Both of these passengers came from Maryland. Ordee was about thirty-five
years of age, gingerbread color, well made, and intelligent. Being
allowed no chances to make anything for himself, was the excuse offered
for his escape. Though, as will appear presently, other causes also
helped to make him hate his oppression.
The man who had daily robbed him, and compelled him to call him master,
was a notorious "gambler," by the name of Elijah Thompson, residing in
Maryland. "By his bad habits he had run through with his property,
though in society he stood pretty tolerably high amongst some people;
then again some didn't like him, he was a mean man, all for himself. He
was a man that didn't care anything about his servants, except to get
work out of them. When he came where the servants were working, he would
snap and bite at them and if he said anything at all, it was to hurry
the work on."
"He never gave me," said Ordee, "a half a dollar in his life. Didn't
more than half feed, said that meat and fish was too high to eat. As for
clothing, he never gave me a new hat for every day, nor a Sunday rag in
his life." Of his mistress, he said, "She was stingy and close,--made
him (his master) worse than what he would have been." Two of his
brothers were sold to Georgia, and his uncle was cheated out of his
freedom. Left three brothers and two sisters in chains. Elijah Thompson
had at least fifteen hundred dollars less to sport upon by this bold
step on the part of Ordee.
Richard was about twenty-two years of age, well grown, and a very
likely-looking article, of a chestnut color, with more than common
intelligence for a slave.
His complaints were that he had been treated "bad," allowed "no
privileges" to make anything, allowed "no Sunday clothing," &c. So he
left the portly-looking Dr. Hughes, with no feeling of indebtedness or
regret. And as to his "cross and ill-natured" mistress, with her four
children, they might whistle for his services and support. His master
had, however, some eighteen or twenty others to rob for the support of
himself and family, so they were in no great danger of starving.
"Would your owner be apt to pursue you?" said a member of the Committee.
"I don't think he will. He was after two uncles of mine, one time, saw
them, and talked with them, but was made to run."
Richard left behind his mother, step-father, two sisters, and one
brother. As a slave, he would have been considered cheap at sixteen
hundred dollars. He was a fine specimen.
* * * * *