"I was called "Gingerbread" by the Revells. They reared me until I
reached the age of about nine or ten years old. My duty was to put logs
on the fireplaces in the Revells' house and work around the house. I
remember well when I was taken to Annapolis, how I used to dance in the
stores for men and women, they would give me pennies and three cent
pieces, all of which was given to me by the Revells. They bought me
shoes and clothes with the money collected.
"Mr. Revell died in 1861 or 62. The sheriff and men came from Annapolis,
sold the slaves, stock and other chattels. I was purchased by a Mr.
Mayland, who kept a store in Annapolis. I was sold by him to a slave
trader to be shipped to Georgia. I was brought to Baltimore, and was
jailed in a small house on Paca near Lombard. The trader was buying
other slaves to make a load. I escaped through the aid of a German
shoemaker, who sold shoes to owners for slaves.
"The German shoeman had a covered wagon, I was put in the wagon covered
by boxes, taken to a house on South Sharp Street and there kept until a
Mr. George Stone took me to Frederick City where I stayed until 1863,
when Mr. Stone, a member of the Lutheran church, had me christened
giving me the name of James Wiggins. This is how I got the name of
Wiggins, after my father, instead of Gingerbread, through the
investigation and the information given by Mr. Brooks.
"You know the Revells are well known in Anne Arundel County, consisting
of a large family, each family a large property owner.
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