opus , ▁New ▁York , ▁ ▁north ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁Charles ▁H arden berg h ▁inherited ▁his ▁father ' s ▁estate ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁ens lave ▁people ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁that ▁estate ' s ▁property . ▁ ▁When ▁Charles ▁H arden berg h ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 6 , ▁nine - year - old ▁Tr uth ▁( known ▁as ▁Belle ), ▁was ▁sold ▁at ▁an ▁au ction ▁with ▁a ▁f lock ▁of ▁sheep ▁for ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁to ▁John ▁Ne ely , ▁near ▁King ston , ▁New ▁York . ▁Until ▁that ▁time , ▁Tr uth ▁spoke ▁only ▁Dutch . ▁She ▁later ▁described ▁Ne ely ▁as ▁cruel ▁and ▁har sh , ▁rel ating ▁how ▁he ▁beat ▁her ▁daily ▁and ▁once ▁even ▁with ▁a ▁bundle ▁of ▁ro ds . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 8 ▁Ne ely ▁sold ▁her ▁for ▁$ 1 0 5 ▁to ▁ta vern ▁ke eper ▁Martin us ▁Sch ry ver ▁of ▁Port ▁E wen , ▁New ▁York , ▁who ▁owned ▁her ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁months . ▁Sch ry ver ▁then ▁sold ▁Tr uth ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁to ▁John ▁Dum ont ▁of ▁West ▁Park , ▁New ▁York . ▁Although ▁this ▁fourth ▁owner ▁was ▁kindly ▁dis posed ▁toward ▁her , ▁considerable ▁t ension ▁existed ▁between ▁Tr uth ▁and ▁Dum ont ' s ▁wife , ▁Elizabeth ▁War ing ▁Dum ont , ▁who ▁har ass ed ▁her ▁and ▁made ▁her ▁life ▁more ▁difficult . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 8 1 5 , ▁Tr uth