The Underground Railroad
being willing to continue in Maryland, working his strength away to
enrich his master, or the man who claimed to be such. The memorable
flogging, however, which caused him to seek flight on the Underground
Rail Road, was not administered by his master or on his master's
plantation. He was hired out, and it was in this situation that he was
so barbarously treated. Yet he considered his master more in fault than
the man to whom he was hired, but redress there was none, save to
escape.
The hour for forwarding the party by the Committee, came too soon to
allow time for the writing of any account of Peter Pennington and Eliza
Nokey. Suffice it to say, that in struggling through their journey,
their spirits never flagged; they had determined not to stop short of
Canada. They truly had a very high appreciation of freedom, but a very
poor opinion of Maryland.
* * * * *
SLAVE TRADER HALL IS FOILED.
ROBERT McCOY _alias_ WILLIAM DONAR.
In October, 1854, the Committee received per steamer, directly from
Norfolk, Va., Robert McCoy and Elizabeth Saunders. Robert had constantly
been in the clutches of the negro-trader Hall, for the last sixteen
years, previous to his leaving, being owned by him. He had, therefore,
possessed very favorable opportunities for varied observation and
experience relative to the trader's conduct in his nefarious business,
as well as for witnessing the effects of the auction-block upon all
ages--rending asunder the dearest ties, despite the piteous wails of
childhood or womanhood, parental or conjugal relations. But no attempt
will be made to chronicle the deeds of this dealer in human flesh. Those
stories fresh from the lips of one who had just escaped, were painful in
the extreme, but in the very nature of things some of the statements are
too revolting to be published. In lieu of this fact, except the above
allusions to the trader's business, this sketch will only refer to
Robert's condition as a slave, and finally as a traveler on the
Underground Rail Road.
Robert was a man of medium size, dark mulatto, of more than ordinary
intelligence. His duties had been confined to the house, and not to the
slave pen. As a general thing, he had managed, doubtless through much
shrewdness, to avoid very severe outrages from the trader. On the whole,
he had fared "about as well" as the generality of slaves.
Yet, in order to free himself from his "miserable" life, he was willing,
as he declared, to suffer almost any sacrifice. Indeed, his conduct
proved the sincerity of this declaration, as he had actually been
concealed five months in a place in the city, where he could not
possibly avoid daily suffering of the most trying kind. His resolve to
be free was all this while maturing. The trader had threatened to sell
Robert, and to prevent it Robert (thus) "took out." Successfully did he
elude the keen scent and grasp of the hunters, who made diligent efforts
to recapture him. Although a young man--only about twenty-eight years of
age, his health was by no means good. His system had evidently been
considerably shattered by Slavery, and symptoms of consumption, together
with chronic rheumatism, were making rapid headway against the physical
man. Under his various ills, he declared, as did many others from the
land of bondage, that his faith in God afforded him comfort and hope. He
was obliged to leave his wife, Eliza, in bonds, not knowing whether they
should ever meet again on earth, but he was somewhat hopeful that the
way would open for her escape also.
After reaching Philadelphia, where his arrival had long been anticipated
by the Vigilance Committee, his immediate wants were met, and in due
order he was forwarded to New Bedford, where, he was led to feel, he
would be happy in freedom.
Scarcely had he been in New Bedford one month, before his prayers and
hopes were realized with regard to the deliverance of his wife. On
hearing of the good news of her coming he wrote as follows--
NEW BEDFORD, Nov. 3, 1859.
DEAR SIR:--i embrace this opertunity to inform you that i
received your letter with pleasure, i am enjoying good health
and hope that these few lines will find you enjoying the same
blessing. i rejoise to hear from you i feel very much indetted
to you for not writing before but i have been so bissy that is
the cause, i rejoise to heare of the arrival of my wife, and
hope she is not sick from the roling of the sea and if she is
not, pleas to send her on here Monday with a six baral warlian
and a rifall to gard her up to my residance i thank you kindly
for the good that you have don for me. Give my respects to Mrs.
Still, tell her i want to see her very bad and you also i would
come but i am afraid yet to venture, i received your letter the
second, but about the first of spring i hope to pay you a visit
or next summer. i am getting something to do every day. i will
write on her arrivall and tell you more. Mr. R. White sends his
love to you and your famerly and says that he is very much
indetted to you for his not writing and all so he desires to
know wheather his cloths has arived yet or not, and if they are
please to express them on to him or if at preasant by Mrs.
Donar. Not any more at preasent. i remain your affectionate
brother,
WILLIAM DONAR.
By the same arrival, and similarly secreted, Elizabeth Frances, alias
Ellen Saunders, had the good luck to reach Philadelphia. She was a
single young woman, about twenty-two, with as pleasant a countenance as
one would wish to see. Her manners were equally agreeable. Perhaps her
joy over her achieved victory added somewhat to her personal appearance.
She had, however, belonged to the more favored class of slaves. She had
neither been over-worked nor badly abused. Elizabeth was the property of
a lady a few shades lighter than herself, (Elizabeth was a mulatto) by
the name of Sarah Shephard, of Norfolk. In order the more effectually to
profit by Elizabeth's labor, the mistress resorted to the plan of hiring
her out for a given sum per month. Against this usage Elizabeth urged no
complaint. Indeed the only very serious charge she brought was to the
effect, that her mistress sold her mother away from her far South, when
she was a child only ten years old. She had also sold a brother and
sister to a foreign southern market. The reflections consequent upon the
course that her mistress had thus pursued, awakened Elizabeth to much
study relative to freedom, and by the time that she had reached
womanhood she had very decided convictions touching her duty with regard
to escaping. Thus growing to hate slavery in every way and manner, she
was prepared to make a desperate effort to be free. Having saved
thirty-five dollars by rigid economy, she was willing to give every cent
of it (although it was all she possessed), to be aided from Norfolk to
Philadelphia. After reaching the city, having suffered severely while
coming, she was invited to remain until somewhat recruited. In the
healthy air of freedom she was soon fully restored, and ready to take
her departure for New Bedford, which place she reached without
difficulty and was cordially welcomed. The following letter, expressive
of her obligations for aid received, was forwarded soon after her
arrival in New Bedford:
NEW BEDFORD, Mass., October 16th, 1854.
MR. STILL:--Dear Sir--I now take my pen in my hand to inform you
of my health which is good at present all except a cold I have
got but I hope when these few lines reach you you may be
enjoying good health. I arrived in New Bedford Thursday morning
safely and what little I have seen of the city I like it very
much my friends were very glad to see me. I found my sister very
well. Give my love to Mrs. Still and also your dear little
children. I am now out at service. I do not think of going to
Canada now. I think I shall remain in this city this winter.
Please tell Mrs. Still I have not met any person who has treated
me any kinder than she did since I left. I consider you both to
have been true friends to me. I hope you will think me the same
to you. I feel very thankful to you indeed. It might been
supposed, out of sight out of mind, but it is not so. I never
forget my friends. Give my love to Florence. If you come to this
city I would be very happy to see you. Kiss your dear little
children for me. Please to answer this as soon as possible, so
that I may know you received this. No more at present. I still
remain your friend,
ELLEN SAUNDERS.
ELIZA MCCOY--the wife of Robert McCoy, whose narrative has just been
given--and who was left to wait in hope when her husband escaped--soon
followed him to freedom. It is a source of great satisfaction to be able
to present her narrative in so close proximity to her husband's. He
arrived about the first of October--she about the first of November,
following. From her lips testimony of much weight and interest was
listened to by several friends relative to her sufferings as a slave--on
the auction-block, and in a place of concealment seven months, waiting
and praying for an opportunity to escape. But it was thought sufficient
to record merely a very brief outline of her active slave life, which
consisted of the following noticeable features.
Eliza had been owned by Andrew Sigany, of Norfolk--age about
thirty-eight--mulatto, and a woman whose appearance would readily
command attention and respect anywhere outside of the barbarism of
Slavery. She stated that her experience as a sufferer in cruel hands had
been very trying, and that in fretting under hardships, she had "always
wanted to be free." Her language was unmistakable on this point. Neither
mistress nor servant was satisfied with each other; the mistress was so
"queer" and "hard to please," that Eliza became heartily sick of trying
to please her--an angel would have failed with such a woman. So, while
matters were getting no better, but, on the contrary, were growing worse
and worse, Eliza thought she would seek a more pleasant atmosphere in
the North. In fact she felt that it would afford her no little relief to
allow her place to be occupied by another. When she went into close
quarters of concealment, she fully understood what was meant and all the
liabilities thereto. She had pluck enough to endure unto the end without
murmuring. The martyrs in olden times who dwelt in "dens and caves of
the earth," could hardly have fared worse than some of these way-worn
travelers.
After the rest, needed by one who had suffered so severely until her
arrival in Philadelphia, she was forwarded to her anxiously waiting
husband in New Bedford, where she was gladly received.
From the frequent arrivals from Virginia, especially in steamers, it may
be thought that no very stringent laws or regulations existed by which
offenders, who might aid the Underground Rail Road, could be severely
punished--that the slave-holders were lenient, indifferent and unguarded
as to how this property took wings and escaped. In order to enlighten
the reader with regard to this subject, it seems necessary, in this
connection, to publish at least one of the many statutes from the slave
laws of the South bearing directly on the aid and escape of slaves by
vessels. The following enactment is given as passed by the Legislature
of Virginia in 1856:
THE PROTECTION OF SLAVE PROPERTY IN VIRGINIA.
A BILL PROVIDING ADDITIONAL PROTECTION FOR THE SLAVE PROPERTY OF
CITIZENS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH.
(1.) Be it enacted, by the General Assembly, that it shall not
be lawful for any vessel, of any size or description, whatever,