very book has its preface--a book without a preface would be like a city without a directory, or an animal with only part of the organs necessary to its existence.
To the friends of progress and elevation I propose to write a narrative of real life as a slave and as a citizen. Believing that every person, who regards those that are striving to educate themselves, will give this little book some encouragement when its author presents it to them, and believing that every gentleman and lady will do so, I feel satisfied to submit the following facts of my life when in slavery and now as a freeman.
Many persons may think that a man who would publish his life should do it intelligently, and do I. If you cannot write it intelligently do the best you can, and next time endeavor to do better. There is not much expected of a man at his first attempt who has spent his early days in slavery, and has had no opportunity to learn to read or write, but believing that this little book will help me to do better in the future I feel encouraged to persevere, as I have always done, to the best of my knowledge. I hope that God will bless me in my effort to publish the true facts and incidents as they occurred from time to time. All intelligent persons know that a man who went to school but four months in his life, and that to night school, and sometimes only three nights in a week, would be incapable to write this little book as it should be written. This book is not published to create any excitement or to accuse any one wrongfully, but the true facts as I can remember them to the best of my knowledge and ability. The strong must bear the infirmities of the week. Remember that.
