The Underground Railroad eBook

William Still

It is plainly to be seen, that Elizabeth had not met with the “ease” and kindness which many claimed for the slave.  Elizabeth was sensible of the wrongs inflicted by her Delaware mistress, and painted her in very vivid colors.  Her mistress was a widow, “quite old,” but “very frisky,” and “wore a wig to hide her gray hairs.”  At the death of her husband, the slaves believed, from what they had heard their master say, that they would be freed, each at the age of thirty.  But no will was found, which caused Elizabeth, as well as the rest of the slaves, to distrust the mistress more than ever, as they suspected that she knew something of its disappearance.

Her mistress belonged to the Presbyterian Church, but would have “family prayers only when the minister would stop;” Elizabeth thought that she took greater pains to please the minister than her Maker.  Elizabeth had no faith in such religion.

Both Elizabeth and her husband were members of the Methodist Church.  Neither had ever been permitted to learn to read or write, but they were naturally very smart.  John left his mother and one sister in bondage.  One of his brothers fled to Canada fifteen years before their escape.  His name was Abraham.

Charles Connor, the third person in the party, was twenty-seven years of age—­fast color, and a tough-looking “article,” who would have brought twelve hundred dollars or more in the hands of a Baltimore trader.  The man from whom Charles fled was known by the name of John Chipman, and was described as “a fleshy man, with rank beard and quick temper, very hard—­commonly kept full of liquor, though he would not get so drunk that he could not go about.”  For a long time Charles had been the main dependence on his master’s place, as he only owned two other slaves.  Charles particularly remarked, that no weather was too bad for them to be kept at work in the field.  Charles was a fair specimen of the “corn-field hand,” but thought that he could take care of himself in Canada.

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FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD.—­Ran away from the owner in Alexandria, Va., on the night of the 13th inst., two young negro men, from twenty to twenty-five years of age.  MONTGOMERY is a very bright mulatto, about five feet, six inches in height, of polite manners, and smiles much when speaking or spoken to.  OSCAR is of a tawny complexion, about six feet high, sluggish in his appearance and movements, and of awkward manners.  One hundred dollars each will be paid for the delivery of the above slaves if taken in a slave state, or two hundred dollars each if taken in a free state.  One or more slaves belonging to other owners, it is supposed, went in their company.

    Address:  JOHN T. GORDON,

    Alexandria, Va.

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The Underground Railroad from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
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