Whether James ever succeeded in recovering his wife and child, is not
known to the writer. Many similarly situated were wont to appeal again
and again, until growing entirely hopeless, they would conclude to
marry.
Here it may be remarked, with reference to marrying, that of the great
number of fugitives in Canada, the male sex was largely in preponderance
over the female, and many of them were single young men. This class
found themselves very acceptable to Irish girls, and frequently legal
alliances were the result. And it is more than likely, that there are
white women in Canada to-day, who are married to some poor slave woman's
fugitive husband.
Verily, the romantic and tragic phases of the Underground Rail Road are
without number, if not past finding out.
Scarcely had the above-mentioned nine left the Philadelphia depot, ere
the following way-worn travelers came to hand:
PERRY SHEPHARD, and ISAAC REED, Eastern Shore, Maryland; GEORGE
SPERRYMAN, _alias_ THOMAS JOHNSON, Richmond; VALENTINE SPIRES, near
Petersburg; DANIEL GREEN, _alias_ GEORGE TAYLOR, Leesburg, Virginia;
JAMES JOHNSON, _alias_ WILLIAM GILBERT and wife HARRIET, Prince George's
county, Maryland; HENRY COOPER, and WILLIAM ISRAEL SMITH, Middletown,
Delaware; ANNA DORSEY, Maryland.
Although starting from widely separated localities without the slightest
communication with each other in the South, each separate passenger
earnestly bent on freedom, had endured suffering, hunger, and perils, by
land and water, sustained by the hope of ultimate freedom.
PERRY SHEPHARD and ISAAC REED reported themselves as having fled from
the Eastern Shore of Maryland; that they had there been held to service
or Slavery by Sarah Ann Burgess, and Benjamin Franklin Houston, from
whom they fled. No incidents of slave life or travel were recorded, save
that Perry left his wife Milky Ann, and two children, Nancy and Rebecca
(free). Also Isaac left his wife, Hester Ann Louisa, and the following
named children: Philip Henry, Harriet Ann and Jane Elizabeth.
GEORGE SPERRYMAN'S lot was cast amongst the oppressed in the city of
Richmond, Va. Of the common ills of slave life, George could speak from
experience; but little of his story, however, was recorded at the time.
He had reached the Committee through the regular channel--was adjudged
worthy of aid and encouragement, and they gave it to him freely.
Nickless Templeman was the loser in this instance; how he bore the
misfortune the Committee was not apprised. Without question, the
property was delighted with getting rid of the owner.
VALENTINE SPIRES came a fellow-passenger with George, having "took out"
the previous Christmas, from a place called Dunwoody, near Petersburg.
He was held to service in that place by Dr. Jesse Squires. Under his
oppressive rules and demands, Valentine had been convinced that there
could be no peace, consequently he turned his attention to one
idea--freedom and the Underground Rail Road, and with this faith, worked
his way through to the Committee, and was received, and aided of course.
DAVID GREEN, fled from Warrington, near Leesburg. Elliott Curlett so
alarmed David by threatening to sell him, that the idea of liberty
immediately took possession in David's mind. David had suffered many
hardships at the hands of his master, but when the auction-block was
held up to him, that was the worst cut of all. He became a thinker right
away. Although he had a wife and one child in Slavery, he decided to
flee for his freedom at all hazards, and accordingly he carried out his
firm resolution.
JAMES JOHNSON. This "article" was doing unrequited labor as the slave of
Thomas Wallace, in Prince George county, Maryland. He was a stout and
rugged-looking man, of thirty-five years of age. On escaping, he was
fortunate enough to bring his wife, Harriet with him. She was ten years
younger than himself, and had been owned by William T. Wood, by whom she
said that she had "been well treated." But of late, this Wood had taken
to liquor, and she felt in danger of being sold. She knew that rum
ruined the best of slave-holders, so she was admonished to get out of
danger as soon as possible.
CHARLES HENRY COOPER and WILLIAM ISRAEL SMITH. These passengers were
representatives of the peculiar Institution of Middletown, Delaware.
Charles was owned by Catharine Mendine, and William by John P. Cather.
According to their confession, Charles and William it seemed had been
thinking a good deal over the idea of "working for nothing," of being
daily driven to support others, while they were rendered miserable
thereby. So they made up their minds to try the Underground Rail Road,
"hit or miss." This resolution was made and carried into effect (on the
part of Charles at least), at the cost of leaving a mother, three
brothers, and three sisters in Slavery, without hope of ever seeing them
again. The ages of Charles and William were respectively twenty-two and
twenty-one. Both stout and well-made young men, with intellects well
qualified to make the wilderness of Canada bud and blossom as the rose,
and thitherward they were dispatched.
ANNA DORSET became tired of Slavery in Maryland, where she reported that
she had been held to service by a slave-holder, known by the name of Eli
Molesworth. The record is silent as to how she was treated. As a slave,
she had been brought up a seamstress, and was quite intelligent. Age
twenty-two, mulatto.
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