The Underground Railroad
one day have need of more rum money, and that he might not be too good
to offer him in the market for what he would bring. Charles resolved
that when his brothers crossed the line dividing Delaware and
Pennsylvania, he would not be far behind.
The mother of these boys was freed at the age of twenty-eight, and lived
in Wilmington, Delaware. It was owing to the fact that their mother had
been freed that they entertained the vague notion that they too might be
freed; but it was a well established fact that thousands lived and died
in such a hope without ever realizing their expectations. The boys, more
shrewd and wide awake than many others, did not hearken to such "stuff."
The two younger heard the views of the elder brother, and expressed a
willingness to follow him. Edward, becoming satisfied that what they
meant to do must be done quickly, took the lead, and off they started
for a free State.
John was owned by one James B. Rodgers, a farmer, and "a most every kind
of man," as John expressed himself; in fact John thought that his owner
was such a strange, wicked, and cross character that he couldn't tell
himself what he was. Seeing that slaves were treated no better than dogs
and hogs, John thought that he was none too young to be taking steps to
get away.
Charles was held by James Rodgers, Sr., under whom he said that he had
served nine years with faint prospects of some time becoming free, but
when, was doubtful.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM VIRGINIA, 1859.
JAMES TAYLOR, ALBERT GROSS, AND JOHN GRINAGE.
To see mere lads, not twenty-one years of age, smart enough to outwit
the very shrewdest and wisest slave-holders of Virginia was very
gratifying. The young men composing this arrival were of this
keen-sighted order.
James was only a little turned of twenty, of a yellow complexion, and
intelligent. A trader, by the name of George Ailer, professed to own
James. He said that he had been used tolerable well, not so bad as many
had been used. James was learning the carpenter trade; but he was
anxious to obtain his freedom, and finding his two companions true on
the main question, in conjunction with them he contrived a plan of
escape, and 'took out.' His father and mother, Harrison and Jane Taylor,
were left at Fredericksburg to mourn the absence of their son.
Albert was in his twentieth year, the picture of good health, not homely
by any means, although not of a fashionable color. He was under the
patriarchal protection of a man by the name of William Price, who
carried on farming in Cecil county, Maryland. Albert testified that he
was a bad man.
John Grinage was only twenty, a sprightly, active young man, of a brown
color. He came from Middle Neck, Cecil county, where he had served under
William Flintham, a farmer.
* * * * *
SUNDRY ARRIVALS FROM MARYLAND (1859)
AND OTHER PLACES.
JAMES ANDY WILKINS, and wife LUCINDA, with their little boy, CHARLES,
CHARLES HENRY GROSS, A WOMAN with her TWO CHILDREN--one in her
arms--JOHN BROWN, JOHN ROACH, and wife LAMBY, and HENRY SMALLWOOD.
The above-named passengers did not all come from the same place, or
exactly at the same time; but for the sake of convenience they are thus
embraced under a general head.
James Andy Wilkins "gave the slip" to a farmer, by the name of George
Biddle, who lived one mile from Cecil, Cecil county, Maryland. While he
hated Slavery, he took a favorable view of his master in some respects
at least, as he said that he was a "moderate man in talk;" but "sly in
action." His master provided him with two pairs of pantaloons in the
summer, and one in the winter, also a winter jacket, no vest, no cap, or
hat. James thought the sum total for the entire year's clothing would
not amount to more than ten dollars. Sunday clothing he was compelled to
procure for himself by working of nights; he made axe handles, mats,
etc., of evenings, and caught musk rats on Sunday, and availed himself
of their hides to procure means for his most pressing wants. Besides
these liberal privileges his master was in the habit of allowing him two
whole days every harvest, and at Christmas from twenty-five cents to as
high as three dollars and fifty cents, were lavished upon him.
His master was a bachelor, a man of considerable means, and "kept
tolerable good company," and only owned two other slaves, Rachel Ann
Dumbson and John Price.
Lucinda, the companion of James, was twenty-one years of age,
good-looking, well-formed and of a brown color. She spoke of a man named
George Ford as her owner. He, however, was said to be of the "moderate
class" of slave-holders; Lucinda being the only slave property he
possessed, and she came to him through his wife (who was a Methodist).
The master was an outsider, so far as the Church was concerned. Once in
a great while Lucinda was allowed to go to church, when she could be
spared from her daily routine of cooking, washing, etc. Twice a week she
was permitted the special favor of seeing her husband. These simple
privations not being of a grave character, no serious fault was found
with them; yet Lucinda was not without a strong ground of complaint. Not
long before escaping, she had been threatened with the auction-block;
this fate she felt bound to avert, if possible, and the way she aimed to
do it was by escaping on the Underground Rail Road. Charley, a bright
little fellow only three years of age, was "contented and happy" enough.
Lucinda left her father, Moses Edgar Wright, and two brothers, both
slaves. One belonged to "Francis Crookshanks," and the other to Capt.
Jim Mitchell. Her mother, who was known by the name of Betsy Wright,
escaped when she (Lucinda) was seven years of age. Of her whereabouts
nothing further had ever been heard. Lucinda entertained strong hopes
that she might find her in Canada.
Charles Henry Gross began life in Maryland, and was made to bear the
heat and burden of the day in Baltimore, under Henry Slaughter,
proprietor of the Ariel Steamer. Owing to hard treatment, Charles was
induced to fly to Canada for refuge.
A woman with two children, one in her arms, and the other two years of
age (names, etc., not recorded), came from the District of Columbia.
Mother and children, appealed loudly for sympathy.
John Brown, being at the beck of a man filling the situation of a common
clerk (in the shoe store of McGrunders), became dissatisfied. Asking
himself what right Benjamin Thorn (his professed master) had to his
hire, he was led to see the injustice of his master, and made up his
mind, that he would leave by the first train, if he could get a genuine
ticket _viâ_ the Underground Rail Road. He found an agent and soon had
matters all fixed. He left his father, mother and seven sisters and one
brother, all slaves. John was a man small of stature, dark, with homely
features, but he was very determined to get away from oppression.
John and Lamby Roach had been eating bitter bread under bondage near
Seaford. John was the so-called property of Joshua O'Bear, "a fractious,
hard-swearing man, and when mad would hit one of his slaves with
anything he could get in his hands." John and his companion made the
long journey on foot. The former had been trained to farm labor and the
common drudgery of slave life. Being a man of thirty-three years of age,
with more than ordinary abilities, he had given the matter of his
bondage considerable thought, and seeing that his master "got worse the
older he got," together with the fact, that his wife had recently been
sold, he was strongly stirred to make an effort for Canada. While it was
a fact, that his wife had already been sold, as above stated, the change
of ownership was not to take place for some months, consequently John
"took out in a hurry." His wife was the property of Dr. Shipley, of
Seaford, who had occasion to raise some money for which he gave security
in the shape of this wife and mother. Horsey was the name of the
gentleman from whom it was said that he obtained the favor; so when the
time was up for the payment to be made, the Dr. was not prepared.
Horsey, therefore, claimed the collateral (the wife) and thus she had to
meet the issue, or make a timely escape to Canada with her husband. No
way but walking was open to them. Deciding to come this way, they
prosecuted their journey with uncommon perseverance and success. Both
were comforted by strong faith in God, and believed that He would enable
them to hold out on the road until they should reach friends.
Henry Smallwood saw that he was working every day for nothing, and
thought that he would do better. He described his master (Washington
Bonafont) as a sort of a rowdy, who drank pretty hard, leaving a very
unfavorable impression on Henry's mind, as he felt almost sure such
conduct would lead to a sale at no distant day. So he was cautious
enough to "take the hint in time." Henry left in company with nine
others; but after being two days on the journey they were routed and
separated by their pursuers. At this point Henry lost all trace of the
rest. He heard afterwards that two of them had been captured, but
received no further tidings of the others. Henry was a fine
representative for Canada; a tall, dark, and manly-looking individual,
thirty-six years of age. He left his father and mother behind.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM RICHMOND, 1859.
HENRY JONES AND TURNER FOSTER.
Henry was left free by the will of his mistress (Elizabeth Mann), but
the heirs were making desperate efforts to overturn this instrument. Of
this, there was so much danger with a Richmond court, that Henry feared
that the chances were against him; that the court was not honest enough
to do him justice. Being a man of marked native foresight, he concluded
that the less he talked about freedom and the more he acted the sooner
he would be out of his difficulties. He was called upon, however, to
settle certain minor matters, before he could see his way clear to move
in the direction of Canada; for instance, he had a wife on his mind to
dispose of in some way, but how he could not tell. Again, he was not in
the secret of the Underground Rail Road movement; he knew that many got
off, but how they managed it he was ignorant. If he could settle these
two points satisfactorily, he thought that he would be willing to endure
any sacrifice for the sake of his freedom. He found an agent of the
Underground Rail Road, and after surmounting various difficulties, this
point was settled. As good luck would have it, his wife, who was a free
woman, although she heard the secret with great sorrow, had the good
sense to regard his step for the best, and thus he was free to contend
with all other dangers on the way.
He encountered the usual suffering, and on his arrival experienced the
wonted pleasure. He was a man of forty-one years of age, spare made,
with straight hair, and Indian complexion, with the Indian's aversion to
Slavery.
Turner, who was a fellow-passenger with Henry, arrived also from
Richmond. He was about twenty-one, a bright, smart, prepossessing young
man. He fled from A.A. Mosen, a lawyer, represented to be one of the
first in the city, and a firm believer in Slavery. Turner differed
widely with his master with reference to this question, although, for
prudential reasons, he chose not to give his opinion to said Mosen.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM MARYLAND.
TWO YOUNG MOTHERS, EACH WITH BABES IN THEIR ARMS--ANNA ELIZABETH YOUNG
AND SARAH JANE BELL--WHIPPED TILL THE BLOOD FLOWED.
The appearance of these young mothers at first produced a sudden degree