The Underground Railroad
come north. I received a letter from him a few days ago. Can you
tell me of any plan that I can fix to get him give my respects
to Mrs. Still and all you family. Please let me know if you hear
of any berth of that kind. Nothing more at present I remain your
obedient servant,
OSCAR D. BALL
But my name is now John Delaney. Direct your letter to John
Delaney Oswego N.Y. care of R. Oliphant.
OSWEGO, Nov. 21st, 1857.
MR. WILLIAM STILL, ESQ. DEAR SIR:--Your letter of the 19th came
duly to hand I am glad to hear that the Underground Rail Road is
doing so well I know those three well that you said come from
alex I broke the ice and it seems as if they are going to keep
the track open, but I had to stand and beg of those two that
started with me to come and even give one of them money and then
he did not want to come. I had a letter from my brother a few
days ago, and he says if he lives and nothing happens to him he
will make a start for the north and there is many others there
that would start now but they are afraid of getting frost
bitten. there was two left alex about five or six weeks ago.
ther names are as follows Lawrence Thornton and Townsend Derrit.
have they been to philadelphia from what I can learn they will
leave alex in mourning next spring in the last letter I got from
my brother he named a good many that wanted to come when he did
and the are all sound men and can be trusted. he reads and
writes his own letters. William Triplet and Thomas Harper passed
through hear last summer from my old home which way did those
three that you spoke of go times are very dull here at present
and I can get nothing to do. but thank God have a good boarding
house and will be sheltered from the weather this winter give my
respects to your family Montgomery sends his also Nothing more
at presant
Yours truly JOHN DELANEY.
THE ACTING COMMITTEE
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM UNIONVILLE, 1857.
CAROLINE ALDRIDGE AND JOHN WOOD.
Caroline was a stout, light-complexioned, healthy-looking young woman of
twenty-three years of age. She fled from Thornton Poole, of Unionville,
Md. She gave her master the character of being a "very mean man; with a
wife meaner still," "I consider them mean in every respect," said
Caroline. No great while before she escaped, one of her brothers and a
sister had been sent to the Southern market. Recently she had been
apprized that herself and a younger brother would have to go the same
dreadful road. She therefore consulted with the brother and a particular
young friend, to whom she was "engaged," which resulted in the departure
of all three of them. Though the ordinary steps relative to marriage, as
far as slaves were allowed, had been complied with, nevertheless on the
road to Canada, they availed themselves of the more perfect way of
having the ceremony performed, and went on their way rejoicing.
Since the sale of Caroline's brother and sister, just referred to, her
mother and three children had made good their exit to Canada, having
been evidently prompted by said sale. Long before that time, however,
three other brothers fled on the Underground Rail Road. They were
encouraged to hope to meet each other in Canada.
JOHN WOOD. John was about twenty-eight years of age, of agreeable
manners, intelligent, and gave evidence of a strong appreciation of
liberty. Times with John had "not been very rough," until within the
last year of his bondage. By the removal of his old master by death, a
change for the worse followed. The executors of the estate--one of whom
owed him an old grudge--made him acquainted with the fact, that amongst
certain others, he would have to be sold. Judge Birch (one of the
executors), "itching" to see him "broke in," "took particular pains" to
speak to a notorious tyrant by the name of Boldin, to buy him.
Accordingly on the day of sale, Boldin was on hand and the successful
bidder for John. Being familiar with, the customs of this terrible
Boldin,--of the starving fare and cruel flogging usual on his farm, John
mustered courage to declare at the sale, that he "_would not serve
him_." In the hearing of his new master, he said, "_before I will serve
him I will_ CUT _my throat_!" The master smiled, and simply asked for a
rope; "had me tied and delivered into the hands of a constable," to be
sent over to the farm. Before reaching his destination, John managed to
untie his hands and feet and flee to the woods. For three days he
remained secreted. Once or twice he secretly managed to get an interview
with his mother and one of his sisters, by whom he was persuaded to
return to his master. Taking their advice, he commenced service under
circumstances, compared with which, the diet, labor and comforts of an
ordinary penitentiary would have been luxurious. The chief food allowed
the slaves on the plantation consisted of the pot liquor in which the
pork was boiled, with Indian-meal bread. The merest glance at what he
experienced during his brief stay on the plantation must suffice. In the
field where John, with a number of others was working, stood a hill, up
which they were repeatedly obliged to ascend, with loads on their backs,
and the overseer at their heels, with lash in hand, occasionally
slashing at first one and then another; to keep up, the utmost physical
endurance was taxed. John, though a stout young man, and having never
known any other condition than that of servitude, nevertheless found
himself quite unequal to the present occasion. "I was surprised," said
he, "to see the expertness with which all flew up the hill." "_One
woman, quite_ LUSTY, _unfit to be out of the house, on_ RUNNING UP THE
HILL, fell; in a moment she was up again with her brush on her back, and
an hour afterwards the overseer was whipping her." "My turn came." "What
is the reason you can't get up the hill faster?" exclaimed the overseer,
at the same time he struck me with a cowhide. "I told him I would not
stand it." "Old Uncle George Washington never failed to get a whipping
every day."
So after serving at this only a few days, John made his last solemn vow
to be free or die; and off he started for Canada. Though he had to
contend with countless difficulties he at last made the desired haven.
He hailed from one of the lower counties of Maryland.
John was not contented to enjoy the boon alone, but like a true lover of
freedom he remembered those in bonds as bound with them, and so was
scheming to make a hazardous "adventure" South, on the express errand of
delivering his "family," as the subjoined letter will show:
GLANDFORD, August 15th, 1858.
DEAR SIR:--I received your letter and was glad to hear that your
wife and family was all well and I hope it will continue so. I
am glad to inform you that this leaves me well. Also, Mr. Wm.
Still, I want for you to send me your opinion respecting my
circumstances. I have made up my mind to make an adventure after
my family and I want to get an answer from you and then I shall
know how to act and then I will send to you all particulars
respecting my starting to come to your house. Mr. Still I should
be glad to know whare Abraham Harris is, as I should be as glad
to see him as well as any of my own brothers. His wife and my
wife's mother is sisters. My wife belongs to Elson Burdel's
estate. Abraham's wife belongs to Sam Adams. Mr. Still you must
not think hard of me for writing you these few lines as I cannot
rest until I release my dear family. I have not the least doubt
but I can get through without the least trouble. So no more at
present from your humble servant,
JOHN B. WOODS.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM NEW ORLEANS, 1857.
JAMES CONNER, SHOT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY.
James stated to the Committee that he was about forty-three years of
age, that he was born a slave in Nelson county, Ky., and that he was
first owned by a widow lady by the name of Ruth Head. "She (mistress)
was like a mother to me," said Jim. "I was about sixteen years old when
she died; the estate was settled and I was sold South to a man named
Vincent Turner, a planter, and about the worst man, I expect, that ever
the sun shined on. His slaves he fairly murdered; two hundred lashes
were merely a promise for him. He owned about three hundred slaves. I
lived with Turner until he died. After his death I still lived on the
plantation with his widow, Mrs. Virginia Turner." About twelve years ago
(prior to Jim's escape) she was married to a Mr. Charles Parlange, "a
poor man, though a very smart man, bad-hearted, and very barbarous."
Before her second marriage cotton had always been cultivated, but a few
years later sugar had taken the place of cotton, and had become the
principal thing raised in that part of the country. Under the change
sugar was raised and the slaves were made to experience harder times
than ever; they were allowed to have only from three to three and a half
pounds of pork a week, with a peck of meal; nothing else was allowed.
They commenced work in the morning, just when they could barely see;
they quit work in the evening when they could not see to work longer.
Mistress was a large, portly woman, good-looking, and pretty well liked
by her slaves. The place where the plantation was located was at Point
Copee, on Falls River, about one hundred and fifty miles from New
Orleans. She also owned property and about twenty slaves in the city of
New Orleans.
"I lived there and hired my time for awhile. I saw some hard times on
the plantation. Many a time I have seen slaves whipped almost to
death--well, I tell you I have seen them whipped to death. A slave named
Sam was whipped to death tied to the ground. Joe, another slave, was
whipped to death by the overseer: running away was the crime.
"Four times I was shot. Once, before I would be taken, all hands, young
and old on the plantation were on the chase after me. I was strongly
armed with an axe, tomahawk, and butcher knife. I expected to be killed
on the spot, but I got to the woods and stayed two days. At night I went
back to the plantation and got something to eat. While going back to the
woods I was shot in the thigh, legs, back and head, was badly wounded,
my mind was to die rather than be taken. I ran a half mile after I was
shot, but was taken. I have shot in me now. Feel here on my head, feel
my back, feel buck shot in my thigh. I shall carry shot in me to my
grave. I have been shot four different times. I was shot twice by a
fellow servant; it was my master's orders. Another time by the overseer.
Shooting was no uncommon thing in Louisiana. At one time I was allowed
to raise hogs. I had twenty-five taken from me without being allowed the
first copper.
"My mistress promised me at another time forty dollars for gathering
honey, but when I went to her, she said, by and by, but the by and by
never came. In 1853 my freedom was promised; for five years before this
time I had been overseer; during four years of this time a visit was
made to France by my owners, but on their return my freedom was not
given me. My mistress thought I had made enough money to buy myself.
They asked eleven hundred and fifty dollars for me. I told them that I
hadn't the money. Then they said if I would go with them to Virginia
after a number of slaves they wished to purchase, and would be a good
boy, they would give me my freedom on the return of the trip. We started