The Underground Railroad
what a fate such slave girls were destined, had labored so heroically to
snatch them out of this danger ere the critical hour arrived.
Rebecca Jones was about twenty-eight years of age; mulatto,
good-looking, considerably above medium size, very intelligent, and a
true-born heroine.
The following reward, offered by the notorious negro-trader, Hall,
proved that Rebecca and her children were not to be allowed to go free,
if slave-hunters could be induced by a heavy pecuniary consideration to
recapture them:
$300 REWARD is offered for the apprehension of negro woman,
REBECCA JONES and her three children, and man ISAIAH, belonging
to W.W. Davidson, who have disappeared since the 20th inst. The
above reward will be paid for the apprehension and delivery of
the said Negroes to my Jail, by the attorney in fact of the
owner, or the sum of $250 for the man alone, or $150 for the
woman and three children alone.
WM. W. HALL, for the Attorney, feb. 1.
Years before her escape, her mistress died in England; and as Rebecca
had always understood, long before this event, that all the slaves were
to be freed at the death of her mistress, she was not prepared to
believe any other report. It turned out, however, as in thousands of
other instances, that no will could be found, and, of course, the
administrators retained the slave property, regardless of any verbal
expressions respecting freeing, etc. Rebecca closely watched the course
of the administrators, and in the meanwhile firmly resolved, that
neither she nor her children should ever serve another master. Rather
than submit, she declared that she would take the lives of her children
and then her own. Notwithstanding her bold and decided stand, the report
went out that she was to be sold, and that all the slaves were still to
be held in bondage. Rebecca's sympathizers and friends advised her, as
they thought for the best, to get a friend or gentleman to purchase her
for herself. To this she replied: "Not three cents would I give, nor do
I want any of my friends to buy me, not if they could get me for three
cents. It would be of no use," she contended, "as she was fully bent on
dying, rather than remain a slave." The slave-holders evidently
understood her, and were in no hurry about bringing her case to an
issue--they rather gave her time to become calm. But Rebecca was
inflexible.
Six years before her arrival, her husband had escaped, in company with
the noted fugitive, "Shadrach." For a time after he fled, she frequently
received letters from him, but for a long while he had ceased to write,
and of late she had heard nothing from him.
In escaping stowed away in the boat, she suffered terribly, but
faithfully endured to the end, and was only too happy when the agony was
over. After resting and getting thoroughly refreshed in Philadelphia,
she, with others, was forwarded to Boston, for her heart was there.
Several letters were received from her, respecting her prospects, etc.,
from which it appears that she had gained some knowledge of her husband,
although not of a satisfactory nature. At any rate she decided that she
could not receive him back again. The following letter has reference to
her prospects, going to California, her husband, etc.:
PARKER HOUSE, School street, Boston, Oct. 18th, '56.
MY DEAR SIR:--I can hardly express the pleasure I feel at the
receipt of your kind letter; but allow me to thank you for the
same.
And now I will tell you my reasons for going to California. Mrs.
Tarrol, a cousin of my husband, has sent for me. She says I can
do much better there than in Boston. And as I have my children's
welfare to look to, I have concluded to go. Of course I shall be
just as likely to hear from home _there_ as _here_. Please tell
Mr. Bagnale I shall expect one letter from him before I leave
here.
I should like to hear from my brothers and sisters once more,
and let me hear every particular. You never can know how anxious
I am to hear from them; do please impress this upon their minds.
I have written two letters to Dr. Lundy and never received an
answer. I heard Mrs. Lundy was dead, and thought that might
possibly be the reason he had not replied to me. Please tell the
Doctor I should take it as a great favor if he would write me a
few lines.
I suppose you think I am going to live with my husband again.
Let me assure you 'tis no such thing. My mind is as firm as
ever. And believe me, in going away from Boston, I am going away
from him, for I have heard he is living somewhere near. He has
been making inquiries about me, but that can make no difference
in my feelings to him. I hope that yourself, wife and family are
all quite well. Please remember me to them all. Do me the favor
to give my love to all inquiring friends. I should be most happy
to have any letters of introduction you may think me worthy of,
and I trust I shall ever remain
Yours faithfully,
REBECCA JONES.
P.S.--I do not know if I shall go this Fall, or in the Spring.
It will depend upon the letter I receive from California, but
whichever it may be, I shall be happy to hear from you very
soon.
Isaiah, who was a fellow-servant with Rebecca, and was included in the
reward offered by Hall for Rebecca, etc., was a young man about
twenty-three years of age, a mulatto, intelligent and of prepossessing
manners. A purely ardent thirst for liberty prompted him to flee;
although he declared that he had been treated very badly, and had even
suffered severely from being shamefully "beaten." He had, however, been
permitted to hire his time by the year, for which one hundred and twenty
dollars were regularly demanded by his owner. Young as he was, he was a
married man, with a wife and two children, to whom he was devoted. He
had besides two brothers and two sisters for whom he felt a warm degree
of brotherly affection; yet when the hour arrived for him to accept a
chance for freedom at the apparent sacrifice of these dearest ties of
kindred, he was found heroic enough for this painful ordeal, and to give
up all for freedom.
Caroline Taylor, and her two little children, were also from Norfolk,
and came by boat. Upon the whole, they were not less interesting than
Rebecca Jones and her three little girls. Although Caroline was not in
her person half so stately, nor gave such promise of heroism as
Rebecca--for Caroline was rather small of stature--yet she was more
refined, and quite as intelligent as Rebecca, and represented
considerably more of the Anglo-Saxon blood. She was a mulatto, and her
children were almost fair enough to pass for white--probably they were
quadroons, hardly any one would have suspected that they had only one
quarter of colored blood in their veins. For ten years Caroline had been
in the habit of hiring her time at the rate of seventy-five dollars per
year, with the exception of the last year, when her hire was raised to
eighty-four dollars. So anxious was she to have her older girl (eleven
years old) at home with her, that she also hired her time by the year,
for which she was compelled to pay twenty-four dollars. As her younger
child was not sufficiently grown to hire out for pay, she was permitted
to have it at home with her on the conditions that she would feed,
clothe and take good care of it, permitting no expense whatever to fall
upon the master.
Judging from the appearance and manners of the children, their mother
had, doubtless, been most faithful to them, for more handsome,
well-behaved, intelligent and pleasing children could not easily be
selected from either race or any station of life. The younger, Mary by
name, nine years of age, attracted very great attention, by the deep
interest she manifested in a poor fugitive (whom she had never seen
before), at the Philadelphia station, confined to the bed and suffering
excruciating pain from wounds he had received whilst escaping. Hours and
hours together, during the two or three days of their sojourn, she spent
of her own accord, by his bed-side, manifesting almost womanly sympathy
in the most devoted and tender manner. She thus, doubtless,
unconsciously imparted to the sufferer a great deal of comfort. Very
many affecting incidents had come under the observation of the acting
Committee, under various circumstances, but never before had they
witnessed a sight more interesting, a scene more touching.
Caroline and her children were owned by Peter March, Esq., late of
Norfolk, but at that time, he was living in New York, and was carrying
on the iron business. He came into possession of them through his wife,
who was the daughter of Caroline's former master, and almost the only
heir left, in consequence of the terrible fever of the previous summer.
Caroline was living under the daily fear of being sold; this, together
with the task of supporting herself and two children, made her burden
very grievous. Not a great while before her escape, her New York master
had been on to Norfolk, expressly with a view of selling her, and asked
two thousand dollars for her. This, however, he failed to get, and was
still awaiting an offer.
These ill omens aroused Caroline to think more seriously over the
condition of herself and children than she had ever done before, and in
this state of mind she came to the conclusion, that she would strive to
save herself and children by flight on the Underground Rail Road. She
knew full well, that it was no faint-hearted struggle that was required
of her, so she had nerved herself with the old martyr spirit to risk her
all on her faith in God and Freedom, and was ready to take the
consequences if she fell back into the hands of the enemy. This noble
decision was the crowning act in the undertakings of thousands similarly
situated. Through this faith she gained the liberty of herself and her
children. Quite a number of the friends of the slave saw these
interesting fugitives, and wept, and rejoiced with them.
Col. A. Cammings, in those days Publisher of the "Evening Bulletin," for
the first time, witnessed an Underground Rail Road arrival. Some time
previous, in conversation with Mr. J.M. McKim, the Colonel had expressed
views not altogether favorable to the Underground Rail Road; indeed he
was rather inclined to apologize for slavery, if not to defend the
Fugitive Slave Law. While endeavoring somewhat tenaciously to maintain
his ground, Mr. McKim opposed to him not only the now well established
Anti-Slavery doctrines, but also offered as testimony Underground Rail
Road facts--the results of personal knowledge from daily proofs of the
heroic struggles, marvellous faith, and intense earnestness of the
fugitives.
In all probability the Colonel did not feel prepared to deny wholly Mr.
McKim's statement, yet, he desired to see "some" for himself. "Well,"
said Mr. McK., "you shall see some." So when this arrival came to hand,
true to his promise, Mr. McK. called on the Colonel and invited him to
accompany him to the Underground Rail Road station. He assured the
Colonel that he did not want any money from him, but simply wanted to
convince him of his error in the recent argument that they had held on
the subject. Accordingly the Colonel accompanied him, and found that
twenty-two passengers had been on hand within the past twenty-four
hours, and at least sixteen or seventeen were then in his presence. It
is needless to say, that such a sight admitted of no contradiction--no
argument--no doubt. The facts were too self-evident. The Colonel could
say but little, so complete was his amazement; but he voluntarily