▁met ▁and ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁an ▁ens la ved ▁man ▁named ▁Robert ▁from ▁a ▁neighbor ing ▁farm . ▁Robert ' s ▁owner ▁( Char les ▁Cat ton , ▁Jr ., ▁a ▁landscape ▁painter ) ▁forb ade ▁their ▁relationship ; ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁the ▁people ▁he ▁ens la ved ▁to ▁have ▁children ▁with ▁people ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁ens la ving , ▁because ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁own ▁the ▁children . ▁One ▁day ▁Robert ▁s ne aked ▁over ▁to ▁see ▁Tr uth . ▁When ▁Cat ton ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁found ▁him , ▁they ▁sav ag ely ▁beat ▁Robert ▁until ▁Dum ont ▁finally ▁interven ed . ▁Tr uth ▁never ▁saw ▁Robert ▁again ▁after ▁that ▁day ▁and ▁he ▁died ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁later . ▁The ▁experience ▁ha unted ▁Tr uth ▁throughout ▁her ▁life . ▁Tr uth ▁eventually ▁married ▁an ▁older ▁ens la ved ▁man ▁named ▁Thomas . ▁She ▁bore ▁five ▁children : ▁James , ▁her ▁first born , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁child hood , ▁D iana ▁( 1 8 1 5 ), ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁ra pe ▁by ▁John ▁Dum ont , ▁and ▁Peter ▁( 1 8 2 1 ), ▁Elizabeth ▁( 1 8 2 5 ), ▁and ▁Soph ia ▁( ca . ▁ 1 8 2 6 ), ▁all ▁born ▁after ▁she ▁and ▁Thomas ▁un ited . ▁ ▁Fre edom ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 9 , ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁began ▁to ▁legisl ate ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁sla very , ▁although ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁em an cip ating ▁those ▁people