The Underground Railroad
reached Canada than Mary's heart was there too. Circumstances, however,
required that she should remain in Richmond a number of months for the
purpose of winding up some of her affairs. As soon as the way opened for
her, she followed him. It was quite manifest, that she had not let a
single opportunity slide, but seized the first chance and arrived partly
by means of the Underground Rail Road and partly by the regular train.
Many difficulties were surmounted before and after leaving Richmond, by
which they earned their merited success. From Canada, where they
anticipated entering upon the matrimonial career with mutual
satisfaction, it seemed to afford them great pleasure to write back
frequently, expressing their heartfelt gratitude for assistance, and
their happiness in the prospect of being united under the favorable
auspices of freedom! At least two or three of these letters, bearing on
particular phases of their escape, etc., are too valuable not to be
published in this connection:
FIRST LETTER.
HAMILTON, March 25th, 1856.
Mr. Still:--Sir and Friend--I take the liberty of addressing you
with these few lines hoping that you will attend to what I shall
request of you.
I have written to Virginia and have not received an answer yet.
I want to know if you can get any one of your city to go to
Richmond for me. If you can, I will pay the expense of the
whole. The person that I want the messenger to see is a white
girl. I expect you know who I allude to, it is the girl that
sent me away. If you can get any one to go, you will please
write right away and tell me the cost, &c. I will forward the
money and a letter. Please use your endeavors.
Yours Respectfuliy,
JOHN HALL.
Direct yours to Mr. Hill.
SECOND LETTER.
HAMILTON, Sept. 15th, 1856.
To Mr. Still, Dear Sir:--I take this opportunity of addressing
these few lines to you hoping to find you in good health I am
happy to inform you that Miss Weaver arrived here on Tuesday
last, and I can assure you it was indeed a happy day. As for
your part that you done I will not attempt to tell you how
thankful I am, but I hope that you can imagine what my feelings
are to you. I cannot find words sufficient to express my
gratitude to you, I think the wedding will take place on Tuesday
next, I have seen some of the bread from your house, and she
says it is the best bread she has had since she has been in
America. Sometimes she has impudence enough to tell me she would
rather be where you are in Philadelphia than to be here with me.
I hope this will be no admiration to you for no honest hearted
person ever saw you that would not desire to be where you are,
No flattery, but candidly speaking, you are worthy all the
praise of any person who has ever been with you, I am now like a
deserted Christian, but yet I have asked so much, and all has
been done yet I must ask again, My love to Mrs. Still. Dear Mr.
Still I now ask you please to exercise all your influence to get
this young man Willis Johnson from Richmond for me It is the
young man that Miss Weaver told you about, he is in Richmond I
think he is at the corner of Fushien Street, & Grace in a house
of one Mr. Rutherford, there is several Rutherford in the
neighborhood, there is a church call'd the third Baptist Church,
on the R.H. side going up Grace street, directly opposite the
Baptist church at the corner, is Mrs. Meads Old School at one
corner, and Mr. Rutherfords is at the other corner. He can be
found out by seeing Fountain Tombs who belongs to Mr. Rutherford
and if you should not see him, there is James Turner who lives
at the Governors, Please to see Captain Bayliss and tell him to
take these directions and go to John Hill, in Petersburgh, and
he may find him. Tell Captain Bayliss that if he ever did me a
friendly thing in his life which he did do one friendly act, if
he will take this on himself, and if money should be lacking I
will forward any money that he may require, I hope you will
sympathize with the poor young fellow, and tell the captain to
do all in his power to get him and the costs shall be paid. He
lies now between death or victory, for I know the man he belongs
to would just as soon kill him as not, if he catches him, I here
enclose to you a letter for Mr. Wm. C. Mayo, and please to send
it as directed. In this letter I have asked him to send a box to
you for me, which you will please pay the fare of the express
upon it, when you get it please to let me know, and I will send
you the money to pay the expenses of the carriage clear through.
Please to let Mr. Mayo know how to direct a box to you, and the
best way to send it from Richmond to Philadelphia. You will
greatly oblige me by so doing. In this letter I have enclosed a
trifle for postage which you will please to keep on account of
my letters I hope you wont think hard of me but I simply send it
because I know you have done enough, and are now doing more,
without imposing in the matter I have done it a great many more
of our people who you have done so much fore. No more from your
humble and oldest servant.
JOHN HALL, Norton's Hotel, Hamilton.
THIRD LETTER.
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 56.
Sir:--I take this opportunity of informing you that we are in
excellent health, and hope you are the same, I wrote a letter to
you about 2 weeks ago and have not yet had an answer to it I
wish to inform you that the wedding took place on Tuesday last,
and Mrs. Hall now sends her best love to you, I enclose a letter
which I wish you to forward to Mr. Mayo, you will see in his
letter what I have said to him and I wish you would furnish him
with such directions as it requires for him to send them things
to you. I have told him not to pay for them but to send them to
you so when you get them write me word what the cost of them
are, and I will send you the money for them. Mary desires you to
give her love to Mrs. Still. If any letters come for me please
to send to me at Nortons Hotel, Please to let me know if you had
a letter from me about 12 days ago. You will please Direct the
enclosed to Mr. W.C. Mayo, Richmond, Va. Let me know if you have
heard anything of Willis Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Hill send their kind
love to you, they are all well, no more at present from your
affect.,
JOHN HALL
Nortons Hotel.
FOURTH LETTER.
HAMILTON, December 23d, 1856.
DEAR SIR:--I am happy to inform you that we are both enjoying
good health and hope you are the same. I have been expecting a
letter from you for some time but I suppose your business has
prevented you from writing. I suppose you have not heard from
any of my friends at Richmond. I have been longing to hear some
news from that part, you may think "Out of sight and out of
mind," but I can assure you, no matter how far I may be, or in
what distant land, I shall never forget you, if I can never
reach you by letters you may be sure I shall always think of
you. I have found a great many friends in my life, but I must
say you are the best one I ever met with, except one, you must
know who that is, 'tis one who if I did not consider a friend, I
could not consider any other person a friend, and that is Mrs.
Hall. Please to let me know if the navigation between New York &
Richmond is closed. Please to let me know whether it would be
convenient to you to go to New York if it is please let me know
what is the expense. Tell Mrs Still that my wife would be very
happy to receive a letter from her at some moment when she is at
leisure, for I know from what little I have seen of domestic
affairs it keeps her pretty well employed, And I know she has
not much time to write but if it were but two lines, she would
be happy to receive it from her, my reason for wanting you to go
to New York, there is a young man named Richard Myers and I
should like for you to see him. He goes on board the Orono to
Richmond and is a particular friend of mine and by seeing him I
could get my clothes from Richmond, I expect to be out of employ
in a few days, as the hotel is about to close on the 1st January
and I hope you will write to me soon I want you to send me word
how you and all the family are and all the news you can, you
must excuse my short letter, as it is now near one o'clock and I
must attend to business, but I have not written half what I
intended to, as time is short, hoping to hear from you soon I
remain yours sincerely,
JOHN HALL.
Mr. and Mrs. Hill desire their best respects to you and Mrs.
Still.
It cannot be denied that this is a most extraordinary occurrence. In
some respects it is without a parallel. It was, however, no uncommon
thing for white men (slave-holders) in the South to have colored wives
and children whom, they did not hesitate to live with and acknowledge by
their actions, with their means, and in their wills as the rightful
heirs of their substance. Probably there is not a state in the Union
where such relations have not existed. Seeing such usages, Mary might
have reasoned that she had as good a right to marry the one she loved
most as anybody else, particularly as she was in a "free country."
* * * * *
"SAM" NIXON ALIAS DR. THOMAS BAYNE.
THE ESCAPE OF A DENTIST ON THE U.G.R.R.--HE IS TAKEN FOR AN
IMPOSTOR--ELECTED A MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL IN NEW BEDFORD--STUDYING
MEDICINE, ETC. But few could be found among the Underground Rail Road
passengers who had a stronger repugnance to the unrequited labor system,
or the recognized terms of "master and slave," than Dr. Thomas Bayne.
Nor were many to be found who were more fearless and independent in
uttering their sentiments. His place of bondage was in the city of
Norfolk, Va., where he was held to service by Dr. C.F. Martin, a dentist
of some celebrity. While with Dr. Martin, "Sam" learned dentistry in all
its branches, and was often required by his master, the doctor, to
fulfil professional engagements, both at home and at a distance, when it
did not suit his pleasure or convenience to appear in person. In the
mechanical department, especially, "Sam" was called upon to execute the
most difficult tasks. This was not the testimony of "Sam" alone; various
individuals who were with him in Norfolk, but had moved to Philadelphia,
and were living there at the time of his arrival, being invited to see
this distinguished professional piece of property, gave evidence which
fully corroborated his. The master's professional practice, according to
"Sam's" calculation, was worth $3,000 per annum. Full $1,000 of this
amount in the opinion of "Sam" was the result of his own fettered hands.
Not only was "Sam" serviceable to the doctor in the mechanical and
practical branches of his profession, but as a sort of ready reckoner
and an apt penman, he was obviously considered by the doctor, a valuable
"article." He would frequently have "Sam" at his books instead of a
book-keeper. Of course, "Sam" had never received, from Dr. M., an hour's
schooling in his life, but having perceptive faculties naturally very
large, combined with much self-esteem, he could hardly help learning
readily. Had his master's design to keep him in ignorance been ever so
great, he would have found it a labor beyond his power. But there is no