Note on P. Cannon. George Alfred Townsend wrote a romance of about 700 pages, entitled "The Entailed Hat, or Patty Cannon's Times," in which Patty Cannon is one of the principal characters. It is a very interesting and instructive story. Townsend was a native of Delaware and well qualified to write such a story. He says in the introduction: "Often had she told him of old Patty Cannon and her kidnapping den and her death in the jail of his native town. He found the legend of that dreaded woman had strengthened instead of having faded with time, and her haunts preserved, and eye witnesses of her deeds to be still living. "Hence, this romance has much local truth in it and is not only the narrative of an episode, but the story of a large region, comprehending three State jurisdictions." "'Patty Cannon's dead; they say she's took poison.' "A mighty pain seized the Chancellor's heart, and the loud groans he made called a stranger into the room. "'Is that dreadful woman dead?' sighed the Chancellor. "'Yes; she will never plague Delaware again. Marster.' "'God be thanked!' the old man groaned." "Entailed Hat," p. 541.] [Footnote 250: Liberator: Sept. 14, 1849; Jan. 10, 1835.] [Footnote 251: Niles' Register, April 10, 1824; Oct. 10, 1818.] [Footnote 252: Jessie Torrey: A Portraiture of Domestic Slavery, p. 57.] [Footnote 253: Ibid.] [Footnote 254: Francis Hall: Travels in Canada and the United States, p. 425.] CHAPTER VI. SLAVE "PRISONS," MARKETS, CHARACTER OF TRADERS, ETC. In all the large towns and cities were slave "prisons" or "pens"[255] in which slaves were kept until enough for a drove or shipment could be collected.[256] The slave prisons ranged all the way from a rude whitewashed shed[257] to large and commodious establishments accommodating hundreds of slaves. A description of one of these--The Franklin and Armfield prison which was in Alexandria--by Andrews is rather interesting: "The establishment," he says, ... "is situated in a retired quarter in the southern part of the city. It is easily distinguished as you approach it, by the high, whitewashed wall surrounding the yards and giving to it the appearance of a penitentiary. The dwelling house is of brick, three stories high, and opening directly upon the street; over the front door is the name of the firm.... "We passed out of the back door of the dwelling house and entered a spacious yard nearly surrounded with neatly whitewashed two story buildings, devoted to the use of the slaves. Turning to the left we came to a strong grated door of iron opening into a spacious yard surrounded by a high whitewashed wall, one side of this yard was roofed, but the principal part was open to the air. Along the covered side extended a table, at which the slaves had recently taken their dinner, which, judging from what remained, had been wholesome and abundant.... The gate was secured by strong padlocks and bolts."[258]