HOW SOL. JONES WAS LEFT.
I.
During the decade of the thirties, and for years afterward, there
resided on an affluent of the Rappahannock, in Culpepper county,
Virginia, one Solomon Jones. Mr. Jones was the inheritor of an estate
with all that term would imply fifty years ago in the “Old
Dominion”—numerous slaves, the F. F. V. idea of domination of race, and
those false conceptions of right begotten of “chattel” ownership. Though
naturally possessed of many excellent traits of character, he was harsh
and unrelenting towards those who sustained to him the relation of
property.
On the little stream running through his domain he had erected a grist
mill for his own accommodation and the profit to be derived therefrom in
doing the work of his neighbors, and in supplying adjacent towns with
the product of his mill; for Solomon had business tact and push far
beyond his surroundings and time.
The business of distributing his merchandise was entrusted to a mulatto
named Sam, who traveled far and near in the discharge of his duties, and
being a shrewd, intelligent fellow, was enabled to pick up much valuable
information relative to the ways of the outside world.
The estate also possessed a blacksmith in the person of a stalwart
negro, Peter, who rejoiced in no drop of Caucassian blood. The wife of
each of these men was respectively the sister of the other, but Dinah,
the wife of Sam, for some reason history has not recorded, was a free
woman, and both families were childless. This fact was not at all
pleasing to the owner of the plantation, and became the source of much
annoyance and abuse as the master saw less and less prospect of
replenishing his coffers from the sale or labor of a second generation.
Stung by the continued upbraidings and base advances of “Old Sol,” as
Jones ultimately came to be called, the two families began seriously to
discuss the propriety of _emigrating_ Northward. The knowledge picked up
by Sam now became available. He had heard much in his journeyings of the
methods of escape, and the courses pursued, and having unlimited control
of the teams about the mill and a general acquaintance for miles away
was, consequently, deemed the proper person to direct the escape. Acting
upon his advice the women quietly laid in such a stock of provisions as
would suffice them for several days, together with so much of clothing
as was deemed indispensable. Thus equipped, one Saturday night, in July,
1843, the men saddled two of the best horses on the plantation and with
their wives mounted behind them set out and by daylight were far away
among the mountains to the northwestward. A halt was made for the day in
a secluded ravine where some pasturage was found, and again at night
they pushed vigorously on, putting two nights of fleet travel between
them and the plantation before their flight was discovered, as the
master and family were absent and none other had thought of inquiring
into their whereabouts.
On returning to his home on Monday, Mr. Jones learned of the absence of
Peter from the smithy, Sam from his accustomed duties and the women from
the cabins, and the conviction flashed upon him that he was minus three
valuable pieces of property, and when the disappearance of his best
horses was ascertained, his wrath knew no bounds. A plan of search was
instituted, but before it was thoroughly organized, two or three more
days had elapsed.
Meanwhile, the fugitives were making their way rapidly towards the Ohio
river which they crossed with little difficulty a short distance below
Wheeling, and were soon threading the hill country of Southeastern Ohio.
Arriving in Harrison county after the lapse of some twenty days, they
thought they might safely betake themselves to the more public highway
and to daylight. Here was their mistake, for on the first day of this
public exhibition of confidence, when a few miles north of Cadiz, they
looked back and a short distance in the rear beheld “Ol’ Massa” and two
or three men in pursuit. They betook themselves to the adjacent woods
and all but Sam succeeded in escaping. He, poor fellow, was captured and
lodged in jail at Cadiz whilst the pursuit of the others was continued,
but in vain; for avoiding every human habitation and moving only under
cover of night they pushed forward and reached the home of a Mr.
Williams, a Quaker, residing near Massillon, where Sam’s wife learned of
his capture, and bidding good-bye to the others, retraced her footsteps
slowly to her Virginian home, expecting to find her husband. Not so
however.
II.
Immediately a portion of the people of Cadiz found a slave had been
incarcerated in the jail for safe keeping, whilst the master was in
search of others, they sued out a writ of _habeas corpus_, and there
being none to appear against the prisoner or show cause why he should
not be released, he was soon set at liberty by the judge. Grown wiser by
experience, he betook himself to the cover of forests, secluded pathways
and darkness and all trace of him was soon lost.
After a vain search for the others, Mr. Jones returned to Cadiz only to
find that the official cage had been opened and that his bird was flown.
His imprecations upon the devoted town were terrible, but no damage was
done farther than shocking moral and religious sensibilities, and when
the ebullitions of his wrath had somewhat subsided he returned home,
where in a few days he was accosted by Sam’s faithful Dinah, whom he
most impiously rebuffed when she inquired as to the whereabouts of her
husband.
III.
Infused with the hope of making a fortune out of the Morus multicaulis
speculation which spread as a craze over the country during the later
years of the decade, there came to Massillon, from the east, in 1837,
Cyrus Ford, a man of progressive ideas, who soon associated himself with
the Quakers of the neighborhood in acts of underground philanthropy. His
hopes with regard to mulberry riches failed, but his fears with respect
to the ague was more than realized, as he imbibed the dense malarial
exhalations arising from the Tuscarawas to such an extent as to shake
him in his boots, and in 1841 he abandoned the valley and settled
himself on a purchase east of what was then known as “Doan’s Corners,”
now East Cleveland, a short distance from where Adelbert College stands.
For years he resided in an unpretentious house situated just in front of
the site of the present hospitable home of his son, Horace Ford, Esq.,
Euclid Avenue.
One September morning, in 1843, young Horace had been started early
after the cows, but scarcely had he left the door when, in the early
dawn, he was hailed from the roadside. Approaching the caller he found
standing at the gateway the Williams turnout from Massillon, and on the
box the old gentleman’s son Ed, a young man about his own age.
“What’s up, Ed?” said young Ford.
“Not much. Don’t thee see the curtains are down?” was the reply.
“O, ah, I see.”
“Not exactly thee don’t, for them curtains are opaque, but there are two
persons within for whom, as we believe, search is now being made in town
yonder. Massillon was thoroughly searched, and it was not until last
evening we dared to start out. Thee and thy father must now provide for
the poor beings and see them off to the Queen’s Dominion.”
Without further ceremony Peter Jones and Mary, his wife, were bidden to
alight and in a few minutes were safely secreted on the premises of Mr.
Ford.
IV.
On Seneca street, in that early day, near the present site of the
criminal court rooms stood John Bell’s barber-shop, the more euphonious
term, “tonsorial parlors,” being then all unknown. John was a sterling,
wide awake darkie, and for years one of the _principal forwarding
agents_ in the growing city. To him during the day young Ford applied
for transportation for the arrival of the morning, but was informed that
matters were entirely too hot to undertake their shipment at that time,
but that he should wait until the third evening and then bring them in
promptly at nine o’clock and he would have everything ready for their
transfer. They were taken into the city in accordance with this
arrangement and in thirty minutes were out on the blue waters of Erie
duly headed for Canada.
Scarcely three weeks had elapsed when the Williams’ establishment again
stood at the gate of Mr. Ford, this time having brought Sam who had
succeeded after weary watchings in reaching the Quaker settlement at
Massillon. He was anxious to tarry and wait the coming of his wife, who
he thought could be duly appraised of his whereabouts by letter. To this
end he gave young Horace the name of a friend to whom he could safely
write and inform her of his escape from jail and safe arrival at the
lake. Dr. Edwin Cowles, Jarvis F. Hanks and Cornelius Coakly were called
in to advise in the matter and it was unanimously agreed that Sam should
go forward, and if his wife could be found she was to be sent to him as
soon as possible. In accordance with this decision Sam went to Canada,
but much to the surprise of Mr. Ford returned in about three weeks,
almost frantic for the recovery of his wife. A second letter was
written, advising the unknown friend of Sam’s whereabouts.
Awaiting an answer, Sam went to work for Mr. Ford chopping upon the
sloping hillside a short distance west of the site of the Garfield
Monument. He had been engaged thus about a month when the Williams
carriage again drove up, this time bringing Dinah, whose meeting with
her husband was of a most emotional character, manifested in shouts and
praises and thanksgiving to God, and choicest blessings called down upon
the head of Horace whose second epistle had reached its destination, on
receipt of which she had immediately set out on her long journey to join
him. In a day or two the twain were forwarded to Canada. Immediately on
their departure, the junior Ford mailed the following:
“CLEVELAND, O., Dec. —, 1843.
_Solomon Jones, Esq._
Dear Sir:—I have seen your chattels, Pete, Mary and Sam, safe off
for Canada. If I can serve you any farther, I am at your command.
Truly, ——”