The Underground Railroad
threatening aspect of affairs, could not be thought of. In this critical
hour it devolved upon a member of the Committee, for the safety of all
parties, to find new and separate places of accommodation, especially
for the six known to be pursued. To be stored in other than private
families would not answer. Three or four such were visited at once;
after learning of the danger much sympathy was expressed, but one after
another made excuses and refused. This was painful, for the parties had
plenty of house room, were identified with the oppressed race, and on
public meeting occasions made loud professions of devotion to the cause
of the fugitive, &c. The memory of the hour and circumstances is still
fresh.
Accommodations were finally procured for a number of the fugitives with
a widow woman, (Ann Laws) whose opportunities for succor were far less
than at the places where refusals had been met with. But Mrs. L. was
kind-hearted, and nobly manifested a willingness to do all that she
could for their safety. Of course the Committee felt bound to bear
whatever expense might necessarily be incurred. Here some of the
passengers were kept for several days, strictly private, long enough to
give the slave-hunters full opportunity to tire themselves, and give up
the chase in despair. Some belonging to the former arrivals had also to
be similarly kept for the same reasons. Through careful management all
were succored and cared for. Whilst much interesting information was
obtained from these several arrivals: the incidents connected with their
lives in Slavery, and when escaping were but briefly written out. Of
this fourth arrival, however, the following intelligence will doubtless
be highly gratifying to the friends of freedom, wherever the labors of
the Underground Rail Road may be appreciated. The people round about
Hagerstown, Maryland, may like to know how these "articles" got off so
successfully, the circumstances of their escape having doubtless created
some excitement in that region of the country.
Arrival No. 4. Charles Bird, George Dorsey, Angeline Brown, Albert
Brown, Charles Brown and Jane Scott.
Charles was twenty-four years of age, quite dark, of quick motion, and
ready speech, and in every way appearing as though he could take care of
himself. He had occupied the condition of a farm laborer. This calling
he concluded to forsake, not because he disliked farming, but simply to
get rid of David Clargart, who professed to own him, and compelled him
to work without pay, "for nothing." While Charles spoke favorably of
Clargart as a man, to the extent, at all events, of testifying that he
was not what was called a hard man, nevertheless Charles was so
decidedly opposed to Slavery that he felt compelled to look out for
himself. Serving another man on the no pay principle, at the same time
liable to be flogged, and sold at the pleasure of another, Charles felt
was worse than heathenish viewed in any light whatsoever. He was
prepared therefore, to leave without delay. He had four sisters in the
hands of Clargart, but what could he do for them but leave them to
Providence.
The next on the list was George Dorsey, a comrade of Charles. He was a
young man, of medium size, mixed blood, intelligent, and a brave fellow
as will appear presently.
This party in order to get over the road as expeditiously as possible,
availed themselves of their master's horses and wagon and moved off
civilly and respectably. About nine miles from home on the road, a
couple of white men, finding their carriage broken down approached them,
unceremoniously seized the horses by the reins and were evidently about
to assume authority, supposing that the boys would surrender at once.
But instead of so doing, the boys struck away at them with all their
might, with their large clubs, not even waiting to hear what these
superior individuals wanted. The effect of the clubs brought them
prostrate in the road, in an attitude resembling two men dreaming, (it
was in the night.) The victorious passengers, seeing that the smashed up
carriage could be of no further use to them, quickly conceived the idea
of unhitching and attempting further pursuit on horseback. Each horse
was required to carry three passengers. So up they mounted and off they
galloped with the horses' heads turned directly towards Pennsylvania. No
further difficulty presented itself until after they had traveled some
forty miles. Here the poor horses broke down, and had to be abandoned.
The fugitives were hopeful, but of the difficulties ahead they wot not;
surely no flowery beds of ease awaited them. For one whole week they
were obliged to fare as they could, out in the woods, over the
mountains, &c. How they overcame the trials in this situation we cannot
undertake to describe. Suffice it to say, at the end of the time above
mentioned they managed to reach Harrisburg and found assistance as
already intimated.
George and Angeline, (who was his sister) with her two boys had a
considerable amount of white blood in their veins, and belonged to a
wealthy man by the name of George Schaeffer, who was in the milling
business. They were of one mind in representing him as a hard man. "He
would often threaten to sell, and was very hard to please." George and
Angeline left their mother and ten brothers and sisters.
Jane was a well-grown girl, smart, and not bad-looking, with a fine
brown skin, and was also owned by Schaeffer.
Letters from the enterprising Charlotte and Harriet (arrival No. 1),
brought the gratifying intelligence, that they had found good homes in
Western New York, and valued their freedom highly. Three out of quite a
number of letters received from them from time to time are subjoined.
SENNETT, June, 1856.
MR. WILLIAM STILL:--_Dear Sir_:--I am happy to tell you that
Charlotte Gildes and myself have got along thus far safely. We
have had no trouble and found friends all the way along, for
which we feel very thankful to you and to all our friends on the
road since we left. We reached Mr. Loguen's in Syracuse, on last
Tuesday evening & on Wednesday two gentlemen from this community
called and we went with them to work in their families. What I
wish you would do is to be so kind as to send our clothes to
this place if they should fall into your hands. We hope our
uncle in Baltimore will get the letter Charlotte wrote to him
last Sabbath, while we were at your house, concerning the
clothes. Perhaps the best would be to send them to Syracuse to
the _care of Mr. Loguen_ and he will send them to us. This will
more certainly ensure our getting them. If you hear anything
that would be interesting to Charlotte or me from Baltimore,
please direct a letter to us to this place, to the care of Revd.
Chas. Anderson, Sennett, Cayuga Co., N.Y. Please give my love
and Charlotte's to Mrs. Still and thank her for her kindness to
us while at your house.
Your affectionate friend,
HARRIET EGLIN.
SECOND LETTER.
SENNETT, July 31st, 1856.
MR. WM. STILL:--_My Dear Friend_:--I have just received your
note of 29th inst. and allow me dear sir, to assure you that the
only letter I have written, is the one you received, an answer
to which you sent me. I never wrote to Baltimore, nor did any
person write for me there, and it is with _indescribable grief_,
that I hear what your letter communicates to me, of those who
you say have gotten into difficulty on my account. My Cousin
Charlotte who came with me, got into a good place in this
vicinity, but she could not content herself to stay here but
just _one week_--she then went to Canada--and she is the one who
by writing (if any one), has brought this trouble upon those to
whom you refer in Baltimore.
She has written me two letters from Canada, and by neither of
them can I ascertain _where she lives_--her letters are mailed
at Suspension Bridge, but she does not live there as her letters
show. In the first she does not even sign her name. She has
evidently employed some person to write, who is nearly as
ignorant as herself. If I knew where to find her I would find
out _what_ she has written.
I don't know but she has told where I live, and may yet get me
and my friends here, in trouble too, as she has some in other
places. I don't wish to have you trouble yourself about my
clothes, I am in a place where I can get all the clothes I want
or need. Will you please write me when convenient and tell me
what you hear about those who I fear are suffering as the result
of their kindness to me? May God, in some way, grant them
deliverance. Oh the misery, the sorrow, which this cursed system
of Slavery is constantly bringing upon millions in this land of
boasted freedom!
Can you tell me where Sarah King is, who was at your house when
I was there? She was going to Canada to meet her husband. Give
my love to Mrs. Still & accept the same yourself. Your much
indebted & obliged friend,
HARRIET EGLIN.
The "difficulty" about which Harriet expressed so much regret in the
above letter, had reference to a letter supposed to have been written by
her friend Charlotte to Baltimore, about her clothing. It had been
intercepted, and in this way, a clue was obtained by one of the owners
as to how they escaped, who aided them, etc. On the strength of the
information thus obtained, a well-known colored man, named Adams, was
straightway arrested and put in prison at the instance of one of the
owners, and also a suit was at the same time instituted against the Rail
Road Company for damages--by which steps quite a huge excitement was
created in Baltimore. As to the colored man Adams, the prospect looked
simply hopeless. Many hearts were sad in view of the doom which they
feared would fall upon him for obeying a humane impulse (he had put the
girls on the cars). But with the Rail Road Company it was a different
matter; they had money, power, friends, etc., and could defy the courts.
In the course of a few months, when the suit against Adams and the Rail
Road Company came up, the Rail Road Company proved in court, in defense,
that the prosecutor entered the cars in search of his runaway, and went
and spoke to the two young women in "mourning" the day they escaped,
looking expressly for the identical parties, for which he was seeking
damages before the court, and that he declared to the conductor, on
leaving the cars, that the said "two girls in mourning, were not the
ones he was looking after," or in other words, that "neither" belonged
to him. This positive testimony satisfied the jury, and the Rail Road
Company and poor James Adams escaped by the verdict not guilty. The
owner of the lost property had the costs to pay of course, but whether
he was made a wiser or better man by the operation was never
ascertained.
THIRD LETTER.
SENNETT, October 28th, 1856.
DEAR MR. STILL:--I am happy to tell you that I am well and
happy. I still live with Rev. Mr. Anderson in this place, I am
learning to read and write. I do not like to trouble you too
much, but I would like to know if you have heard anything more
about my friends in Baltimore who got into trouble on our
account. Do be pleased to write me if you can give me any
information about them. I feel bad that they should suffer for
me. I wish all my brethren and sisters in bondage, were as well
off as I am. The girl that came with me is in Canada, near the
Suspension Bridge. I was glad to see Green Murdock, a colored
young man, who stopped at your house about six weeks ago, he