FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268  
269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   >>   >|  
ugitive slave law, that persons disposed to thus stop by the way, should be very plainly given to understand, that if they were captured they would have themselves the most to blame. But the dread of Slavery was strong in the minds of these fugitives, and they very fully realized their folly in stopping in New Jersey. The Committee procured their tickets, helped them to disguise themselves as much as possible, and admonished them not to stop short of Canada. * * * * * HETTY SCOTT ALIAS MARGARET DUNCANS AND DAUGHTER PRISCILLA. This mother and daughter had been the "chattels personal" of Daniel Coolby of Harvard, Md. Their lot had been that of ordinary slaves in the country, on farms, &c. The motive which prompted them to escape was the fact that their master had "threatened to sell" them. He had a right to do so; but Hetty was a little squeamish on this point and took great umbrage at her "kind master." In this "disobedient" state of mind, she determined, if hard struggling would enable her, to defeat the threats of Mr. Daniel Coolby, that he should not much longer have the satisfaction of enjoying the fruit of the toil of herself and offspring. She at once began to prepare for her journey. She had three children of her own to bring, besides she was intimately acquainted with a young man and a young woman, both slaves, to whom she felt that it would be safe to confide her plans with a view of inviting them to accompany her. The young couple were ready converts to the eloquent speech delivered to them by Hetty on Freedom, and were quite willing to accept her as their leader in the emergency. Up to the hour of setting out on their lonely and fatiguing journey, arrangements were being carefully completed, so that there should be no delay of any kind. At the appointed hour they were all moving northward in good order. Arriving at Quakertown, Pa., they found friends of the slave, who welcomed them to their homes and sympathy, gladdening the hearts of all concerned. For prudential reasons it was deemed desirable to separate the party, to send some one way and some another. Thus safely, through the kind offices and aid of the friends at Quakertown, they were duly forwarded on to the Committee in Philadelphia. Here similar acts of charity were extended to them, and they were directed on to Canada. * * * * * ROBERT FISHER. THIS PASSE
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268  
269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

friends

 

Committee

 
Canada
 

journey

 
slaves
 

master

 

Daniel

 
Coolby
 

Quakertown

 

eloquent


Freedom

 

delivered

 

speech

 
leader
 

setting

 

charity

 
converts
 

extended

 

emergency

 

accept


directed
 

FISHER

 
acquainted
 
intimately
 

inviting

 
accompany
 

couple

 

lonely

 

ROBERT

 

confide


fatiguing

 

gladdening

 

hearts

 
safely
 

sympathy

 

offices

 

welcomed

 

concerned

 

deemed

 

desirable


separate

 

reasons

 
prudential
 

children

 

completed

 

arrangements

 

carefully

 

appointed

 

Arriving

 
northward