Biography of a Slave, Being the Experiences of Rev. Charles Thompson, a Preacher of the United Brethren Church, While a Slave in the South. Together with Startling Occurrences Incidental to Slave Life.

In this intimate memoir, a man who rose from bondage to become a United Brethren preacher recounts his early years in the Deep South. Written in plain English, the account invites listeners into the everyday reality of a slave household in 1830s Mississippi. It serves both as personal testimony and a bridge across racial and religious divides.

He opens with the brutal division of his family after his owner's death, describing how he, his sisters, and his mother were sold to different heirs. The vivid memory of his mother's desperate pleas and the permanent separation captures the emotional cruelty of slavery, shaping his lifelong sense of loss.

As a young man he turns to faith, eventually entering the ministry, which offers him solace amid danger—runaway attempts, blood‑hound hunts, and relentless oppression. His reflections on prayer and hope reveal the inner strength that carried him through hardship. Listeners gain a rare, firsthand glimpse of slavery’s daily reality and the resilience that fuels the quest for freedom.