This arrival came by Steamer. But they neither came in State-room nor as
Cabin, Steerage, or Deck passengers.
A certain space, not far from the boiler, where the heat and coal dust
were almost intolerable,--the colored steward on the boat in answer to
an appeal from these unhappy bondmen, could point to no other place for
concealment but this. Nor was he at all certain that they could endure
the intense heat of that place. It admitted of no other posture than
lying flat down, wholly shut out from the light, and nearly in the same
predicament in regard to the air. Here, however, was a chance of
throwing off the yoke, even if it cost them their lives. They considered
and resolved to try it at all hazards.
Henry Box Brown's sufferings were nothing, compared to what these men
submitted to during the entire journey.
They reached the house of one of the Committee about three o'clock, A.M.
All the way from the wharf the cold rain poured down in torrents and
they got completely drenched, but their hearts were swelling with joy
and gladness unutterable. From the thick coating of coal dust, and the
effect of the rain added thereto, all traces of natural appearance were
entirely obliterated, and they looked frightful in the extreme. But they
had placed their lives in mortal peril for freedom.
Every step of their critical journey was reviewed and commented on, with
matchless natural eloquence,--how, when almost on the eve of suffocating
in their warm berths, in order to catch a breath of air, they were
compelled to crawl, one at a time, to a small aperture; but scarcely
would one poor fellow pass three minutes being thus refreshed, ere the
others would insist that he should "go back to his hole." Air was
precious, but for the time being they valued their liberty at still
greater price.
After they had talked to their hearts' content, and after they had been
thoroughly cleansed and changed in apparel, their physical appearance
could be easily discerned, which made it less a wonder whence such
outbursts of eloquence had emanated. They bore every mark of determined
manhood.
The date of this arrival was February 26, 1854, and the following
description was then recorded--
Arrived, by Steamer Pennsylvania, James Mercer, William H. Gilliam and
John Clayton, from Richmond.
James was owned by the widow, Mrs. T.E. White. He is thirty-two years of
age, of dark complexion, well made, good-looking, reads and writes, is
very fluent in speech, and remarkably intelligent. From a boy, he had
been hired out. The last place he had the honor to fill before escaping,
was with Messrs. Williams and Brother, wholesale commission merchants.
For his services in this store the widow had been drawing one hundred
and twenty-five dollars per annum, clear of all expenses.
He did not complain of bad treatment from his mistress, indeed, he spoke
rather favorably of her. But he could not close his eyes to the fact,
that at one time Mrs. White had been in possession of thirty head of
slaves, although at the time he was counting the cost of escaping, two
only remained--himself and William, (save a little boy) and on himself a
mortgage for seven hundred and fifty dollars was then resting. He could,
therefore, with his remarkably quick intellect, calculate about how long
it would be before he reached the auction block.
He had a wife but no child. She was owned by Mr. Henry W. Quarles. So
out of that Sodom he felt he would have to escape, even at the cost of
leaving his wife behind. Of course he felt hopeful that the way would
open by which she could escape at a future time, and so it did, as will
appear by and by. His aged mother he had to leave also.
Wm. Henry Gilliam likewise belonged to the Widow White, and he had been
hired to Messrs. White and Brother to drive their bread wagon. William
was a baker by trade. For his services his mistress had received one
hundred and thirty-five dollars per year. He thought his mistress quite
as good, if not a little better than most slave-holders. But he had
never felt persuaded to believe that she was good enough for him to
remain a slave for her support.
Indeed, he had made several unsuccessful attempts before this time to
escape from slavery and its horrors. He was fully posted from A to Z,
but in his own person he had been smart enough to escape most of the
more brutal outrages. He knew how to read and write, and in readiness of
speech and general natural ability was far above the average of slaves.
He was twenty-five years of age, well made, of light complexion, and
might be put down as a valuable piece of property.
This loss fell with crushing weight upon the kind-hearted mistress, as
will be seen in a letter subjoined which she wrote to the unfaithful
William, some time after he had fled.