On the morning of the 27th of 12th month (December), 1845, as I was
washing my hands at the yard pump of my residence, near Middletown, New
Castle county, Delaware, I looked down the lane, and saw a covered wagon
slowly approaching my house. The sun had just risen, and was shining
brightly (after a stormy night) on the snow which covered the ground to
the depth of six inches. My house was situated three quarters of a mile
from the road leading from Middletown to Odessa, (then called Cantwell's
Bridge.) On a closer inspection I noticed several men walking beside the
wagon. This seemed rather an early hour for visitors, and I could not
account for the circumstance. When they reached the yard fence I met
them, and a colored man handed me a letter addressed to Daniel Corbit,
John Alston or John Hunn; I asked the man if he had presented the letter
to either of the others to whom it was addressed; he said, no, that he
had not been able to see either of them. The letter was from my cousin,
Ezekiel Jenkins, of Camden, Delaware, and stated that the travelers were
fugitive slaves, under the direction of Samuel D. Burris (who handed me
the note). The party consisted of a man and his wife, with their six
children, and four fine-looking colored men, without counting the pilot,
S.D. Burris, who was a free man, from Kent county, Delaware.
This was the first time that I ever saw Burris, and also the first time
that I had ever been called upon to assist fugitives from the hell of
American Slavery. The wanderers were gladly welcomed, and made as
comfortable as possible until breakfast was ready for them. One man, in
trying to pull his boots off, found they were frozen to his feet; he
went to the pump and filled them with water, thus he was able to get
them off in a few minutes.
This increase of thirteen in the family was a little embarrassing, but
after breakfast they all retired to the barn to sleep on the hay, except
the woman and four children, who remained in the house. They were all
very weary, as they had traveled from Camden (twenty-seven miles),
through a snowstorm; the woman and four children in the wagon with the
driver, the others walking all the way. Most of them were badly
frost-bitten, before they arrived at my house. In Camden, they were
sheltered in the houses of their colored friends. Although this was my
first acquaintance with S.D. Burris, it was not my last, as he
afterwards piloted them himself, or was instrumental in directing
hundreds of fugitives to me for shelter.
About two o'clock of the day on which these fugitives arrived at my
house, a neighbor drove up with his daughter in a sleigh, apparently on
a friendly visit. I noticed his restlessness and frequent looking out of
the window fronting the road; but did not suppose, that he had come "to
spy out the land."
The wagon and the persons walking with it, had been observed from his
house, and he had reported the fact in Middletown. Accordingly, in half
an hour, another sleigh came up, containing a constable of Middletown,
William Hardcastle, of Queen Ann's county, Maryland, and William
Chesnut, of the same neighborhood. I met them at the gate, and the
constable handed me an advertisement, wherein one thousand dollars
reward was offered for the recovery of three runaway slaves, therein
described.
The constable asked me if they were in my house? I said they were not!
He then asked me if he might search the house? I declined to allow him
this privilege, unless he had a warrant for that purpose. While we stood
thus conversing, the husband of the woman with the six children, came
out of a house near the barn, and ran into the woods. The constable and
his two companions immediately gave chase, with many halloos! After
running more than a mile through the snow, the fugitive came toward the
house; I went to meet him, and found him with his back against the
barn-yard fence, with a butcher's knife in his hand. The man hunters
soon came up, and the constable asked me to get the knife from the
fugitive. This I declined, unless the constable should first give me his
pistol, with which he was threatening to shoot the man. He complied with
my request, and the fugitive handed me the knife. Then he produced a
pass, properly authenticated, and signed by a magistrate of Queen Ann's
county, Maryland, certifying that this man was free! and that his name
was Samuel Hawkins.
William Hardcastle now advanced, and said that he knew the man to be
free; but that he was accused of running away with his wife and children
who were slaves. He also said, that this man had two boys with him, who
belonged to a neighbor of his, named Charles Wesley Glanding, and that
the four other children and mother belonged to Catharine Turner, of
Queen Ann's county, Maryland. Hardcastle further expressed his belief,
that this man knew where his wife and children were at that time, and
insisted that he should go before a magistrate in Middletown, and be
examined in regard thereto. He also expressed doubts as to the
genuineness of this pass, and wished the man to go to Middletown on that
account also. As there was no other course to pursue under the
circumstances, I had my sleigh brought out, and we all went to
Middletown, before my friend, William Streets, who was then in
commission as a magistrate. It was now after dark of this short winter's
day. Soon after our arrival at the office of William Streets, Hardcastle
put his arm very lovingly around the neck of the colored man, Samuel
Hawkins, and drew him into another room. In a short time, Samuel came
out, and told me that Hardcastle had agreed, that if he, Hawkins, would
give up his two older boys, who belonged to Charles Wesley Glanding;
then he might pursue his journey with his wife and four children. I
asked him if he believed Hardcastle would keep his promise? He replied:
"Yes! I do not think master William would cheat me." I assured him that
he would cheat him, and that the offer was made for the purpose of not
only getting the two older boys (fourteen and sixteen years of age), but
his wife and other children to the office, when all of them would be
taken together to the jail, in New Castle. Samuel thought differently,
and at his request, I wrote to my wife for the delivery of the family of
Samuel Hawkins to the constable. They were soon forthcoming, and on
their arrival at the office, a commitment was made out for the whole
party. Samuel and his two older sons were hand-cuffed, amidst many tears
and lamentations, and they all went off under charge of the man-hunters,
to New Castle jail, a distance of eighteen miles.
William Streets committed the whole party as fugitives from Slavery,
while the husband (Samuel), was a free man. This was done on account of
the detestation of the wicked business, as much as on account of his
friendship for me.
On their arrival at the jail, about midnight, the sheriff was aroused,
and the commitment shown to him; after reading it, he asked Samuel if he
was a slave? He said no, and showed his pass (which had been pronounced
genuine by the magistrate). The sheriff hereupon told them, that the
commitment was not legal, and would not hold them lawfully. It was now
first day (Sunday), and the man-hunters were in a quandary.
The constable finally agreed to go back and get another commitment, if
the sheriff would take the party into the jail until his return;
Hardcastle also urged the sheriff to adopt this plan. Accordingly they
were taken into the jail.
The sheriff's daughter had heard her father's conversation with the
constable, accordingly she sent word on First-day morning, to my revered
friend, Thomas Garrett, of Wilmington, five miles distant, in regard to
the matter, inviting him to see the fugitives. Early on Second day
morning (Monday), Thomas went over with John Wales, attorney at law. The
latter soon obtained a writ of habeas corpus from Judge Booth of New
Castle, which was served upon the sheriff; who, therefore, brought the
whole party before Judge Booth, who discharged them at once, as being
illegally detained by the sheriff. Thomas Garrett, with the consent of
the judge, then hired a carriage to take the woman and four children
over to Wilmington, Samuel and the two older boys walked, so they all
escaped from the man-hunters. They went from Wilmington to Byberry, and
settled near the farm of Robert Purvis. Samuel Hawkins and wife have
since died, but their descendants still live in that neighborhood, under
the name of Hackett.
Soon after the departure of the fugitives from New Castle jail, the
constable arrived with new commitments from William Streets, and
presented them in due form to the sheriff; who informed him that they
had been liberated by order of Judge Booth! A few hours after, William
Hardcastle arrived from Philadelphia, expecting to take Samuel Hawkins
and his family to Queen Ann's county, Maryland. Judge of his
disappointment at finding they were beyond his control--absolutely gone!
They returned to Middletown in great anger, and threatened to prosecute
William Streets for his participation in the affair.
After the departure of the Hawkins family from Middletown, I returned
home to see what had become of S.D. Burris and his four men. I found
them taking some solid refreshment, preparatory to taking a long walk in
the snow. They left about nine P.M., for Wilmington. I sent by S.D.
Burris a letter to Thomas Garrett, detailing the arrest and commitment
of S. Hawkins and family to New Castle jail. They all arrived safely in
Wilmington before daylight next morning. Burris waited to hear the
result of the expedition to New Castle; and actually had the pleasure of
seeing S. Hawkins and family arrive in Wilmington.
Samuel Burris returned to my house early on Third day morning, with a
letter from Thomas Garrett, giving me a description of the whole
transaction. My joy on this occasion was great! and I returned thanks to
God for this wonderful escape of so many human beings from the
charnel-house of Slavery.