The Underground Railroad
known fully the character of the place and people whence he had fled,
the dangers he was exposed to from slave-hunters, and the strong hope he
cherished of reaching free land soon. Being a young man of promise,
Stephen was advised earnestly to apply his mind to seek an education,
and to use every possible endeavor to raise himself in the scale of
manhood, morally, religiously and intellectually; and he seemed to drink
in the admonitions thus given with a relish. After recruiting, and all
necessary arrangements had been made for his comfort and passage to
Canada, he was duly forwarded. "One more slave-holder is minus another
slave worth at least $1200, which is something to rejoice over," said
Committee. Stephen's parents were dead; one brother was the only near
relative he left in chains.
Charles Brown was about twenty-five years of age, quite black, and bore
the marks of having been used hard, though his stout and hearty
appearance would have rendered him very desirable to a trader. He fled
from William Wheeling, of Sandy Hook, Md. He spoke of his master as a
"pretty bad man," who was "always quarreling," and "would drink, swear
and lie." Left simply because he "never got anything for his labor." On
taking his departure for Canada, he was called upon to bid adieu to his
mother and three brothers, all under the yoke. His master he describes
thus--
"His face was long, cheek-bones high, middling tall, and about
twenty-six years of age." With this specimen of humanity, Charles was
very much dissatisfied, and he made up his mind not to stand the burdens
of Slavery a day longer than he could safely make his way to the North.
And in making an effort to reach Canada, he was quite willing to suffer
many things. So the first chance Charles got, he started, and Providence
smiled upon his resolution; he found himself a joyful passenger on the
Underground Rail Road, being entertained free, and receiving attentions
from the Company all along the line through to her British Majesty's
boundlessly free territory in the Canadas.
True, the thought of his mother and brothers, left in the prison house,
largely marred his joy, as it did also the Committee's, still the
Committee felt that Charles had gained his Freedom honorably, and at the
same time, had left his master a poorer, if not a wiser man, by at least
$1200.
Charles Henry was a good-looking young man, only twenty years of age,
and appeared to possess double as much natural sense as he would require
to take care of himself. John Webster of Sandy Hook, claimed Charles'
time, body and mind, and this was what made Charles unhappy. Uneducated
as he was, he was too sensible to believe that Webster had any God-given
right to his manhood. Consequently, he left because his master "did not
treat him right." Webster was a tall man, with large black whiskers,
about forty years of age, and owned Charles' two sisters. Charles was
sorry for the fate of his sisters, but he could not help them if he
remained. Staying to wear the yoke, he felt would rather make it worse
instead of better for all concerned.
Luther Dorsey is about nineteen years of age, rather smart, black, well
made and well calculated for a Canadian. He was prompted to escape
purely from the desire to be "_free_." He fled from a "very insulting
man," by the name of Edward Schriner, from the neighborhood of
Sairsville Mills, Frederick Co., Md. This Schriner was described as a
"low chunky man, with grum look, big mouth, etc.," and was a member of
the German Reformed Church. "Don't swear, though might as well; he was
so bad other ways."
Luther was a member of the Methodist church at Jones Hill. Left his
father in chains; his mother had wisely escaped to Canada years back,
when he was but a boy. Where she was then, he could not tell, but hoped
to meet her in Canada.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM RICHMOND.
JEREMIAH W. SMITH AND WIFE JULIA.
Richmond was a city noted for its activity and enterprise in slave
trade. Several slave pens and prisons were constantly kept up to
accommodate the trade. And slave auctions were as common in Richmond as
dress goods auctions in Philadelphia; notwithstanding this fact, strange
as it may seem, the Underground Rail Road brought away large numbers of
passengers from Richmond, Petersburg and Norfolk, and not a few of them
lived comparatively within a hair's breadth of the auction block. Many
of those from these localities were amongst the most intelligent and
respectable slaves in the South, and except at times when disheartened
by some grave disaster which had befallen the road, as, for instance,
when some friendly captain or conductor was discovered in aiding
fugitives, many of the thinking bondmen were daily manoeuvering and
watching for opportunities to escape or aid their friends so to do. This
state of things of course made the naturally hot blood of Virginians
fairly boil. They had preached long and loudly about the contented and
happy condition of the slaves,--that the chief end of the black man was
to worship and serve the white man, with joy and delight, with more
willingness and obedience indeed than he would be expected to serve his
Maker. So the slave-holders were utterly at a loss to account for the
unnatural desire on the part of the slaves to escape to the North where
they affirmed they would be far less happy in freedom than in the hands
of those so "kind and indulgent towards them." Despite all this, daily
the disposition increased, with the more intelligent slaves, to distrust
the statements of their masters especially when they spoke against the
North. For instance if the master was heard to curse Boston the slave
was then satisfied that Boston was just the place he would like to go
to; or if the master told the slave that the blacks in Canada were
freezing and starving to death by hundreds, his hope of trying to reach
Canada was made tenfold stronger; he was willing to risk all the
starving and freezing that the country could afford; his eagerness to
find a conductor then would become almost painful.
The situations of Jeremiah and Julia Smith, however, were not considered
very hard, indeed they had fared rather better than most slaves in
Virginia, nevertheless it will be seen that they desired to better their
condition, to keep off of the auction-block at least. Jeremiah could
claim to have no mixture in his blood, as his color was of such a pure
black; but with the way of the world, in respect to shrewdness and
intelligence, he had evidently been actively conversant. He was about
twenty-six years of age, and in stature only medium, with poor health.
The name of James Kinnard, whom he was obliged to call master and serve,
was disgusting to him. Kinnard, he said, was a "close and severe man."
At the same time he was not considered by the community "a hard man."
From the age of fifteen years Jeremiah had been hired out, for which his
owner had received from $50 to $130 per annum. In consequence of his
master's custom of thus letting out Jeremiah, the master had avoided
doctors' bills, &c. For the last two years prior to his escape, however,
Jeremiah's health had been very treacherous, in consequence of which the
master had been compelled to receive only $50 a year, sick or well.
About one month before Jeremiah left, he was to have been taken on his
master's farm, with the hope that he could be made more profitable there
than he was in being hired out.
His owner had thought once of selling him, perhaps fearing that Jeremiah
might unluckily die on his hands. So he put him in prison and
advertised; but as he had the asthma pretty badly at that time, he was
not saleable, the traders even declined to buy him.
While these troubles were presenting themselves to Jeremiah, Julia, his
wife, was still more seriously involved, which added to Jeremiah's
perplexities, of course.
Julia was of a dark brown color, of medium size, and thirty years of
age. Fourteen years she had been the slave of A. Judson Crane, and under
him she had performed the duties of nurse, chamber-maid, etc.,
"faithfully and satisfactorily," as the certificate furnished her by
this owner witnessed. She actually possessing a certificate, which he,
Crane, gave her to enable her to find a new master, as she was then
about to be sold. Her master had experienced a failure in business. This
was the reason why she was to be sold.
Mrs. Crane, her mistress, had always promised Julia that she should be
free at her death. But, unexpectedly, as Mrs. Crane was on her journey
home from Cape May, where she had been for her health the summer before
Julia escaped, she died suddenly in Philadelphia. Julia, however, had
been sold twice before her mistress' death; once to the trader, Reed,
and afterwards to John Freeland, and again was on the eve of being sold.
Freeland, her last owner, thought she was unhappy because she was denied
the privilege of going home of nights to her husband, instead of being
on hand at the beck and call of her master and mistress day and night.
So the very day Julia and her husband escaped, arrangements had been
made to put her up at auction a third time. But both Julia and her
husband had seen enough of Slavery to leave no room to hope that they
could ever find peace or rest so long as they remained. So there and
then, they resolved to strike for Canada, via the Underground Rail Road.
By a little good management, berths were procured for them on one of the
Richmond steamers (berths not known to the officers of the boat), and
they were safely landed in the hands of the Vigilance Committee, and a
most agreeable interview was had.
The Committee extended to them the usual hospitalities, in the way of
board, accommodations, and free tickets Canadaward, and wished them a
safe and speedy passage. The passengers departed, exceedingly
light-hearted, Feb. 1, 1854.
* * * * *
EIGHT ARRIVALS:
JAMES MASSEY, PERRY HENRY TRUSTY, GEORGE RHOADS, JAMES RHOADS, GEORGE
WASHINGTON, SARAH ELIZABETH RHOADS AND CHILD, MARY ELIZABETH STEVENSON.
Doubtless there was a sensation in "the camp," when this gang was found
missing.
James was a likely-looking young man of twenty years of age, dark, tall,
and sensible; and worth, if we may judge, about $1,600. He was owned by
a farmer named James Pittman, a "crabid kind of a man," grey-headed,
with a broken leg; drank very hard, at which times he would swear that
he would "sell them all to Georgia;" this threat was always unpleasant
to the ears of James, but it seemed to be a satisfaction to the master.
Fearing that it would be put into execution, James thought he had better
let no time be lost in getting on towards Canada, though he was entitled
to his Freedom at the age of twenty-five. Left his father, four brothers
and two sisters. Also left his wife, to whom he had been married the
previous Christmas.
His master's further stock of slaves consisted of two women, a young man
and a child. The name of his old mistress was Amelia. She was "right
nice," James admitted. One of James' brothers had been sold to Georgia
by Pittman, although he was also entitled to his Freedom at the age of
twenty-five.
His near relatives left in bondage lived near Level Square, Queen Ann's
county, Maryland. His wife's name was Henrietta. "She was free."
Interesting letter from James Massey to his wife. It was forwarded to
the corresponding secretary, to be sent to her, but no opportunity was
afforded so to do, safely.
ST. CATHARINES, C.W., April 24, 1857.
Dear Wife--I take this opertunity to inform you that I have
Arive in St Catharines this Eving. After Jorney of too weeks,
and now find mysilf on free ground and wish that you was here