The Underground Railroad
Him, trust Him, confide in Him implicitly!
Many thanks for the "Anti-slavery Standards." No one in this
town, takes them in, consequently we only see them occasionally.
Do any tidings reach you of our friend, Frederick Douglass? We
heard from him from Portland, but are anxiously looking for
another letter. He always spoke of thee, my friend, very kindly,
and one day, when some money had been given to him for
fugitives, said: "You shall have part of this if you like, for
William Still," but I said, "No, I will try and get some
elsewhere for him." Douglass left us in April, after losing his
little Annie, but wished his visit to be kept private, and hoped
to be able to return to England in August. My husband and I
agree with F.D. in political matters. We are not disunionists,
but want to mend your corrupted government. With kind regards,
sincerely thy friend, A.H.R.
We are well acquainted with William and Ellen Craft. They have
just sent us their little book.
NEWCASTLE, 5th mo., 2,1861.
W. STILL:--DEAR FRIEND:--That poor fellow, who was so long
secreted, had been often in my thoughts, when laying this case
of the fugitives before our friends. I should like thee to feel
at liberty to replace the remainder of the twenty-five dollars
from the accompanying ten pounds, which I have much pleasure in
forwarding, but think it better to mention, that it may perhaps
be the last remittance for some little time from this quarter,
as I do not at present see any immediate opening for getting
more. Our worthy friend, W.S. Bailey, has lately been here, and
Dr. Cheever and W.H. Day, are expected in a week or two. From
London too, there are very earnest appeals to assist the
"African Anti-slavery Society." Thank thee for the newspapers
and thy last kind note. I think thou rather overrates my little
services. What a crisis is coming! O, what will the end be? With
our united best wishes, thy sincere friend,
ANNA H. RICHARDSON.
£7 of this money is from some personally unknown friend at
Lancaster; £5 from two nice little children of my acquaintance.
54 WESTMORELAND TERRACE,
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Oct. 10, 1862.
I have pleasure, dear friend, in sending you £5 for your
"contrabands," in response to your last letter of the 17th ult.
It is not much, but may be a little help. It will be forwarded
by our valued and mutual friend, H.H. Garnet, to whom I am
sending a remittance for his "contrabands," by the same mail.
We shall be interested in any particulars you may like to send
us, of these poor creatures, but at the same time, I dare not
hold out any hopes of considerable assistance from England, for
our own manufacturing districts are in a starving state, from
the absence of the accustomed supply of cotton, and till this
has been grown in other quarters, they will continue to have a
strong claim on every thoughtful mind. Some of us would rather
work with your colored people _in your own cause_, than with any
one else, for we _do not like the war_, and do not at all
approve of "the American churches" committing themselves to it
so fearfully. If your President had but taken the step at first,
he is taking now, what rivers of blood might have been stayed!
It is remarkable, how you, as a people, have been preserved to
each other, without having your own hands stained with blood.
But as to expatriation, the very thought of it is foolish. You
have been brought to America, not emigrated to it, and who on
earth has any possible right to send you away? Some of us are
almost as much displeased with the North, for talking of this,
as with the South for holding you in Slavery. What can we say to
you, but "watch and pray," "hope and wait," and surely, in His
own good time, the Most High will make you a pathway out of
trouble. We are delighted to hear of the good behaviour of your
people, wherever they have a fair chance of acting (on the
borders), as upright men and Christians.
Very sincerely, your friend,
To WILLIAM STILL. ANNA H. RICHARDSON.
WOMAN ESCAPING IN A BOX, 1857.
SHE WAS SPEECHLESS.
In the winter of 1857 a young woman, who had just turned her majority,
was boxed up in Baltimore by one who stood to her in the relation of a
companion, a young man, who had the box conveyed as freight to the depot
in Baltimore, consigned to Philadelphia. Nearly all one night it
remained at the depot with the living agony in it, and after being
turned upside down more than once, the next day about ten o'clock it
reached Philadelphia. Her companion coming on in advance of the box,
arranged with a hackman, George Custus, to attend to having it brought
from the depot to a designated house, Mrs. Myers', 412 S. 7th street,
where the resurrection was to take place.
Custus, without knowing exactly what the box contained, but suspecting
from the apparent anxiety and instructions of the young man who engaged
him to go after it, that it was of great importance, while the freight
car still remained on the street, demanded it of the freight agent, not
willing to wait the usual time for the delivery of freight. At first the
freight agent declined delivering under such circumstances. The hackman
insisted by saying that he wished to despatch it in great haste, said it
is all right, you know me, I have been coming here for many years every
day, and will be responsible for it. The freight-master told him to
"take it and go ahead with it." No sooner said than done. It was placed
in a one horse wagon at the instance of Custus, and driven to Seventh
and Minster streets.
The secret had been intrusted to Mrs. M. by the young companion of the
woman. A feeling of horror came over the aged woman, who had been thus
suddenly entrusted with such responsibility. A few doors from her lived
an old friend of the same religious faith with herself, well known as a
brave woman, and a friend of the slave, Mrs. Ash, the undertaker or
shrouder, whom every body knew among the colored people. Mrs. Myers felt
that it would not be wise to move in the matter of this resurrection
without the presence of the undertaker. Accordingly, she called Mrs. Ash
in. Even her own family was excluded from witnessing the scene. The two
aged women chose to be alone in that fearful moment, shuddering at the
thought that a corpse might meet their gaze instead of a living
creature. However, they mustered courage and pried off the lid. A woman
was discovered in the straw but no sign of life was perceptible. Their
fears seemed fulfilled. "Surely she is dead," thought the witnesses.
"Get up, my child," spake one of the women. With scarcely life enough to
move the straw covering, she, nevertheless, did now show signs of life,
but to a very faint degree. She could not speak, but being assisted
arose. She was straightway aided up stairs, not yet uttering a word.
After a short while she said, "I feel so deadly weak." She was then
asked if she would not have some water or nourishment, which she
declined. Before a great while, however, she was prevailed upon to take
a cup of tea. She then went to bed, and there remained all day, speaking
but a very little during that time. The second day she gained strength
and was able to talk much better, but not with ease. The third day she
began to come to herself and talk quite freely. She tried to describe
her sufferings and fears while in the box, but in vain. In the midst of
her severest agonies her chief fear was, that she would be discovered
and carried back to Slavery. She had a pair of scissors with her, and in
order to procure fresh air she had made a hole in the box, but it was
very slight. How she ever managed to breathe and maintain her existence,
being in the condition of becoming a mother, it was hard to comprehend.
In this instance the utmost endurance was put to the test. She was
obviously nearer death than Henry Box Brown, or any of the other box or
chest cases that ever came under the notice of the Committee.
In Baltimore she belonged to a wealthy and fashionable family, and had
been a seamstress and ladies' servant generally. On one occasion when
sent of an errand for certain articles in order to complete arrangements
for the Grand Opening Ball at the Academy of Music, she took occasion
not to return, but was among the missing. Great search was made, and a
large reward offered, but all to no purpose. A free colored woman, who
washed for the family, was suspected of knowing something of her going,
but they failing to get aught out of her, she was discharged.
Soon after the arrival of this traveler at Mrs. Myers' the Committee was
sent for and learned the facts as above stated. After spending some
three or four days in Mrs. Myers' family she remained in the writer's
family about the same length of time, and was then forwarded to Canada.
Mrs. Myers was originally from Baltimore, and had frequently been in the
habit of receiving Underground Rail Road passengers; she had always
found Thomas Shipley, the faithful philanthropist, a present help in
time of need. The young man well knew Mrs. Myers would act with prudence
in taking his companion to her house.
George Custus, the hackman, a colored man, was cool, sensible, and
reliable in the discharge of his duty, as were the other parties,
therefore every thing was well managed.
With this interesting case our narratives end, except such facts of a
like kind as may be connected with some of the sketches of stockholders.
A large number on the record book must be omitted. This is partly owing
to the fact that during the first few years of our connection with the
Underground Rail Road, so little was written out in the way of
narratives, that would hardly be of sufficient interest to publish; and
partly from the fact that, although there are exceptional cases even
among those so omitted, that would be equally as interesting as many
which have been inserted, time and space will not admit of further
encroachment. If in any way we have erred in the task of furnishing
facts and important information touching the Underground Rail Road, it
has not been in overstating the sufferings, trials, perils, and
marvellous escapes of those described, but on the contrary. In many
instances after hearing the most painful narratives we had neither time
nor inclination to write them out, except in the briefest manner, simply
sufficient to identify parties, which we did, not dreaming that the dark
cloud of Slavery was so soon to give way to the bright sunlight of
Freedom.
ORGANIZATION OF THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
MEETING TO FORM A VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
As has already been intimated, others besides the Committee were deeply
interested in The Road; indeed, the little aid actually rendered by the
Committee, was comparatively insignificant, compared with the aid
rendered by some who were not nominally members. To this latter class of
friends, it seems meet that we should particularly allude. Before doing
so, however, simple justice to all concerned, dictates that we should
here copy the official proceedings of the first meeting and organization
of the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee as it existed until the very day
that the ever to be remembered Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham
Lincoln, rendered the services of the organization and road no longer
necessary. It reads as follows:
"PENNSYLVANIA FREEMAN," December 9, 1852.
Pursuant to the motion published in last week's "Freeman," a
meeting was held in the Anti-slavery rooms, on the evening of