The Underground Railroad
fluent in speech; fully qualified to give clear statements as to the
condition of Slavery in Richmond, etc. While the Committee listened to
his narrations with much interest, they only took note of how he had
fared, and the character of the master he was compelled to serve. On
these points the substance of his narrations may be found annexed:
"I was owned by High Holser, a hide sorter, a man said to be rich, a
good Catholic, though very disagreeable; he was not cruel, but was very
driving and abusive in his language towards colored people. I have been
held in bondage about eighteen years by Holser, but have failed, so far,
to find any good traits in his character. I purchased my mother for one
hundred dollars, when she was old and past labor, too old to earn her
hire and find herself; but she was taken away by death, before I had
finished paying for her; twenty-five dollars only remained to be paid to
finish the agreement. Owing to her unexpected death, I got rid of that
much, which was of some consequence, as I was a slave myself, and had
hard work to raise the money to purchase her."
Thus, finding the usages of Slavery so cruel and outlandish, he resolved
to leave "old Virginny" and "took out," via the Underground Rail Road.
He appeared to be of a religious turn of mind and felt that he had "a
call to preach."
After his arrival in Canada, the following letter was received from him:
ST. CATHARINES, C.W., May 6th, 1858.
MY DEAR FRIEND:--WM. STILL:--Mr. Orlando J. Hunt, who has just
arrived here from Richmond, Va., desires me to address to you a
line in his behalf. Mr. Hunt is expecting his clothing to come
from Richmond to your care, and if you have received them, he
desires you to forward them immediately to St. Catharines, in my
care, in the safest and most expeditious way in your power. Mr.
Hunt is much pleased with this land of freedom, and I hope he
may do well for himself and much good to others. He preached
here in the Baptist church, last evening.
He sends his kind regards and sincere thanks to you and your
family, and such friends as have favored him on his way. Very
respectfully yours,
HIRAM WILSON, for ORLANDO HUNT.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM NORFOLK, VA., 1858.
WILLIAM MACKEY.
William made no complaint against his master of a serious nature
touching himself. True, he said his "master was a frolicker, and fond of
drink," but he was not particularly unkind to him. His name was Tunis;
he was a military man, and young; consequently William had not been in
his hands long. Prior to his being owned by the young master, he had
lived with old mistress Tunis. Concerning her the following is one of
William's statements:
"My sister about the first of this month, three weeks after her
confinement, had word sent to her by her mistress, Mrs. Tunis, that she
thought it was time for her to come out and go to work, as she had been
laying by long enough." In reply to this message, William said that "his
sister sent word to her mistress, that she was not well enough, and
begged that her mistress would please send her some tea and sugar, until
she got well enough to go to work. The mistress' answer was to the
effect that she did not intend to give her anything until she went to
work, and at the same time she sent word to her, that she had better
take her baby down to the back of the garden and throw it away, adding
'I will sell her, etc.'"
It was owing to the cruelty of Mrs. Tunis that William was moved to
flee. According to his statement, which looked reasonable and appeared
truthful, he had been willed free by his master, who died at the time
that the plague was raging in Norfolk. At the same time his mistress
also had the fever, and was dreadfully frightened, but recovered. Not
long after this event it was William's belief that the will was made
away with through the agency of a lawyer, and in consequence thereof the
slaves were retained in bondage.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM NEAR BALTIMORE, 1858.
HENRY TUCKER.
Henry fled from Baltimore county; disagreement between him and his
so-called master was the cause of his flight. Elias Sneveley, a farmer,
known on the Arabella Creek Place as a "hard swearer," an "old
bachelor," and a common tormentor of all around him, was the name of the
man that Harry said he fled from. Not willing to be run over at the
pleasure of Sneveley, on two occasions just before his escape serious
encounters had arisen between master and slave.
Henry being spirited and hungering for freedom, while his master was old
and hardened in his habits, very grave results had well nigh happened;
it was evident, therefore, in Harry's opinion that the sooner he took
his departure for Canada the better. His father's example was ever
present to encourage him, for he had escaped when Henry was a little
boy; (his name was Benjamin Tucker). A still greater incentive, however,
moved him, which was that his mother had been sold South five years
prior to his escape, since which time he had heard of her but once, and
that vaguely.
Although education was denied him, Henry had too much natural ability to
content himself under the heel of Slavery. He saw and understood the
extent of the wrongs under which he suffered, and resolved not to abide
in such a condition, if, by struggling and perseverance, he could avoid
it. In his resolute attempt he succeeded without any very severe
suffering. He was not large, rather below the ordinary size, of a brown
color, and very plucky.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM VIRGINIA, 1858.
PETER NELSON. (RESEMBLED AN IRISHMAN.)
The coming of this strange-looking individual caused much surprise,
representing, as he did, if not a full-blooded Irishman, a man of Irish
descent. He was sufficiently fair to pass for white anywhere, with his
hat on--with it off, his hair would have betrayed him; it was light, but
quite woolly. Nor was he likely to be called handsome; he was
interesting, nevertheless. It was evident, that the "white man's party"
had damaged him seriously. He represented that he had been in the bonds
of one James Ford, of Stafford county, Virginia, and that this "Ford was
a right tough old fellow, who owned about two dozen head." "How does he
treat them?" he was asked. "He don't treat them well no way," replied
the passenger. "Why did you leave?" was the next question. "Because of
his fighting, knocking and carrying on so," was the prompt answer. The
Committee fully interviewed him, and perceived that he had really worn
the fetters of Slavery, and that he was justified in breaking his bonds
and fleeing for refuge to Canada, and was entitled to aid and sympathy.
Peter was about twenty-four years of age. He left nine brothers and
sisters in bondage.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM WASHINGTON, 1858.
MARY JONES AND SUSAN BELL.
These "weaker vessels" came from the seat of government. Mary confessed
that she had been held to service as the property of Mrs. Henry Harding,
who resided at Rockville, some miles out of Washington. Both Mr. and Mrs
Harding she considered "bad enough," but added, "if it had not been for
the young set I could get along with them; they can't be pleased." Yet
Mary had not fared half so hard under the Hardings as many slaves had
under their claimants. Intellectually, she was quite above the average;
she was tall, and her appearance was such as to awaken sympathy. Through
the permission of her claimant she had been in the habit of hiring her
time for three dollars per month and find herself; she was also allowed
to live in Washington. Such privileges, with wages at so low a rate,
were thought to be extra, and could only be obtained in exceptional
cases.
"In nine years," said Mary, "I have not even as much as received an
apron from them," (her owners). The meanness of the system under which
she had been required to live, hourly appeared clearer and clearer to
her, as she was brought into contact with sympathizing spirits such as
she had never known before.
Susan, who was in Mary's charge, was an invalid child of four years of
age, who never walked, and whose mother had escaped to Canada about
three years before under circumstances which obliged her to leave this
child, then only a year old.
Susan had been a great sufferer, and so had her mother, who had been a
long time anxiously looking and praying for her coming, as she had left
her in charge of friends who were to take care of her until the way
might open for her safe delivery to her mother. Many letters, fitted to
awaken very deep feelings came from the mother about this child. It was
a satisfaction to the Committee to feel that they could be the medium in
aiding in the reunion of mother and child.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM VIRGINIA, 1858.
WILLIAM CARPENTER.
Escaped from the Father of the Fugitive Slave Law--Senator Mason.
It was highly pleasing to have a visit from a "chattel" belonging to the
leading advocate of the infamous Fugitive Slave Bill. He was hurriedly
interviewed for the sake of reliable information.
That William possessed a fair knowledge of slave life under the Senator
there was no room to doubt, although incidents of extreme cruelty might
not have been so common on Mason's place as on some others. While the
verbal interchange of views was quite full, the hour for the starting of
the Underground Rail Road train arrived too soon to admit of a full
report for the record book. From the original record, however, the
following statement is taken as made by William, and believed to be
strictly true. We give it as it stands on the old Underground Rail Road
book: "I belonged to Senator Mason. The Senator was down on colored
people. He owned about eighty head--was very rich and a big man, rich
enough to lose all of them. He kept terrible overseers; they would beat
you with a stick the same as a dog. The overseers were poor white trash;
he would give them about sixty dollars a year."
The Fugitive Slave Law and its Father are both numbered with the "Lost
Cause," and the "Year of Jubilee has come."
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM THE OLD DOMINION.
NINE VERY FINE "ARTICLES." LEW JONES, OSCAR PAYNE, MOSE WOOD, DAVE
DIGGS, JACK, HEN, AND BILL DADE, AND JOE BALL.
The coming of this interesting party was as gratifying, as their
departure must have been disagreeable to those who had been enjoying the
fruits of their unpaid labor. Stockholders of the Underground Rail Road,
conductors, etc., about this time were well pleased with the wonderful
success of the road, especially as business was daily increasing.
Upon inquiry of these passengers individually, the following results
were obtained:
Lewis was about fifty-two years of age, a man of superior stature, six
feet high, with prominent features, and about one third of Anglo-Saxon
blood in his veins. The apparent solidity of the man both with respect
to body and mind was calculated to inspire the idea that he would be a
first-rate man to manage a farm in Canada.
Of his bondage and escape the following statement was obtained from him:
"I was owned by a man named Thomas Sydan, a Catholic, and a farmer. He
was not a very hard man, but was very much opposed to black folks having
their liberty. He owned six young slaves not grown up. It was owing to
Sydan's mother's estate that I came into his hands; before her death I
had hoped to be free for a long time as soon as she died. My old
mistress' name was Nancy Sydan; she was lame for twenty years, and