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
At fourteen years of age, William was sold for eight hundred dollars; he
would have brought in 1857, probably twelve hundred and fifty dollars;
he was a member of the Baptist Church in good and regular standing.
* * * * *
LOUISA BROWN.
Louisa is a good-looking, well-grown, intelligent mulatto girl of
sixteen years of age, and was owned by a widow woman of Baltimore, Md.
To keep from being sold, she was prompted to try her fortune on the
U.G.R.R., for Freedom in Canada, under the protection of the British
Lion.
* * * * *
JACOB WATERS AND ALFRED GOULDEN.
Jacob is twenty-one years of age, dark chestnut color, medium size, and
of prepossessing manners. Fled from near Frederick, Md., from the
clutches of a farmer by the name of William Dorsey, who was described as
a severe master, and had sold two of Jacob's sisters, South, only three
years prior to his escape. Jacob left three brothers in chains.
Alfred is twenty-three years of age, in stature quite small, full black,
and bears the marks of ill usage. Though a member of the Methodist
Church, his master, Fletcher Jackson, "thought nothing of taking the
shovel to Alfred's head; or of knocking him, and stamping his head with
the heels of his boots." Repeatedly, of late, he had been shockingly
beaten. To escape those terrible visitations, therefore, he made up his
mind to seek a refuge in Canada.
* * * * *
ARRIVAL FROM BALTIMORE.
JEFFERSON PIPKINS, ALIAS DAVID JONES, LOUISA PIPKINS, ELIZABETH BRIT,
HARRIET BROWN, ALIAS JANE WOOTON, GRACY MURRY, ALIAS SOPHIA SIMS, EDWARD
WILLIAMS, ALIAS HENRY JOHNSON, CHAS. LEE, ALIAS THOMAS BUSHIER.
Six very clever-looking passengers, all in one party from Baltimore,
Md., the first Sunday in April, 1853. Baltimore used to be in the days
of Slavery one of the most difficult places in the South for even free
colored people to get away from, much more for slaves. The rule forbade
any colored person leaving there by rail road or steamboat, without such
applicant had been weighed, measured, and then given a bond signed by
unquestionable signatures, well known. Baltimore was rigid in the
extreme, and was a never-failing source of annoyance, trouble and
expense to colored people generally, and not unfrequently to
slave-holders too, when they were traveling North with "colored
servants." Just as they were ready to start, the "Rules" would forbid
colored servants until the law was complied with. Parties hurrying on
would on account of this obstruction "have to wait until their hurry was
over." As this was all done in the interest of Slavery, the matter was
not very loudly condemned. But, notwithstanding all this weighing,
measuring and requiring of bonds, many travelers by the Underground Rail
Road took passage from Baltimore.
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