red of his freedom. His master was very much pleased with
the story, spoke pleasantly to him and permitted him to work among his
slaves and those of his neighbors as a missionary to convince the
blacks of the folly of escaping to Canada.

The slave resumed his usual labor, working during that fall and winter
but planning at the same time a second flight. In the spring he
succeeded in bringing together his wife and children and a few of his
slave friends on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. He reached the
first station of the Underground Railway with his party numbering
fourteen and hurried them from point to point until they reached the
home of Levi Coffin in Indiana. They were hotly pursued and had narrow
escapes, but by wise management they made their way through
Spartansburg, Greenville and Mercer County, Ohio, to Sandusky, from
which they crossed over to Canada.[3]

* * * * *

B. F. GRANT.[4]--I was born in the State of Pennsylvania, Little
Britain Township, Lancaster County, Sunday morning, August 12, 1838. I
am the son of the late Henry and Charlotte Grant.

My father was born a slave in the State of Maryland in Cecil County.
He was freed at the age of nineteen, upon the death of his master. My
mother was born of free parents in Harford County, Maryland. Both came
in their youth to Pennsylvania, where they were married. Of that union
there were born twelve children, eight boys and four girls. The
subject of this sketch was the fifth son of the family.

In 1844 my father moved with his family from Lancaster to York County,
across the Susquehanna River. I was then between five and six years
old.

The first political event that I remember was the Presidential
campaign of Henry Clay and James K. Polk in 1844. In the fall of that
year each party had a pole raising at Peach Bottom, York County,
Pennsylvania. Mother took us to see the pole raising and then the
people were all shouting for Henry Clay, but soon after that I
remember hearing them singing a song::

"Oh poor cooney Clay,
The white house was never made for you
And home you better stay."

Polk was elected, and soon after the inauguration of President Polk in
1845 the great controversy over the Mexican War and Negro slavery
arose. The Negro question was the topic of the day, both in and out of
Congress and among all classes. This continued until in 1846, when the
war broke out between the United States and