The Underground Railroad
Charles had been under the yoke in the city of Richmond, held to service
by Daniel Delaplain, a flour inspector. Charles was hired out by the
flour inspector for as much as he could command for him, for being a
devoted lover of money, ordinary wages hardly ever satisfied him. In
other respects Charles spoke of his master rather favorably in
comparison with slaveholders generally.
A thirty years' apprenticeship as a slave had not, however, won him over
to the love of the system; he had long since been convinced that it was
nonsense to suppose that such a thing as happiness could be found even
under the best of masters. He claimed to have a wife and four little
children living in Alexandria Va.; the name of the wife was Lucinda. In
the estimation of slave-holders, the fact of Charles having a family
might have offered no cause for unhappiness, but Charles felt
differently in relation to the matter. Again, for reasons best known to
the owner, he talked of selling Charles. On this point Charles also felt
quite nervous, so he began to think that he had better make an attempt
to get beyond the reach of buyers and sellers. He knew that many others
similarly situated had got out of bondage simply by hard struggling, and
he felt that he could do likewise. When he had thus determined the
object was half accomplished. True, every step that he should take was
liable to bring trouble upon himself, yet with the hope of freedom
buoying him up he resolved to run the risk. Charles was about thirty
years of age, likely-looking, well made, intelligent, and a mulatto.
George was twenty-three years of age, quite dark, medium size, and bore
the marks of a man of considerable pluck. He was the slave of Mrs. Jane
Coultson. No special complaint of her is recorded on the book. She might
have been a very good mistress, but George was not a very happy and
contented piece of property, as was proved by his course in escaping.
The cold North had many more charms for him than the sunny South.
John has been already described in the person of his brother George. He
was not, however, the property of Mrs. Coultson, but was owned by Miss
Cox, near Little Georgetown, Berkeley Co., Va. These three individuals
were held as slaves by that class of slave-holders, known in the South
as the most kind-hearted and indulgent, yet they seemed just as much
delighted with the prospects of freedom as any other passengers.
The next day following the arrival of the party just noticed James Henry
Watson reached the Committee. He was in good condition, the spring
weather having been favorable, and the journey made without any serious
difficulty.
He was from Snowhill, Worcester county, Md., and had escaped from James
Purnell, a farmer of whom he did not speak very favorably. Yet James
admitted that his master was not as hard on his slaves as some others.
For the benefit of James' kinsfolk, who may still perchance be making
searches for him, not having yet learned whither he went or what became
of him, we copy the following paragraph as entered on our book April
11th, 1856:
James Henry is twenty years of age, dark, well-made, modest, and seems
fearful of apprehension; was moved to escape in order to obtain his
freedom. He had heard of others who had run away and thus secured their
freedom; he thought he could do the same. He left his father, mother,
three brothers and five sisters owned by Purnell. His father's name was
Ephraim, his mother's name Mahala. The names of his sisters and brothers
were as follows: Hetty, Betsy, Dinah, Catharine and Harriet; Homer,
William and James.
Zebulon Green was the next traveler. He arrived from Duck Creek, Md.
John Appleton, a farmer, was chargeable with having deprived Zeb of his
rights. But, as Zeb was only about eighteen years of age when he made
his exit, Mr. Appleton did not get much the start of him. In answer to
the question as to the cause of his escape, he replied "bad usage." He
was smart, and quite dark. In traveling, he changed his name to Samuel
Hill. The Committee endeavored to impress him thoroughly, with the idea
that he could do much good in the world for himself and fellow-men, by
using his best endeavors to acquire education, etc., and forwarded him
on to Canada.
Lewis Burrell and his brother Peter arrived safely from Alexandria,
Virginia, April 21, 1856. Lewis had been owned by Edward M. Clark, Peter
by Benjamin Johnson Hall. These passengers seemed to be well posted in
regard to Slavery, and understood full well their responsibilities in
fleeing from "kind-hearted" masters. All they feared was that they might
not reach Canada safely, although they were pretty hopeful and quite
resolute. Lewis left a wife, Winna Ann, and two children, Joseph and
Mary, who were owned by Pembroke Thomas, at Culpepper, Va., nearly a
hundred miles distant from him. Once or twice in the year, was the
privilege allowed him to visit his wife and little ones at this long
distance. This separation constituted his daily grief and was the cause
of his escape. Lewis and Peter left their father and mother in bondage,
also one brother (Reuben), and three sisters, two of whom had been sold
far South.
After a sojourn in freedom of nearly three years, Lewis wrote on behalf
of his wife as follows:
TORONTO, C.W., Feb. 2, 1859.
MR. WM. STILL:
DEAR SIR:--It have bin two years since I war at your house, at
that time I war on my way to cannadia, and I tould you that I
had a wife and had to leave her behind, and you promiest me that
you would healp me to gait hir if I ever heaird from hir, and I
think my dear frend, that the time is come for me to strick the
blow, will you healp me, according to your promis. I recived a
letter from a frend in Washington last night and he says that my
wife is in the city of Baltimore, and she will come away if she
can find a frend to healp hir, so I thought I would writ to you
as you are acquanted with foulks theare to howm you can trust
with such matthas. I could write to Mr Noah davis in Baltimore,
who is well acquanted with my wife, but I do not think that he
is a trew frend, and I could writ to Mr Samual Maden in the same
city, but I am afread that a letter coming from cannada might be
dedteced, but if you will writ to soume one that you know, and
gait them to see Mr Samual Maden he will give all the
information that you want, as he is acquanted with my wife, he
is a preacher and belongs to the Baptis church. My wifes name is
Winne Ann Berrell, and she is oned by one Dr. Tarns who is on a
viset to Baltimore, now Mr Still will you attend to this thing
for me, fourthwith, if you will I will pay you four your truble,
if we can dow any thing it must be don now, as she will leave
theare in the spring, and if you will take the matter in hand,
you mous writ me on to reseption of this letter, whether you
will or not.
Yours truly,
LEWIS BURRELL.
No. 49 Victoria St., Toronto, C.W.
As in the case of many others, the way was so completely blocked that
nothing could be done for the wife's deliverance. Until the day when the
millions of fetters were broken, nothing gave so much pain to husbands
and wives as these heart-breaking separations.
William Williams and his wife were the next who arrived. They came from
Haven Manor, Md. They had been owned by John Peak, by whom, according to
their report, they had been badly treated, and the Committee had no
reason to doubt their testimony.
The next arrival numbered four passengers, and came under the guidance
of "Moses" (Harriet Tubman), from Maryland. They were adults, looking as
though they could take care of themselves very easily, although they had
the marks of Slavery on them. It was no easy matter for men and women
who had been ground down all their lives, to appear as though they had
been enjoying freedom. Indeed, the only wonder was that so many appeared
to as good advantage as they did, after having been crushed down so
long.
The paucity of the narratives in the month of April, is quite
noticeable. Why fuller reports were not written out, cannot now be
accounted for; probably the feeling existed that it was useless to write
out narratives, except in cases of very special interest.
* * * * *
FIVE FROM GEORGETOWN CROSS ROADS.
MOTHER AND CHILD FROM NORFOLK, VA., ETC.
ABE FINEER, SAM DAVIS, HENRY SAUNDERS, WM. HENRY THOMPSON and THOMAS
PARKER arrived safely from the above named place. Upon inquiry, the
following information was gleaned from them.
Abe spoke with feelings of some bitterness of a farmer known by the name
of George Spencer, who had deprived him of the hard earnings of his
hands. Furthermore, he had worked him hard, stinted him for food and
clothing and had been in the habit of flogging him whenever he felt like
it. In addition to the above charges, Abe did not hesitate to say that
his master meddled too much with the bottle, in consequence of which, he
was often in a "top-heavy" state. Abe said, however, that he was rich
and stood pretty high in the neighborhood--stinting, flogging and
drinking were no great disadvantages to a man in Georgetown, Maryland.
Abe was twenty-three years of age, pure black, ordinary size, and
spirited, a thorough convert to the doctrine that all men are born free,
and although he had been held in bondage up to the hour of his escape,
he gave much reason for believing that he would not be an easy subject
to manage under the yoke, if ever captured and carried back.
Sam was about thirty years of age, genuine black, common size, and a
hater of slavery; he was prepared to show, by the scars he bore about
his person, why he talked as he did. Forever will he remember James
Hurst, his so-called master, who was a very blustering man oft-times,
and in the habit of abusing his slaves. Sam was led to seek the
Underground Rail Road, in order to get rid of his master and, at the
same time, to do better for himself than he could possibly do in
Slavery. He had to leave his wife, Phillis, and one child.
William Henry was about twenty-four years of age, and of a chestnut
color. He too talked of slave-holders, and his master in particular,
just as any man would talk who had been shamefully robbed and wronged
all his life.
Tom, likewise, told the same story, and although they used the
corn-field vernacular, they were in earnest and possessed an abundance
of mother-wit, so that their testimony was not to be made light of.
The following letter from Thomas Garrett speaks for itself:
WILMINGTON, 5 mo. 11th, 1856.
ESTEEMED FRIENDS--McKim and Still:--I purpose sending to-morrow
morning by the steamboat a woman and child, whose husband, I
think, went some nine months previous to New Bedford. She was
furnished with a free passage by the same line her husband came
in. She has been away from the person claiming to be her master
some five months; we, therefore, think there cannot be much risk
at present. Those four I wrote thee about arrived safe up in the
neighborhood of Longwood, and Harriet Tubman followed after in
the stage yesterday. I shall expect five more from the same
neighborhood next trip. Captain Lambdin is desirous of having
sent him a book, or books, with the strongest arguments of the
noted men of the South against the institution of slavery, as he
wishes to prepare to defend himself, as he has little confidence
in his attorney. Cannot you send to me something that will be of
benefit to him, or send it direct to him? Would not W. Goodell's