The Underground Railroad
attested the thoroughness of his conversion by pulling out of his pocket
and handing to Mr. McK. a twenty dollar gold piece to aid the passengers
on to freedom.
In these hours of rest and joyful anticipation the necessities of both
large and small were administered to according to their needs, before
forwarding them still further. The time and attention required for so
many left but little opportunity, however, for the Secretary to write
their narratives. He had only evening leisure for the work. Ten or
twelve of that party had to be sent off without having their stories
recorded. Daniel Robertson was one of this number; his name is simply
entered on the roll, and, but for letters received from him, after he
passed on North, no further knowledge would have been obtained. In
Petersburg, whence he escaped, he left his wife, for whose deliverance
he felt bound to do everything that lay in his power, as the subjoined
letters will attest:
HAVANA, August 11, 1856, Schuylkill Co., N.Y.
MR. WM. STILL--Dear Sir:--I came from Virginia in March, and was
at your office the last of March. My object in writing you, is
to inquire what I can do, or what can be done to help my wife to
escape from the same bondage that I was in. You will know by
your books that I was from Petersburg, Va., and that is where my
wife now is. I have received two or three letters from a lady in
that place, and the last one says, that my wife's mistress is
dead, and that she expects to be sold. I am very anxious to do
what I can for her before it is too late, and beg of you to
devise some means to get her away. Capt. the man that brought me
away, knows the colored agent at Petersburg, and knows he will
do all he can to forward my wife. The Capt. promised, that when
I could raise one hundred dollars for him that he would deliver
her in Philadelphia. Tell him that I can now raise the money,
and will forward it to you at any day that he thinks that he can
bring her. Please see the Captain and find when he will
undertake it, and then let me know when to forward the money to
you. I am at work for the Hon. Charles Cook, and can send the
money any day. My wife's name is Harriet Robertson, and the
agent at Petersburg knows her.
Please direct your answer, with all necessary directions, to N.
Coryell, of this village, and he will see that all is right.
Very respectfully,
DANIEL ROBERTSON.
HAVANA, Aug. 18, 1856.
MR. WM. STILL--Dear Sir:--Yours of the 18th, for D. Robertson,
was duly received. In behalf of Daniel, I thank you kindly for
the interest you manifest in him. The letters that have gone
from him to his friends in Virginia, have been written by me,
and sent in such a manner as we thought would best ensure
safety. Yet I am well aware of the risk of writing, and have
restrained him as far as possible, and the last one I wrote was
to be the last, till an effort was made to reclaim his wife.
Daniel is a faithful, likely man, and is well liked by all who
know him. He is industrious and prudent, and is bending his
whole energies toward the reclaiming his wife. He can forward to
you the one hundred dollars at any day that it may be wanted,
and if you can do anything to forward his interests it will be
very gratefully received as an additional favor on your part. He
asks for no money, but your kindly efforts, which he regards
more highly than money.
Very respectfully, N. CORYELL.
The letters that have been written for him were dated "Niagara
Falls, Canada West," and his friends think he is there--none of
them know to the contrary--it is important that they never do
know. N.C.
HAVANA, Sept. 29, 1856.
MR. WM. STILL--Dear Sir:--I enclose herewith a draft on New
York, payable to your order, for $100, to be paid on the
delivery at Philadelphia of Daniel Robertson's wife.
You can readily see that it has been necessary for Daniel to
work almost night and day to have laid up so large an amount of
money, since the first of April, as this one hundred dollars.
Daniel is industrious and prudent, and saves all of his
earnings, above his most absolute wants. If the Captain is not
successful in getting Daniel's wife, you, of course, will return
the draft, without charge, as you said. I hope success will
attend him, for Daniel deserves to be rewarded, if ever man did.
Yours, &c.
N. CORYELL.
HAVANA, Jan. 2, 1857.
DEAR SIR:--Your favor containing draft on N. York, for Daniel
Robertson, came to hand on the 31st ult. Daniel begs to tender
his acknowledgments for your kind interest manifested in his
behalf, and says he hopes you will leave no measure untried
which has any appearance of success, and that the money shall be
forthcoming at a moment's notice. Daniel thinks that since
Christmas, the chances for his wife's deliverance are fewer than
before, for at that time he fears she was disposed of and
possibly went South.
The paper sent me, with your well-written article, was received,
and on reading it to Daniel, he knew some of the parties
mentioned in it--he was much pleased to hear it read. Daniel
spent New Year's in Elmira, about 18 miles from this place, and
there he met two whom he was well acquainted with.
Yours, &c.,
N. CORYELL.
WM. STILL, Esq., Phila.
Such devotion to freedom, such untiring labor, such appeals as these
letters contained awakened deep interest in the breasts of Daniel's new
friends, which spoke volumes in favor of the Slave and against
slave-holders. But, alas, nothing could be done to relieve the sorrowing
mind of poor Daniel for the deliverance of his wife in chains. The
Committee sympathized deeply with him, but could do no more. What other
events followed, in Daniel's life as a fugitive, were never made known
to the Committee.
Arthur Spence also deserves a notice. He was from North Carolina, about
twenty-four years of age, and of pleasing appearance, and was heart and
soul in sympathy with the cause of the Underground Rail Road. In North
Carolina he declared that he had been heavily oppressed by being
compelled to pay $175 per annum for his hire. In order to get rid of
this heavy load, by shrewd management he gained access to the
kind-hearted Captain and procured an Underground Rail Road ticket. In
leaving bondage, he was obliged to leave his mother, two brothers and
one sister. He appeared to be composed of just the kind of material for
making a good British subject.
Ben Dickinson. Ben was also a slave in North Carolina--located at
Eatontown, being the property of "Miss Ann Blunt, who was very hard." In
slave property Miss Blunt was interested to the number of about "ninety
head." She was much in the habit of hiring out servants, and in thus
disposing of her slaves Ben thought she was a great deal more concerned
in getting good prices for herself than good places for them. Indeed he
declared that "she did not care how mean the place was, if she could
only get her price." For three years Ben had Canada and the Underground
Rail Road in view, having been "badly treated." At last the long-looked
for time arrived, and he conferred neither with master nor mistress, but
"picked himself up" and "took out." Age twenty-eight, medium size, quite
dark, a good carpenter, and generally intelligent. Left two sisters,
etc.
Of this heroic and promising party we can only mention, in conclusion,
one more passenger, namely:
Tom Page. At the time of his arrival, his name only was enrolled on the
book. Yet he was not a passenger soon to be forgotten--he was but a mere
boy, probably eighteen years of age; but a more apt, ready-witted,
active, intelligent and self-reliant fellow is not often seen.
Judging from his smartness, under slavery, with no chances, it was easy
to imagine how creditably he might with a white boy's chances have
climbed the hill of art and science. Obviously he had intellect enough,
if properly cultivated, to fill any station within the ordinary reach of
intelligent American citizens. He could read and write remarkably well
for a slave, and well did he understand his advantages in this
particular; indeed if slave-holders had only been aware of the growing
tendency of Tom's mind, they would have rejoiced at hearing of his
departure for Canada; he was a most dangerous piece of property to be
growing up amongst slaves.
After leaving the Committee and going North his uncaged mind felt the
need of more education, and at the same time he was eager to make money,
and do something in life. As he had no one to depend on, parents and
relatives being left behind in Norfolk, he felt that he must rely upon
himself, young as he was. He first took up his abode in Boston, or New
Bedford, where most of the party with whom he escaped went, and where he
had an aunt, and perhaps some other distant kin. There he worked and was
a live young man indeed--among the foremost in ideas and notions about
freedom, etc., as many letters from him bore evidence. After spending a
year or more in Massachusetts, he had a desire to see how the fugitives
were doing in Upper and Lower Canada, and if any better chances existed
in these parts for men of his stamp.
Some of his letters, from different places, gave proof of real thought
and close observation, but they were not generally saved, probably were
loaned to be read by friendly eyes. Nevertheless the two subjoined will,
in a measure, suffice to give some idea of his intelligence, etc.
BOSTON, Mass., Feb. 25th, 1857.
WILLIAM STILL, Esq.:--Dear Sir--I have not heard from you for
some time. I take this opportunity of writing you a few lines to
let you and all know that I am well at present and thank God for
it. Dear Sir, I hear that the under ground railroad was in
operation. I am glad to hear that. Give my best respects to your
family and also to Dr. L., Mr. Warrick, Mr. Camp and familys, to
Mr. Fisher, Mr. Taylor to all Friends names too numerous to
mention. Please to let me know when the road arrived with
another cargo. I want to come to see you all before long, if
nothing happens and life lasts. Mrs. Gault requested me to learn
of you if you ask Mr. Bagnal if he will see father and what he
says about the children. Please to answer as soon as possible.
No more at present from a friend,
THOMAS F. PAGE.
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., Oct. 6th, '58.
DEAR SIR:--I received your kind letter and I was very glad to
hear from you and your family. This leaves me well, and I hope
when this comes to hand it may find you the same. I have seen a
large number of your U.G.R.R. friends in my travels through the
Eastern as well as the Western States. Well there are a good
many from my own city who I know--some I talk to on private
matters and some I wont. Well around here there are so
many--Tom, Dick and Harry--that you do not know who your friend
is. So it don't hurt any one to be careful. Well, somehow or
another, I do not like Canada, or the Provinces. I have been to
St. John, N.B., Lower Province, or Lower Canada, also St.
Catharines, C.W., and all around the Canada side, and I do not
like it at all. The people seem to be so queer--though I suppose
if I had of went to Canada when I first came North to live, I
might like it by this time. I was home when Aunt had her
Ambro-type taken for you. She often speaks of your kindness to