NINE VERY FINE "ARTICLES." LEW JONES, OSCAR PAYNE, MOSE WOOD, DAVE
DIGGS, JACK, HEN, AND BILL DADE, AND JOE BALL.
The coming of this interesting party was as gratifying, as their
departure must have been disagreeable to those who had been enjoying the
fruits of their unpaid labor. Stockholders of the Underground Rail Road,
conductors, etc., about this time were well pleased with the wonderful
success of the road, especially as business was daily increasing.
Upon inquiry of these passengers individually, the following results
were obtained:
Lewis was about fifty-two years of age, a man of superior stature, six
feet high, with prominent features, and about one third of Anglo-Saxon
blood in his veins. The apparent solidity of the man both with respect
to body and mind was calculated to inspire the idea that he would be a
first-rate man to manage a farm in Canada.
Of his bondage and escape the following statement was obtained from him:
"I was owned by a man named Thomas Sydan, a Catholic, and a farmer. He
was not a very hard man, but was very much opposed to black folks having
their liberty. He owned six young slaves not grown up. It was owing to
Sydan's mother's estate that I came into his hands; before her death I
had hoped to be free for a long time as soon as she died. My old
mistress' name was Nancy Sydan; she was lame for twenty years, and
couldn't walk a step without crutches, and I was her main support. I was
foreman on the farm; sometimes no body but me would work, and I was
looked up to for support. A good deal of the time I would have to attend
to her. If she was going to ride, I would have to pick her up in my arms
and put her in the carriage, and many times I would have to lift her in
her sick room. No body couldn't wait upon her but me. She had a husband,
and he had a master, and that was rum; he drank very hard, he killed
himself drinking. He was poor support. When he died, fifteen years ago,
he left three sons, Thomas, James, and Stephen, they were all together
then, only common livers. After his death about six years mistress died.
I felt sure then I would be free, but was very badly disappointed. I
went to my young masters and asked them about my freedom; they laughed
at me and said, no such thought had entered their heads, that I was to
be free. The neighbors said it was a shame that they should keep me out
of my freedom, after I had been the making of the family, and had
behaved myself so faithful. One gentleman asked master John what he
would take for me, and offered a thousand dollars; that was three months
before I ran away, and massa John said a thousand dollars wouldn't buy
one leg. I hadn't anything to hope for from them. I served them all my
life, and they didn't thank me for it. A short time before I come away
my aunt died, all the kin I had, and they wouldn't let me go to the
funeral. They said 'the time couldn't be spared.'" This was the last
straw on the camel's back.
In Lewis' grief and disappointment he decided that he would run away the
first chance that he could get, and seek a home in Canada. He held
counsel with others in whom he could confide, and they fixed on a time
to start, and resolved that they would suffer anything else but Slavery.
Lewis was delighted that he had managed so cunningly to leave master Tom
and mistress Margaret, and their six children to work for their own
living. He had an idea that they would want Lew for many things; the
only regret he felt was that he had served them so long, that they had
received his substance and strength for half a century. Fortunately
Lewis' wife escaped three days in advance of him, in accordance with a
mutual understanding. They had no children. The suffering on the road
cost Lewis a little less than death, but the joy of success came soon to
chase away the effects of the pain and hardship which had been endured.
Oscar, the next passenger, was advertised as follows:
$200 REWARD.--Ran away from the service of the Rev. J.P.
McGuire, Episcopal High School, Fairfax county, Va., on
Saturday, 10th inst, Negro Man, Oscar Payne aged 30 years, 5
feet 4 inches in height, square built, mulatto color, thick,
bushy suit of hair, round, full face, and when spoken to has a
pleasant manner--clothes not recollected.
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I will give $200 for his recovery if taken out of the State, or
$150 if taken in the State, and secured that I can get him.