HENRY LANGHORN _alias_ WM. SCOTT.
This "chattel" from Richmond, Virginia, was of a yellow complexion, with
some knowledge of the arts of reading and writing; he was about
twenty-three years of age and considered himself in great danger of
being subjected to the auction-block by one Charles L. Hobson. Hobson
and Henry had grown up from boyhood together; for years they had even
occupied the same room,--Henry as a servant-boy and protector of his
prospective young master. Under these relations quite strong affinities
were cemented between them, and Henry succeeded in gaining a knowledge
of the alphabet with an occasional lesson in spelling. Both reached
their majority. William was hired out at the American Hotel, and being a
"smart, likely-looking boy," commanded good wages for his young master's
benefit, who had commenced business as a tobacco merchant, with about
seven head of slaves in his possession. A year or two's experiment
proved that the young master was not succeeding as a merchant, and
before the expiration of three years he had sold all his slaves except
Henry. From such indications, Henry was fully persuaded that his time
was well nigh at hand, and great was his anxiety as he meditated over
the auction-block. "In his heart" he resolved time and again that he
would never be sold. It behooved him, therefore, to avert that ill fate.
He at first resolved to buy himself, but in counting the cost he found
that he would by no means be able to accumulate as much money as his
master would be likely to demand for him; he, therefore, abandoned this
idea and turned his attention straightway to the Underground Rail Road,
by which route he had often heard of slaves escaping. He felt the need
of money and that he must make and save an extra quarter whenever he
could; he soon learned to be a very rigid economist, and being
exceedingly accommodating in waiting upon gentlemen at the hotel and at
the springs, he found his little "pile" increasing weekly. His object
was to have enough to pay for a private berth on one of the Richmond
steamers and also to have a little left to fall back on after landing in
a strange land and among strangers. He saved about two hundred dollars
in cash; he was then ready to make a forward move, and he arranged all
his plans with an agent in Richmond to leave by one of the steamers
during the Christmas holidays. "You must come down to the steamer about
dark," said the agent "and if all is right you will see the Underground
Rail Road agent come out with some ashes as a signal, and by this you
may know that all is ready."
"I will be there certain," said Henry. Christmas week he was confident
would be granted as usual as a holiday week; a few days before Christmas
he went to his master and asked permission to spend said holiday with
his mother, in Cumberland county, adding that he would need some
spending money, enough at least to pay his fare, etc. Young master
freely granted his request, wrote him a pass, and doled him out enough
money to pay his fare thence, but concluded that Henry could pay his way
back out of his extra change. Henry expressed his obligations, etc., and
returned to the American Hotel. The evening before the time appointed
for starting on his Underground Rail Road voyage, he had occasion to go
out to see the Underground Rail Road agent, and asked the clerk to give
him a pass. This favor was peremptorily refused. Henry, "not willing to
give it up so," sat down to write a pass for himself; he found it all
that was necessary, and was thus enabled to accomplish his business
satisfactorily. Next day his Christmas holiday commenced, but instead of
his enjoying the sight of his mother, he felt that he had seen her for
the last time in the flesh. It was a sad reflection. That evening at
dark, he was at the wharf, according to promise. The man with the ashes
immediately appeared and signalled him. In his three suits of clothing
(all on his back), he walked on the boat, and was conducted to the coal
covering, where Egyptian darkness prevailed. The appointed hour for the
starting of the steamer, was ten o'clock the following morning. By the
aid of prayer, he endured the suffering that night. No sooner had the
steamer got under way, than a heavy gale was encountered; for between
three and four days the gale and fog combined, threatened the steamer
with a total loss. All the freight on deck, consisting of tobacco and
cotton, had to be thrown overboard, to save the passengers.
Henry, in his state of darkness, saw nothing, nor could he know the
imminent peril that his life was in. Fortunately he was not sea-sick,
but slept well and long on the voyage. The steamer was five days coming.
On landing at Philadelphia, Henry could scarcely see or walk; the spirit
of freedom, however, was burning brightly in the hidden man, and the
free gales of fresh air and a few hours on free soil soon enabled him to
overcome the difficulties which first presented themselves, and he was
soon one of the most joyful mortals living. He tarried two days with his
friends in Philadelphia, and then hastened on to Boston. After being in
Boston two months, he was passing through the market one day, when, to
his surprise, he espied his young master, Charles L. Hobson. Henry was
sure, however, that he was not recognized, but suspected that he was
hunted. Instantly, Henry pulled up his coat collar, and drew his hat
over his face to disguise himself as much as possible; but he could not
wholly recover from the shock he had thus sustained. He turned aside
from the market and soon met a friend formerly from Richmond, who had
been in servitude in the tobacco factory owned by his master. Henry
tried to prevail on him to spot out said Hobson, in the market, and see
if there possibly could be any mistake. Not a step would his friend take
in that direction. He had been away for several years, still he was a
fugitive, and didn't like the idea of renewing his acquaintance with old
or new friends with a white skin from Virginia. Henry, however, could
not content himself until he had taken another good look at Mr. Hobson.
Disguising himself he again took a stroll through the market, looking on
the right and left as he passed along; presently he saw him seated at a
butcher's stall. He examined him to his satisfaction, and then went
speedily to headquarters (the Anti-Slavery Office), made known the fact
of his discovery, and stated that he believed his master had no other
errand to Boston than to capture him. Measures were at once taken to
ascertain if such a man as Charles L. Hobson was booked at any of the
hotels in Boston.
On finding that this was really a fact, Henry was offered and accepted
private quarters with the well-known philanthropist and friend of the
fugitive, Francis Jackson. His house as well as his purse was always
open to the slave. While under the roof of Mr. Jackson, as Hobson
advertised and described Henry so accurately, and offered a reward of
two hundred and fifty dollars for him, Henry's friends thought that they
would return him the compliment by publishing him in the Boston papers
quite as accurately if not with as high a reward for him; they
advertised him after this manner: "Charles L. Hobson, twenty-two years
of age, six feet high, with a slouched hat on, mixed coat, black pants,
with a goatee, is stopping at the Tremont Hotel," &c., &c. This was as a
bomb-shell to Mr. Hobson, and he immediately took the hint, and with his
trunks steered for the sunny South. In a day or two afterwards Henry
deemed it advisable to visit Canada. After arriving there he wrote back
to his young master, to let him know where he was, and why he left, and
what he was doing. How his letter was received Henry was never informed.
For five years he lived in Boston and ran on a boat trading to Canada
East. He saved up his money and took care of himself creditably. He was
soon prepared to go into some business that would pay him better than
running on the boat. Two of his young friends agreed with him that they
could do better in Philadelphia than in Boston, so they came to the City
of Brotherly Love and opened a first-class dining-saloon near Third and
Chestnut streets. For a time they carried on the business with
enterprise and commendable credit, but one of the partners, disgusted
with the prejudices of the city passenger railway cars, felt that he
could no longer live here. Henry, known after leaving Slavery only by
the name of Wm. Scott, quitted the restaurant business and found
employment as a messenger under Thomas A. Scott, Esq., Vice-President of
the Pennsylvania Central Rail Road, where he has faithfully served for
the last four years, and has the prospect of filling the office for many
years to come. He is an industrious, sober, steady, upright, and
intelligent young man, and takes care of his wife and child in a
comfortable three story brick house of his own.
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