CLARKE, Lewis (ca 1812-1897) and Milton (1817-1901). Narratives of the Sufferings of Lewis and Milton Clarke, Sons of a Soldier of the Revolution, During a Captivity of More Than Twenty Years... Boston: Bela Marsh, 1846.

8vo (184 x 108 mm). (Offsetting, some light spotting throughout.) Original blind-stamped brown cloth (rubbing, soiling).

FIRST EDITION. The Narratives is an enlarged version of a text printed by Lewis Clarke in 1845. When the initial run of 3,000 copies sold out Lewis's older brother Milton agreed to add his story as well. The two brothers, the grandchildren of a Kentucky slaveowner, were separated at auction shortly after their grandfather's death and reunited in adulthood, each having obtained their freedom and now working to assist slaves seeking passage to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Recognizing the power of their shared story they began to travel the country, lecturing on the evils of slavery. It was during one of these lectures that Lewis Milton met Harriet Beecher Stowe, who Stowe credits as the inspiration of the character George Harris in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Blockson 9751.