, which ended the main hostilities, except for the occasional gun shots from the snipers from
both sides, who were picking off any easy and upright moving or plain ole obvious targets. As night
time came, the Federal’s reinforcements arrived on the other side of the River, and these troops
were ferried across, and in the morning, just as the daybreak was starting to wake up, the Federals
viciously counterattacked, driving the Confederates off the field.

We were stuck in our location for about three day’s time, because we had to wait until we were
absolutely sure that both armies had gone, before we even moved an inch. The loss of life was
enormous, and it is hard to explain what we were truly witness to, and once we got back under
way, which was on April 8th, no one said anything for days, because the shock to our body systems
was just too great, I always assumed, and all of that death is simply too hard for the mind to
comprehend, and deal with. I really right then, saw the real deal about these blancos locos, and how
they are determined to kill or be killed just because of a reason that really did not make any sense
to me, at all. There were so many dead men around, with loads of weapons lying everywhere on
the battlefield, that both of the armies only removed the casualties, but not the bodies of the fallen
from the field, so we had to walk through scores and scores of the dead, and we saw firsthand what
the horrors of war are really about. Dead men with holes all throughout their bodies, bodies burned
up looking bodies with eyes shot out, noses missing, parts of men, arms and legs and even fingers
and toes, and teeth were all spread about the entire length of the field of battle.

Nothing was spared, not even animals, and even the land area itself was torn up and worn looking
in places. Some of the dead had arms or legs blown off, while some of the dead had these horrible
twisted looks of death on their faces. I was determined because of this, right then to never again
expose myself or my loved ones, to the crazy ways of the Blancos, or to die trying. Because the
real truth about the Battle of Shiloh was that both sides appeared to have nothing to lose and sadly
nothing to gain either. They killed each other like it was a game or better yet a competition that had

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no clear-cut rules, or order and it was like the ultimate game of survival. So the family would move
westward, hopefully before the end of this conflict, when it was safe and try to stay as far away
from the Blancos as possible, because depending upon who ultimately won this contest, between
two bears, we, as in our race or creed could be worse off than ever before. The only good thing,
if it could be called a good thing, about the battle of Shiloh, was that I was able to pick up my very
first Henry model 1860 repeating rifle, from some unfortunate soul who had it in his clutches at the
time of his demise.

End of Chapter Four

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