Freedom Seeker Stories - Broderick Summer Support

Eight Go On to the Land of Liberty and Light

Buffalo, Dec. 11, 1854

MR. EDITOR: A few mornings since, I was awakened at an early hour by an immense noise and confusion at my door. Being suddenly awakened, I sprang up, and ran down stairs to ascertain the cause of such strange excitement. When, to my surprise, I found notwithstanding the "immense heavy snow drifts" that a train of cars belonging to the Underground Railroad had just arrived, bringing eight passengers, six men and two women, all direct from "Old Kentuck." Of course the doors of the depot were thrown open, and in they marched, rank and file, led by T.R. Esq., one of the conductors on the road. After a few moment's conversation, we conducted them to a public house kept by one of our people. When they had an opportunity of thoroughly warming and refreshing themselves the inner as well as outer man they were allowed to remain with us until one o'clock, when a sleigh was provided, and the eight happy souls, in charge of Phoenix Lansing, esq., one of our active and energetic townsmen, were driven to Black Rock, and in a few moment's more were safely landed on the other side of Jordan when one universal shout of joy ascended to Him who had been their guide and guardian from a land of slavery and despotism to a land of liberty and light. But the most singular circumstance in connection with this matter is, that just as they had landed on the Canada side, the cars on the Great Western Railroad arrived from the West, and to the surprise and astonishment of our friends, the first man that stepped from the cars, was a Kentuckian, the next door neighbor to the owner of three of our party. You may imagine the feelings of our friends at so strange and unexpected a meeting. "But," says they to their neighbor, "WE are all here."

Yours, I hopes of another arrival,
GEORGE WEIR, JR.

Frederick Douglass’ Paper, described a close call for a group of fugitive slaves (Frederick Douglass’ Paper [FDP], 4 January 1855)

Freedom Seeker Ferry Standoff

Not long since a colored man, living in the State of New York, named Isaac Parker, became involved in a quarrel and fight with a white neighbor, and was imprisoned.
Meantime his opponent sent intelligence to his master, in Hardy County, Virginia, and immediately his young masters, Henry and William Harness came North, with all speed, to secure him, when he would leave prison; but being on the alert, he reached Canada, at Black Rock , near Buffalo, and was there accosted by them, who, in company with the Constable in that vicinity, sought to arrest him; they proceeded on board the cars of the Buffalo and Brantford railway, and again attempted an arrest, without specifying a charge, declaring, however, that they had a warrant for him. Nothing daunted, he refused to go with them; left the cars, followed by them, and proceeded by the towpath towards this place; then a conference was held by all the parties. The slaveholders and their ally, the Canada Constable, drew weapons and threatened. Parker, who is a large, muscular black man, told them not to touch him, and walked on, determined to slay the first one who attempted to interfere with him. So the chivalry knowing their man, thought better of it, and left him alone in his glory. Parker left Virginia several years ago, and came to Canada, but returned to New York, where the above imprisonment for assault, took place. Two weeks ago, he returned to Canada, and after the contest on this soil, with the three cowards, two Yankees and one Canadian, he has determined to stay at home.

(Provincial Freeman [PF] 6 October 1855)

“I heard of one who, like the man just spoken of, reached the Erie River at Black Rock, near Buffalo, and in sight of that Canada which had been the object of his fondest
desires, and had actually gone upon the ferryboat to be conveyed to his much-wished-for free home. The ferryman was loosing the boat from the shore, when, to his utter dismay, up rode his master upon a foaming steed, and with a look "Like the sunshine when it flashes on steel," drew his loaded pistol, and plainly told the ferryman--"If you loose that boat to convey my Negro to the opposite bank, I'll blow your brains out!"

The Negro in an instant seized a handspike, and, holding it menacingly over the ferryman's head, said, "If you don't loose the boat and ferry me across, I'll beat your brains out!" The ferryman, one of the best of his class, a Yankee, friendly to the Negro, looked a moment, first at the one and then at the other, seeing both equally determined and decided, and expressed his decision. He said coolly, "Wall! I can't die but once; and if I die, I guess I would rather die doing right. So here goes the boat." He loosed it and shoved it off. While this was being done, the slaveholder, seeing his slave, who had always "Fanned him while he slept, and trembled when he
woke," defy him, with a threatening gesture at a white man, was thunderstruck. He sate in mute astonishment. His countenance reflected the state of his surprised mind. He was transfixed, as it were, to his saddle. He gazed with a stupid glare, as if he saw not, while the boat sped her way Canada-wards. The Negro, on the other hand, watched every inch of progress which widened the distance betwixt the two shores, until, not waiting for the boat to touch, he ran back to the stern, and then, with a full bound like a nimble deer, sprang from the boat to the shore in advance of the boat, and, rising, took off his poor old hat, and gave three cheers for the British sovereign.”

Samuel Ringgold Ward
The Anti-Slavery Record
(American Anti-Slavery Society 1836, See also S11.)

Isaac Parker Determined to be Free

Mrs. Betsy “Aunt Betsy” Robinson was among a family of nine that took the Black Rock ferry to Canada in 1837. They escaped from a plantation in Rockingham County, Virginia, and probably crossed the north fork of the Shenandoah River. According to her, the family was assisted by many people, both black and white, in the South as well as the North. They walked through Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania, and southwestern New York to the Village of Black Rock. The family was brought across the Niagara River to Fort Erie on the Black Rock ferry. She was still living in Fort Erie in 1899. (Severance1899: 196-197).

Aunt Betsy and Her Family of Nine

Hoover Jumps onto Steamboat Deck

AN ESCAPE. As the steamboat Mayflower was nearing her dock, yesterday afternoon the barer, a negro man, named Hoover, saw standing upon the deck, in company with several police officers a person whom he recognized as his former master, from whose custody. Hoover had escaped many years since. Suspecting that he was in danger if he remained there, Hoover ran forward and as the bow of the Mayflower approached the stern of the Plymouth Rock, he jumped upon the deck of the latter vessel then dropped down into a small boat lying alongside, worked her round under the dock, crawled along until he reached the ferry boat International, which runs to Fort Erie, and was just ready for leaving, ascended quietly to her deck, and, in a few moments, was in Canadian waters, and safe. Hoover is a man of some thirty years of age, has resided in Buffalo for many years, and has a family here. It is remarkable that he should recognize his master, from whom he ran away when only ten years old.

Buffalo Democrat
reprinted in Frederick Douglass’ Paper, edited by Frederick Douglass in Rochester, New York (Frederick Douglass’ Paper [FDP], 15 September 1854)

Around 1859, upon hearing that he was to be sold away from his mother, Charley, a house slave from Loudon County, Virginia, stole his master’s horse and ran away. He headed towards Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) and with the help of a local hotel owner and a farmer, he got across the Ohio River. He was helped north by Underground Railroad station agents through Ohio, Westfield, New York, and Buffalo while other abolitionists convinced the slave catchers that he was headed toward Detroit. Charley eventually crossed the Niagara River at Black Rock.

(Pettit 1879: 18-23)

Charley Rides a Horse, a Train, and a Ferry

Freedom Seeker Dan is Smuggled in Skiff to Reach Freedom

In January of 1858, a slave named Dan was escorted from Corning, New York to Dunkirk, New York with his master close behind. A number of Underground Railroad conductors helped him on his way to Buffalo and Black Rock harbor despite the high risk to themselves of getting caught. Dan’s owner employed a number of men to watch out for Dan at Black Rock because it was a known station on the Underground Railroad. Even though the harbor was watched closely by slave catchers, agents managed to get him into a skiff and across the Niagara River just as the slave catchers arrived at the dock. Dan later returned to the Fredonia area of Western New York and worked for a time on a merchant vessel captained by an Underground Railroad agent.

(Pettit 1879: 24-26)

Tome Stowe Will Not Be Bought or Sold

Tom Stowe was a slave who worked on a plantation near Vicksburg, Mississippi. Tom’s master owned racing horses, fighting dogs and cocks and Tom was in charge of their upkeep. He was so good at his job that his owner repeatedly refused very high monetary offers for him. On one trip with his master, Tom was left alone in Morgantown, Virginia (now West Virginia) to manage the animals. A local grocer advised Tom that the nearby state of Pennsylvania was a free state, and that Canada was not much farther. Tom was distrustful of this grocer but that information, and other knowledge he gained from his travels through the north with his master, made him more interested in freedom. After Tom’s son was sold and his wife died shortly thereafter, he made the decision to leave. His opportunity came after two years. His route led him through Pittsburgh, up the Alleghany River, to an Underground Railroad station in Franklin, Pennsylvania, mostly on foot. He then passed through Warren, Pennsylvania, Jamestown, New York, and to Fredonia, New York. After a few days, he as driven to Buffalo and, in the early morning, Tom Stowe was put on a boat at Black Rock and rowed across to Canada.

(Pettit 1879: 27-33)

James Adams and the Compass

James Adams was a slave from Virginia. When he was 17 years old he decided to escape slavery with several others. They set out on foot on the road north on August 12, 1824. They crossed a nearby river and hid in the woods for four days. They were aided by white sympathizers who hid them on their properties at night. James and his fellow fugitives walked for many days through wilderness, aided by a compass. They travelled through Ohio to Cleveland. At Cleveland, with a steamboat captain’s permission, they boarded the ship and sailed to Buffalo. The captain walked the fugitives to the Black Rock ferry which they took to Canada. In 1856, James Adams resided in St. Catharines and owned his own house.

(Drew 1856: 19-28)