The little black book that saved a hero.

The little black book that saved a hero.

In 1748 a Black baby named John was born enslaved in Virginia. His owner was an important military man. As John grew up his owner saw something special in him, and taught him how to read and write. That way John was able to help him more. John was fascinated by reading and writing. He always thought they were skills that would serve him well for the rest of his life. And he was right!

During the war against the British John heard that any slave who fought for the Americans’ Continental Army would be freed if the Americans won the war. John built up courage and asked his owner to enlist. In 1781 he got permission to enlist and was assigned to serve under Marquis Gayett, a young French Aristocrat fighting for the American cause. John used his knowledge of the Virginian landscape to transport messages.

One night during his sleep he had a dream. He dreamed as usual of his life as a free man. He saw himself owning his home, raising his children, and producing his own food. The dream seemed so real. In it he was in the middle of his land with open arms when all of a sudden a little black book dropped in front of him making a tremendous sound that woke him up.

For a week John couldn't stop thinking of his dream. One morning Mr. Gayett asked John to deliver a message. Mr. Gayett had a little black book under his arm. It was very similar to the one that was in John's dream.

He asked, burning with curiosity, “Excuse me sir, what’s in the little black book?”

Mr. Gayett snapped at John, “That is none of your business.”

John apologized and went to do his job. The days passed and his curiosity continued to rise. He needed to know what was in Mr. Gayett's little black book, but Mr. Gayett and the book were inseparable. So he decided to try to get close to him and gain his trust in order to find out what was in the little black book.

John was very attentive to Mr. Gayett. He served the Frenchman with extra care, and very quickly John gained the trust he wanted.

One night Mr. Gayett invited John to join him in the same resting area as the rest of the troop. This was his chance. While Mr. Gayett was distracted, John snuck into Mr. Gayett’s tent and found the little black book under his bed.

Right when he was about to open it and read its contents, Mr. Gayett appeared and asked, ”What are you doing in here?”

”I wanted to make sure you had water to drink during the night, sir,” John quickly replied, and he managed to slyly hide the little black book behind his back and tuck it into the waistband of his pants. But the little black book slipped inside and down his pant leg all the way to his calf. Right at that moment, some men began making noise outside, so Mr. Gayett absentmindedly told John to get out of his tent. As he began to move, John fake fell so he could leave the little black book where he found it. Once on the ground face down, with his opposite foot he pushed the little black book out of his pants and as he stood up, he kicked it under the bed. Once up, he headed out.

That night John dreamed again of his freedom. This time he was in the middle of the war. On one side was this image of free land, and on the other side death and blood, but right in the middle was again this little black book floating. And this time it was open, so John reached out to touch it but right before he could reach it, the book closed with a loud slap. Everything disappeared. At that exact moment John woke up, but this time with a very great idea.

Early in the morning he went to talk to Mr. Gayett and told him “Sir, I can spy on the British! I can get close to them and tell them that I am a runaway slave and that I want to help them.” Mr. Gayett agreed.

John went to the British camp commanded by Lord Duncan. No one suspected that John could read and write; also his charming personality made the British generals and soldiers like him very quickly. They talked about their tactics in front of him and, just by being there, he was given access to the British maps and plans. Secretly, he memorized details and reported back to Mr. Gayett who wrote everything in the little black book.

John helped lead the British troops throughout the unfamiliar Virginian land, and he became so trusted by the British that he was asked to spy on the Americans! He agreed, but gave the British only false information.

Bringing information back and forth was very dangerous. John had to sneak away in the middle of the dark nights and walk long distances to deliver the messages. He learned how to let the moon and the stars guide him back and forth. Along the way, he encountered animals that attacked him and soldiers who didn’t recognize him and tried to kill him. Many times he hid in the treetops from the animals and other soldiers. Other times, he buried the messages in the ground to not get caught.

The hardest thing for John, though, was pretending to not know how to read and write. Many times he bit his tongue so words don’t escape his mouth. Slowly he developed real spy skills.

One night he was with the British troops and he was asked to point to the enemy location on the map giving the strategic plan. John started to shake like he was having a panic attack. Everybody thought it was because he was ashamed to not know how to read a map, and they laughed very hard at him. But John was experiencing a real panic attack since they had just given him the complete plan to win the war. When he shared it with Mr. Gayett, John and the American troops were able to develop their own strategic plan. And with his own handwriting, John wrote for the first time in the little black book with confidence, enthusiasm, and joy. He was writing his pass to freedom.

The Continental Army defeated the British at Yorktown, effectively ending the war. Lord Duncan was very surprised and angry when he entered Mr. Gayett’s headquarters to surrender and saw John. Lord Duncan yelled at John and cursed him. A cold and strange feeling invaded John's whole body. The price of his freedom was the capture of many.

After the war, the enslaved people who served as soldiers were freed. But John had not technically been a soldier, so he was not freed. His dreams of freedom turned into nightmares every night. He dreamed of running in a maze with no end and right when he thought he found the exit he would find himself back at the beginning. He petitioned many times for his release but he was ignored. He wondered if helping the British instead would have given him his most desired freedom. He couldn't believe he risked his life for nothing.

One night in the middle of his sleep he heard steps coming close to him. He wasn't sure if they were real or if they were part of his dream until he felt a hand covering his mouth and a voice telling him to be quiet. John couldn't recognize the person who was ordering him to hurry up, that they needed to get out of there. Terrified, John followed the man's orders. With his hands behind his back and his face looking to the ground, John walked with the man a good distance. When they were far enough, the man took off his cape and uncovered himself. John was very surprised to see Mr. Gayett. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment and hugged tightly.

“John, listen,” Mr. Gayett said, “I think I found a way to help you. Without you we couldn't have won the war. You are a hero! After everything you have done you can’t still be a slave. We are going to fight for your freedom.”

“What do you have in mind?” John asked.

Mr. Gayett took out the little black book. “This is the proof that you deserve freedom.”

Mr. Gayett wrote a letter commending John’s service and added the little black book as proof. Soon after, John’s petition was granted and he was freed. In 1787 he took the name of Mr. Gayett to honor his commander and friend. John was rewarded with a plot of land worth $20,000 where he lived the rest of his life as a farmer and family man. His dreams of freedom came true. Secretly, someone wrote in the little black book that John Gayett was one of America’s greatest heroes.