The Underground Railroad
Daniel Payne. This traveler was a man who might be said to be full of
years, infirm, and well-nigh used up under a Virginia task-master. But
within the old man's breast a spark was burning for freedom, and he was
desirous of reaching free land, on which to lay his body when life's
toil ended. So the Committee sympathized with him, aided him and sent
him on to Canada. He was owned by a man named M.W. Morris, of Richmond,
whence he fled.
Harriet Mayo, John Judah, and Richard Bradley were the next who brought
joy and victory with them.
Harriet was a tall, well-made, intelligent young woman, twenty-two years
of age. She spoke with feelings of much bitterness against her master,
James Cuthbert, saying that he was a "very hard man," at the same time,
adding that his "wife was still worse." Harriet "had been sold once."
She admitted however, having been treated kindly a part of her life. In
escaping, she had to leave her "poor old mother" with no hope of ever
seeing her again; likewise she regretted having to leave three brothers,
who kindly aided her to escape. But having her heart bent on freedom,
she resolved that nothing should deter her from putting forth efforts to
get out of Slavery.
John was a mulatto, of genteel address, well clothed, and looked as if
he had been "well fed." Miss Eliza Lambert had the honor of owning John,
and was gracious enough to allow him to hire his time for one hundred
and ten dollars per annum. After this sum was punctually paid, John
could do what he pleased with any surplus earnings. Now, as he was fond
of nice clothing, he was careful to earn a balance sufficient to gratify
this love. By similar means, many slaves were seen in southern cities
elegantly dressed, and, strangers and travelers from the North gave all
the credit to "indulgent masters," not knowing the facts in the case.
John accused his mistress of being hard in money matters, not caring how
the servants fared, so she got "plenty of money out of them." For
himself, however, he admitted that he had never experienced as great
abuses as many had. He was fortunate in being wedded to a free wife, who
was privy to all his plans and schemes looking forth to freedom, and
fully acquiesced in the arrangement of matters, promising to come on
after he should reach Canada. This promise was carried out in due time,
and they were joyfully re-united under the protection of the British
Lion.
Richard was about twenty-seven. For years the hope of freedom had
occupied his thoughts, and many had been the longing desires to see the
way open by which he could safely get rid of oppression. He was
sufficiently intelligent to look at Slavery in all its bearings, and to
smart keenly under even ordinarily mild treatment. Therefore, he was
very happy in the realization of his hopes. In the recital of matters
touching his slave life, he alluded to his master, Samuel Ball, as a
"very hard man," utterly unwilling to allow his servants any chance
whatever. For reasons which he considered judicious, he kept the matter
of his contemplated escape wholly private, not even revealing it to his
wife. Probably he felt that she would not be willing to give him up, not
even for freedom, as long as she could not go too. Her name was Emily,
and she belonged to William Bolden. How she felt when she learned of her
husband's escape is for the imagination to picture. These three
interesting passengers were brought away snugly secreted in Captain B's.
schooner.
JAMES CRUMMILL, SAMUAL and TOLBERT JONES and HENRY HOWARD.
This party united to throw off the yoke in Haverford county, Md.
James, Samuel and Tolbert had been owned by William Hutchins. They
agreed in giving Hutchins the character of being a notorious
"frolicker," and a "very hard master." Under him, matters were growing
"worse and worse." Before the old master's death times were much better.
Henry did not live under the same authority that his three companions
were subjected to, but belonged to Philip Garrison. The continual threat
to sell harassed Henry so much, that he saw no chance of peace or
happiness in the future. So one day the master laid the "last straw on
the camel's back," and not another day would Henry stay. Many times it
required a pretty heavy pressure to start off a number of young men, but
in this instance they seemed unwilling to wait to be worn out under the
yoke and violent treatment, or to become encumbered with wives and
children before leaving. All were single, with the exception of James,
whose wife was free, and named Charlotte; she understood about his going
to Canada, and, of course, was true to him.
These young men had of course been reared under circumstances altogether
unfavorable to mental development. Nevertheless they had fervent
aspirations to strike for freedom.
Lewis Giles belonged, in the prison-house of bondage, in the city of
Richmond, and owed service to a Mr. Lewis Hill, who made it a business
to keep slaves expressly to hire out, just as a man keeps a livery
stable. Lewis was not satisfied with this arrangement; he could see no
fair play in it. In fact, he was utterly at variance with the entire
system of Slavery, and, a long time before he left, had plans laid with
a view of escaping. Through one of the Underground Rail Road Agents the
glad tidings were borne to him that a passage might be procured on a
schooner for twenty-five dollars. Lewis at once availed himself of this
offer, and made his arrangements accordingly. He, however, made no
mention of this contemplated movement to his wife, Louisa; and, to her
astonishment, he was soon among the missing. Lewis was a fine-looking
"article," six feet high, well proportioned, and of a dark chestnut
color, worth probably $1200, in the Richmond market. Touching his slave
life, he said that he had been treated "pretty well," except that he
"had been sold several times." Intellectually he was above the average
run of slaves. He left on the twenty-third of April, and arrived about
the second of June, having, in the meantime, encountered difficulties
and discouragements of various kinds. His safe arrival, therefore, was
attended with unusual rejoicing.
Daniel Bennett and his wife and children were the next in order. A woman
poorly clad with a babe just one month old in her arms, and a little boy
at her side, who could scarcely toddle, together with a husband who had
never dared under penalty of the laws to protect her or her little ones,
presented a most painfully touching picture. It was easy enough to see,
that they had been crushed. The husband had been owned by Captain James
Taylor--the wife and children by George Carter.
The young mother gave Carter a very bad character, affirming, that it
was a "common practice with him to flog the slaves, stripped entirely
naked"--that she had herself been so flogged, since she had been a
married woman. How the husband was treated, the record book is silent.
He was about thirty-two--the wife about twenty-seven. Especial pains
were taken to provide aid and sympathy to this family in their
destitution, fleeing under such peculiarly trying circumstances and from
such loathsome brutality. They were from Aldie P.O., London County,
Virginia, and passed through the hands of the Committee about the 11th
of June. What has been their fate since is not known.
* * * * *
SUNDRY ARRIVALS ABOUT JANUARY FIRST, 1855.
VERENEA MERCER.
The steamship Pennsylvania, on one of her regular trips from Richmond,
brought one passenger, of whom the Captain had no knowledge; no
permission had been asked of any officer of the boat. Nevertheless,
Verenea Mercer managed, by the most extraordinary strategy, to secrete
herself on the steamer, and thus succeeded in reaching Philadelphia. She
was following her husband, who escaped about nine months before her.
Verenea was about forty-one years of age, of a dark chestnut color,
prepossessing in manners, intelligent and refined. She belonged to the
slave population of Richmond, and was owned by Thomas W. Quales.
According to her testimony, she had not received severe treatment during
the eight and a half years that she had been in his hands. Previous to
his becoming the owner of Verenea, it might have been otherwise,
although nothing is recorded in proof of this inference, except that she
had the misfortune to lose her first husband by a sale. Of course she
was left a widow, in which state she remained nine years, at the
expiration of which period, she married a man by the name of James
Mercer, whose narrative may be found on p. 54.
How James got off, and where he went, Verenea knew quite well;
consequently, in planning to reach him, she resorted to the same means
by which he achieved success. The Committee rendered her the usual aid,
and sent her on direct to her husband in Canada. Without difficulty of
any kind she reached there safely, and found James with arms wide open
to embrace her. Frequent tidings reached the Committee, that they were
getting along quite well in Toronto.
On the same day (January 1st), PETER DERRICKSON and CHARLES PURNELL
arrived from Berlin, Worcester county, Maryland. Both were able-bodied
young men, twenty-four and twenty-six years of age, just the kind that a
trader, or an experienced slave-holder in the farming business, would be
most likely to select for doing full days' work in the field, or for
bringing high prices in the market.
Peter toiled and toiled, with twenty others, on John Derrickson's farm.
And although Derrickson was said to be a "mild master," Peter decidedly
objected to working for him for nothing. He thought over his situation a
great deal, and finally came to the conclusion, that he must get from
under the yoke, if possible, before entering another New Year. His
friend Charles he felt could be confided in, therefore he made up his
mind, that he would broach the question of Canada and the Underground
Rail Road to him. Charles was equally ready and willing to enter into
any practical arrangements by which he could get rid of his no-pay
task-master, and be landed safely in Canada. After taking into account
the dangers likely to attend such a struggle, they concluded that they
would risk all and try their luck, as many had done before them.
"What made you leave, Charles?" said a member of the Committee.
"I left because I wanted my time and money for myself."
No one could gainsay such a plain common-sense answer as that. The fact,
that he had to leave his parents, three brothers, and five sisters, all
in slavery, brought sad reflections.
LLOYD HACKET, alias Perry Watkins and WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON, alias John
Wesley.
No weather was too cold for travel, nor way too rough, when the slave
was made to feel by his heartless master, that he was going to sell him
or starve him to death.
Lloyd had toiled on until he had reached fifty-five, before he came to
the conclusion, that he could endure the treatment of his master, John
Griffin, no longer, simply because "he was not good to feed and clothe,"
and was a "great fighter." Moreover, he would "never suffer his slaves
to stop work on account of bad weather." Not only was his master cruel
in these particulars, but he was equally cruel with regard to selling.
Georgia was continually held up to the slaves with a view of producing a
wholesome fear, but in this instance, as in many similar ones, it only
awakened desires to seek flight via the Underground Rail Road.
Lloyd, convinced by experience, that matters with him would be no
better, but worse and worse, resolved that he would start with the
opening of the New Year to see if he could not find a better country
than the one that he was then in.