The Underground Railroad
Slavery, and the many wise laws, above alluded to, he could not
reconcile himself to his condition. The laws and preaching were alike as
"sounding brass, and tinkling cymbals" to him. He made up his mind,
therefore, that he must try a free country; that his manhood required
him to make the effort at once, even at the risk of life. Father and
husband, as he was, and loving his wife, Grace, and son, Alphonso,
tenderly as he did, he nevertheless felt himself to be in chains, and
that he could do but little for them by remaining. He conceived that, if
he could succeed in gaining his freedom, he might possibly aid them away
also. With this hope in him, he contrived to secure a private passage on
the steamship City of Richmond, and in this way reached Philadelphia,
but not without suffering fearfully the entire journey through, owing to
the narrowness of the space into which he was obliged to be stowed in
order to get away.
Moses was a man of medium size, quite dark, and gave promise of being
capable of taking care of himself in freedom. He had seen much of the
cruelties of Slavery inflicted upon others in various forms, which he
related in a way to make one shudder; but these incidents were not
recorded in the book at the time.
SARAH SMITH, alias MILDRETH PAGE, and her daughter, nine years of age.
Sarah and her child were held to service by the Rev. A.D. Pollock, a
resident of Wilmington, Del. Until about nine months before she escaped
from the Reverend gentleman, she was owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Lee of
Fauquier Co., Va., who had moved with Sarah to Wilmington. How Mr.
Pollock came by Sarah is not stated on the records; perhaps by marriage;
be that as it may, it was owing to ill treatment from her mistress that
Sarah "took out" with her child. Sarah was a woman of becoming manners,
of a dark brown complexion, and looked as though she might do a fair
share of housework, if treated well. As it required no great effort to
escape from Wilmington, where the watchful Garrett lived, she reached
the Committee in Philadelphia without much difficulty, received
assistance and was sent on her way rejoicing.
LUCY GARRETT, alias JULIA WOOD. John Williams, who was said to be a
"very cruel man," residing on the Western Shore of Va., claimed Lucy as
his chattel personal. Julia, having a lively sense of his meanness stood
much in fear of being sold; having seen her father, three sisters, and
two brothers, disposed of at auction, she was daily on the look-out for
her turn to come next. The good spirit of freedom made the way plain to
her by which an escape could be effected. Being about nineteen years of
age, she felt that she had served in Slavery long enough. She resolved
to start immediately, and did so, and succeeded in reaching
Pennsylvania. Her appearance recommended her so well, that she was
prevailed upon to remain and accept a situation in the family of Joseph
A. Dugdale, so well known in reformatory circles, as an ardent friend of
humanity. While in his family she gave great satisfaction, and was much
esteemed for uprightness and industry. But this place was not Canada,
so, when it was deemed best, she was sent on.
ELLEN FORMAN, alias ELIZABETH YOUNG. Ellen had formerly been owned by
Dr. Thomas, of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but about one year before
escaping, she was bought by a lady living in Baltimore known by the name
of Mrs. Johnson. Ellen was about thirty years of age, of slender
stature, and of a dark brown complexion. The record makes no mention of
cruel treatment or very hard usage, as a slave. From traveling,
probably, she had contracted a very heavy cold, which threatened her
with consumption. The Committee cheerfully rendered her assistance.
WILLIAM WOODEN, alias WILLIAM NELSON. While Delaware was not far from
freedom, and while Slavery was considered to exist there comparatively
in a mild form, nevertheless, what with the impenetrable ignorance in
which it was the wont of pro-slavery whites to keep the slaves, and the
unwillingness on the part of slave-holders generally to conform to the
spirit of progress going on in the adjacent State of Pennsylvania, it
was wonderful how the slaves saw through the thick darkness thus
prevailing, and how wide-awake they were to escape.
It was from this State, that William Wooden fled. True, William was said
to belong to Judge Wooden, of Georgetown, Del., but, according to the
story of his "chattel," the Judge was not of the class who judged
righteously. He had not only treated William badly, but he had
threatened to sell him. This was the bitter pill which constrained
William to "take out." The threat seemed hard at first, but its effect
was excellent for this young man; it was the cause of his obtaining his
freedom at the age of twenty-three. William was a tall, well-built man,
of dark complexion and promising. No further particulars concerning him
are on the records.
JAMES EDWARD HANDY, _alias_ DANIEL CANON. At Seaford, Delaware, James
was held in bonds under a Slave-holder called Samuel Lewis, who followed
farming. Lewis was not satisfied with working James hard and keeping all
his earnings, but would insolently talk occasionally of handing him
"over to the trader." This "stirred James' blood" and aroused his
courage to the "sticking point." Nothing could induce him to remain. He
had the name of having a wife and four children, but according to the
Laws of Delaware, he only had a nominal right in them. They were
"legally the property of Capt. Martin." Therefore they were all left in
the hands of Capt. Martin. The wife's name was Harriet Delaney, _alias_
Smart Stanley. James Henry Delaney came as a fellow-traveler with James
Edward. He had experienced oppression under Capt. Martin, and as a
witness, was prepared to testify, that Martin "ill-treated his Slaves,
especially with regard to the diet, which was very poor." Nevertheless
James was a stout, heavy-built young man of twenty-six years of age, and
looked as if he might have a great deal of valuable work in him. He was
a single man.
JAMES HENRY BLACKSON. James Henry had only reached twenty-five, when he
came to the "conclusion, that he had served long enough under bondage
for the benefit of Charles Wright." This was about all of the excuse he
seemed to have for escaping. He was a fine specimen of a man, so far as
physical strength and muscular power were concerned. Very little was
recorded of him.
GEORGE FREELAND. It was only by the most indomitable resolution and
perseverance, that Freeland threw off the yoke. Capt. John Pollard of
Petersburg, Va., held George to service. As a Slave-holder, Pollard
belonged to that class, who did not believe in granting favors to
Slaves. On the contrary, he was practically in favor of wringing every
drop of blood from their bodies.
George was a spare-built man, about twenty-five years of age, quite
dark, but had considerable intelligence. He could read and write very
well, but how he acquired these arts is not known. In testifying against
his master, George used very strong language. He declared that Pollard
"thought no more of his servants than if they had been dogs. He was very
mean. He gave nothing to his servants. He has given me only one pair of
shoes the last ten years." After careful inquiry, George learned that he
could get a private passage on the City of Richmond, if he could raise
the passage money. This he could do cheerfully. He raised "sixty
dollars" for the individual who was to "secrete him on the boat." In
leaving the land of Slave auctions, whips and chains, he was obliged to
leave his mother and father and two brothers in Petersburg. Pollard had
been offered $1,500 for George. Doubtless he found, when he discovered
George had gone, that he had "overstood the market." This was what
produced action prompt and decisive on the part of George. So the old
adage, in this case, was verified--"It's an ill wind that blows nobody
any good."
On arriving in Canada, George did not forget to express gratitude to
those who aided him on his road there, as the following note will show:
SINCATHANS, canada west.
Brother Still:--I im brace this opportunity of pening you a few
lines to in form you that I am well at present & in hopes to
find you & family well also I hope that god Will Bless you & and
your family & if I never should meet you in this world I hope to
meet you in glory Remember my love to Brother Brown & tell him
that I am well & hearty tell him to writ Thomas word that I am
well at present you must excuse me I will Rite when I return
from the west.
GEORGE W. FREELAND
Send your Letters in the name of John Anderson.
MILES WHITE. This passenger owed service to Albert Kern, of Elizabeth
City, N.C. At least Kern, through the oppressive laws of that State,
claimed Miles as his personal property. Miles, however, thought
differently, but he was not at liberty to argue the case with Kern; for
on the "side of the oppressor there was strength." So he resolved, that
he would adopt the Underground Rail Road plan. As he was only about
twenty-one years of age, he found it much easier to close his affairs
with North Carolina, than it would have been had he been encumbered with
a family. In fact, the only serious difficulty he had to surmount was to
find a captain with whom he could secure a safe passage North. To his
gratification it was not long before his efforts in this direction were
crowned with success. A vessel was being loaded with shingles, the
captain of which was kind enough to allow Miles to occupy a very secure
hiding-place thereon. In course of time, having suffered to the extent
usual when so closely conveyed, he arrived in Philadelphia, and being
aided, was duly forwarded by the Committee.
JOHN HALL, _alias_ JOHN SIMPSON. John fled from South Carolina. In this
hot-bed of Slavery he labored and suffered up to the age of thirty-two.
For a length of time before he escaped, his burdens were intolerable;
but he could see no way to rid himself of them, except by flight. Nor
was he by any means certain that an effort in this direction would prove
successful. In planning the route which he should take to travel North
he decided, that if success was for him, his best chance would be to
wend his way through North Carolina and Virginia. Not that he hoped to
find friends or helpers in these States. He had heard enough of the
cruelties of Slavery in these regions to convince him, that if he should
be caught, there would be no sympathy or mercy shown. Nevertheless the
irons were piercing him so severely, that he felt constrained to try his
luck, let the consequences be what they might, and so he set out for
freedom or death. Mountains of difficulties, and months of suffering and
privations by land and water, in the woods, and swamps of North Carolina
and Virginia, were before him, as his experience in traveling proved.
But the hope of final victory and his daily sufferings before he
started, kept him from faltering, even when starvation and death seemed
to be staring him in the face. For several months he was living in dens
and caves of the earth.
Ultimately, however, the morning of his ardent hopes dawned. How he
succeeded in finding a captain who was kind enough to afford him a
secret hiding-place on his boat, was not noted on the records. Indeed
the incidents of his story were but briefly written out. Similar cases
of thrilling interest seemed almost incredible, and the Committee were
constrained to doubt the story altogether until other testimony could be
obtained to verify the statement. In this instance, before the Committee
were fully satisfied, they felt it necessary to make inquiry of