The Underground Railroad
Friend Still you will please to send the enclosed to John Hill
Petersburg I want him to send some things to me you will be so
kind as to send your direction to them, so that the things to
your care. if you do not see a convenient way to send it by
hands, you will please direct your letter to Phillip Ubank
Petersburg.
Yours Respectfully
H HILL.
* * * * *
JAMES--(BROTHER OF JOHN HENRY HILL).
For three years James suffered in a place of concealment, before he
found the way opened to escape. When he resolved on having his freedom
he was much under twenty-one years of age, a brave young man, for three
years, with unfailing spirit, making resistance in the city of Richmond
to the slave Power!
Such heroes in the days of Slavery, did much to make the infernal system
insecure, and to keep alive the spirit of freedom in liberty-loving
hearts the world over, wherever such deeds of noble daring were made
known. But of his heroism, but little can be reported here, from the
fact, that such accounts as were in the possession of the Committee,
were never transferred from the loose slips of paper on which they were
first written, to the regular record book. But an important letter from
the friend with whom he was secreted, written a short while before he
escaped (on a boat), gives some idea of his condition:
RICHMOND, VA., February 16th, 1861.
DEAR BROTHER STILL:--I received a message from brother Julius
anderson, asking me to send the bundle on but I has no way to
send it, I have been waiting and truly hopeing that you would
make some arrangement with some person, and send for the parcel.
I have no way to send it, and I cannot communicate the subject
to a stranger there is a Way by the N.y. line, but they are all
strangers to me, and of course I could not approach them With
this subject for I would be indangered myself greatly. this
business is left to you and to you alone to attend to in
providing the way for me to send on the parcel, if you only make
an arrangement with some person and let me know the said person
and the article which they is to be sent on then I can send the
parcel. unless you do make an arrangement with some person, and
assure them that they will receive the funs for delivering the
parcel this Business cannot be accomplished. it is in your power
to try to make some provision for the article to be sent but it
is not in my power to do so, the bundle has been on my hands now
going on 3 years, and I have suffered a great deal of danger,
and is still suffering the same. I have understood Sir that
there were no difficul about the mone that you had it in your
possession Ready for the bundle whenever it is delivered. But
Sir as I have said I can do nothing now. Sir I ask you please
through sympathy and feelings on my part & his try to provide a
way for the bundle to be sent and relieve me of the danger in
which I am in. you might succeed in making an arrangement with
those on the New york Steamers for they dose such things but
please let me know the man that the arrangement is made
with--please give me an answer by the bearer.
yours truly friend
C.A.
At last, the long, dark night passed away, and this young slave safely
made his way to freedom, and proceeded to Boston, where he now resides.
While the Committee was looked to for aid in the deliverance of this
poor fellow, it was painful to feel that it was not in their power to
answer his prayers--not until after his escape, was it possible so to
do. But his escape to freedom gave them a satisfaction which no words
can well express. At present, John Henry Hill is a justice of the peace
in Petersburg. Hezekiah resides at West Point, and James in Boston,
rejoicing that all men are free in the United States, at last.
* * * * *
FROM VIRGINIA, MARYLAND AND DELAWARE.
ARCHER BARLOW, ALIAS EMIT ROBINS.
This passenger arrived from Norfolk, Va. in 1853. For the last four
years previous to escaping, he had been under the yoke of Dr. George
Wilson. Archer declared that he had been "very badly treated" by the
Doctor, which he urged as his reason for leaving. True, the doctor had
been good enough to allow him to hire his time, for which he required
Archer to pay the moderate sum of $120 per annum. As Archer had been
"sickly" most of the time, during the last year, he complained that
there was "no reduction" in his hire on this account. Upon reflection,
therefore, Archer thought, if he had justice done him, he would be in
possession of this "one hundred and twenty" himself, and all his other
rights, instead of having to toil for another without pay; so he looked
seriously into the matter of master and slave, and pretty soon resolved,
that if others chose to make no effort to get away, for himself he would
never be contented, until he was free. When a slave reached this
decision, he was in a very hopeful state. He was near the Underground
Rail Road, and was sure to find it, sooner or later. At this thoughtful
period, Archer was thirty-one years of age, a man of medium size, and
belonged to the two leading branches of southern humanity, _i.e._, he
_was_ half white and half colored--a dark mulatto. His arrival in
Philadelphia, per one of the Richmond steamers, was greeted with joy by
the Vigilance Committee, who extended to him the usual aid and care, and
forwarded him on to freedom. For a number of years, he has been a
citizen of Boston.
* * * * *
SAMUEL BUSH, ALIAS WILLIAM OBLEBEE.
This "piece of property" fled in the fall of 1853. As a specimen of this
article of commerce, he evinced considerable intelligence. He was a man
of dark color, although not totally free from the admixture of the
"superior" southern blood in his veins; in stature, he was only
ordinary. For leaving, he gave the following reasons: "I found that I
was working for my master, for his advantage, and when I was sick, I had
to pay just as much as if I were well--$7 a month. But my master was
cross, and said that he intended to sell me--to do better by me another
year. Times grew worse and worse, constantly. I thought, as I had heard,
that if I could raise thirty dollars I could come away." He at once saw
the value of money. To his mind it meant liberty from that moment.
Thenceforth he decided to treasure up every dollar he could get hold of
until he could accumulate at least enough to get out of "Old Virginia."
He was a married man, and thought he had a wife and one child, but on
reflection, he found out that they did not actually belong to him, but
to a carpenter, by the name of Bailey. The man whom Samuel was compelled
to call master was named Hoyle.
The Committee's interview with Samuel was quite satisfactory, and they
cheerfully accorded to him brotherly kindness and material aid at the
same time.
* * * * *
JOHN SPENCER AND HIS SON WILLIAM, AND JAMES ALBERT.
These individuals escaped from the eastern shore of Maryland, in the
Spring of 1853, but were led to conclude that they could enjoy the
freedom they had aimed to find, in New Jersey. They procured employment
in the neighborhood of Haddonfield, some six or eight miles from Camden,
New Jersey, and were succeeding, as they thought, very well.
Things went on favorably for about three months, when to their alarm
"slave-hunters were discovered in the neighborhood," and sufficient
evidence was obtained to make it quite plain that, John, William and
James were the identical persons, for whom the hunters were in "hot
pursuit." When brought to the Committee, they were pretty thoroughly
alarmed and felt very anxious to be safely off to Canada. While the
Committee always rendered in such cases immediate protection and aid,
they nevertheless, felt, in view of the imminent dangers existing under
the fugitive slave law, that persons disposed to thus stop by the way,
should be very plainly given to understand, that if they were captured
they would have themselves the most to blame. But the dread of Slavery
was strong in the minds of these fugitives, and they very fully realized
their folly in stopping in New Jersey. The Committee procured their
tickets, helped them to disguise themselves as much as possible, and
admonished them not to stop short of Canada.
* * * * *
HETTY SCOTT ALIAS MARGARET DUNCANS AND DAUGHTER PRISCILLA.
This mother and daughter had been the "chattels personal" of Daniel
Coolby of Harvard, Md. Their lot had been that of ordinary slaves in the
country, on farms, &c. The motive which prompted them to escape was the
fact that their master had "threatened to sell" them. He had a right to
do so; but Hetty was a little squeamish on this point and took great
umbrage at her "kind master." In this "disobedient" state of mind, she
determined, if hard struggling would enable her, to defeat the threats
of Mr. Daniel Coolby, that he should not much longer have the
satisfaction of enjoying the fruit of the toil of herself and offspring.
She at once began to prepare for her journey.
She had three children of her own to bring, besides she was intimately
acquainted with a young man and a young woman, both slaves, to whom she
felt that it would be safe to confide her plans with a view of inviting
them to accompany her. The young couple were ready converts to the
eloquent speech delivered to them by Hetty on Freedom, and were quite
willing to accept her as their leader in the emergency. Up to the hour
of setting out on their lonely and fatiguing journey, arrangements were
being carefully completed, so that there should be no delay of any kind.
At the appointed hour they were all moving northward in good order.
Arriving at Quakertown, Pa., they found friends of the slave, who
welcomed them to their homes and sympathy, gladdening the hearts of all
concerned. For prudential reasons it was deemed desirable to separate
the party, to send some one way and some another. Thus safely, through
the kind offices and aid of the friends at Quakertown, they were duly
forwarded on to the Committee in Philadelphia. Here similar acts of
charity were extended to them, and they were directed on to Canada.
* * * * *
ROBERT FISHER.
THIS PASSENGER AVAILS HIMSELF OF HOLIDAY WEEK, BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW
YEAR'S, TO MAKE HIS NORTHERN TRIP. Robert was about thirty years of age,
dark color, quite tall, and in talking with him a little while, it was
soon discovered that Slavery had not crushed all the brains out of his
head by a good deal. Nor was he so much attached to his "kind-hearted
master," John Edward Jackson, of Anne Arundel, Md., or his old fiddle,
that he was contented and happy while in bondage. Far from it. The fact
was, that he hated Slavery so decidedly and had such a clear common
sense-like view of the evils and misery of the system, that he declared
he had as a matter of principle refrained from marrying, in order that
he might have no reason to grieve over having added to the woes of
slaves. Nor did he wish to be encumbered, if the opportunity offered to
escape. According to law he was entitled to his freedom at the age of
twenty-five.
But what right had a negro, which white slave-holders were "bound to
respect?" Many who had been willed free, were held just as firmly in
Slavery, as if no will had ever been made. Robert had too much sense to
suppose that he could gain anything by seeking legal redress. This
method, therefore, was considered out of the question. But in the