Terrebonne Parish, LA - 1853
Beau was born was in 1831 on the Southdown Plantation in Terrebonne Parish, LA. His mother died in child-birth. Due to his caramel-complexion and hazel-eyes, his father was speculated to be one of the white overseers or contractors that frequently provided services on the estate; no one came forward to claim him. He was raised by Belle-Anne, the midwife, who helped bring him into the world.
When he was 14, Beau was put to work in the fields harvesting sugarcane like most of the slaves. By the time he was 19 he had grown to 6'3" and almost 250 of natural muscle. Due to his size and build, the overseers decided to send him to the stalls to tend the horses and oxen, with the intention that he would eventually learn blacksmithing. Despite his appearance, Beau was quiet, mild-natured and intelligent, and at times, passive. But when pushed too far, he was more than a handful, as a few of the other young slaves unfortunately learned the hard way.
One afternoon, without reason or warning, the overseers pulled him from the stalls, chained his ankles and loaded him onto the back of a wagon; he'd never been shackled before. Beau had been sold to another plantation earlier that morning. He'd never been beyond the boundaries of Southdown, but was soon leaving behind every one and everything he'd ever known. He had just turned 22.
Beau was very afraid, especially since few words had been said to him throughout the ordeal.
"C'mon...git on up in dat wagin, nigger, an' don't make no trouble..."
He remained silent for the entire 60-mile ride, wondering to himself what he could have done wrong, and praying as hard as he knew how. The two hard-looking white men driving the wagon said very little to him and barely said a word to each other. It was well after dark when they arrived at the final destination. Beau had fallen asleep and was now being rousted awake. One of the men jabbed him in the ribs with the butt of his rifle.
"Wake yo' ass up, boy..."
In the darkness Beau could make out the "Big House", which was actually much smaller, but just as elegant as the one on Southdown Plantation. He climbed down from the wagon and stood silently as the two men spoke to another white man holding a lantern at the foot of the stairs. By his dress and manner, Beau figured him to be another overseer. After a brief conversation, the three men led him along a winding path behind the house, through a thick growth of trees and bushes. Beau shuffled along as best he could, carrying the length of chain that bound his ankles, stumbling a few times. The overseer with the rifle followed closely behind, prodding him to hurry along. He tried to focus on the lantern light ahead of him.
They finally came to stop in a clearing where four small wood cabins stood. The man carrying the lantern called out and a brown-skinned woman, carrying a torch emerged from the second building. He said a few words to her, as Beau was prodded with the rifle to step forward. The manner in which the white men spoke and deferred to this woman gave him the impression that "she was the one in charge".
She approached him, holding the torch high and studied him from head to foot. She was a full-figured woman with large breasts and hips. Although shorter than Beau, she was taller than the three white men. Her hair was pulled back and tied in a thick braid that ran down her back. Her most prominent feature was her long-hooked nose and hard eyes. Her dress and the lace kerchief tied around her head told him she probably worked in the house and not the fields.
She stepped towards him, standing only inches away and stared up into his face. She had a medium-brown complexion and her eyes were hazel like his.
"This un'll do jus' fine..." she announced with a devious grin and motioning towards the last cabin to her left. "Bring him ova' there..."
The three men did as she instructed and led him to the door which she opened and they all entered.
"Take them two up to the house an' get 'em fed." she said to her counterpart. "I'll tend to him."
Again without question, the three men did as she instructed. Beau stood silently in the corner and watched her as she moved about the one-room cabin, inspecting the bed, and poking the coals burning in the small hearth.
"They fed you today...?" she asked him.
"Nah...no ma'm..." Beau answered. "Not since early..." He hadn't realized until that moment how hungry he was.
She reached into a small bundle on the ledge above the hearth and unwrapped slices of cornbread.
"Eat on that fo' now..."
"Thank ya, ma'm..." Beau nodded taking the still warm, buttery cornbread and gobbling it down.
"Take yo' time an' don't go chokin' yo'self..." she said smiling at him. "there's water in the pitcher ova' there..."
She watched him as he fed and drank.
"Thank ya', ma'm..." he nodded again when he'd had his fill.
"They calls me Regine." she told him. "I makes sure things gits done for the Missus."
"Y-yes, Miss Regine..." Beau nodded, remembering his manners to defer to the woman who appeared to be at least 10 years older than him.
She smiled and motioned for him to sit on the bed.
"Now don't go gettin' no notions on runnin'..." she said sternly. "that kinda thinkin' won't do nuthin' but get ya beat or worse...!"
He nodded. He'd witnessed first-hand what happened to captured runaways.
"I'ma get these chains offa you..." she said.
Regine then did something he'd never seen a slave do before. She produced a ring of keys, knelt and unlocked his shackles. He drew his legs up onto the bed and began rubbing at the raw and chafed spots, still amazed at this minor miracle Regine had just performed.
"Get some sleep..." Regine suggested as she gathered the chains and stepped outside. "The Missus will be wantin' to git a look at ya' tomorrow..."
Beau was so tired from his ordeal that it actually didn't take long for him to drift off. As was normal for him, he woke just before sunrise. Not knowing what else to do, he laid there and listened, trying to get some clue about where he was. Regine came to the door to retrieve him, just as sunlight crept in under the door and through cracks around the cabin.
"Mo'nin. Let's git you fed and cleaned up..." she said as he followed her to a clearing at the rear of the buildings.
Six other slaves, 4 women and 2 men, were gathered around a long wooden table for breakfast.
"This here is Beau, y'all..." Regine said aloud, introducing him to the group. "Missus had him brung here las' night."
She went around the table introducing each, giving a brief description of their duties. None of them was dressed for field work. Beau made eye contact with and greeted each in turn as Belle-Anne had taught him. The two men and one of the women (Samuel, Oliver and Cleo) were older, probably Regine's age, the other three women (Venus, Ellamae and Eliza) were younger.
The table was spread out with the usual breakfast fare for slaves: baked apples, cornbread, grits, eggs, bacon and black coffee.
Beau mostly listened as he ate his fill, still trying to get a clue as to where he was and why he was here. He was able to gather that he was still in Louisiana, and maybe closer to New Orleans. Like him, the other slaves were all brought here from other plantations. They were all the property of Miss Helen Boudreaux, the mistress of the Bonne Fleur Estate.
"Time to git you cleaned up..." Regine told him as they cleared the table. She smiled at Cleo as she said this.
He followed her back up the path near the Big House to another small clearing on the far side. There were clothes and fresh linens hung from lines to dry in the warm breeze. There were also large tubs and basins for scrubbing and cleaning, and a fire where water was being heated in a large metal pot.
"Gon' an strip down so we can git dat funk offa you..." Regine instructed as she drew warm water and began filling a tub that also had a small wooden stool in the center.
"Huhn...?" Beau stammered, caught off guard by her request.
"Ain't no time fo' bein' shy..." she said sternly, "you ain't got nuthin' I ain't seen before..."
Reluctantly Beau pulled off his sweat-soaked linen shirt and breeches. He tried his best to cover his privates as he stepped into the tub and sat down on the stool. He'd seen small children bathed in this manner. He was accustomed to cleaning himself privately in the river near Southdown 2 or 3 times a week. The warmer water in the tub took a few minutes for him to adjust to.
