MARY MILLBURN, _alias_ LOUISA F. JONES, ESCAPED IN MALE ATTIRE.
Neither in personal appearance, manners, nor language, were any traces
of the Peculiar Institution visible in Mary Millburn. On the contrary,
she represented a young lady, with a passable education, and very
refined in her deportment. She had eaten the white bread of Slavery,
under the Misses Chapman, and they had been singularly kind to her,
taking special pains with her in regard to the company she should keep,
a point important to young girls, so liable to exposure as were the
unprotected young females of the South. She being naturally of a happy
disposition, obliging, competent, there was but little room for any jars
in the household, so far as Mary was concerned. Notwithstanding all
this, she was not satisfied; Slavery in its most dreaded aspect, was all
around her, continually causing the heart to bleed and eyes to weep of
both young and old. The auction-block and slave-pen were daily in view.
Young girls as promising as herself, she well knew, had to be exposed,
examined, and sold to the vilest slave-holders living.
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With her knowledge of the practical wickedness of the system, how could
she be satisfied? It was impossible! She determined to escape. She could
be accommodated, but with no favored mode of travel. No flowery beds of
ease could be provided in her case, any more than in the case of others.
Mary took the Underground Rail Road enterprise into consideration. The
opportunity of a passage on a steamer was before her to accept or
refuse. The spirit of freedom dictated that she should accept the offer
and leave by the first boat. Admonished that she could reach the boat
and also travel more safely in male attire she at once said, "Any way so
I succeed." It is not to be supposed for a moment, that the effort could
be made without encountering a great "fight of affliction." When the
hour arrived for the boat to start, Mary was nicely secreted in a box
(place), where she was not discovered when the officers made their usual
search. On arriving in Philadelphia, she mingled her rejoicings with the
Committee in testifying to the great advantage of the Underground Rail
Road, and to the carefulness of its agents in guarding against
accidents. After remaining a short time in Philadelphia, she made choice
of Boston as her future residence, and with a letter of introduction to
William Lloyd Garrison, she proceeded thitherward. How she was received,
and what she thought of the place and people, may be gleaned from this
letter (written by herself.)
BOSTON, May 15th, 1858.
DEAR FRIEND:--I have selected this oppotunity to write you a few
lines, hopeing thay may find you and yours enjoying helth and
happiness. I arrived hear on Thirsday last, and had a lettor of
intoduction giving to me by one of the gentlemen at the
Antoslavery office in New York, to Mr. Garrison in Boston, I
found him and his lady both to bee very clever. I stopped with
them the first day of my arrivel hear, since that Time I have
been living with Mrs. Hilliard I have met with so menny of my
acquaintances hear, that I all most immagion my self to bee in
the old country. I have not been to Canaday yet, as you
expected. I had the pleasure of seeing the lettor that you wrote
to them on the subject. I suffered much on the road with head
ake but since that time I have no reason to complain, please do
not for git to send the degarritips in the Shaimpain basket with
Dr. Lundys, Mr. Lesley said he will send them by express, tell
Julia kelly, that through mistake, I took one of her pocket
handkerchift, that was laying on the table, but I shall keep it
in remembranc of the onner. I must bring my lettor to a close as
I have nothing more to say, and believe me to be your faithfull
friend.