The Underground Railroad
some time past, to hear what has become of Harriet Tubman. The
last I heard of her, she was in the State of New York, on her
way to Canada with some friends, last fall. Has thee seen, or
heard anything of her lately? It would be a sorrowful fact, if
such a hero as she, should be lost from the Underground Rail
Road. I have just received a letter from Ireland, making inquiry
respecting her. If thee gets this in time, and knows anything
respecting her, please drop me a line by mail to-morrow, and I
will get it next morning if not sooner, and oblige thy friend.
I have heard nothing from the eighth man from Dover, but trust
he is safe.
THOMAS GARRETT.
On being informed that Harriet was "all right," the following extract
from a subsequent letter, expresses his satisfaction over the good news,
and at the same time, indicates his sympathy for a "poor traveler," who
had fallen a victim to the cold weather, and being severely
frost-bitten, had died of lock-jaw, as related on page 52.
"I was truly glad to learn that Harriet Tubman was still in good
health and ready for action, but I think there will be more
danger at present than heretofore, there is so much excitement
below in consequence of the escape of those eight slaves. I was
truly sorry to hear of the fate of that poor fellow who had
periled so much for liberty. I was in hopes from what thee told
me, that he would recover with the loss perhaps of some of his
toes.
THOMAS GARRETT."
In the next letter, an interesting anecdote is related of an encounter
on the Underground Rail Road, between the fugitives and several
Irishmen, and how one of the old countrymen was shot in the forehead,
etc., which G. thought would make such opponents to the Road "more
cautious."
WILMINGTON, 11th mo., 5th, 1857.
ESTEEMED FRIEND, WILLIAM STILL:--I have just written a note for
the bearer to William Murphy Chester, who will direct him on to
thy care; he left his home about a week since. I hear in the
lower part of this State, he met with a friend to pilot him some
twenty-five miles last night. We learn that one party of those
last week were attacked with clubs by several Irish and that one
of them was shot in the forehead, the ball entering to the skull
bone, and passing under the skin partly round the head. My
informant says he is likely to recover, but it will leave an
ugly mark it is thought, as long as he lives. We have not been
able to learn, whether the party was on the look out for them,
or whether they were rowdies out on a Hallow-eve frolic; but be
it which it may, I presume they will be more cautious here how
they trifle with such. Desiring thee prosperity and happiness, I
remain thy friend,
THOMAS GARRETT.
FOUR OF GOD'S POOR.
The following letter shows the fearless manner in which he attended to
the duties of his station:
WILMINGTON, 9th mo. 6th, 1857.
RESPECTED FRIEND, WM. STILL:--This evening I send to thy care
four of God's poor. Severn Johnson, a true man, will go with
them to-night by rail road to thy house. I have given Johnson
five dollars, which will pay all expenses, and leave each
twenty-five cents. We are indebted to Captain F----t----n for
those. May success attend them in their efforts to maintain
themselves. Please send word by Johnson whether or no, those
seven arrived safe I wrote thee of ten days since. My wife and
self were at Longwood to-day, had a pleasant ride and good
meeting. We are, as ever, thy friend,
THOS. GARRETT.
Quite a satisfactory account is given, in the letter below of the
"Irishman who was shot in the forehead;" also of one of the same kin,
who in meddling with Underground Rail Road passengers, got his arm
broken in two places, etc.
WILMINGTON, 11th mo. 14th, 1857.
ESTEEMED FRIEND, WM. STILL:--Thy favor of a few days since came
to hand, giving quite a satisfactory account of the large
company.
I find in the melee near this town, one of the Irishmen got his
arm broken in two places. The one shot in the forehead is badly
marked, but not dangerously injured. I learn to-day, that the
carriage in that company, owing to fast driving with such a
heavy load, is badly broken, and the poor horse was badly
injured; it has not been able to do anything since.
Please say to my friend, Rebecca Hart, that I have heretofore
kept clear of persuading, or even advising slaves to leave their
masters till they had fully made up their minds to leave,
knowing as I do there is great risk in so doing, and if betrayed
once would be a serious injury to the cause hereafter. I had
spoken to one colored man to try to see him, but he was not
willing to risk it. If he has any desire to get away, he can,
during one night, before they miss him, get out of the reach of
danger. Booth has moved into New Castle, and left the two boys
on the farm. If Rebecca Hart will write to me, and give me the
name of the boy, and the name of his mother, I will make another
effort. The man I spoke to lives in New Castle, and thinks the
mother of the boy alluded to lives between here and New Castle.
The young men's association here wants Wendell Phillips to
deliver a lecture on the lost arts, and some of the rest of us
wish him to deliver a lecture on Slavery. Where will a letter
reach him soonest, as I wish to write him on the subject. I
thought he could perhaps deliver two lectures, two nights in
succession. If thee can give the above information, thee will
much oblige--
GARRETT & SON.
In his business-like transactions, without concealment, he places
matters in such a light that the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not
err, as may here be seen.
WILMINGTON, 11th mo. 25th, 1857.
ESTEEMED FRIEND, WM. STILL:--I now send Johnson, one of our
colored men, up with the three men I wrote thee about. Johnson
has undertook to have them well washed and cleaned during the
day. And I have provided them with some second-hand clothes, to
make them comfortable, a new pair of shoes and stockings, and
shall pay Johnson for taking care of them. I mention this so
that thee may know. Thee need not advance him any funds. In the
present case I shall furnish them with money to pay their fare
to Philadelphia, and Johnson home again. Hoping they will get on
safe, I remain thy friend,
THOS. GARRETT.
FOUR FEMALES ON BOARD.
The fearless Garrett communicated through the mail, as usual, the
following intelligence:
WILMINGTON, 8th mo. 25th, 1859.
ESTEEMED FRIEND, WM. STILL:--The brig Alvena, of Lewistown, is
in the Delaware opposite here, with four females on board. The
colored man, who has them in charge, was employed by the husband
of one of them to bring his wife up. When he arrived here, he
found the man had left. As the vessel is bound to Red Bank, I
have advised him to take them there in the vessel, and to-morrow
take them in the steamboat to the city, and to the Anti-slavery
office. He says they owe the captain one dollar and fifty cents
for board, and I gave him three dollars, to pay the captain and
take them to your office. I have a man here, to go on to-night,
that was nearly naked; shall rig him out pretty comfortably.
Poor fellow, he has lost his left hand, but he says he can take
care of himself. In haste, thy friend,
THOS. GARRETT.
While Father Abraham was using his utmost powers to put down the
rebellion, in 1864, a young man who had "been most unrighteously sold
for seven years," desirous of enlisting, sought advice from the wise and
faithful Underground Rail Road manager, who gave him the following
letter, which may be looked upon in the light of a rare anecdote, as
there is no doubt but that the "professed non-resistant" in this
instance, hoped to see the poor fellow "_snugly fixed in his
regimentals_" doing service for "Father Abraham."
WILMINGTON, 1st mo. 23d, 1864.
RESPECTED FRIEND, WILLIAM STILL:--The bearer of this, Winlock
Clark, has lately been most unrighteously sold for seven years,
and is desirous of enlisting, and becoming one of Uncle Sam's
boys; I have advised him to call on thee so that no land sharks
shall get any bounty for enlisting him; he has a wife and
several children, and whatever bounty the government or the
State allows him, will be of use to his family. Please write me
when he is snugly fixed in his regimentals, so that I may send
word to his wife. By so doing, thee will much oblige thy friend,
and the friend of humanity,
THOMAS GARRETT.
N.B. Am I naughty, being a professed non-resistant, to advise
this poor fellow to serve Father Abraham? T.G.
We have given so many of these inimitable Underground Rail Road letters
from the pen of the sturdy old laborer, not only because they will be
new to the readers of this work, but because they so fittingly
illustrate his practical devotion to the Slave, and his cheerfulness--in
the face of danger and difficulty--in a manner that other pens might
labor in vain to describe.
DANIEL GIBBONS.
A life as uneventful as the one whose story we are about to tell,
affords little scope for the genius of the biographer or the historian,
but being carefully studied, it cannot fail to teach a lesson of
devotion and self-sacrifice, which should be learned and remembered by
every succeeding age.
Daniel Gibbons, son of James and Deborah (Hoopes) Gibbons, was born on
the banks of Mill Creek, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on the 21st
day of the 12th month (December), 1775. He was descended on his father's
side from an English ancestor, whose name appears on the colonial
records, as far back as 1683. John Gibbons evidently came with or before
William Penn to this "goodly heritage of freedom." His earthly remains
lie at Concord Friends' burying-ground, Delaware county, near where the
family lived for a generation or two. The grandfather of Daniel Gibbons,
who lived near where West Town boarding-school now is, in Chester
county, bought for seventy pounds, "one thousand acres of land and
allowances," in what is now Lancaster county, intending, as he
ultimately did, to settle his three sons upon it. This purchase was made
about the year 1715. In process of time, the eldest son, desiring to
marry Deborah Hoopes, the daughter of Daniel Hoopes, of a neighboring
township in Chester county, the young people obtained the consent of
parents and friends, but it was a time of grief and mourning among young
and old. The young Friends assured the intended bride, that they would
not marry the best man in the Province and do what she was about to do;
and the elder dames, so far relaxed the Puritanic rigidity of their
rules, as to allow the invitation of an uncommonly large company of
guests to the wedding, in order that a long and perhaps last farewell,
might be said to the beloved daughter, who, with her husband, was about
to emigrate to the "far West." Loud and long were the lamentations, and
warm the embraces of these simple-minded Christian rustics, companions
of toil and deprivation, as they parted from two of their number who
were to leave their circle for the West; the West being then thirty-six
miles distant. This was on the sixth day of the fifth month, 1756. More
than a century has passed away; all the good people, eighty-nine in
number, who signed the wedding certificate as witnesses, have passed