A life as uneventful as the one whose story we are about to tell,
affords little scope for the genius of the biographer or the historian,
but being carefully studied, it cannot fail to teach a lesson of
devotion and self-sacrifice, which should be learned and remembered by
every succeeding age.
Daniel Gibbons, son of James and Deborah (Hoopes) Gibbons, was born on
the banks of Mill Creek, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on the 21st
day of the 12th month (December), 1775. He was descended on his father's
side from an English ancestor, whose name appears on the colonial
records, as far back as 1683. John Gibbons evidently came with or before
William Penn to this "goodly heritage of freedom." His earthly remains
lie at Concord Friends' burying-ground, Delaware county, near where the
family lived for a generation or two. The grandfather of Daniel Gibbons,
who lived near where West Town boarding-school now is, in Chester
county, bought for seventy pounds, "one thousand acres of land and
allowances," in what is now Lancaster county, intending, as he
ultimately did, to settle his three sons upon it. This purchase was made
about the year 1715. In process of time, the eldest son, desiring to
marry Deborah Hoopes, the daughter of Daniel Hoopes, of a neighboring
township in Chester county, the young people obtained the consent of
parents and friends, but it was a time of grief and mourning among young
and old. The young Friends assured the intended bride, that they would
not marry the best man in the Province and do what she was about to do;
and the elder dames, so far relaxed the Puritanic rigidity of their
rules, as to allow the invitation of an uncommonly large company of
guests to the wedding, in order that a long and perhaps last farewell,
might be said to the beloved daughter, who, with her husband, was about
to emigrate to the "far West." Loud and long were the lamentations, and
warm the embraces of these simple-minded Christian rustics, companions
of toil and deprivation, as they parted from two of their number who
were to leave their circle for the West; the West being then thirty-six
miles distant. This was on the sixth day of the fifth month, 1756. More
than a century has passed away; all the good people, eighty-nine in
number, who signed the wedding certificate as witnesses, have passed
away, and how vast is the change wrought in our midst since that day!
Joseph Gibbons was so much pleased with the daring enterprise of his son
and daughter-in-law, that he gave them one hundred acres of land in his
Western possessions more than he reserved for his other and younger
sons, and to it they immediately emigrated, and building first a cabin
and the next year a store-house, began life for themselves in earnest.
It is interesting, in view of the long and consistent anti-slavery
course which Daniel Gibbons pursued, to trace the influence that wrought
upon him while his character was maturing, and the causes which led him
to see the wickedness of the system which he opposed.
The Society of Friends in that day bore in mind the advice of their
great founder, Fox, whose last words were: "Friends, mind the light."
And following that guide which leads out of all evil and into all good,
they viewed every custom of society with eyes undimmed by prejudice, and
were influenced in every action of life by a belief in the common
brotherhood of man, and a resolve to obey the command of Jesus, to love
one another. This being the case, slavery and oppression of all kinds
were unpopular, and indeed almost unknown amongst them.
James Gibbons was a republican, and an enthusiastic advocate of American
liberty. Being a man of commanding presence, and great energy and
determination, efforts were made during the Revolution to induce him to
enlist as a cavalry soldier. He was prevented from so doing by the
entreaties of his wife, and his own conscientious scruples as a Friend.
About the time of the Revolution, or immediately after, he removed to
the borough of Wilmington, Delaware, where, being surrounded by slavery,
he became more than ever alive to its iniquities. He was interested
during his whole life in getting slaves off. And being elected second
burgess of Wilmington during his residence there, his official position
gave him great opportunities to assist in this noble work. It is related
that during his magistracy a slave-holder brought a colored man before
him, whom he claimed as his slave. There being no evidence of the
alleged ownership, the colored man was set at liberty. The pretended
owner was inclined to be impudent; but James Gibbons told him promptly
that nothing but silence and good behaviour on his part would prevent
his commitment for contempt of court.
About the year 1790, James Gibbons came back to Lancaster county, where
he spent twenty years in the practice of those deeds which will remain
"in everlasting remembrance;" dying, full of years and honors, in 1810.
Born in the first year of the revolution and growing up surrounded by
such influences, Daniel Gibbons could not have been other than he was,
the friend of the down-trodden and oppressed of every nationality and
color. In 1789 his father took him to see General Washington, then
passing through Wilmington. To the end of his life he retained a vivid
recollection of this visit, and would recount its incidents to his
family and friends. During his father's residence in Wilmington, he
spent his summers with kinsmen in Lancaster county, learning to be a
farmer, and his winters in Wilmington going to school.
At the age of fourteen years he was bound an apprentice, as was the good
custom of the day, to a Friend in Lancaster county to learn the tanning
business. At this he served about six years, or until his master ceased
to follow the business. During this apprenticeship he became accustomed
to severe labor, so severe indeed that he never recovered from the
effects thereof, having a difficulty in walking during the remainder of
his life, which prevented him from taking the active part in Underground
Rail Road business which he otherwise would have done. His father's
estate being involved in litigation caused him to be put to this trade,
farming being his favorite employment, and one which he followed during
his whole life.
In 1805 he took a pedestrian tour, by way of New York, Albany, and
Niagara Falls to the State of Ohio, then the far West, coming home by
way of Pittsburg, and walking altogether one thousand three hundred and
fifty miles. In this trip he increased the injury to his feet, so as to
render himself virtually a cripple. Upon the death of his father, he
settled upon the farm, on which he died.
About the year 1808 on going to visit some friends, who had removed to
Adams county, Pennsylvania, he became acquainted with Hannah Wierman,
whom he married on the fourth day of the fifth month, 1815. At this time
Daniel Gibbous was about forty years old, and his wife about
twenty-eight, she having been born on the ninth of the seventh month,
1787. A life of one after their union, would be incomplete without some
notice of the other.
During a married life of thirty-seven years, Hannah Gibbons was the
assistant of her husband in every good and noble work. Possessed of a
warm heart, a powerful, though uncultivated intellect, an excellent
judgment, and great sweetness of disposition, she was fitted both by
nature and training to endure without murmuring the inconvenience and
trouble incident to the reception and care of fugitives and to rejoice
that to her was given the opportunity of assisting them in their efforts
to be free.
The true measure of greatness in a human soul, is its willingness to
suffer for its own good, or the good of its fellows, its
self-sacrificing spirit. Granting the truth of this, one of the greatest
souls was that of Hannah W. Gibbons. The following incident is a proof
of this:
In 1836, when she was no longer a young woman, there came to her home,
one of the poorest, most ignorant, and filthiest of mankind--a slave
from the great valley of Virginia. He was foot-sore and weary, and could
not tell how he came, or who directed him. He seemed indeed, a missive
directed and sent by the hand of the Almighty. Before he could be
cleansed or recruited, he was taken sick, and before he could be removed
(even if he could have been trusted at the county poor house), his case
was pronounced to be small-pox. For six long weeks did this good angel
in human form, attend upon this unfortunate object. Reasons were found
why no one else could do it, and with her own hands, she ministered to
his wants, until he was restored to health. Such was her life. This is
merely one case. She was always ready to do her duty. Her interest in
good, never left her, for when almost dying, she aroused from her
lethargy and asked if Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the
United States, which he was a few days afterwards. She always predicted
a civil war, in the settlement of the Slavery question.
During the last twenty-five years of her life she was an elder in the
Society of Friends, of which she had always been an earnest, consistent,
and devoted member. Her patience, self-denial, and warm affection were
manifested in every relation of life. As a daughter, wife, mother,
friend, and mistress of a family she was beloved by all, and to her
relatives and friends who are left behind, the remembrance of her good
deeds comes wafted like a perfume from beyond the golden gates. She
survived her husband about eight years, dying on the sixteenth of the
tenth month, 1860. Three children, sons, were born to their marriage,
two of whom died in infancy and one still (1871) survives.
To give some idea of the course pursued by Daniel and Hannah Gibbons, I
insert the following letter, containing an account of events which took
place in 1821:
"A short time since, I learned that my old friend, William
Still, was about to publish a history of the Underground Rail
Road. His own experience in the service of this road would make
a large volume. I was brought up by Daniel Gibbons, and am asked
to say what I know of him as an abolitionist. From my earliest
recollection, he was a friend to the colored people, and often
hired them and paid them liberal wages. His house was a depot
for fugitives, and many hundreds has he helped on their way to
freedom. Many a dark night he has sent me to carry them victuals
and change their places of refuge, and take them to other
people's barns, when not safe for him to go. I have known him
start in the night and go fifty miles with them, when they were
very hotly pursued. One man and his wife lived with him for a
long time. Afterwards the man lived with Thornton Walton. The
man was hauling lumber from Columbia. He was taken from his team
in Lancaster, and lodged in Baltimore jail. Daniel Gibbons went
to Baltimore, visited the jail and tried hard to get him
released, but failed. I would add here, that Daniel Gibbons'
faithful wife, one of the best women I ever knew, was always
ready, day or night, to do all she possibly could, to help the
poor fugitives on their way to freedom. Many interesting
incidents occurred at the home of my uncle. I will relate one.
He had living with him at one time, two colored men, Thomas
Colbert and John Stewart. The latter was from Maryland; John
often said he would go back and get his wife. My uncle asked him
if he was not afraid of his master's catching him. He said no,
for his master knew if he undertook to take him, he would kill
him. He did go and brought his wife to my uncle's.
While these two large men, Tom and John, were there, along came
Robert (other name unknown), in a bad plight, his feet bleeding.
Robert was put in the barn to thrash, until he could be fixed up
to go again on his journey. But in a few days, behold, along
came his master. He brought with him that notorious constable,
Haines, from Lancaster, and one other man. They came suddenly
upon Robert; as soon as he saw them he ran and jumped out of the
"overshoot," some ten feet down. In jumping, he put one knee out
of joint. The men ran around the barn and seized him. By this
time, the two colored men, Tom and John, came, together with my
uncle and aunt. Poor Robert owned his master, but John told them
they should not take him away, and was going at them with a
club. One of the men drew a pistol to shoot John, but uncle told
him he had better not shoot him; this was not a slave State.
Inasmuch as Robert had owned his master, Uncle told John he must
submit, so they put Robert on a horse, and started with him.
After they were gone John said: "Mr. Gibbons, just say the word,
and I will bring Robert back." Aunt said: "Go, John, go!" So
John ran to Joseph Rakestraw's and got a gun (without any lock),
and ran across the fields, with Tom after him, and headed the
party. The men all ran except Haines, who kept Robert between
himself and John, so that John should not shoot him. But John
called out to Robert to drop off that horse, or he would shoot
him. This Robert did, and John and Tom brought him back in
triumph. My aunt said: "John, thee is a good fellow, thee has
done well." Robert was taken to Jesse Gilbert's barn, and Dr.
Dingee fixed his knee. As soon as he was able to travel, he took
a "bee-line" for the North star.
My life with my uncle and aunt made me an abolitionist. I left
them in the winter of 1824, and came to Salem, Ohio, where I
kept a small station on the Underground Rail Road, until the
United States government took my work away. I have helped over
two hundred fugitives on their way to Canada.
Respectfully,