The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom: A comprehensive historySiebert, Wilbur Henry
History
The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom: A comprehensive history
Siebert, Wilbur Henry
Fugitive slaves -- United States; Underground Railroad
In the early days running slaves sometimes sought and received
aid from Indians. This fact is evidenced by the introduction of
fugitive recovery clauses into a number of the treaties made between
the colonies and Indian tribes. Seven out of the eight treaties
made between 1784 and 1786 contained clauses for the return of
black prisoners, or of "negroes and other property."[267] A few of
the colonies offered rewards to induce Indians to apprehend and
restore runaways. In 1669 Maryland "ordered that any Indian who
shall apprehend a fugitive may have a 'match coate' or its value.
Virginia would give '20 armes length of Roanake,' or its value,
while in Connecticut 'two yards of cloth' was considered sufficient
inducement."[268] The inhabitants of the Ottawa village of Chief
Kinjeino in northwestern Ohio were kindly disposed towards the
fugitive;[269] and the people of Chief Brant, who held an estate on
the Grand River in Ontario west of Niagara Falls, were in the habit
of receiving colored refugees.[270]
[267] M. G. McDougall, _Fugitive Slaves_, pp. 13, 104, 105.
[268] M. G. McDougall, _Fugitive Slaves_, pp. 7, 8, and the
references there given.
[269] Letter of Colonel D. W. H. Howard, Wauseon, O., Aug. 22,
1894.
[270] See Chapter VII, p. 203.
The people of Scotch and Scotch-Irish descent were naturally liberty
loving, and seem to have given hearty support to the anti-slavery
cause in whatever form it presented itself to them. The small
number of Scotch communities in Morgan and Logan counties, Ohio,
and in Randolph and Washington counties, Illinois, were centres of
underground service.
The secret work of the English, Irish and German settlers cannot be
so readily localized. In various places a single German, Irishman,
or Englishman is known to have aided escaped slaves in coöperation
with a few other persons of different nationality, but so far as
known there were no groups made up of representatives of one or
another of these races engaged in such enterprises. At Toledo,
Ohio, the company of helpers comprised Congressman James M. Ashley,
a Pennsylvanian by birth; Richard Mott, a Quaker; James Conlisk,
an Irishman; William H. Merritt, a negro; and several others.[271]
Lyman Goodnow, an operator of Waukesha, Wisconsin, says he was told
that "in cases of emergency the Germans were next best to Quakers
for protection."[272] Two German companies from Massachusetts
enlisted for the War only when promised that they should not be
required to restore runaways to their owners.[273]
[271] Conversation with the Hon. James M. Ashley, Toledo, O.,
August, 1894.
[272] Narrative of Lyman Goodnow in _History of Waukesha County,
Wisconsin_, p. 462.
[273] See p. 355, Chapter XI.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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