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

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty four of The Underground Railroad Part one. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Maria Casper. The Underground Railroad
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  Speaker 1: Part one by William Still. Section twenty four The Arrivals
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  Speaker 1: of a single month, Part three. The following advertisement from
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  Speaker 1: the Cambridge Democrat of November fourth speaks for itself. Three
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  Speaker 1: hundred dollar reward. Ran away from the subscriber on Saturday
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  Speaker 1: night last seventeenth inst my Negro woman Lizzie, about twenty
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  Speaker 1: eight years old. She is medium sized, dark complexion, good looking,
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  Speaker 1: with rather a down look when spoken to, replies quickly.
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  Speaker 1: She was well dressed, wearing a red and green blanket
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  Speaker 1: shawl and carried with her a variety of clothing. She
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  Speaker 1: ran off in company with her husband nat Amby belonging
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  Speaker 1: to John Muir esquire, who is about six feet in
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  Speaker 1: height with slight impediment in his speech, dark chestnut color
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  Speaker 1: and a large scar on the side of his neck.
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  Speaker 1: I will give the above reward if taken in this county,
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  Speaker 1: or one half of what she sells for if taken
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  Speaker 1: out of the county or state, in either case to
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  Speaker 1: be lodged in Cambridge Jail, Cambridge, October twenty first, eighteen
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  Speaker 1: fifty seven. Alexander H. Bailey p s for the apprehension
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  Speaker 1: of the above named negro man Nat and delivery in
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  Speaker 1: Cambridge Jail. I will give five hundred dollar reward. John Muir. Now,
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  Speaker 1: since NAT's master has been introduced in the above order,
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  Speaker 1: it seems but appropriate that NAT should be heard too. Consequently,
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  Speaker 1: the following letter is inserted for what it is worth. Auburn,
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  Speaker 1: June tenth, eighteen fifty eight. Mister William Still, Sir, will
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  Speaker 1: you be so kind as to write a letter to
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  Speaker 1: Afy White in Strawberry Alley in Baltimore City on the
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  Speaker 1: point say to her at nat Amby, that I wish
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  Speaker 1: to know from her the last letter that Joseph Amby
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  Speaker 1: and Henry Amby two brothers, and Anne Warfield, a cousin
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  Speaker 1: of them, two boys I stayed above. I would like
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  Speaker 1: to hear from my mother, Sitchy Amby. You will please
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  Speaker 1: write to my mother and tell her that I am
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  Speaker 1: well and doing well, and state to her that I
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  Speaker 1: perform my religious duties. And I would like to hear
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  Speaker 1: from her, and want to know if she is performing
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  Speaker 1: her relizious duties yet, and send me word from all
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  Speaker 1: her children I left behind. Say to Afy White that
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  Speaker 1: I wish her to write me a letter in haste.
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  Speaker 1: My wife is well and doing well, and my nephew
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  Speaker 1: is doing well. Please tell Afy White when she writes
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  Speaker 1: to me, to let me know where Joseph and Henry
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  Speaker 1: Amby is. Mister still, Please look on your book and
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  Speaker 1: you will find my name on your book. They was
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  Speaker 1: eleven of us children and all when we came through,
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  Speaker 1: and I feel interested about my brothers. I have never
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  Speaker 1: heard from them since I left home. You will please
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  Speaker 1: be kind enough to attend to this letter. When you
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  Speaker 1: send the answer to this letter, you will please send
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  Speaker 1: it to P. R. Freeman, Auburn City, Cayuga County, New York, Yours, truly,
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  Speaker 1: nat Amby. William is twenty five complexion brown, intellect naturally good,
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  Speaker 1: with no favorable notions of the peculiar institution. He was
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  Speaker 1: armed with a formidable dirk knife and declared he would
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  Speaker 1: use it if attacked rather than be dragged back to bondage.
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  Speaker 1: Hannah is a hearty looking young woman. Of twenty three
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  Speaker 1: or twenty four, with a countenance that indicated that liberty
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  Speaker 1: was what she wanted and was contending for, and that
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  Speaker 1: she would not willingly submit to the yoke. Though she
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  Speaker 1: came with the King Cambridge Party, she did not come
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  Speaker 1: from Cambridge, but from Marshall Hope, Caroline County, where she
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  Speaker 1: had been owned by Charles Peters, a man who had
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  Speaker 1: distinguished himself by getting drunk, scratching and fighting, et cetera,
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  Speaker 1: not unfrequently in his own family. Even she had no
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  Speaker 1: parents that she knew of, left because they used her
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  Speaker 1: so bad, beat and knocked her about. Jack Scott Jack
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  Speaker 1: is about thirty six years of age, substantially built, dark color,
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  Speaker 1: and of quiet and prepossessing manners. He was owned by
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  Speaker 1: David B. Turner Esquire, a dry goods merchant of New
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  Speaker 1: York by birth. Turner was a Virginian and a regular
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  Speaker 1: slave holder. His slaves were kept hired out by the year.
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  Speaker 1: As Jack had had but slight acquaintance with his New
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  Speaker 1: York owner, he says, but very little about him. He
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  Speaker 1: was moved to leave simply because he had got tired
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  Speaker 1: of working for the white people for nothing. Fled from
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  Speaker 1: Richmond Virginia. Jack went to Canada direct The following letter
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  Speaker 1: furnishes a clue to his whereabouts plans, et cetera, Montreal,
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  Speaker 1: September first, eighteen fifty nine. Dear sir, it is with
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  Speaker 1: extreme pleasure that I set down to enclose you a
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  Speaker 1: few lines to let you know that I am well,
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  Speaker 1: and I hope when these few lines come to hand,
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  Speaker 1: they may find you and your family in good health
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  Speaker 1: and prosperity. I left your house November third, eighteen fifty
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  Speaker 1: seven for Canada. I received a letter here from James
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  Speaker 1: Carter in Petersburg saying that my wife would leave there
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  Speaker 1: about the twenty eighth or the first September, and that
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  Speaker 1: he would send her on by way of Philadelphia to
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  Speaker 1: you to send on to Montreal. If she come unto
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  Speaker 1: you be pleased to send her on. And as there
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  Speaker 1: is so many boats coming here all times a day,
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  Speaker 1: I may not know what time she will, so you
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  Speaker 1: be pleased to give her this direction. She can get
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  Speaker 1: a cab and go to the Donegana Hotel, and Edmund
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  Speaker 1: Turner is there. He will take make you where I lives.
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  Speaker 1: And if he is not there, cabman take you to
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  Speaker 1: mister Taylor's on Durham Street, nearly opposite to the Methodist Church.
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  Speaker 1: Nothing more at present, but remain your well wisher, John
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  Speaker 1: Scott C. Hitchins. This individual took his departure from Milford, Delaware,
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  Speaker 1: where he was owned by William Hill, a farmer who
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  Speaker 1: took special delight in having fighting done on the place.
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  Speaker 1: This passenger was one of our least intelligent travelers. He
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  Speaker 1: was about twenty two. Major Ross Major fled from John Jay,
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  Speaker 1: a farmer residing in the neighborhood of had Grace, Maryland.
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  Speaker 1: But for the mean treatment received from mister Jay, Major
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  Speaker 1: might have been foolish enough to have remained all his
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  Speaker 1: days in chains. It is an ill wind that blows
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  Speaker 1: nobody any good. Henry Auburn. Henry was to be free
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  Speaker 1: at twenty eight, but preferred having it at twenty one,
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  Speaker 1: especially as he was not certain that twenty eight would come.
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  Speaker 1: He is of chestnut color, well made, et cetera, and
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  Speaker 1: came from Seaford, Maryland. Perry Burton Perry is about twenty
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  Speaker 1: seven years of age, decidedly colored, medium size, and only
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  Speaker 1: of ordinary intellect. He acknowledged John R. Burton, a farmer
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  Speaker 1: on Indian River, as his master and escaped because he
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  Speaker 1: wanted some day for himself. Alfred Hubert, Israel Whitney, and
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  Speaker 1: John Thompson. Alfred is of powerful muscular appearance and naturally
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  Speaker 1: of a good intellect. He is full dark chestnut color,
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  Speaker 1: and would doubtless fetch a high price. He was owned
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  Speaker 1: by missus Matilda Niles, from whom he had hired his time,
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  Speaker 1: paying one hundred and ten dollars yearly. He had no
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  Speaker 1: fault to find with his mistress, except he observed she
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  Speaker 1: had a young family growing up into whose hands. He
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  Speaker 1: feared he might unluckily fall some day, and saw no
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  Speaker 1: way of avoiding it. But by flight, being only twenty eight,
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  Speaker 1: he may yet make his mark. Israel was owned by
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  Speaker 1: Elijah Money. All that he could say in favor of
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  Speaker 1: his master was that he treated him respectfully, though he
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  Speaker 1: drank hard. Israel was about thirty six and another excellent
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  Speaker 1: specimen of an able bodied and wide awake man. He
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  Speaker 1: hired his time at the rate of one hundred and
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  Speaker 1: twenty dollars a year, and had to find his wife
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  Speaker 1: and child in the bargain. He came from Alexandria, Virginia.
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  Speaker 1: Interesting letter from Israel Hamilton October sixteenth, eighteen fifty eight,
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  Speaker 1: William still my dear friend. I saw Carter and his
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  Speaker 1: friend a few days ago, and they told me that
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  Speaker 1: you was well. On the seventh of October, my wife
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  Speaker 1: came to Hamilton. Mister A. Herbert, who came from Virginia
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  Speaker 1: with me, is going to get married on the twentieth
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  Speaker 1: of November next I wish you would write to me
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  Speaker 1: of how many of my friends you have seen since
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  Speaker 1: October eighteen fifty Seve Montgomery Green keeps a barber shop
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  Speaker 1: in Cayuga, in the state of New York. I have
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  Speaker 1: not heard of Oscar Ball but once since I came here,
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  Speaker 1: and then he was well and doing well. George Carroll
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  Speaker 1: is in Hamilton. The times are very dull at present
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  Speaker 1: and have been ever since I came here. Please write soon.
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  Speaker 1: Nothing more at present only I still remain in Hamilton. C. W.
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  Speaker 1: Israel Whitney John is nineteen years of age, Mulatto, spare made,
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  Speaker 1: but not lacking in courage, mother wit, or perseverance. He
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  Speaker 1: was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, and after experiencing slavery
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  Speaker 1: for a number of years, there being sold two or
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  Speaker 1: three times to the highest bidder. He was finally purchased
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  Speaker 1: by a cotton planter named Hezekiah Thompson residing at Huntsville, Alabama.
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  Speaker 1: Immediately after the sale, Hezekiah bundled his new purchase off
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  Speaker 1: to Alabama, where he succeeded in keeping him only about
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  Speaker 1: two years. For at the end of that time, John
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  Speaker 1: determined to strike a blow for liberty. The incentive to
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  Speaker 1: this step was the inhuman treatment he was subjected to
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  Speaker 1: cruel indeed, did he find it there. His master was
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  Speaker 1: a young man fond of drinking and carousing, and always
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  Speaker 1: ready for a fight or a knock down. A short
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  Speaker 1: time before John left, his master whipped him so severely
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  Speaker 1: with the bull whip that he could not use his
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  Speaker 1: arm for three or four days. Seeing but one way
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  Speaker 1: of escape, and that more perilous than the way William
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  Speaker 1: and Ellen Craft or Henry box Brown traveled, he resolved
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  Speaker 1: to try it. It was to get on the top
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  Speaker 1: of the car instead of inside of it, and thus
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  Speaker 1: ride of nights till nearly daylight. When at a stopping
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  Speaker 1: place on the road, he would slip off the car
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  Speaker 1: and conceal himself in the woods until under cover of
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  Speaker 1: the next night. He could manage to get on the
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  Speaker 1: top of another car. By this most hazardous mode of travel,
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  Speaker 1: he reached Virginia. It may be best not to attempt
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  Speaker 1: to describe how he suffered at the hands of his
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  Speaker 1: owners in Alabama, or how severely he was pinched with
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  Speaker 1: hunger in traveling, or how when he reached his old
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  Speaker 1: neighborhood in Virginia, he could not venture to inquire for
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  Speaker 1: his mother, brothers, or sisters to receive from them an
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  Speaker 1: affectionate word and encouraging smile, a crust of bread, or
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  Speaker 1: a drink of water. Success attended his efforts for more
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  Speaker 1: than two weeks, but alas, after having got back north
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  Speaker 1: of Richmond, on his way home to Alexandria, he was
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  Speaker 1: captured and put in prison. His master, being informed of
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  Speaker 1: the fact, came on and took possession of him again.
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  Speaker 1: At first he refused to sell him, said he had
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  Speaker 1: money enough and owned about thirty slaves, therefore wished to
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  Speaker 1: take him back to make an example of him. However,
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  Speaker 1: through the persuasion of an uncle of his, he consented
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  Speaker 1: to sell. Accordingly, John was put on the auction block
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  Speaker 1: and bought for thirteen hundred dollars by Green mac Murray,
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  Speaker 1: a regular trader in Richmond. Mac murray again offered him
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  Speaker 1: for sale, But in consequence of hard times and the
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  Speaker 1: high price demanded, John did not go off, at least
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  Speaker 1: not in the way the trader desired to dispose of him,
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  Speaker 1: but did nevertheless succeed in going off on the underground railroad. Thus,
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  Speaker 1: once more he reached his old home Alexandria. His mother
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  Speaker 1: was in one place, and his six brothers and sisters
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  Speaker 1: evidently scattered where he knew not since he was five
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  Speaker 1: years of age, not one of them has he seen
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  Speaker 1: if such sufferings and trials were not entitled to claim
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  Speaker 1: for the sufferer the honor of a hero. Where in
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  Speaker 1: all Christendom could one be found who could prove a
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  Speaker 1: better title to that appellation. It is needless to say
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  Speaker 1: that the committee extended to him brotherly kindness, sympathized with
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  Speaker 1: him deeply, and sent him on his way rejoicing of
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  Speaker 1: his subsequent career. The following extract from a letter written
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  Speaker 1: at London shows that he found no rest for the
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  Speaker 1: soles of his feet under the stars and stripes in
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  Speaker 1: New York. I hope that you will remember John Thompson,
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  Speaker 1: who passed through your hands, I think in October eighteen
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  Speaker 1: fifty seven, at the same time that mister Cooper from Charleston,
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  Speaker 1: South Carolina came on. I was engaged at New York
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  Speaker 1: in the barber business with a friend, and was doing
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  Speaker 1: very well when I was betrayed and obliged to sail
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  Speaker 1: for England very suddenly, my master being in the city,
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  Speaker 1: to arrest me. London, December twenty first, eighteen sixty. Jeremiah
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  Speaker 1: Colburn Jeremiah is a bright mulatto of prepossessing appearance, reads
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  Speaker 1: and writes, and is quite intelligent. He fled from Charleston,
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  Speaker 1: where he had been owned by Missus E. Williamson, an
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  Speaker 1: old lady about seventy five, a member of the Episcopal
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  Speaker 1: Church and opposed to freedom as far as he was concerned. However,
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  Speaker 1: he said she had treated him well. But knowing that
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  Speaker 1: the old lady would not be long here, he judged
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  Speaker 1: it was best to look out in time. Consequently, he
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  Speaker 1: availed himself of an underground railroad ticket and bade adieu
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  Speaker 1: to that hot bed of secession, South Carolina. Indeed, he
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  Speaker 1: was fair enough to pass for white, and actually came
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  Speaker 1: the entire journey from Charleston to this city under the
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  Speaker 1: garb of a white gentleman. With regard to gentlemanly bearing, however,
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  Speaker 1: he was all right in this particular. Nevertheless, as he
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  Speaker 1: had been a slave all his days, he found that
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  Speaker 1: it required no small amount of nerve to succeed in
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  Speaker 1: running the gauntlet with slaveholders and slave catchers for so
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  Speaker 1: long a journey. End of section twenty four, recording by
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  Speaker 1: Maria Casper