Slave Narrative of Henry Banner
Henry Banner recounts his experiences as a slave, sold multiple times during the Civil War, with his final sale in 1865 just before the war ended. Born in 1849 in Russell County, Virginia, he describes the harsh realities of slavery, including the roles of patteroles and the lack of legal recognition for slave relationships. After the war, he faced disillusionment as he discovered the promised “forty acres and a mule” never materialized. Banner reflects on the challenges of freedom, including poverty and the struggle for work.