CAPTAIN F. was certainly no ordinary man. Although he had been living a
sea-faring life for many years, and the marks of this calling were
plainly enough visible in his manners and speech, he was, nevertheless,
unlike the great mass of this class of men, not addicted to intemperance
and profanity. On the contrary, he was a man of thought, and possessed,
in a large measure, those humane traits of character which lead men to
sympathize with suffering humanity wherever met with.
It must be admitted, however, that the first impressions gathered from a
hasty survey of his rough and rugged appearance, his large head, large
mouth, large eyes, and heavy eye-brows, with a natural gift at keeping
concealed the inner-workings of his mind and feelings, were not
calculated to inspire the belief, that he was fitted to be entrusted
with the lives of unprotected females, and helpless children; that he
could take pleasure in risking his own life to rescue them from the hell
of Slavery; that he could deliberately enter the enemy's domain, and
with the faith of a martyr, face the dread slave-holder, with his
Bowie-knives and revolvers--Slave-hunters, and blood-hounds, lynchings,
and penitentiaries, for humanity's sake. But his deeds proved him to be
a true friend of the Slave; whilst his skill, bravery, and success
stamped him as one of the most daring and heroic Captains ever connected
with the Underground Rail Road cause.
At the time he was doing most for humanity in rescuing bondsmen from
Slavery, Slave-laws were actually being the most rigidly executed. To
show mercy, in any sense, to man or woman, who might be caught assisting
a poor Slave to flee from the prison-house, was a matter not to be
thought of in Virginia. This was perfectly well understood by Captain
F.; indeed he did not hesitate to say, that his hazardous operations
might any day result in the "sacrifice" of his life. But on this point
he seemed to give himself no more concern than he would have done to
know which way the wind would blow the next day. He had his own
convictions about dying and the future, and he declared, that he had "no
fear of death," however it might come. Still, he was not disposed to be
reckless or needlessly to imperil his life, or the lives of those he
undertook to aid. Nor was he averse to receiving compensation for his
services. In Richmond, Norfolk, Petersburg, and other places where he
traded, many slaves were fully awake to their condition. The great slave
sales were the agencies that served to awaken a large number. Then the
various mechanical trades were necessarily given to the Slaves, for the
master had no taste for "greasy, northern mechanics." Then, again, the
stores had to be supplied with porters, draymen, etc., from the slave
population. In the hearts of many of the more intelligent amongst the
slaves, the men, as mechanics, etc., the women, as dress-makers,
chamber-maids, etc., notwithstanding all the opposition and hard laws,
the spirit of Freedom was steadily burning. Many of the slaves were half
brothers, and sisters, cousins, nephews, and nieces to their owners, and
of course "blood would tell."
It was only necessary for the fact to be made known to a single reliable
and intelligent slave, that a man with a boat running North had the love
of Freedom for all mankind in his bosom to make that man an object of
the greatest interest. If an angel had appeared amongst them doubtless
his presence would not have inspired greater anxiety and hope than did
the presence of Captain F. The class most anxious to obtain freedom
could generally manage to acquire some means which they would willingly
offer to captains or conductors in the South for such assistance as was
indispensable to their escape. Many of the slaves learned if they could
manage to cross Mason and Dixon's line, even though they might be
utterly destitute and penniless, that they would then receive aid and
protection from the Vigilance Committee. Here it may be well to state
that, whilst the Committee gladly received and aided all who might come
or be brought to them, they never employed agents or captains to go into
the South with a view of enticing or running off slaves. So when
captains operated, they did so with the full understanding that they
alone were responsible for any failures attending their movements.
The way is now clear to present Captain F. with his schooner lying at
the wharf in Norfolk, loading with wheat, and at the same time with
twenty-one fugitives secreted therein. While the boat was thus lying at
her mooring, the rumor was flying all over town that a number of slaves
had escaped, which created a general excitement a degree less, perhaps,
than if the citizens had been visited by an earthquake. The mayor of the
city with a posse of officers with axes and long spears repaired to
Captain F.'s boat. The fearless commander received his Honor very
coolly, and as gracefully as the circumstances would admit. The mayor
gave him to understand who he was, and by what authority he appeared on
the boat, and what he meant to do. "Very well," replied Captain F.,
"here I am and this is my boat, go ahead and search." His Honor with his
deputies looked quickly around, and then an order went forth from the
mayor to "spear the wheat thoroughly." The deputies obeyed the command
with alacrity. But the spears brought neither blood nor groans, and the
sagacious mayor obviously concluded that he was "barking up the wrong
tree." But the mayor was not there for nothing. "Take the axes and go to
work," was the next order; and the axe was used with terrible effect by
one of the deputies. The deck and other parts of the boat were chopped
and split; no greater judgment being exercised when using the axe than
when spearing the wheat; Captain F. all the while wearing an air of
utter indifference or rather of entire composure. Indeed every step they
took proved conclusively that they were wholly ignorant with regard to
boat searching. At this point, with remarkable shrewdness, Captain F.
saw wherein he could still further confuse them by a bold strategical
move. As though about out of patience with the mayor's blunders, the
captain instantly reminded his Honor that he had "stood still long
enough" while his boat was being "damaged, chopped up," &c. "Now if you
want to search," continued he, "give me the axe, and then point out the
spot you want opened and I will open it for you very quick." While
uttering these words he presented, as he was capable of doing, an
indignant and defiant countenance, and intimated that it mattered not
where or when a man died provided he was in the right, and as though he
wished to give particularly strong emphasis to what he was saying, he
raised the axe, and brought it down edge foremost on the deck with
startling effect, at the same time causing the splinters to fly from the
boards. The mayor and his posse seemed, if not dreadfully frightened,
completely confounded, and by the time Captain F. had again brought down
his axe with increased power, demanding where they would have him open,
they looked as though it was time for them to retire, and in a few
minutes after they actually gave up the search and left the boat without
finding a soul. Daniel in the lions' den was not safer than were the
twenty-one passengers secreted on Captain F.'s boat. The law had been
carried out with a vengeance, but did not avail with this skilled
captain. The "five dollars" were paid for being searched, the amount
which was lawfully required of every captain sailing from Virginia. And
the captain steered direct for the City of Brotherly Love. The wind of
heaven favoring the good cause, he arrived safely in due time, and
delivered his precious freight in the vicinity of Philadelphia within
the reach of the Vigilance Committee. The names of the passengers were
as follows:
[Illustration: Mayor and Police of Norfolk on Capt. Fountain's
schooner.]
ALAN TATUM, DANIEL CARR, MICHAEL VAUGHN, THOMAS NIXON, FREDERICK NIXON,
PETER PETTY, NATHANIEL GARDENER, JOHN BROWN, THOMAS FREEMAN, JAMES
FOSTER, GODFREY SCOTT, WILLIS WILSON, NANCY LITTLE, JOHN SMITH, FRANCIS
HAINES, DAVID JOHNSON, PHILLIS GAULT, ALICE JONES, NED WILSON, and SARAH
C. WILSON, and one other, who subsequently passed on, having been
detained on account of sickness. These passengers were most
"likely-looking articles;" a number of them, doubtless, would have
commanded the very highest prices in the Richmond market. Among them
were some good mechanics--one excellent dress-maker, some "prime"
waiters and chambermaids;--men and women with brains, some of them
evincing remarkable intelligence and decided bravery, just the kind of
passengers that gave the greatest satisfaction to the Vigilance
Committee. The interview with these passengers was extremely
interesting. Each one gave his or her experience of Slavery, the escape,
etc., in his or her own way, deeply impressing those who had the
privilege of seeing and hearing them, with the fact of the growing
spirit of Liberty, and the wonderful perception and intelligence
possessed by some of the sons of toil in the South. While all the names
of these passengers were duly entered on the Underground Rail Road
records, the number was too large, and the time they spent with the
attempts to escape were made by Daniel, after being sold to North
Carolina; for this offence, he was on one occasion stripped naked, and
flogged severely. This did not cure him. Prior to his joining Captain
F.'s party, he had fled to the swamps, and dwelt there for three months,
surrounded with wild animals and reptiles, and it was this state of
solitude that he left directly before finding Captain F. Daniel had a
wife in Portsmouth, to whom he succeeded in paying a private visit,
when, to his unspeakable joy, he made the acquaintance of the noble
Captain F., whose big heart was delighted to give him a passage North.
Daniel, after being sold, had been allowed, within the two years, only
one opportunity of visiting his wife; being thus debarred he resolved to
escape. His wife, whose name was Hannah, had three
children--slaves--their names were Sam, Dan, and "baby." The name of the
latter was unknown to him.
MICHAEL VAUGHN. Michael was about thirty-one years of age, with superior
physical proportions, and no lack of common sense. His color was without
paleness--dark and unfading, and his manly appearance was quite
striking. Michael belonged to a lady, whom he described as a "very
disagreeable woman." "For all my life I have belonged to her, but for
the last eight years I have hired my time. I paid my mistress $120 a
year; a part of the time I had to find my board and all my clothing."
This was the direct, and unequivocal testimony that Michael gave of his
slave life, which was the foundation for alleging that his mistress was
a "very disagreeable woman."
Michael left a wife and one child in Slavery; but they were not owned by
his mistress. Before escaping, he felt afraid to lead his companion into
the secret of his contemplated movements, as he felt, that there was no
possible way for him to do anything for her deliverance; on the other
hand, any revelation of the matter might prove too exciting for the poor
soul;--her name was Esther. That he did not lose his affection for her
whom he was obliged to leave so unceremoniously, is shown by the
appended letter:
NEW BEDFORD, August 22d, 1855.
DEAR SIR:--I send you this to inform you that I expect my wife
to come that way. If she should, you will direct her to me. When
I came through your city last Fall, you took my name in your
office, which was then given you, Michael Vaughn; since then my
name is William Brown, No. 130 Kempton street. Please give my
wife and child's name to Dr. Lundy, and tell him to attend to it
for me. Her name is Esther, and the child's name Louisa.
Truly yours,