The Underground Railroad
think that is long Enough for me to live A Slave. Dear Sir, I am
very sorry to hear of the Accadent that happened to our Friend
Mr. Meakins, I have read the letter to all that lives in St.
Catharines, that came from old Virginia, and then I Sented to
Toronto to Mercer & Clayton to see, and to Farman to read fur
themselves. Sir, you must write to me soon and let me know how
Meakins gets on with his tryal, and you must pray for him, I
have told all here to do the same for him. May God bless and
protect him from prison, I have heard A great del of old
Richmond and Norfolk. Dear Sir, if you see Mr. or Mrs. Gilbert
Give my love to them and tell them to write to me, also give my
respect to your Family and A part for yourself, love from the
friends to you Soloman Brown, H. Atkins, Was. Johnson, Mrs.
Brooks, Mr. Dykes. Mr. Smith is better at presant. And do not
forget to write the News of Meakin's tryal. I cannot say any
more at this time; but remain yours and A true Friend ontell
Death.
W.H. GILLIAM, the widow's Mite.
"Our friend Minkins," in whose behalf William asks the united prayers of
his friends, was one of the "scoundrels" who assisted him and his two
companions to escape on the steamer. Being suspected of "rascality" in
this direction, he was arrested and put in jail, but as no evidence
could be found against him he was soon released.
JAMES MERCER'S LETTER.
TORONTO, MARCH 17th, 1854.
My dear friend Still:--I take this method of informing you that
I am well, and when this comes to hand it may find you and your
family enjoying good health. Sir, my particular for writing is
that I wish to hear from you, and to hear all the news from down
South. I wish to know if all things are working Right for the
Rest of my Brotheran whom in bondage. I will also Say that I am
very much please with Toronto, So also the friends that came
over with. It is true that we have not been Employed as yet; but
we are in hopes of be'en so in a few days. We happen here in
good time jest about time the people in this country are going
work. I am in good health and good Spirits, and feeles Rejoiced
in the Lord for my liberty. I Received cople of paper from you
to-day. I wish you see James Morris whom or Abram George the
first and second on the Ship Penn., give my respects to them,
and ask James if he will call at Henry W. Quarles on May street
oppisit the Jews synagogue and call for Marena Mercer, give my
love to her ask her of all the times about Richmond, tell her to
Send me all the news. Tell Mr. Morris that there will be no
danger in going to that place. You will also tell M. to make
himself known to her as she may know who sent him. And I wish to
get a letter from you.
JAMES M. MERCER.
JOHN H. HILL'S LETTER.
My friend, I would like to hear from you, I have been looking
for a letter from you for Several days as the last was very
interesting to me, please to write Right away.
Yours most Respectfully,
JOHN H. HILL.
Instead of weeping over the sad situation of his "penniless" mistress
and showing any signs of contrition for having wronged the man who held
the mortgage of seven hundred and fifty dollars on him, James actually
"feels rejoiced in the Lord for his liberty," and is "very much pleased
with Toronto;" but is not satisfied yet, he is even concocting a plan by
which his wife might be run off from Richmond, which would be the cause
of her owner (Henry W. Quarles, Esq.) losing at least one thousand
dollars,
ST. CATHARINE, CANADA, JUNE 8th, 1854.
MR. STILL, DEAR FRIEND:--I received a letter from the poor old
widow, Mrs. L.E. White, and she says I may come back if I choose
and she will do a good part by me. Yes, yes I am choosing the
western side of the South for my home. She is smart, but cannot
bung my eye, so she shall have to die in the poor house at last,
so she says, and Mercer and myself will be the cause of it. That
is all right. I am getting even with her now for I was in the
poor house for twenty-five years and have just got out. And she
said she knew I was coming away six weeks before I started, so
you may know my chance was slim. But Mr. John Wright said I came
off like a gentleman and he did not blame me for coming for I
was a great boy. Yes I here him enough he is all gas. I am in
Canada, and they cannot help themselves.
About that subject I will not say anything more. You must write
to me as soon as you can and let me here the news and how the
Family is and yourself. Let me know how the times is with the
U.G.R.R. Co. Is it doing good business? Mr. Dykes sends his
respects to you. Give mine to your family.
Your true friend,
W.H. GILLIAM.
John Clayton, the companion in tribulation of William and James, must
not be lost sight of any longer. He was owned by the Widow Clayton, and
was white enough to have been nearly related to her, being a mulatto. He
was about thirty-five years of age, a man of fine appearance, and quite
intelligent. Several years previous he had made an attempt to escape,
but failed. Prior to escaping in this instance, he had been laboring in
a tobacco factory at $150 a year. It is needless to say that he did not
approve of the "peculiar institution." He left a wife and one child
behind to mourn after him. Of his views of Canada and Freedom, the
following frank and sensible letter, penned shortly after his arrival,
speaks for itself--
TORONTO, March 6th, 1854.
DEAR MR. STILL:--I take this method of informing you that I am
well both in health and mind. You may rest assured that I fells
myself a free man and do not fell as I did when I was in
Virginia thanks be to God I have no master into Canada but I am
my own man. I arrived safe into Canada on friday last. I must
request of you to write a few lines to my wife and jest state to
her that her friend arrived safe into this glorious land of
liberty and I am well and she will make very short her time in
Virginia. tell her that I likes here very well and hopes to like
it better when I gets to work I don't meane for you to write the
same words that are written above but I wish you give her a
clear understanding where I am and Shall Remain here untel She
comes or I hears from her.
Nothing more at present but remain yours most respectfully,
JOHN CLAYTON.
You will please to direct the to Petersburg Luenena Johns or
Clayton John is best.
CLARISSA DAVIS.
ARRIVED DRESSED IN MALE ATTIRE.
Clarissa fled from Portsmouth, Va., in May, 1854, with two of her
brothers. Two months and a half before she succeeded in getting off,
Clarissa had made a desperate effort, but failed. The brothers
succeeded, but she was left. She had not given up all hope of escape,
however, and therefore sought "a safe hiding-place until an opportunity
might offer," by which she could follow her brothers on the U.G.R.R.
Clarissa was owned by Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Burkley, of Portsmouth, under
whom she had always served.
Of them she spoke favorably, saying that she "had not been used as hard
as many others were." At this period, Clarissa was about twenty-two
years of age, of a bright brown complexion, with handsome features,
exceedingly respectful and modest, and possessed all the characteristics
of a well-bred young lady. For one so little acquainted with books as
she was, the correctness of her speech was perfectly astonishing.
For Clarissa and her two brothers a "reward of one thousand dollars" was
kept standing in the papers for a length of time, as these (articles)
were considered very rare and valuable; the best that could be produced
in Virginia.
In the meanwhile the brothers had passed safely on to New Bedford, but
Clarissa remained secluded, "waiting for the storm to subside." Keeping
up courage day by day, for seventy-five days, with the fear of being
detected and severely punished, and then sold, after all her hopes and
struggles, required the faith of a martyr. Time after time, when she
hoped to succeed in making her escape, ill luck seemed to disappoint
her, and nothing but intense suffering appeared to be in store. Like
many others, under the crushing weight of oppression, she thought she
"should have to die" ere she tasted liberty. In this state of mind, one
day, word was conveyed to her that the steamship, City of Richmond, had
arrived from Philadelphia, and that the steward on board (with whom she
was acquainted), had consented to secrete her this trip, if she could
manage to reach the ship safely, which was to start the next day. This
news to Clarissa was both cheering and painful. She had been "praying
all the time while waiting," but now she felt "that if it would only
rain right hard the next morning about three o'clock, to drive the
police officers off the street, then she could safely make her way to
the boat." Therefore she prayed anxiously all that day that it would
rain, "but no sign of rain appeared till towards midnight." The prospect
looked horribly discouraging; but she prayed on, and at the appointed
hour (three o'clock--before day), the rain descended in torrents.
Dressed in male attire, Clarissa left the miserable coop where she had
been almost without light or air for two and a half months, and
unmolested, reached the boat safely, and was secreted in a box by Wm.
Bagnal, a clever young man who sincerely sympathized with the slave,
having a wife in slavery himself; and by him she was safely delivered
into the hands of the Vigilance Committee.
Clarissa Davis here, by advice of the Committee, dropped her old name,
and was straightway christened "Mary D. Armstead." Desiring to join her
brothers and sister in New Bedford, she was duly furnished with her
U.G.R.R. passport and directed thitherward. Her father, who was left
behind when she got off, soon after made his way on North, and joined
his children. He was too old and infirm probably to be worth anything,
and had been allowed to go free, or to purchase himself for a mere
nominal sum. Slaveholders would, on some such occasions, show wonderful
liberality in letting their old slaves go free, when they could work no
more. After reaching New Bedford, Clarissa manifested her gratitude in
writing to her friends in Philadelphia repeatedly, and evinced a very
lively interest in the U.G.R.R. The appended letter indicates her
sincere feelings of gratitude and deep interest in the cause--
NEW BEDFORD, August 26, 1855.
MR. STILL:--I avail my self to write you thes few lines hopeing
they may find you and your family well as they leaves me very
well and all the family well except my father he seams to be
improveing with his shoulder he has been able to work a little I
received the papers I was highly delighted to receive them I was
very glad to hear from you in the wheler case I was very glad to
hear that the persons ware safe I was very sory to hear that mr
Williamson was put in prison but I know if the praying part of
the people will pray for him and if he will put his trust in the
lord he will bring him out more than conquer please remember my
Dear old farther and sisters and brothers to your family kiss
the children for me I hear that the yellow fever is very bad
down south now if the underground railroad could have free
course the emergrant would cross the river of gordan rapidly I
hope it may continue to run and I hope the wheels of the car may
be greesed with more substantial greese so they may run over