Women of the West The Creation of the Black Cowgirl

By Wilhelmina Adams

At a young age, Sara knew she wanted to be free from slavery. She attempted many times to run away. On one of these attempts, she was caught by another slave owner, Massa Horn. Massa Horn was a very angry man who wanted to beat her like she never was beaten before just to teach her the consequences of running away. But it was not Massa Horn's decision to beat Sara because he did not own her. Massa Monroe was her owner, and he made it clear to Massa Horn that it was not his decision to punisher her. Sara was chastised by Massa Monroe and her parents about running away. They told her to stop trying and to stay put.

As time went on, Sara grew into a beautiful young lady, desired by every slave owner in Mississippi. Massa Monroe made sure Sara would not be abused by any slave owner. When slavery ended, Massa Monroe gave the Monroe family their freedom papers to start a new beginning. Finally, Sara received her freedom. Sara's parents decided to leave Mississippi to start a new beginning in Texas now that they were no longer slaves. Because of the move, this begins the journey of Sara becoming the first-ever Black cowgirl in Texas. During this time in Sara's journey, she has discovered that the town her father and the town's people built will have many outlaws and Klansmen trying to destroy the town she loves. She will have to fight to protect the town of Jacob Water and every member of Jacob Water from being destroyed. Sara will be the one cowgirl every outlaw and Klansmen have to watch out for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637108222

Book preview

Slavery

Hundreds of Years in Bondage

The Black Cowgirl Era

Marshal John Monroe sat remembering the times of being a slave. He and his family were taken from their native land, living as Black kings and queens, enjoying life as proud African people until the most unforgiving day appeared—being stolen from their native land. African people were forced into a life of bondage. Many fought to survive, and many lost their lives. It was never a choice whether to live or die, not knowing what was ahead of them. Many Africans chose death. Slavery was something the African people never thought would change their lives, and to be forced to serve against their will was far from the life they once had in their native land. Many captured Africans were killed, and many others decided to die, not by the hands of their White captors but by their own free will. The ship that carried many Africans to different parts of the world knew torture would be their fate; and many captured slaves were brutally beaten, beaten so badly that they were tortured into submission, where many fled into the ice-cold brutal seas, believing it would be better to die in the raging waters than to be put somewhere unknown to them all. Many knew what was happening was not right, and they would not deal with the reality that was coming their way.

Many slaves were taken to America and other parts of the world, where they would be slaves to work in the fields of many slave owners, reaching the many docks to be sold. This slave owner called Monroe purchased hundreds of slaves and took them to their new home in Mississippi to be forced to do the work no slave owner or other White folks wanted to do. Also, because of the language barrier, many slaves were taught how to speak the English words, and those that refused to were badly whipped until they submitted to their captors’ orders. John Monroe and his wife were able to be together and made the best out of a bad situation. From years of being in bondage to raising a family to the day slavery was abolished and the Black cowgirl era began, John Monroe and his family remained as slaves until the abolishment of slavery was set.

Slavery in Mississippi

In the Beginning Years

The 1800s

Being brought to a place so different from the homeland they were used to, many African slaves could not fathom being freed. In a place called Virginia City, Virginia, in the year 1836, Sara Monroe was born into slavery on a plantation near the Mississippi River. As a child being born into evil and cruelty, Sara always kept the faith and believed she would one day become a free woman when she got older. Watching her mother and father struggle as slaves, she vowed she would never suffer the abuse and humiliation her parent endured as slaves. Never having a home of her own, Sara wanted to give her children the best of everything when the time would come for her to be a parent. Growing up in Mississippi, slavery was something she could never get used to. She never understood how one set of people could own another set of people. Sara tried to run away from the plantation many times as a young child of seven to only be caught and returned to her massa. Being so young, Sara had a strong mind and didn’t want to be a slave. She knew it wasn’t what God intended her people to be. She suffered beatings at such a young age from Massa Monroe, many times for running away, and she never once thought of stopping. Even when her parents tried to warn her it wasn’t worth the beatings she would receive each time she was caught. Her parents thought the beating would stop little Sara, but it never did. John Monroe believed the reason Sara kept running away was Massa Monroe never truly beat her the way other slave owners whipped their slaves.

At the age of ten, Sara left the plantation in the middle of the night with the thought of never returning and prayed that this time around, she would succeed, sleeping in barns during the day when she thought no one was watching her and moving quickly through the night to escape her Massa’s son’s advances. Massa Monroe had five sons, and only two of them were trying to violate her and to have her become one of their sex pets. At such a young age, Sara did not want to become one of her Massa’s sons’ bed toys as her young friends were. Sara was walking down a dirt road on the night she chose to run away and came across a stream, where she saw a young slave boy skipping rocks. She wasn’t sure if she should walk his way or keep going. Before she could decide what to do, the little boy heard something and turned her way. With a small smile on his face, he said, Where you going this late in the night, gal? Is you tryna run away again? he said with admiration upon his face.

Sara didn’t know what to say. All she did was put her head down and shuffle her feet from side to side, not certain if this boy would call out to his Massa and have her brought back to Monroe’s plantation.

As the two watched each other, Sara decided to answer his question, I running away. I tired of being a slave and me gone far away from here. Looking around, Sara realized that she was near a spring creek and knew it was a part of Massa’s Horns plantation.

Getting ready to leave, the little boy said, Be careful. Massa Horn is out, and he will surely try to whip ya if he fines ya. The little boy wished he had such courage to escape as Sara was doing. All he did was smile at her and wished her luck. He knew who she was and knew that the little girl was always trying to run away. Admiration set on his young face, and he began to have a secret crush on her. Every slave and slave owner knew who she was; and everyone wanted her to succeed with getting away from her Massa, except for the other slave owners. Sara looked at the little boy one last time, and before he knew it, she turned and ran off. When she felt she was far enough away, she slowed down and started walking deeper into the grassy area so she could not be seen by anyone. Sara was slowly walking toward a wooded area when she bumped directly into Massa Horn.

Massa Horn, who was Massa Monroe’s neighbor and fellow slave owner, reached out and grabbed her, saying, Little Sara Monroe, you’re tryna run away, you little pickaninny? You sure is a feisty one, he said, happy that he was the one to catch her. Grabbing her by the back of her dress, he harshly dragged her through the tallgrass, wanting so badly to whip her but knew he couldn’t. Angry and hot, he said, How many times is you gonna run away, gal? When I get you back to Monroe, you will get a thrashing of ya life, and I will be there to watch the entire thing. Monroe will winch the skin off ya Black ass.

Sara became afraid when Massa Tom Horn caught her. She knew once he brought her back to the plantation, she would get the beating of her life. All the other slaver owners knew about her desire to run away and, as always, would return her to her owner, and because Massa Monroe always gave them the pleasure of seeing her get whipped, Massa Horn was excited that he was the one who caught her running away this time around. All the other slave owners thought Monroe was too lenient toward his slaves and wanted him to lynch her defectively. Massa Horn wanted to see what Monroe would do to her once he brought her back to the plantation. A few minutes later, Massa Horn reached Monroe’s house, saying to her in a repulsive tone, You’re lucky you don’t belong to me, you little wench. If ya did, I would tie you to a tree and whip you good! In a loud scratchy voice, he called out Monroe’s name. Massa Horn waited with a devilish smirk on his old ruby-red face, wanting so badly to lynch Sara to the bone for trying to escape her master’s plantation but knew he could not do such a thing to another man’s slave, at least not to Monroe’s slaves.

Sara was afraid, very afraid knowing what was coming. As she was standing in the grips of Massa Horn’s hands, she looked around, knowing that his loud cracking voice would bring her parents and all the other slaves out of the shacks they lived in behind the big house. Her ma and pa would be petrified, knowing what their daughter had done once again. As Massa Horn continued to call out Monroe’s name, he looked down upon Sara, wanting her to be his slave. He said, You’re going to learn a lesson tonight, gal. And if I have my way, you will be sold to me tonight, and then you’ll see that these little antics of yours will not happen on my watch. Now, stand still before I forget you don’t belong to me and whip you good. Sara just stared at him, thinking that if she had it her way, she would find a large stick and bash him in the mouth. She detested Massa Horn and wanted him dead. The thoughts of a small child were daunting.

Once Massa Monroe came out the house, he frowned, knowing what he had to do too little Sara. He always felt bad when he had to whip any of his slaves. Master Monroe was an abolitionist. He hated slavery and wanted to do so much more for his slaves. He purchased slaves to keep them safe and alive and from being tortured. As he stood there looking at Sara, he would punish her for running away but not in the manner Horn would like him to do and not in front of him. To have Horn bringing Sara back to him made him very angry. Not because Sara tried to run away but because Horn had to be the one to capture her. Monroe detested Horn. He knew he was an angry, nasty, no-soul of a man and wanted so badly to rid him of his nasty ways. Sara’s parents watched in fear, fear that this time, their daughter may get a beating worse than she had ever had to deal with. Many other slaves felt bad for her; and Sara’s friends were crying, knowing their friend would get hurt badly. Walking off his porch, he walked over to them and took Sara from Horn and walked over to his barn to do what he hated doing. As he walked closer to the barn, Horn’s loud voice stopped him dead in his tracks. Turning to the sound of Horn’s nasty words, he said while grinding his teeth, Thank you for bringing her back. And I don’t need you telling me how to handle my slaves. Turning to walk off, he stopped walking and turned to face Horn again, saying, You will never get her or any other slaves I own, and if you ever try to hurt one of my slaves, I will thrash you to the bone. Now, get off my land. Monroe turned to leave, leaving Horn standing there, knowing what Monroe uttered was the truth. No other slave owner wanted to get into a fight with Monroe; and many feared him and knew if they harmed any of his slaves, Monroe would harm them. They all knew that Monroe was not the kind of person they wanted to try.

Monroe looked at Sara. He took her into the barn and stood by the barn door, watching her closely. He was trying hard not to laugh at her with her head held high and her lips poked out. He knew that Sara, as little as she was, was not fearful of getting a whipping. She was more afraid of him whipping her, the way Horn wanted him to do. Walking a little farther into the barn, he was trying his best to keep a stern face and a harsh tone in his voice, and neither reached his eyes or his sound. Monroe didn’t have the heart to whip her; instead, he told her to go to her parents and for her to stop running away. He looked at her one last time and left out the barn. He was worried that one day, someone other than him would harm her or kill her. Sara stared at his back and didn’t understand why he didn’t whip her. She began walking toward the door, confused, but the one thing she did know was she would not run away again. And she walked out the barn slowly, trying to understand why Massa Monroe didn’t whip her tail, and because he didn’t beat her badly, that was when she made the vow to never run away again.

1863

As the months turned into years, Sara grew into her womanhood and became a strong beautiful Black woman. Sara’s beauty and her body became the focus of all the slave owners, who wanted her as their slave and bed bunny. Unfortunately, Master Monroe would not sell her off to anyone, knowing she would be used in the most insupportable ways. Sara’s parents knew Master Monroe would never allow their daughter to be sold off to anyone and were very grateful that their only child would be speared and not sold to the highest bidder. Massa Monroe was a hard man but fair. Her parents swore they would never allow anyone to take advantage of their daughter and prayed that one day they would be free.

One late afternoon, loud noises were heard from many miles away. Black men and women and their children were out in the streets, rejoicing. The scene was remarkable, yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs, happy as one could be. Freedom brought every slave out the cotton fields with happy hearts and praises to the almighty God for answering their cries and prayers. President Abraham Lincoln declared slavery would be no more in 1863. During this time, the war ended slavery before the institution was banned by the constitutional amendment. All the plantation owners did not have a choice but to release the slaves or suffer the wrath of the military for undermining the president’s orders. It was a hard decision and a hard struggle to end the war and the sale of human trafficking. Slaves all over America were freed. At least they believed they were, and many states that did not enter into the Union kept the slaves in the dark about the ending of slavery. Many slaves did not know the president ended slavery. President Lincoln from the beginning knew slavery was wrong but had to choose which to accomplish first—ending slavery or the war. He had to deplete the war first before ending slavery. President Lincoln did not want to anger his followers or backers with ending slavery before he ended the war. The fight