CHAPTER XVII.
Letter from W. H. Gatewood.—My reply.—My efforts as a public lecturer.—Singular incident in Steubenville—Meeting with a friend of Whitfield in Michigan.—Outrage on a canal packet.—Fruitless efforts to find my wife.
The first direct information that I received concerning any of my relations, after my last escape from slavery, Avas communicated in a letter from Wm. H. Gatewood, my former owner, which I here insert word for word, without any correction:
Mr. H. Bibb.
Dear Sir:—After my respects to you and yours &c, I received a small book which you sent to me that I peroseed and found it was sent by H. Bibb I am a stranger in Detroit and know no man there without it is Walton H. Bibb if this be the man please to write to me and tell me all about that place and the people I will tell you the news here as well as I can your mother is still living here and she is well the people are generally well in this cuntry times are dull and produce low give my compliments to King, Jack, and all my friends in that cuntry I read that book you sent me and think it will do very well—George is sold, I do not
