The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-Breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, As Related by Themselves and Others, or Witnessed by the Author.Still, William
History
The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, &c., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-Breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom, As Related by Themselves and Others, or Witnessed by the Author.
Still, William
Abolitionists -- United States -- Biography; Antislavery movements -- United States -- History -- 19th century; Fugitive slaves -- United States -- Biography; Fugitive slaves -- United States -- History -- 19th century; Underground Railroad
Again Peter returned to Philadelphia, and was now willing to accept the
offer of Concklin. Ere long, the opportunity of an interview was had,
and Peter gave Seth a very full description of the country and of his
family, and made known to him, that he had very carefully gone over with
his wife and children the matter of their freedom. This interview
interested Concklin most deeply. If his own wife and children had been
in bondage, scarcely could he have manifested greater sympathy for them.
For the hazardous work before him he was at once prepared to make a
start. True he had two sisters in Philadelphia for whom he had always
cherished the warmest affection, but he conferred not with them on this
momentous mission. For full well did he know that it was not in human
nature for them to acquiesce in this perilous undertaking, though one of
these sisters, Mrs. Supplee, was a most faithful abolitionist.
Having once laid his hand to the plough he was not the man to look
back,--not even to bid his sisters good-bye, but he actually left them
as though he expected to be home to his dinner as usual. What had become
of him during those many weeks of his perilous labors in Alabama to
rescue this family was to none a greater mystery than to his sisters. On
leaving home he simply took two or three small articles in the way of
apparel with one hundred dollars to defray his expenses for a time; this
sum he considered ample to start with. Of course he had very safely
concealed about him Vina's cape and one or two other articles which he
was to use for his identification in meeting her and the children on the
plantation.
His first thought was, on reaching his destination, after becoming
acquainted with the family, being familiar with Southern manners, to
have them all prepared at a given hour for the starting of the steamboat
for Cincinnati, and to join him at the wharf, when he would boldly
assume the part of a slaveholder, and the family naturally that of
slaves, and in this way he hoped to reach Cincinnati direct, before
their owner had fairly discovered their escape.
But alas for Southern irregularity, two or three days' delay after being
advertised to start, was no uncommon circumstance with steamers; hence
this plan was abandoned. What this heroic man endured from severe
struggles and unyielding exertions, in traveling thousands of miles on
water and on foot, hungry and fatigued, rowing his living freight for
seven days and seven nights in a skiff, is hardly to be paralleled in
the annals of the Underground Rail Road.
The following interesting letters penned by the hand of Concklin convey
minutely his last struggles and characteristically represent the
singleness of heart which impelled him to sacrifice his life for the
slave--
EASTPORT, MISS., FEB. 3, 1851.
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