The Underground Railroad
out of a house near the barn, and ran into the woods. The constable and
his two companions immediately gave chase, with many halloos! After
running more than a mile through the snow, the fugitive came toward the
house; I went to meet him, and found him with his back against the
barn-yard fence, with a butcher's knife in his hand. The man hunters
soon came up, and the constable asked me to get the knife from the
fugitive. This I declined, unless the constable should first give me his
pistol, with which he was threatening to shoot the man. He complied with
my request, and the fugitive handed me the knife. Then he produced a
pass, properly authenticated, and signed by a magistrate of Queen Ann's
county, Maryland, certifying that this man was free! and that his name
was Samuel Hawkins.
William Hardcastle now advanced, and said that he knew the man to be
free; but that he was accused of running away with his wife and children
who were slaves. He also said, that this man had two boys with him, who
belonged to a neighbor of his, named Charles Wesley Glanding, and that
the four other children and mother belonged to Catharine Turner, of
Queen Ann's county, Maryland. Hardcastle further expressed his belief,
that this man knew where his wife and children were at that time, and
insisted that he should go before a magistrate in Middletown, and be
examined in regard thereto. He also expressed doubts as to the
genuineness of this pass, and wished the man to go to Middletown on that
account also. As there was no other course to pursue under the
circumstances, I had my sleigh brought out, and we all went to
Middletown, before my friend, William Streets, who was then in
commission as a magistrate. It was now after dark of this short winter's
day. Soon after our arrival at the office of William Streets, Hardcastle
put his arm very lovingly around the neck of the colored man, Samuel
Hawkins, and drew him into another room. In a short time, Samuel came
out, and told me that Hardcastle had agreed, that if he, Hawkins, would
give up his two older boys, who belonged to Charles Wesley Glanding;
then he might pursue his journey with his wife and four children. I
asked him if he believed Hardcastle would keep his promise? He replied:
"Yes! I do not think master William would cheat me." I assured him that
he would cheat him, and that the offer was made for the purpose of not
only getting the two older boys (fourteen and sixteen years of age), but
his wife and other children to the office, when all of them would be
taken together to the jail, in New Castle. Samuel thought differently,
and at his request, I wrote to my wife for the delivery of the family of
Samuel Hawkins to the constable. They were soon forthcoming, and on
their arrival at the office, a commitment was made out for the whole
party. Samuel and his two older sons were hand-cuffed, amidst many tears
and lamentations, and they all went off under charge of the man-hunters,
to New Castle jail, a distance of eighteen miles.
William Streets committed the whole party as fugitives from Slavery,
while the husband (Samuel), was a free man. This was done on account of
the detestation of the wicked business, as much as on account of his
friendship for me.
On their arrival at the jail, about midnight, the sheriff was aroused,
and the commitment shown to him; after reading it, he asked Samuel if he
was a slave? He said no, and showed his pass (which had been pronounced
genuine by the magistrate). The sheriff hereupon told them, that the
commitment was not legal, and would not hold them lawfully. It was now
first day (Sunday), and the man-hunters were in a quandary.
The constable finally agreed to go back and get another commitment, if
the sheriff would take the party into the jail until his return;
Hardcastle also urged the sheriff to adopt this plan. Accordingly they
were taken into the jail.
The sheriff's daughter had heard her father's conversation with the
constable, accordingly she sent word on First-day morning, to my revered
friend, Thomas Garrett, of Wilmington, five miles distant, in regard to
the matter, inviting him to see the fugitives. Early on Second day
morning (Monday), Thomas went over with John Wales, attorney at law. The
latter soon obtained a writ of habeas corpus from Judge Booth of New
Castle, which was served upon the sheriff; who, therefore, brought the
whole party before Judge Booth, who discharged them at once, as being
illegally detained by the sheriff. Thomas Garrett, with the consent of
the judge, then hired a carriage to take the woman and four children
over to Wilmington, Samuel and the two older boys walked, so they all
escaped from the man-hunters. They went from Wilmington to Byberry, and
settled near the farm of Robert Purvis. Samuel Hawkins and wife have
since died, but their descendants still live in that neighborhood, under
the name of Hackett.
Soon after the departure of the fugitives from New Castle jail, the
constable arrived with new commitments from William Streets, and
presented them in due form to the sheriff; who informed him that they
had been liberated by order of Judge Booth! A few hours after, William
Hardcastle arrived from Philadelphia, expecting to take Samuel Hawkins
and his family to Queen Ann's county, Maryland. Judge of his
disappointment at finding they were beyond his control--absolutely gone!
They returned to Middletown in great anger, and threatened to prosecute
William Streets for his participation in the affair.
After the departure of the Hawkins family from Middletown, I returned
home to see what had become of S.D. Burris and his four men. I found
them taking some solid refreshment, preparatory to taking a long walk in
the snow. They left about nine P.M., for Wilmington. I sent by S.D.
Burris a letter to Thomas Garrett, detailing the arrest and commitment
of S. Hawkins and family to New Castle jail. They all arrived safely in
Wilmington before daylight next morning. Burris waited to hear the
result of the expedition to New Castle; and actually had the pleasure of
seeing S. Hawkins and family arrive in Wilmington.
Samuel Burris returned to my house early on Third day morning, with a
letter from Thomas Garrett, giving me a description of the whole
transaction. My joy on this occasion was great! and I returned thanks to
God for this wonderful escape of so many human beings from the
charnel-house of Slavery.
OFFICERS OF THE ROAD.
Of course this circumstance excited the ire of many pro-slavery editors
in Maryland. I had copies of several papers sent me, wherein I was
described as a man unfit to live in a civilized community, and calling
upon the inhabitants of Middletown to expel such a dangerous person from
that neighborhood! They also told exactly where I lived, which enabled
many a poor fugitive escaping from the house of bondage, to find a
hearty welcome and a resting-place on the road to liberty. Thanks be to
God! for His goodness to me in this respect.
The trial which ensued from the above, came off before Chief Justice
Taney, at New Castle. My revered friend, Thomas Garrett, and myself,
were there convicted of harboring fugitive slaves, and were fined
accordingly, to the extent of the law; Judge Taney delivering the
sentence. A detailed account of said trial, will fully appear in the
memoirs of our deceased friend, Thomas Garrett.
* * * * *
SAMUEL RHOADS
Was born in Philadelphia, in 1806, and was through life a consistent
member of the Society of Friends. His parents were persons of great
respectability and integrity. The son early showed an ardent desire for
improvement, and was distinguished among his young companions for warm
affections, amiable disposition, and genial manners, rare purity and
refinement of feeling, and a taste for literary pursuits. Preferring as
his associates those to whom he looked for instruction and example, and
aiming at a high standard, he won a position, both mentally and
socially, superior to his early surroundings. With a keen sense of
justice and humanity, he could not fail to share in the traditional
opposition of his religious society to slavery, and to be quickened to
more intense feeling as the evils of the system were more fully revealed
in the Anti-slavery agitation which in his early manhood began to stir
the nation.
A visit to England, in 1834, brought him into connection and friendship
with many leading Friends in that country, who were actively engaged in
the Anti-slavery movement, and probably had much to do with directing
his attention specially to the subject. Once enlisted, he never wavered,
but as long as slavery existed by law in our country his influence, both
publicly and privately, was exerted against it. He was strengthened in
his course by a warm friendship and frequent intercourse with the late
Abraham L. Pennock, a man whose unbending integrity and firm allegiance
to duty were equalled only by his active benevolence, broad charity, and
rare clearness of judgment. Samuel Rhoads, like him, while sympathizing
with other phases of the Anti-slavery movement, took especial interest
in the subject of abstaining from the use of articles produced by slave
labor. Believing that the purchase of such articles, by furnishing to
the master the only possibility of pecuniary profit from the labor of
his slaves, supplied one motive for holding them in bondage, and that
the purchaser thus became, however unwittingly, a partaker in the guilt,
he felt conscientiously bound to withhold his individual support as far
as practicable, and to recommend the same course to others.
His practical action upon these views began about the year 1841, and was
persevered in, at no small expense and inconvenience, till slavery
ceased in this country to have a legal existence. About this time he
united with the American Free Produce Association, which had been formed
in 1838, and in 1845 took an active part in the formation of the Free
Produce Association of Friends of Philadelphia, Y.M.; both associations
having the object of promoting the production by free labor of articles
usually grown by slaves, particularly of cotton. Agents were sent into
the cotton States, to make arrangements with small planters, who were
growing cotton by the labor of themselves and their families without the
help of slaves, to obtain their crops, which otherwise went into the
general market, and could not be distinguished. A manufactory was
established for working this cotton, and a limited variety of goods were
thus furnished. In all these operations Samuel Rhoads aided efficiently
by counsel and money.
In 1846, "The Non-slave-holder," a monthly periodical, devoted mainly to
the advocacy of the Free Produce cause, was established in Philadelphia,
edited by A.L. Pennock, S. Rhoads, and George W. Taylor. It was
continued five years, for the last two of which Samuel Rhoads conducted
it alone. He wrote also a pamphlet on the free labor question. From
July, 1856 to January, 1867 he was Editor of the "Friends' Review," a
weekly paper, religious and literary, conducted in the interest of his
own religious society, and in this position he gave frequent proofs of
interest in the slave, keeping his readers well advised of events and
movements bearing upon the subject.
While thus awake to all forms of anti-slavery effort, his heart and hand
were ever open to the fugitive from bondage, who appealed to him, and
none such were ever sent away empty. Though not a member of the
Vigilance Committee, he rendered it frequent and most efficient aid,
especially during the dark ten years after the passage of the Fugitive