Murry, Reily walks the water, not only to lose the dog & dogman, but the crossing of a river (some pay the boatman) symbolizes freedom for the convict, once on the other side capture, in the days before hi tech, was less likely. These songs were known in the prison camps as river songs. The work farms or camps were located near the rich river bottoms & were tended by the gangs. Rattler had near super traits, walks logs, trees most anything, can track the devil himself, kills escaping men. Rattler was traditionally the lead dog on the farm, he sets the pace for all the other dogs, much like the lead row or number one con sets the pace for all the others (a place of respect for man & dog). Story was, Reily was fast & the dogman just got a new dog, so Reily was set lose to try out the dog, like Long John, Reily was gone.
Jerry, I believe that the revolt in Haiti, was the only successfull modern "Black" revolt, & became a Mecca as did England & to a lesser degree, the North, in pre Civil War times. Jerry, also keep in mind slaves through out history were treated differently, usually slaves were taken as a prize by a victorious group, in time they'd be freed, was not a matter of race, was not inherited, culture & dignity would be left in tack, the list goes on, some of these may've happened historically but not all. Barry