William and Emma came from Dorchester county, Maryland. The cords of
Slavery had been tightly drawn around them. William was about
twenty-seven years of age, of a dark hue, and of a courageous bearing.
On the score of treatment he spake thus: "I have been treated as bad as
a man could be." Emma, his wife, had seen about the same number of years
that he had, and her lot had been similar to his. Emma said, "My master
never give me the second dress, never attempted such a thing." The
master was called Bushong Blake. William was owned by a Mr. Tubman.
After leaving Slavery, William changed his last name to Williams, and if
he and his wife are now living, they are known only by their adopted
names.
Evan Graff was of square solid build, dark, and smart, age twenty-five.
He fled in company with four others (whose narratives were not written),
from Frederick county, Maryland. Henry Heart, residing at Sam's Creek,
exercised authority over Evan. With this master, said Evan, I have known
hard times. I have been treated as bad as a man could be. I have been
married three years and have not received five dollars in money since,
towards supporting my family. "How have you lived then?" inquired one
who sympathized. "My wife has kept house for a colored gentleman, and
got her board for her services," said Evan. "In what other particulars
have you been treated hard?" was next asked. "Sometimes I hadn't half
clothes enough to keep me warm, through all weathers," answered Evan.
"What put it into your head to leave?" was the third query. "Well, sir,"
said Evan, "I thought to try and do better." How did you make up your
mind to leave your wife and child in Slavery? "Well, sir, I was very
loth to leave my wife and child, but I just thought in this way: I had a
brother who was entitled to his freedom, but he fell out with one of his
young masters, and was just taken up and sold South, and I thought I
might be taken off too, so I thought I would stand as good a chance in
leaving, as if I stayed." Had you a mother and father, brothers and
sisters? inquired a member of the Committee. "Yes, sir," was the prompt
reply. Evan then gave their names thus: "My father's name was Sam Graff,
my mother's name was Becky." Ruth Ann Dorsey, Isaac Hanson (and two
brothers of Evan), Grafton and Allen accompanied him in his flight.
James, Harriet, Charles Albert, Thomas Ephraim, Adeline Matilda, John
Israel and Daniel Buchanan (brothers and sisters of Evan), were all left
in Slavery.
Polly Pool was their mistress, rather had owned them up to within a
short time before the flight of Evan and his comrades, but she had
lately been unfortunate in business, which resulted in a thorough
scattering of the entire family. Some fell into the hands of the
mistress' children, and some into the hands of the grandchildren. In
Evan's opinion she was a tolerable good mistress; his opportunities of
judging, however, had not been very favorable, as he had not been in her
hands a great while.
Luke Goines came from Harper's Ferry, where he was owned by Mrs.
Carroll. Luke first made his way to Baltimore and afterwards to
Philadelphia.
Henson Kelly was owned by Reason Hastell, of Baltimore. Slavery did not
agree with him, and he left to better his condition.
Stafford Smith fled from Westmoreland county, Virginia, where he was
owned by Harriet Parker, a single woman, advanced in years, and the
owner of many slaves "As a mistress, she was very hard. I have been
hired to first one and then another, bad man all along. My mistress was
a Methodist, but she seemed to know nothing about goodness. She was not
in the habit of allowing the slaves any chance at all."
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