The Underground Railroad
I beg you will inform me whether two others--(I., whose wife is
in Philadelphia, was one of them), ever reached your city.
To-morrow morning Mrs. Weems, _with her baby_, will start for
Philadelphia and see you probably over night.
Yours Truly,
J.B.
"J.B." was not only a trusty and capable conductor of the Underground
Rail Road in Washington, but was also a practical lawyer, at the same
time. His lawyer-like letter, in view of the critical nature of the
case, contained but few words, and those few naturally enough were
susceptible of more than one construction.
Doubtless those styled "our citizens,"--"three of whom were arrested and
brought back,"--were causing great anxiety to this correspondent, not
knowing how soon he might find himself implicated in the "running off,"
etc. So, while he felt it to be his duty, to still aid the child, he was
determined, if the enemy intercepted his letter, he should not find much
comfort or information. The cause was safe in such careful hands. The
following letters, bearing on the same case, are also from another good
conductor, who was then living in Washington.
LETTERS FROM E.L. STEVENS.
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8,1857.
MY DEAR SIR:--I write you now to let you know that the children
of E. are yet well, and that Mrs. Arrah Weems will start with
one of them for Philadelphia to-morrow or next day. She will be
with you probably in the day train. She goes for the purpose of
making an effort to redeem her last child, now in Slavery. The
whole amount necessary is raised, except about $300. She will
take her credentials with her, and you can place the most
implicit reliance on her statements. The story in regard to the
Weems' family was published in Frederick Douglass' paper two
years ago. Since then the two middle boys have been redeemed and
there is only one left in Slavery, and he is in Alabama. The
master has agreed to take for him just what he gave, $1100. Mr.
Lewis Tappan has his letter and the money, except the amount
specified. There were about $5000 raised in England to redeem
this family, and they are now all free except this one. And
there never was a more excellent and worthy family than the
Weems' family. I do hope, that Mrs. W. will find friends who can
advance the amount required.
Truly Yours,
E.L. STEVENS.
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 13th, 1857.
MY FRIEND:--Your kind letter in reply to mine about Arrah was
duly received. As she is doubtless with you before this, she
will explain all. I propose that a second journey be made by her
or some one else, in order to take the other. They have been a
great burden to the good folks here and should have been _at
home_ long ere this. Arrah will explain everything. I want,
however, to say a word in her behalf. If there is a person in
the world, that deserves the hearty co-operation of every friend
of humanity, that person is Arrah Weems, who now, after a long
series of self-sacrificing labor to aid others in their struggle
for their God-given rights, solicits a small amount to redeem
the last one of her own children in Slavery. Never have I had my
sympathies so aroused in behalf of any object as in behalf of
this most worthy family. She can tell you what I have done. And
I do hope, that our friends in Philadelphia and New York will
assist her to make up the full amount required for the purchase
of the boy.
After she does what she can in P., will you give her the proper
direction about getting to New York and to Mr. Tappan's? Inform
him of what she has done, &c.
Please write me as soon as you can as to whether she arrived
safely, &c. Give me your opinion, also, as to the proposal about
the other. Had you not better keep the little one in P. till the
other is taken there? Inform me also where E. is, how she is
getting along, &c., who living with, &c.
Yours Truly,
E.L.S.
In this instance, also, as in the case of "J.B.," the care and anxiety
of other souls, besides this child, crying for deliverance, weighed
heavily on the mind of Mr. Stevens, as may be inferred from certain
references in his letters. Mr. Stevens' love of humanity, and impartial
freedom, even in those dark days of Slavery, when it was both unpopular
and unsafe to allow the cries of the bondman to awaken the feeling of
humanity to assist the suffering, was constantly leading him to take
sides with the oppressed, and as he appears in this correspondence, so
it was his wont daily to aid the helpless, who were all around him.
Arrah Weems, who had the care of the child, alluded to so touchingly by
Mr. Stevens, had known, to her heart's sorrow, how intensely painful it
was to a mother's feelings to have her children torn from her by a cruel
master and sold. For Arrah had had a number of children sold, and was at
that very time striving diligently to raise money to redeem the last one
of them. And through such kind-hearted friends as Mr. Stevens, the
peculiar hardships of this interesting family of Weems' were brought to
the knowledge of thousands of philanthropists in this country and
England, and liberal contributions had already been made by friends of
the Slave on both sides of the ocean. It may now be seen, that while
this child had not been a conscious sufferer from the wicked system of
Slavery, it had been the object of very great anxiety and suffering to
several persons, who had individually perilled their own freedom for its
redemption. This child, however, was safely brought to the Vigilance
Committee, in Philadelphia, and was duly forwarded, _viâ_ friends in New
York, to its mother, in Syracuse, where she had stopped to work and wait
for her little one, left behind at the time she escaped.
* * * * *
ESCAPE OF A YOUNG SLAVE MOTHER.
LEFT HER LITTLE BABY-BOY, LITTLE GIRL AND HUSBAND BEHIND.
She anxiously waits their coming in Syracuse, N.Y. Not until after the
foregoing story headed, the "Escape of a Child," etc., had been put into
the hands of the printer and was in type, was the story of the mother
discovered, although it was among the records preserved. Under changed
names, in many instances, it has been found to be no easy matter to cull
from a great variety of letters, records and advertisements, just when
wanted, all the particulars essential to complete many of these
narratives. The case of the child, alluded to above, is a case in point.
Thus, however, while it is impossible to introduce the mother's story in
its proper place, yet, since it has been found, it is too important and
interesting to be left out. It is here given as follows:
$300 REWARD.--RAN AWAY from the subscriber on Saturday, the 30th
of August, 1856, my SERVANT WOMAN, named EMELINE CHAPMAN, about
25 years of age; quite dark, slender built, speaks short, and
stammers some; with two children, one a female about two and a
half years old; the other a male, seven or eight months old,
bright color. I will give the above reward if they are delivered
to me in Washington.
MRS. EMILY THOMPSON,
s23-TU, Th&st&
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Emeline Chapman, so particularly described in the "Baltimore Sun" of the
23d of September, 1856, arrived by the regular Underground Rail Road
train from Washington. In order to escape the responsibility attached to
her original name, she adopted the name of Susan Bell. Thus for freedom
she was willing to forego her name, her husband, and even her little
children. It was a serious sacrifice; but she had been threatened with
the auction block, and she well understood what that meant. With regard
to usage, having lived away from her owner, Emeline did not complain of
any very hard times. True, she had been kept at work very constantly,
and her owner had very faithfully received all her hire. Emeline had not
even been allowed enough of her hire to find herself in clothing, or
anything for the support of her two children--for these non-essentials,
her kind mistress allowed her to seek elsewhere, as best she could.
Emeline's husband was named John Henry; her little girl she called
Margaret Ann, and her babe she had named after its father, all with the
brand of Slavery upon them. The love of freedom, in the breast of this
spirited young Slave-wife and mother, did not extinguish the love she
bore to her husband and children, however otherwise her course, in
leaving them, as she did, might appear. For it was just this kind of
heroic and self-sacrificing struggle, that appealed to the hearts of men
and compelled attention. The letters of Biglow and Stevens, relative to
the little child, prove this fact, and additional testimony found in the
appended letter from Rev. J.W. Loguen conclusively confirms the same.
Indeed, who could close his eyes and ears to the plaintive cries of such
a mother? Who could refrain from aiding on to freedom children honored
in such a heroic parent?
SYRACUSE, Oct. 5, 1856.
DEAR FRIEND STILL:--I write to you for Mrs. Susan Bell, who was
at your city some time in September last. She is from Washington
city. She left her dear little children behind (two children).
She is stopping in our city, and wants to hear from her children
very much indeed. She wishes to know if you have heard from Mr.
Biglow, of Washington city. She will remain here until she can
hear from you. She feels very anxious about her children, I will
assure you. I should have written before this, but I have been
from home much of the time since she came to our city. She wants
to know if Mr. Biglow has heard anything about her husband. If
you have not written to Mr. Biglow, she wishes you would. She
sends her love to you and your dear family. She says that you
were all kind to her, and she does not forget it. You will
direct your letter to me, dear brother, and I will see that she
gets it.
Miss F.E. Watkins left our house yesterday for Ithaca, and other
places in that part of the State. Frederick Douglass, Wm. J.
Watkins and others were with us last week; Gerritt Smith with
others. Miss Watkins is doing great good in our part of the
State. We think much indeed of her. She is such a good and
glorious speaker, that we are all charmed with her. We have had
thirty-one fugitives in the last twenty-seven days; but you, no
doubt, have had many more than that. I hope the good Lord may
bless you and spare you long to do good to the hunted and
outraged among our brethren.
Yours truly,
J.W. LOGUEN,
Agent of the Underground Rail Road.
* * * * *
SAMUEL W. JOHNSON.
ARRIVAL FROM THE "DAILY DISPATCH" OFFICE.
"Sam" was doing Slave labor at the office of the Richmond "Daily
Dispatch," as a carrier of that thoroughly pro-slavery sheet. "Sam" had
possessed himself somehow of a knowledge of reading and writing a
little, and for the news of the day he had quite an itching ear. Also
with regard to his freedom he was quite solicitous. Being of an
ambitious turn of mind, he hired his time, for which he paid his master
$175 per annum in regular quarterly payments. Besides paying this
amount, he had to find himself in board, clothing, and pay doctor's
expenses. He had had more than one owner in his life. The last one,
however, he spoke of thus: "His name is James B. Foster, of Richmond, a
very hard man. He owns three more Slaves besides myself." In escaping,