The Underground Railroad
too much to our lord so I hope that mr. Anderson has found peace
with God for me myself really appreciate that hope that I have
in Christ, for I often find myself in my slumber with you and I
hope we will meet some day. Mr. Dungy sends his love to you I
suppose you are aware that he is married, he is luckier than I
am or I must get a little foothold before I do marry if I ever
do. I am in a very comfortable room all fixed for the winter and
we have had one snow. May the lord be with you and all you and
all your household.
I remain forever your brother in Christ,
STEPNEY BROWN.
ARRIVAL FROM MARYLAND, 1859.
JIM KELL, CHARLES HEATH, WILLIAM CARLISLE, CHARLES RINGGOLD, THOMAS
MAXWELL, AND SAMUEL SMITH.
On the evening of the Fourth of July, while all was hilarity and
rejoicing the above named very interesting fugitives arrived from the
troubled district, the Eastern shore, of Maryland, where so many
conventions had been held the previous year to prevent escapes; where
the Rev. Samuel Green had been convicted and sent to the penitentiary
for ten years for having a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin in his humble home;
where so many parties, on escaping, had the good sense and courage to
secure their flight by bringing their masters' horses and carriages a
good way on their perilous journey.
Sam had been tied up and beat many times severely. William had been
stripped naked, and frequently and cruelly cowhided. Thomas had been
clubbed over his head more times than a few. Jim had been whipped with
clubs and switches times without number. Charles had had five men on him
at one time, with cowhides, his master in the lead.
Charles Heath had had his head cut shockingly, with a club, in the hands
of his master; this well cared-for individual in referring to his kind
master, said: "I can give his character right along, he was a perfect
devil. The night we left, he had a woman tied up--God knows what he
done. He was always blustering, you could never do enough for him no
how. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, you would hear
him cussing--he would cuss in bed. He was a large farmer, all the time
drunk. He had a good deal of money but not much character. He was a
savage, bluff, red face-looking concern." Thus, in the most earnest, as
well as in an intelligent manner, Charles described the man (Aquila
Cain), who had hitherto held him under the yoke.
James left his mother, Nancy Kell, two brothers, Robert and Henry, and
two sisters, Mary and Annie; all living in the neighborhood whence he
fled. Besides these, he had eight brothers and sisters living in
Baltimore and elsewhere, under the yoke. He was twenty-four years of
age, of a jet color, but of a manly turn. He fled from Thomas Murphy, a
farmer, and regular slave-holder. Charles Heath was twenty-five years of
age, medium size, full black, a very keen-looking individual.
William was also of unmixed blood, shrewd and wide-awake for his
years,--had been ground down under the heel of Aquila Cain. He left his
mother and two sisters.
Charles Ringgold was eighteen years of age; no white blood showed itself
in the least in this individual. He fled from Dr. Jacob Preston, a
member of the Episcopal Church, and a practical farmer with twenty head
of slaves. "He was not so bad, but his wife was said to be a 'stinger.'"
Charles left his mother and father behind, also four sisters.
Thomas was of pure blood, with a very cheerful, healthy-looking
countenance,--twenty-one years of age, and was to "come free" at
twenty-five, but he had too much good sense to rely upon the promises of
slave-holders in matters of this kind. He too belonged to Cain who, he
said, was constantly talking about selling, etc. He left his father and
mother.
After being furnished with food, clothing, and free tickets, they were
forwarded on in triumph and full of hope.
* * * * *
SUNDRY ARRIVALS, 1859.
JOHN EDWARD LEE, JOHN HILLIS, CHARLES ROSS, JAMES RYAN, WILLIAM
JOHNSTON, EDWARD WOOD, CORNELIUS FULLER AND HIS WIFE HARRIET, JOHN
PINKET, ANSAL CANNON, AND JAMES BROWN.
John came from Maryland, and brought with him a good degree of pluck. He
satisfied the Committee that he fully believed in freedom, and had
proved his faith by his works, as he came in contact with pursuers, whom
he put to flight by the use of an ugly-looking knife, which he plunged
into one of them, producing quite a panic; the result was that he was
left to pursue his Underground Rail Road journey without further
molestation. There was nothing in John's appearance which would lead one
to suppose that he was a blood-thirsty or bad man, although a man of
uncommon muscular powers; six feet high, and quite black, with
resolution stamped on his countenance. But when he explained how he was
enslaved by a man named John B. Slade, of Harford Co., and how, in some
way or other, he became entitled to his freedom, and just as the time
arrived for the consummation of his long prayed-for boon, said Slade was
about to sell him,--after this provocation, it was clear enough to
perceive how John came to use his knife.
John Hillis was a tiller of the ground under a widow lady (Mrs. Louisa
Le Count), of the New Market District, Maryland. He signified to the
mistress, that he loved to follow the water, and that he would be just
as safe on water as on land, and that he was discontented. The widow
heard John's plausible story, and saw nothing amiss in it, so she
consented that he should work on a schooner. The name of the craft was
"Majestic." The hopeful John endeavored to do his utmost to please, and
was doubly happy when he learned that the "Majestic" was to make a trip
to Philadelphia. On arriving John's eyes were opened to see that he owed
Mrs. Le Count nothing, but that she was largely indebted to him for
years of unrequited toil; he could not, therefore, consent to go back to
her. He was troubled to think of his poor wife and children, whom he had
left in the hands of Mrs. Harriet Dean, three quarters of a mile from
New Market; but it was easier for him to imagine plans by which he could
get them off than to incur the hazard of going back to Maryland;
therefore he remained in freedom.
Charles Ross was clearly of the opinion that he was free-born, but that
he had been illegally held in Slavery, as were all his brothers and
sisters, by a man named Rodgers, a farmer, living near Greensborough, in
Caroline county, Md. Very good reasons were given by Charles for the
charge which he made against Rodgers, and it went far towards
establishing the fact, that "colored men had no rights which white men
were bound to respect," in Maryland. Although he was only twenty-three
years of age, he had fully weighed the matter of his freedom, and
appeared firmly set against Slavery.
William Johnson was owned by a man named John Bosley, a farmer, living
near Gun Powder Neck, Maryland. One morning he, unexpectedly to William,
gave him a terrible cowhiding, which, contrary to the master's designs,
made him a firm believer in the doctrine of immediate abolition, and he
thought, that from that hour he must do something against the system--if
nothing more than to go to Canada. This determination was so strong,
that in a few weeks afterwards he found himself on the Underground Rail
Road. He left one brother and one sister; his mother was dead, and of
his father's whereabouts he knew nothing. William was nineteen years of
age, brown color, smart and good-looking.
Edward Wood was a "chattel" from Drummerstown, Accomac county, Virginia,
where he had been owned by a farmer, calling himself James White; a man
who "drank hard and was very crabbed," and before Edward left owned
eleven head of slaves. Edward left a wife and three children, but the
strong desire to be free, which had been a ruling passion of his being
from early boyhood, rendered it impossible for him to stay, although the
ties were very hard to break. Slavery was crushing him hourly, and he
felt that he could not submit any longer.
Cornelius Fuller, and his wife, Harriet, escaped together from Kent
county, Maryland. They belonged to separate masters; Cornelius, it was
said, belonged to the Diden Estate; his wife to Judge Chambers, whose
Honor lived in Chestertown. "He is no man for freedom, bless you," said
Harriet. "He owned more slaves than any other man in that part of the
country; he sells sometimes, and he hired out a great many; would hire
them to any kind of a master, if he half killed you." Cornelius and
Harriet were obliged to leave their daughter Kitty, who was thirteen
years of age.
John Pinket and Ansal Cannon took the Underground Rail Road cars at New
Market, Dorchester county, Maryland.
John was a tall young man, of twenty-seven years of age, of an active
turn of mind and of a fine black color. He was the property of Mary
Brown, a widow, firmly grounded in the love of Slavery; believing that a
slave had no business to get tired or desire his freedom. She sold one
of John's sisters to Georgia, and before John fled, had still in her
possession nine head of slaves. She was a member of the Methodist church
at East New Market. From certain movements which looked very suspicious
in John's eyes, he had been allotted to the Southern Market, he
therefore resolved to look out for a habitation in Canada. He had a
first-rate corn-field education, but no book learning. Up to the time of
his escape, John had shunned entangling himself with a wife.
Ansal was twenty-five years of age, well-colored, and seemed like a
good-natured and well-behaved article. He escaped from Kitty Cannon,
another widow, who owned nine chattels. "Sometimes she treated her
slaves pretty well," was the testimony of Ansal. He ran away because he
did not get pay for his services. In thus being deprived of his hire, he
concluded that he had no business to stay if he could get away.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM MARYLAND, 1859.
JAMES BROWN.
A more giant-like looking passenger than the above named individual had
rarely ever passed over the road. He was six feet three inches high, and
in every respect, a man of bone, sinew and muscle. For one who had
enjoyed only a field hand's privileges for improvement, he was not to be
despised.
Jim owed service to Henry Jones; at least he admitted that said Jones
claimed him, and had hired him out to himself for seven dollars per
month. While this amount seemed light, it was much heavier than Jim felt
willing to meet solely for his master's benefit. After giving some heed
to the voice of freedom within, he considered that it behooved him to
try and make his way to some place where men were not guilty of wronging
their neighbors out of their just hire. Having heard of the Underground
Rail Road running to Canada, he concluded to take a trip and see the
country, for himself; so he arranged his affairs with this end in view,
and left Henry Jones with one less to work for him for nothing. The
place that he fled from was called North Point, Baltimore county. The
number of fellow-slaves left in the hands of his old master, was
fifteen.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM DELAWARE, 1859.
EDWARD, JOHN, AND CHARLES HALL.
The above named individuals were brothers from Delaware. They were
young; the eldest being about twenty, the youngest not far from
seventeen years of age.
Edward was serving on a farm, under a man named Booth. Perceiving that
Booth was "running through his property" very fast by hard drinking,
Edward's better judgment admonished him that his so-called master would