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31 - Underground Railroad, Part 1 by William Still · Underground Railroad, Part 1

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty of The Underground Railroad Part one. This is
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  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: The Underground Railroad Part one by William Still Section thirty
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  Speaker 1: Barnaby Grigby Elias, John Boyer and Mary Elizabeth his wife,
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  Speaker 1: Frank Waynser Elias, Robert Scott, Emily Foster, Elias Anne Wood.
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  Speaker 1: Two others who started with them were captured. All these
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  Speaker 1: persons journeyed together from Lowden County, Virginia, on horseback and
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  Speaker 1: in a carriage for more than one hundred miles, availing
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  Speaker 1: themselves of a holiday and their masters horses and carriage.
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  Speaker 1: They as deliberately started for Canada, as though they had
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  Speaker 1: never been taught that it was their duty as servants
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  Speaker 1: to obey their masters in this particular, showing a most
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  Speaker 1: utter disregard of the intent of their their kind hearted
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  Speaker 1: and indulgent owners. They left home on Monday, Christmas Eve
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  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty five under the leadership of Frank Wainzer, and
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  Speaker 1: arrived in Columbia the following Wednesday at one o'clock. As
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  Speaker 1: witfully as they had thus made their way along, they
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  Speaker 1: had not found its smooth sailing by any means. The
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  Speaker 1: biting frost and snow rendered their travel anything but agreeable,
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  Speaker 1: nor did they escape the gnawings of hunger. Traveling day
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  Speaker 1: and night, and whilst these articles were in the very
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  Speaker 1: act of running away with themselves and their kind masters,
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  Speaker 1: best horses and carriage, when about one hundred miles from home,
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  Speaker 1: in the neighborhood of Cheat River, Maryland, they were attacked
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  Speaker 1: by six white men and a boy, who, doubtless, supposing
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  Speaker 1: that their intentions were of a wicked and unlawful character,
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  Speaker 1: felt it to be their duty and kindness to their masters,
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  Speaker 1: if not to the travelers, to demand of them an
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  Speaker 1: account of themselves. In other words, the assailants positively commanded
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  Speaker 1: the fugitives to show what right they possessed to be
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  Speaker 1: found in a condition apparently so unwarranted. The spokesmen among
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  Speaker 1: the fugitives, affecting no ordinary amount of dignity, told their
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  Speaker 1: assailants plainly that no gentlemen would interfere with persons riding
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  Speaker 1: along civilly, not allowing it to be supposed that they
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  Speaker 1: were slaves. Of course, these gentlemen, however, were not willing
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  Speaker 1: to accept this account of the travelers, as their very
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  Speaker 1: decided steps indicated, having the law on their side, they
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  Speaker 1: were for compelling the fugitives to surrender without further parley.
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  Speaker 1: At this juncture, the fugitives, verily believing that the time
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  Speaker 1: had arrived for the practical use of their pistols and dirks,
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  Speaker 1: pulled them out of their concealment, the young women as
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  Speaker 1: well as the young men, and declared they would not
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  Speaker 1: be taken. One of the white men raised his gun,
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  Speaker 1: pointed the muzzle directly towards one of the young women
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  Speaker 1: with the threat that he would shoot et cetera. Shoot, Shoot, Shoot,
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  Speaker 1: she exclaimed, with a double barreled pistol in one hand
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  Speaker 1: and a long Dirk knife in the other, utterly unterrified
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  Speaker 1: and fully ready for a death struggle. The male leader
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  Speaker 1: of the fugitives by this time had pulled back the
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  Speaker 1: hammers of his pistols and was about to fire their adversaries.
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  Speaker 1: Seeing the weapons and the unflinching determination on the part
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  Speaker 1: of the runaways to stand their ground, spill blood, kill
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  Speaker 1: or die rather than be taken, very prudently sidled off
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  Speaker 1: to the other side of the road. Leaving at least
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  Speaker 1: four of the victors to travel on their way. At
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  Speaker 1: this moment, the four in the carriage lost sight of
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  Speaker 1: the two on horseback. Soon after the separation, they heard firing,
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  Speaker 1: but what the result was they knew not. They were fearful, however,
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  Speaker 1: that their companions had been captured. The following paragraph, which
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  Speaker 1: was shortly afterwards taken from a Southern paper, leaves no
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  Speaker 1: room to doubt as to the fate of the two.
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  Speaker 1: Six fugitive slaves from Virginia were arrested at the Maryland
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  Speaker 1: Line near Hoods Mill on Christmas Day, but after a
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  Speaker 1: severe fight, four of them escaped and have not since
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  Speaker 1: been heard of. They came from Lodun and Fakier Counties.
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  Speaker 1: Though the four who were successful saw no severe fight,
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  Speaker 1: it is not unreasonable to suppose that there was a fight. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: but not till after the number of the fugitives had
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  Speaker 1: been reduced to two instead of six. As chivalrous as
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  Speaker 1: slaveholders and slave catchers were, they knew the value of
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  Speaker 1: their precious lives and the fearful risk of attempting a
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  Speaker 1: capture when the numbers were equal. The party in the
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  Speaker 1: carriage after the conflict went on their way, rejoicing the
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  Speaker 1: young men one cold night when they were compelled to
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  Speaker 1: take rest in the woods and snow in vain strove
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  Speaker 1: to keep the feet of their female companions from freezing
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  Speaker 1: by lying on them, But the frost was merciless and
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  Speaker 1: bit them severely, as their feet very plainly showed. The
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  Speaker 1: following disjointed report was cut from the Frederick, Maryland Examiner
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  Speaker 1: soon after the occurrence took place. Six slaves, four men
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  Speaker 1: and two women, fugitives from Virginia, having with them two
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  Speaker 1: spring wagons and four horses, came from Hood's Mill on
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  Speaker 1: the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near the dividing line from
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  Speaker 1: Frederick and Carroll Counties on Christmas Day. After feeding their animals,
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  Speaker 1: one of them told a mister Dixon whence they came.
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  Speaker 1: Believing them to be fugitives, he spread the alarm and
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  Speaker 1: some eight or ten persons gathered round to arrest them,
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  Speaker 1: but the Negroes, drawing revolvers and bowie knives, kept their
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  Speaker 1: assailants at bay until five of the party succeeded in
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  Speaker 1: escaping in one of the wagons, and as the last
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  Speaker 1: one jumped on a horse to flee, he was fired
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  Speaker 1: at the load, taking effect in the small of the back.
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  Speaker 1: The prisoner says he belongs to Charles W. Simpson, Esquire
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  Speaker 1: of Fockier County, Virginia, and ran away with the others
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  Speaker 1: on the preceding evening. This report from the Examiner, while
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  Speaker 1: it is not wholly correct, evidently relates to the fugitives above.
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  Speaker 1: The descried. Why the reporter made such glaring mistakes may
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  Speaker 1: be accounted for on the grounds that the bold stand
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  Speaker 1: made by the fugitives was so bewildering and alarming that
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  Speaker 1: the assailants were not in proper condition to make correct statements. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: the Examiner's report was preserved with other records and is
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  Speaker 1: here given for what it is worth. These victors were
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  Speaker 1: individually noted on the record. Thus, Barnaby was owned by
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  Speaker 1: William Rodgers, a farmer who was considered a moderate slaveholder,
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  Speaker 1: although of late addicted to intemperance. He was the owner
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  Speaker 1: of about one dozen head of slaves, and had besides
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  Speaker 1: a wife and two children. Barnaby's chances for making extra
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  Speaker 1: change for himself were never favorable. Sometimes of nights he
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  Speaker 1: would manage to earn a trifle. He was prompted to
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  Speaker 1: escape because he wanted to live by the sweat of
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  Speaker 1: his own brow, believing that all men ought to live
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  Speaker 1: so this was the only reason he gave for fleeing.
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  Speaker 1: Mary Elizabeth been owned by Townsend mc vee likewise a farmer,
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  Speaker 1: and in Mary's judgment, he was severe, but she added
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  Speaker 1: his wife made him so. Mc Vee owned about twenty
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  Speaker 1: five slaves. He hardly allowed them to talk, would not
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  Speaker 1: allow them to raise chickens, and only allowed Mary three
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  Speaker 1: dresses a year. The rest she had to get as
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  Speaker 1: she could. Sometimes mc vee would sell slaves. Last year
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  Speaker 1: he sold two. Mary said that she could not say
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  Speaker 1: anything good of her mistress. On the contrary, she declared
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  Speaker 1: that her mistress knew no mercy nor showed any favor.
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  Speaker 1: It was on account of this dominating spirit that Mary
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  Speaker 1: was induced to escape. Frank was owned by Lother Sullivan,
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  Speaker 1: the meanest man in Virginia. He said, he treated his
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  Speaker 1: people just as bad as he could in every respect.
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  Speaker 1: Sullivan added Frank would lounge the slaves and stint them
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  Speaker 1: to save food and get rich, and would sell and whip,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. To Frank's knowledge, he had sold some twenty
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  Speaker 1: five head quote he sold my mother and her two
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  Speaker 1: children to Georgia some four years previous. But the motive
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  Speaker 1: which hurried Frank to make his flight was his laboring
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  Speaker 1: under the apprehension that his master had some pretty heavy
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  Speaker 1: creditors who might come on him at any time. Frank
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  Speaker 1: therefore wanted to be home in Canada when these gentries
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  Speaker 1: should make their visit. My poor mother has been often
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  Speaker 1: flogged by masters, said Frank. As to his mistress, he
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  Speaker 1: said she was tolerably good. Anne Wood was owned by
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  Speaker 1: mcveie also and was own sister to Elizabeth. Anne very
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  Speaker 1: fully sustained her sister Elizabeth's statements respecting the character of
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  Speaker 1: her master. The above mentioned four were all young and likely.
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  Speaker 1: Barnaby was twenty six years of age, mulatto, medium sized,
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  Speaker 1: and intelligent. His wife was about twenty four years of age,
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  Speaker 1: quite dark, good looking, and of pleasant appearance. Frank was
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  Speaker 1: twenty five years of age, mulatto and very smart. Anne
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  Speaker 1: was twenty t too, good looking and smart. After their
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  Speaker 1: pressing wants had been met by the Vigilance Committee, and
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  Speaker 1: after partial recuperation from their hard travel, et cetera, they
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  Speaker 1: were forwarded to the Vigilance Committee in New York. In
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  Speaker 1: Syra Cruz, Frank, the leader who was engaged to Emily,
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  Speaker 1: concluded that the knot might as well be tied on
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  Speaker 1: the underground railroad, although penniless as to delay the matter
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  Speaker 1: a single day longer, Doubtless the bravery, struggles and trials
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  Speaker 1: of Emily throughout the journey had, in his estimation, added
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  Speaker 1: not a little to her charms. Thus, after consulting with
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  Speaker 1: her on the matter, her approval was soon obtained, she
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  Speaker 1: being too prudent and wise to refuse the hand of
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  Speaker 1: one who had proved himself a true friend to freedom,
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  Speaker 1: as well as so devoted to her. The twain were
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  Speaker 1: accordingly made one at the underground Railroad station in Syricruz
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  Speaker 1: by Superintendent Reverend J. W. Logwin. After this joyful event,
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  Speaker 1: they proceeded to Toronto and were there gladly received by
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  Speaker 1: the Lady Society for Aiding Colored Refugees. The following letter
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  Speaker 1: from Miss Agnes Willis, the wife of the distinguished Reverend
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Willis, brought the gratifying intelligence that these brave young
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  Speaker 1: adventurers fell into the hands of distinguished characters and warm
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  Speaker 1: friends of freedom. Toronto, twenty eighth of January Monday evening,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty six. Mister still, dear sir, I have very
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  Speaker 1: great pleasure in making you aware that the following respectable
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  Speaker 1: persons have arrived here in safety without being annoyed in
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  Speaker 1: any way after you saw them. The woman two of them, viz.
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  Speaker 1: Missus Greevesby and Missus Graham, have been rather ailing, but
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  Speaker 1: we hope they will very soon be well. They have
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  Speaker 1: been attended to by the Ladies Society and are most
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  Speaker 1: grateful for any attention they have received. The solitary person,
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  Speaker 1: Missus Graves, has also been attended to also, Her box
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  Speaker 1: will be looked after. She is pretty well but rather dull. However,
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  Speaker 1: she will get friends and feel more at home by
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  Speaker 1: and by Missus Windsor is quite well, and also young
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  Speaker 1: William Henry Sanderson. They are all of them in pretty
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  Speaker 1: good spirits, and I have no doubt they will succeed
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  Speaker 1: in whatever business they take up. In the meantime, the
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  Speaker 1: men are chopping wood and the ladies are getting plenty sewing.
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  Speaker 1: We are always glad to see our colored refugees safe here.
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  Speaker 1: I remain dear Sir, yours respectfully. Agnes willis Treasurer to
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  Speaker 1: the Ladies Society to aid colored refugees. For a time,
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  Speaker 1: Frank enjoyed his newly won freedom and happy bride, with
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  Speaker 1: bright prospects all around, but the thought of having left
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  Speaker 1: sisters and other relatives in bondage was a source of
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  Speaker 1: sadness in the midst of his joy. He was not long, however,
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  Speaker 1: in making up his mind that he would deliver them
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  Speaker 1: or die in the attempt. Deliberately forming his plans to
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  Speaker 1: go south, he resolved to take upon himself the entire
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  Speaker 1: responsibility for all the risks to be encountered. Not a
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  Speaker 1: word did he reveal to a living soul of what
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  Speaker 1: he was about to undertake. With twenty two dollars in
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  Speaker 1: cash and three pistols in his pocket, he started in
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  Speaker 1: the lightning train from Toronto for Virginia. On reaching Columbia,
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  Speaker 1: in this state, he deemed it not safe to go
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  Speaker 1: any farther by public conveyance. Consequently, he commenced his long
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  Speaker 1: journey on foot, and as he neared the slave territory,
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  Speaker 1: he traveled by night altogether for two weeks, night and day.
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  Speaker 1: He avoided trusting himself in any house. Consequently was compelled
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  Speaker 1: to lodge in the woods. Nevertheless, during that space of time,
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  Speaker 1: he succeeded in delivering one of his sisters and her husband,
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  Speaker 1: and another friend in the bargain. You can scarcely imagine
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  Speaker 1: the committee's amazement on his return, as they looked upon
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  Speaker 1: him and listened to his noble deeds of daring and
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  Speaker 1: his triumph. A more brave and self possessed man they
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  Speaker 1: had never seen. He knew what slavery was in the
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  Speaker 1: dangers surrounding him on his mission, but possessing true courage
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  Speaker 1: Unlike most men, he pictured no alarming difficulties in a
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  Speaker 1: distance of nearly one thousand miles by the male route
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  Speaker 1: though the enemy's country, where he might have, in truth
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  Speaker 1: said quote, I could not pass without running the gauntlet
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  Speaker 1: of mobs and assassins, prisons and penitentiaries, bailiffs and constables,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera end quote. If this hero had dwelt upon
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  Speaker 1: and magnified the obstacles in his way, he would most
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  Speaker 1: assuredly have kept off the enemy's country, and his sister
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  Speaker 1: and friends would have remained in chains. The following were
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  Speaker 1: the persons delivered by Frank Waynser. They were his trophies,
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  Speaker 1: and this noble act of Frank should ever be held
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  Speaker 1: as a memorial in honor. The Committee's brief record made
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  Speaker 1: on their arrival runs thus August eighteenth, eighteen fifty six.
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  Speaker 1: Frank Waynsor, Robert Stewart, Elias Gasberry Robinson, Vincent Smith, Elias
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  Speaker 1: John Jackson, Betsy Smith, wife of Vincent Smith, Elias Fanny Jackson.
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  Speaker 1: They all came from alder Lodun County, Virginia. Robert is
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  Speaker 1: about thirty years of age, medium size, dark chestnut color,
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  Speaker 1: intelligent and resolute. He was held by the widow Hutchinson,
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  Speaker 1: who was also the owner of about one hundred others.
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  Speaker 1: Robert regarded her as a very hard mistress until the
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  Speaker 1: death of her husband, which took place to fall previous
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  Speaker 1: to his escape. That sad affliction, he thought was the
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  Speaker 1: cause of a considerable change in her treatment of her slaves.
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  Speaker 1: But yet nothing was said about freedom on her part.
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  Speaker 1: This reticence Robert understood to mean that she was still
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  Speaker 1: unconverted on this great cardinal principle, at least as he
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  Speaker 1: could see no prospect of freedom through her agency. When
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  Speaker 1: Frank approached him with a good report from Canada and
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  Speaker 1: his friends there, he could scarcely wait to listen to
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  Speaker 1: the glorious news. He was so willing and anxious to
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  Speaker 1: get out of slavery. His dear old mother, Sarah Davis,
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  Speaker 1: and four brothers and two sisters, William, Thomas, Frederick and Samuel,
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  Speaker 1: Violet and Ellen, were all owned by Missus Hutchinson. Dear
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  Speaker 1: as they were to him, he saw no way to
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  Speaker 1: take them with him, nor was he prepared to remain
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  Speaker 1: a day longer under the yoke. So he decided to
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  Speaker 1: accompany Frank. Let the cost be what it might. Vincent
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  Speaker 1: is about twenty three years of age, very likely, looking
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  Speaker 1: dark color, and more than ordinarily intelligent for one having
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  Speaker 1: only the common chances of slaves. He was owned by
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  Speaker 1: the estate of Nathan Skinner, who was looked upon by
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  Speaker 1: those who knew him as a good slaveholder. In slave property, however,
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  Speaker 1: he was only interested to the number of twelve head.
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  Speaker 1: Skinner neither sold nor emancipated. A year and a half
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  Speaker 1: before Vincent escaped, his master was called to give an
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  Speaker 1: account of his stewardship, and there in the spirit land,
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  Speaker 1: Vincent was willing to let him remain without much more
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  Speaker 1: to add about him. Vincent left his mother, Judas Smith,
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  Speaker 1: and brothers and sisters Edwin, Angeline, Sina, Anne, Adeline, Susan, George, John,
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  Speaker 1: and Louis, all belonging to the estate of Skinner. Vincent
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  Speaker 1: was fortunate enough to bring his wife along with him.
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  Speaker 1: She was about twenty seven years of age, of a
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  Speaker 1: brown color and smart, and was owned by the daughter
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  Speaker 1: of the widow Hutchinson. This mistress was said to be
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  Speaker 1: a clever woman. End of Section thirty