The Underground Railroad
ignorant of his movements.
John Henry Moore, another one of the Arlington party, was about
twenty-four years of age, a dark, spare-built man. He named David
Mitchell, of Havre-de-Grace, as the individual above all others who had
kept his foot on his neck. Without undertaking to give John Henry's
description of Mitchell in full, suffice it to give the following facts:
"Mitchell would go off and get drunk, and come home, and if the slaves
had not as much work done as he had tasked them with, he would go to
beating them with clubs or anything he could get in his hand. He was a
tall, spare-built man, with sandy hair. He had a wife and family, but
his wife was no better than he was." When charges or statements were
made by fugitives against those from whom they escaped, particular pains
were taken to find out if such statements could be verified; if the
explanation appeared valid, the facts as given were entered on the
books.
John Henry could not read, but greatly desired to learn, and he looked
as though he had a good head for so doing. Before he left there had been
some talk of selling him South. This rumor had a marked effect upon John
Henry's nervous system; it also expanded his idea touching traveling,
the Underground Rail Road, etc. As he had brothers and sisters who had
been sold to Georgia he made up his mind that his master was not to be
trusted for a single day; he was therefore one of the most
willing-hearted passengers in the party.
George Hill, also a fellow-passenger, was about twenty-four years of
age, quite black, medium size, and of fair, natural mother wit. In
looking back upon his days of bondage, his mind reverted to Dr.
Savington, of Harford county, as the person who owed him for years of
hard and unrequited toil, and at the same time was his so-called owner.
The Doctor, it seemed, had failed to treat George well, for he declared
that he had never received enough to eat the whole time that he was with
him. "The clothes I have on I got by overwork of nights. When I started
I hadn't a shoe on my foot, these were given to me. He was an old man,
but a very wicked man, and drank very hard."
George had been taught field work pretty thoroughly, but nothing in the
way of reading and writing.
George explained why he left as follows: "I left because I had got along
with him as well as I could. Last Saturday a week he was in a great rage
and drunk. He shot at me. He never went away but what he would come home
drunk, and if any body made him angry out from home, he would come home
and take his spite out of his people."
He owned three grown men, two women and six children. Thus hating
Slavery heartily, George was enthusiastically in favor of Canada.
* * * * *
FIVE PASSENGERS, 1857.
ELIZA JANE JOHNSON, HARRIET STEWART, AND HER DAUGHTER MARY ELIZA,
WILLIAM COLE, AND HANSON HALL.
Eliza Jane was a tall, dark, young woman, about twenty-three years of
age, and had been held to service by a widow woman, named Sally Spiser,
who was "anything but a good woman." The place of her habitation was in
Delaware, between Concord and Georgetown.
Eliza Jane's excuse for leaving was this: She charged her mistress with
trying to work her to death, and with unkind treatment generally. When
times became so hard that she could not stand her old mistress "Sally"
any longer, she "took out."
Harriet did not come in company with Eliza Jane, but by accident they
met at the station in Philadelphia. Harriet and daughter came from
Washington, D.C.
Harriet had treasured up a heavy account against a white man known by
the name of William A. Linton, whom she described as a large, red-faced
man, who had in former years largely invested in slave property, but
latterly he had been in the habit of selling off, until only seven
remained, and among them she and her child were numbered; therefore, she
regarded him as one who had robbed her of her rights, and daily
threatened her with sale.
Harriet was a very likely-looking woman, twenty-nine years of age,
medium size, and of a brown color, and far from being a stupid person.
Her daughter also was a smart, and interesting little girl of eight
years of age, and seemed much pleased to be getting out of the reach of
slave-holders. The mother and daughter, however, had not won their
freedom thus far, without great suffering, from the long and fatiguing
distance which they were obliged to walk. Sometimes the hardness of the
road made them feel as though they would be compelled to give up the
journey, whether or not; but they added to their faith, patience, and
thus finally succeeded.
Heavy rewards were offered through advertisements in the Baltimore Sun,
but they availed naught. The Vigilance Committee received them safely,
fully cared for them, and safely sent them through to the land of
refuge. Harriet's daring undertaking obliged her to leave her husband,
John Stewart, behind; also one sister, a slave in Georgetown. One
brother had been sold South. Her mother she had laid away in a slave's
grave: but her father she hoped to find in Canada, he having escaped
thither when she was a small girl; at least it was supposed that he had
gone there.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM HOWARD CO., MD., 1857.
BILL COLE AND HANSON.
$500 REWARD.--Ran away on Saturday night, September 5th, Bill
Cole, aged about 37 years, of copper complexion, stout built,
ordinary height, walks very erect, earnest but squint look when
spoken to.
Also, Hanson, copper complexion, well made, sickly look, medium
height, stoops when walking, quick when spoken to; aged about 30
years.
Three hundred dollars will be paid for the apprehension and
delivery of Bill, if caught out of the State, and two hundred if
in the State. Two hundred dollars for Hanson if out of the
State, and one hundred dollars if in the State.
W. BAKER DORSEY,
HAMMOND DORSEY,
Savage P.O., Howard county, Md.
Such notoriety as was given them by the above advertisement, did not in
the least damage Bill and Hanson in the estimation of the Committee. It
was rather pleasing to know that they were of so much account as to call
forth such a public expression from the Messrs. Dorsey. Besides it saved
the Committee the necessity of writing out a description of them, the
only fault found with the advertisement being in Reference to their
ages. Bill, for instance, was put down ten years younger than he claimed
to be. Which was correct, Bill or his master? The Committee were
inclined to believe Bill in preference to his master, for the simple
reason that he seemed to account satisfactorily for his master's making
him so young: he (the master) could sell him for much more at
thirty-seven than at forty-seven. Unscrupulous horse-jockies and traders
in their fellow-men were about on a par as to that kind of sharp
practice.
Hanson, instead of being only thirty, declared that he was thirty-seven
the fifteenth of February. These errors are noticed and corrected
because it is barely possible that Bill and Hanson may still be lost to
their relatives, who may be inquiring and hunting in every direction for
them, and as many others may turn to these records with hope, it is,
therefore, doubly important that these descriptions shall be as far as
possible, correct, especially as regards ages.
Hanson laughed heartily over the idea that he looked "sickly." While on
the Underground Rail Road, he looked very far from sickly; on the
contrary, a more healthy, fat, and stout-looking piece of property no
one need wish to behold, than was this same Hanson. He confessed,
however, that for some time previous to his departure, he had feigned
sickness,--told his master that he was "sick all over." "Ten times a day
Hanson said they would ask him how he was, but was not willing to make
his task much lighter." The following description was given of his
master, and his reason for leaving him:
"My master was a red-faced farmer, severe temper, would curse, and
swear, and drink, and sell his slaves whenever he felt like it. My
mistress was a pretty cross, curious kind of a woman too, though she was
a member of the Protestant Church. They were rich, and had big farms and
a good many slaves. They didn't allow me any provisions hardly; I had a
wife, but they did not allow me to go see her, only once in a great
while."
Bill providentially escaped from a well-known cripple, whom he undertook
to describe as a "very sneaking-looking man, medium size, smooth face; a
wealthy farmer, who owned eighteen or twenty head of slaves, and was
Judge of the Orphans' Court." "He sells slaves occasionally." "My
mistress was a very large, rough, Irish-looking woman, with a very bad
disposition; it appeared like as if she hated to see a 'nigger,' and she
was always wanting her husband to have some one whipped, and she was a
member of the Methodist Church. My master was a trustee in the Episcopal
Church."
In consequence of the tribulation Bill had experienced under his
Christian master and mistress, he had been led to disbelieve in the
Protestant faith altogether, and declared that he felt persuaded that it
was all a "pretense," and added that he "never went to Church; no place
was provided in church for 'niggers' except a little pen for the
coachmen and waiters."
Bill had been honored with the post of "head man on the place," but of
this office he was not proud.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD.
"JIM BELLE."
$100 REWARD.--Ran away from the subscriber on Saturday night,
Negro Man JIM BELLE. Jim is about five feet ten inches high,
black color, about 26 years of age has a down look; speaks slow
when spoken to; he has large, thick lips, and a mustache. He was
formerly owned by Edward Stansbury, late of Baltimore county,
and purchased by Edward Worthington, near Reisterstown, in
Baltimore county, at the late Stansbury's sale, who sold him to
B.M. and W.L. Campbell, of Baltimore city, of whom I purchased
Jim on the 13th of June last. His wife lives with her mother,
Ann Robertson, in Corn Alley, between Lee and Hill streets,
Baltimore city, where he has other relations, and where he is
making his way. I will give the above reward, no matter where
taken, so he is brought home or secured in jail so I get him
again.
ZACHARIAH BERRY, of W.,
near Upper Marlboro', Prince George's county, Md.
Mr. Zachariah Berry, who manifested so much interest in Jim, may be
until this hour in ignorance of the cause of his running off without
asking leave, etc. Jim stated, that he was once sold and flogged
unmercifully simply for calling his master "Mr.," instead of master, and
he alleged that this was the secret of his eyes being opened and his
mind nerved to take advantage of the Underground Rail Road.
While it may not now do Zachariah Berry much good to learn this secret,
it may, nevertheless, be of some interest to those who were of near kin
to Jim to glean even so small a ray of light.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY, 1857.
PASCAL QUANTENCE.
Pascal fled from Virginia, and accused Bannon and Brady of doing
violence to his liberty. He had, however, been in their clutches only a
short while before escaping, but that short while seemed almost an age,
as he was treated so meanly by them compared with the treatment which he
had experienced under his former master.
According to Pascal's story, which was evidently true, his previous