Susan was also a passenger on the same ship that brought Wm. B. White.
She was from Norfolk. Her toil, body and strength were claimed by Thomas
Eckels, Esq., a man of wealth and likewise a man of intemperance. With
those who regarded Slavery as a "divine institution," intemperance was
scarcely a mote, in the eyes of such. For sixteen years, Susan had been
in the habit of hiring her time, for which she was required to pay five
dollars per month. As she had the reputation of being a good cook and
chambermaid, she was employed steadily, sometimes on boats. This sum may
therefore be considered reasonable.
Owing to the death of her husband, about a year previous to her escape,
she had suffered greatly, so much so, that on two or three occasions,
she had fallen into alarming fits,--a fact by no means agreeable to her
owner, as he feared that the traders on learning her failing health
would underrate her on this account. But Susan was rather thankful for
these signs of weakness, as she was thereby enabled to mature her plans
and thus to elude detection.
Her son having gone on ahead to Canada about six months in advance of
her, she felt that she had strong ties in the goodly land. Every day she
remained in bondage, the cords bound her more tightly, and "weeks seemed
like months, and months like years," so abhorrent had the peculiar
institution become to her in every particular. In this state of mind,
she saw no other way, than by submitting to be secreted, until an
opportunity should offer, via the Underground Rail Road.
So for four months, like a true and earnest woman, she endured a great
"fight of affliction," in this horrible place. But the thought of
freedom enabled her to keep her courage up, until the glad news was
conveyed to her that all things were ready, providing that she could get
safely to the boat, on which she was to be secreted. How she succeeded
in so doing the record book fails to explain.
One of the methods, which used to succeed very well, in skillful and
brave hands, was this: In order to avoid suspicion, the woman intending
to be secreted, approached the boat with a clean ironed shirt on her
arm, bare headed and in her usual working dress, looking good-natured of
course, and as if she were simply conveying the shirt to one of the men
on the boat. The attention of the officer on the watch would not for a
moment be attracted by a custom so common as this. Thus safely on the
boat, the man whose business it was to put this piece of property in the
most safe Underground Rail Road place, if he saw that every thing looked
favorable, would quickly arrange matters without being missed from his
duties. In numerous instances, officers were outwitted in this way.
As to what Susan had seen in the way of hardships, whether in relation
to herself or others, her story was most interesting; but it may here be
passed in order to make room for others. She left one sister, named Mary
Ann Tharagood, who was wanting to come away very much. Susan was a woman
of dark color, round built, medium height, and about forty years of age
when she escaped in 1854.
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