diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/7htub10.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/7htub10.txt | 4104 |
1 files changed, 4104 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/7htub10.txt b/old/7htub10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ee8029d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/7htub10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4104 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Harriet, The Moses of Her People, by Sarah H. Bradford + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Harriet, The Moses of Her People + +Author: Sarah H. Bradford + +Release Date: February, 2006 [EBook #9999] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on November 6, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARRIET, THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE *** + + + + +Produced by Maria Cecilia Lim and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + +[Illustration: Letter from Susan B. Anthony, January, 1903.] + + + + +HARRIET + +THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE + +By + +SARAH H. BRADFORD + + + + + "Farewell, ole Marster, don't think hard of me, + I'm going on to Canada, where all de slaves are free." + + + "Jesus, Jesus will go wid you, + He will lead you to His throne, + He who died has gone before you, + Trod de wine-press all alone." + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1886, BY SARAH H. BRADFORD. + + + + +PREFACE. + +The title I have given my black heroine, in this second edition of +her story, viz.: THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE, may seem a little +ambitious, considering that this Moses was a woman, and that she +succeeded in piloting only three or four hundred slaves from the +land of bondage to the land of freedom. + +But I only give her here the name by which she was familiarly +known, both at the North and the South, during the years of terror +of the Fugitive Slave Law, and during our last Civil War, in both +of which she took so prominent a part. + +And though the results of her unexampled heroism were not to free +a whole nation of bond-men and bond-women, yet this object was as +much the desire of her heart, as it was of that of the great +leader of Israel. Her cry to the slave-holders, was ever like his +to Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" and not even he imperiled life and +limb more willingly, than did our courageous and self-sacrificing +friend. + +Her name deserves to be handed down to posterity, side by side +with the names of Jeanne D'Arc, Grace Darling, and Florence +Nightingale, for not one of these women, noble and brave as they +were, has shown more courage, and power of endurance, in facing +danger and death to relieve human suffering, than this poor black +woman, whose story I am endeavoring in a most imperfect way to +give you. + +Would that Mrs. Stowe had carried out the plan she once projected, +of being the historian of our sable friend; by her graphic pen, +the incidents of such a life might have been wrought up into a +tale of thrilling interest, equaling, if not exceeding her world +renowned "Uncle Tom's Cabin." + +The work fell to humbler hands, and the first edition of this +story, under the title of "Harriet Tubman," was written in the +greatest possible haste, while the writer was preparing for a +voyage to Europe. There was pressing need for this book, to save +the poor woman's little home from being sold under a mortgage, and +letters and facts were penned down rapidly, as they came in. The +book has now been in part re-written and the letters and +testimonials placed in an appendix. + +For the satisfaction of the incredulous (and there will naturally +be many such, when so strange a tale is repeated to them), I will +here state that so far as it has been possible, I have received +corroboration of every incident related to me by my heroic friend. +I did this for the satisfaction of others, not for my own. No one +can hear Harriet talk, and not believe every word she says. As Mr. +Sanborn says of her, "she is too _real_ a person, not to be true." + +Many incidents quite as wonderful as those related in the story, I +have rejected, because I had no way in finding the persons who +could speak to their truth. + +This woman was the friend of William H. Seward, of Gerritt Smith, +of Wendell Phillips, of William Lloyd Garrison, and of many other +distinguished philanthropists before the War, as of very many +officers of the Union Army during the conflict. + +After her almost superhuman efforts in making her own escape from +slavery, and then returning to the South _nineteen times_, and +bringing away with her over three hundred fugitives, she was sent +by Governor Andrew of Massachusetts to the South at the beginning +of the War, to act as spy and scout for our armies, and to be +employed as hospital nurse when needed. + +Here for four years she labored without any remuneration, and +during the time she was acting as nurse, never drew but twenty +days' rations from our Government. She managed to support herself, +as well as to take care of the suffering soldiers. + +Secretary Seward exerted himself in every possible way to procure +her a pension from Congress, but red-tape proved too strong even +for him, and her case was rejected, because it did not come under +any recognized law. + +The first edition of this little story was published through the +liberality of Gerritt Smith, Wendell Phillips, and prominent men +in Auburn, and the object for which it was written was +accomplished. But that book has long been out of print, and the +facts stated there are all unknown to the present generation. +There have, I am told, often been calls for the book, which could +not be answered, and I have been urged by many friends as well as +by Harriet herself, to prepare another edition. For another +necessity has arisen and she needs help again not for herself, but +for certain helpless ones of her people. + +Her own sands are nearly run, but she hopes, 'ere she goes home, +to see this work, a hospital, well under way. Her last breath and +her last efforts will be spent in the cause of those for whom she +has already risked so much. + + For them her tears will fall, + For them her prayers ascend; + To them her toils and cares be given, + Till toils and cares shall end. + S.H.B. + +Letter from Mr. Oliver Johnson for the second edition: + + NEW YORK, _March 6_, 1886. + +MY DEAR MADAM: + +I am very glad to learn that you are about to publish a revised +edition of your life of that heroic woman, Harriet Tubman, by +whose assistance so many American slaves were enabled to break +their bonds. + +During the period of my official connection with the Anti-Slavery +office in New York, I saw her frequently, when she came there with +the companies of slaves, whom she had successfully piloted away +from the South; and often listened with wonder to the story of +her adventures and hair-breadth escapes. + +She always told her tale with a modesty which showed how +unconscious she was of having done anything more than her simple +duty. No one who listened to her could doubt her perfect +truthfulness and integrity. + +Her shrewdness in planning the escape of slaves, her skill in +avoiding arrest, her courage in every emergency, and her +willingness to endure hardship and face any danger for the sake of +her poor followers was phenomenal. + +I regret to hear that she is poor and ill, and hope the sale of +your book will give her the relief she so much needs and so well +deserves. + + Yours truly, + + OLIVER JOHNSON. + + + + AUBURN THEOL. SEMINARY, + _March_ 16, 1886. + +By PROFESSOR HOPKINS + +The remarkable person who is the subject of the following sketch, +has been residing mostly ever since the close of the war in the +outskirts of the City of Auburn, during all which time I have been +well acquainted with her. She has all the characteristics of the +pure African race strongly marked upon her, though from which one +of the various tribes that once fed the Barracoons, on the Guinea +coast, she derived her indomitable courage and her passionate love +of freedom I know not; perhaps from the Fellatas, in whom those +traits were predominant. + +Harriet lives upon a farm which the twelve hundred dollars given +her by Mrs. Bradford from the proceeds of the first edition of +this little book, enabled her to redeem from a mortgage held by +the late Secretary Seward. + +Her household is very likely to consist of several old black +people, "bad with the rheumatize," some forlorn wandering woman, +and a couple of small images of God cut in ebony. How she manages +to feed and clothe herself and them, the Lord best knows. She has +too much pride and too much faith to beg. She takes thankfully, +but without any great effusiveness of gratitude, whatever God's +messengers bring her. + +I have never heard that she absolutely lacked. There are some good +people in various parts of the country, into whose hearts God +sends the thought, from time to time, that Harriet may be at the +bottom of the flour sack, or of the potatoes, and the "help in +time of need" comes to her. + +Harriet's simplicity and ignorance have, in some cases, been +imposed upon, very signally in one instance in Auburn, a few years +ago; but nobody who knows her has the slightest doubt of her +perfect integrity. + +The following sketch taken by Mrs. Bradford, chiefly from +Harriet's own recollections, which are wonderfully distinct and +minute, but also from other corroborative sources, gives but a +very imperfect account of what this woman has been. + +Her color, and the servile condition in which she was born and +reared, have doomed her to obscurity, but a more heroic soul did +not breathe in the bosom of Judith or of Jeanne D'Arc. + +No fear of the lash, the blood-hound, or the fiery stake, could +divert her from her self-imposed task of leading as many as +possible of her people "from the land of Egypt, from the house of +bondage." + +The book is good literature for the black race, or the white race, +and though no similar conditions may arise, to test the +possibilities that are in any of them, yet the example of this +poor slave woman may well stand out before them, and before all +people, black or white, to show what a lofty and martyr spirit may +accomplish, struggling against overwhelming obstacles. + + + + +HARRIET, + +THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE. + + +On a hot summer's day, perhaps sixty years ago, a group of merry +little darkies were rolling and tumbling in the sand in front of +the large house of a Southern planter. Their shining skins gleamed +in the sun, as they rolled over each other in their play, and +their voices, as they chattered together, or shouted in glee, +reached even to the cabins of the negro quarter, where the old +people groaned in spirit, as they thought of the future of those +unconscious young revelers; and their cry went up, "O, Lord, how +long!" + +Apart from the rest of the children, on the top rail of a fence, +holding tight on to the tall gate post, sat a little girl of +perhaps thirteen years of age; darker than any of the others, and +with a more decided _woolliness_ in the hair; a pure unmitigated +African. She was not so entirely in a state of nature as the +rollers in the dust beneath her; but her only garment was a short +woolen skirt, which was tied around her waist, and reached about +to her knees. She seemed a dazed and stupid child, and as her head +hung upon her breast, she looked up with dull blood-shot eyes +towards her young brothers and sisters, without seeming to see +them. Bye and bye the eyes closed, and still clinging to the post, +she slept. The other children looked up and said to each other, +"Look at Hatt, she's done gone off agin!" Tired of their present +play ground they trooped off in another direction, but the girl +slept on heavily, never losing her hold on the post, or her seat +on her perch. Behold here, in the stupid little negro girl, the +future deliverer of hundreds of her people; the spy and scout of +the Union armies; the devoted hospital nurse; the protector of +hunted fugitives; the eloquent speaker in public meetings; the +cunning eluder of pursuing man-hunters; the heaven guided pioneer +through dangers seen and unseen; in short, as she has well been +called, "The Moses of her People." + +Here in her thirteenth year she is just recovering from the first +terrible effects of an injury inflicted by her master, who in an +ungovernable fit of rage threw a heavy weight at the unoffending +child, breaking in her skull, and causing a pressure upon her +brain, from which in her old age she is suffering still. This +pressure it was which caused the fits of somnolency so frequently +to come upon her, and which gave her the appearance of being +stupid and half-witted in those early years. But that brain which +seemed so dull was full of busy thoughts, and her life problem was +already trying to work itself out there. + +She had heard the shrieks and cries of women who were being +flogged in the negro quarter; she had listened to the groaned out +prayer, "Oh, Lord, have mercy!" She had already seen two older +sisters taken away as part of a chain gang, and they had gone no +one knew whither; she had seen the agonized expression on their +faces as they turned to take a last look at their "Old Cabin +Home;" and had watched them from the top of the fence, as they +went off weeping and lamenting, till they were hidden from her +sight forever. She saw the hopeless grief of the poor old mother, +and the silent despair of the aged father, and already she began +to revolve in her mind the question, "Why should such things be?" +"Is there no deliverance for my people?" + +The sun shone on, and Harriet still slept seated on the fence +rail. They, those others, had no anxious dreams of the future, and +even the occasional sufferings of the present time caused them but +a temporary grief. Plenty to eat, and warm sunshine to bask in, +were enough to constitute their happiness; Harriet, however, was +not one of these. God had a great work for her to do in the world, +and the discipline and hardship through which she passed in her +early years, were only preparing her for her after life of +adventure and trial; and through these to come out as the Savior +and Deliverer of her people, when she came to years of womanhood. + +As yet she had seen no "visions," and heard no "voices;" no +foreshadowing of her life of toil and privation, of flight before +human blood-hounds, of watchings, and hidings, of perils by land, +and perils by sea, yea, and of perils by false brethren, or of +miraculous deliverance had yet come to her. No hint of the great +mission of her life, to guide her people from the land of bondage +to the land of freedom. But, "Why should such things be?" and "Is +there no help?" These were the questions of her waking hours. + +The dilapidated state of things about the "Great House" told truly +the story of waning fortunes, and poverty was pressing upon the +master. One by one the able-bodied slaves disappeared; some were +sold, others hired to other masters. No questions were asked; no +information given; they simply disappeared. A "lady," for so she +was designated, came driving up to the great house one day, to see +if she could find there a young girl to take care of a baby. The +lady wished to pay low wages, and so the most stupid and the most +incapable of the children on the plantation was chosen to go with +her. Harriet, who could command less wages than any other child of +her age on the plantation, was therefore put into the wagon +without a word of explanation, and driven off to the lady's house. +It was not a very fine house, but Harriet had never before been in +any dwelling better than the cabins of the negro quarter. + +She was engaged as child's nurse, but she soon found that she was +expected to be maid of all work by day, as well as child's nurse +by night. The first task that was set her was that of sweeping and +dusting a parlor. No information was vouchsafed as to the manner +of going about this work, but she had often swept out the cabin, +and this part of her task was successfully accomplished. Then at +once she took the dusting cloth, and wiped off tables, chairs and +mantel-piece. The dust, as dust will do, when it has nowhere else +to go, at once settled again, and chairs and tables were soon +covered with a white coating, telling a terrible tale against +Harriet, when her Mistress came in to see how the work progressed. +Reproaches, and savage words, fell upon the ears of the frightened +child, and she was commanded to do the work all over again. It was +done in precisely the same way, as before, with the same result. +Then the whip was brought into requisition, and it was laid on +with no light hand. Five times before breakfast this process was +repeated, when a new actor appeared upon the scene. Miss Emily, a +sister of the Mistress, had been roused from her morning slumber +by the sound of the whip, and the screams of the child; and being +of a less imperious nature than her sister, she had come in to try +to set matters right. + +"Why do you whip the child, Susan, for not doing what she has +never been taught to do? Leave her to me a few minutes, and you +will see that she will soon learn how to sweep and dust a room." +Then Miss Emily instructed the child to open the windows, and +sweep, then to leave the room, and set the table, while the dust +settled; and after that to return and wipe it off. There was no +more trouble of that kind. A few words might have set the matter +right before; but in those days many a poor slave suffered for the +stupidity and obstinacy of a master or mistress, more stupid than +themselves. + +When the labors, unremitted for a moment, of the long day were +over (for this mistress was an economical woman, and intended to +get the worth of her money to the uttermost farthing), there was +still no rest for the weary child, for there was a cross baby to +be rocked continuously, lest it should wake and disturb the +mother's rest. The black child sat beside the cradle of the white +child, so near the bed, that the lash of the whip would reach her +if she ventured for a moment to forget her fatigues and sufferings +in sleep. The Mistress reposed upon her bed with the whip on a +little shelf over her head. People of color are, unfortunately, so +constituted that even if the pressure of a broken skull does not +cause a sleep like the sleep of the dead, the need of rest, and +the refreshment of slumber after a day of toil, were often felt by +them. No doubt, this was a great wrong to their masters, and a +cheating them of time which belonged to them, but their slaves did +not always look upon it in that light, and tired nature would +demand her rights; and so nature and the Mistress had a fight for +it. + +Rock, rock, went the cradle, and mother and child slept; but alas! +the little black hand would sometimes slip down, and the head +would droop, and a dream of home and mother would visit the weary +one, only to be roughly dispelled by the swift descent of the +stinging lash, for the baby had cried out and the mother had been +awakened. This is no fictitious tale. That poor neck is even now +covered with the scars which sixty years of life have not been +able to efface. It may be that she was thus being prepared by the +long habit of enforced wakefulness, for the night watches in the +woods, and in dens and caves of the earth, when the pursuers were +on her track, and the terrified ones were trembling in her shadow. +We do not thank _you_ for this, cruel woman! for if you did her a +service, you did it ignorantly, and only for your own gratification. +But Harriet's powers of endurance failed at last, and she was +returned to her master, a poor, scarred wreck, nothing but skin and +bone, with the words that "She wasn't worth a sixpence." + +The poor old mother nursed her back to life, and her naturally +good constitution asserted itself, so that as she grew older she +began to show signs of the wonderful strength which in after +years, when the fugitive slave law was in operation in New York +State, enabled her to seize a man from the officers who had him in +charge, and while numbers were pursuing her, and the shot was +flying like hail about her head, to bear him in her own strong +arms beyond the reach of danger. + +As soon as she was strong enough for work, Harriet was hired out +to a man whose tyranny was worse, if possible, than that of the +woman she had left. Now it was out of door drudgery which was put +upon her. The labor of the horse and the ox, the lifting of +barrels of flour and other heavy weights were given to her; and +powerful men often stood astonished to see this woman perform +feats of strength from which they shrunk incapable. This cruelty +she looks upon as a blessing in disguise (a very questionable +shape the blessing took, methinks), for by it she was prepared for +after needs. + +Still the pressure upon the brain continued, and with the weight +half lifted, she would drop off into a state of insensibility, +from which even the lash in the hand of a strong man could not +rouse her. But if they had only known it, the touch of a gentle +hand upon her shoulder, and her name spoken in tones of kindness, +would have accomplished what cruelty failed to do. + +The day's work must be accomplished, whether the head was racked +with pain, and the frame was consumed by fever, or not; but the +day came at length when poor Harriet could work no more. The sting +of the lash had no power to rouse her now, and the new master +finding her a dead weight on his hands, returned the useless piece +of property to him who was called her "owner." And while she lay +there helpless, this man was bringing other men to look at her, +and offering her for sale at the lowest possible price; at the +same time setting forth her capabilities, if once she were strong +and well again. + +Harriet's religious character I have not yet touched upon. Brought +up by parents possessed of strong faith in God, she had never +known the time, I imagine, when she did not trust Him, and cling +to Him, with an all-abiding confidence. She seemed ever to feel +the Divine Presence near, and she talked with God "as a man +talketh with his friend." Hers was not the religion of a morning +and evening prayer at stated times, but when she felt a need, she +simply told God of it, and trusted Him to set the matter right. + +"And so," she said to me, "as I lay so sick on my bed, from +Christmas till March, I was always praying for poor ole master. +'Pears like I didn't do nothing but pray for ole master. 'Oh, +Lord, convert ole master;' 'Oh, dear Lord, change dat man's heart, +and make him a Christian.' And all the time he was bringing men to +look at me, and dey stood there saying what dey would give, and +what dey would take, and all I could say was, 'Oh, Lord, convert +ole master.' Den I heard dat as soon as I was able to move I was +to be sent with my brudders, in the chain-gang to de far South. +Then I changed my prayer, and I said, 'Lord, if you ain't never +going to change dat man's heart, _kill him_, Lord, and take him +out of de way, so he won't do no more mischief.' Next ting I heard +ole master was dead; and he died just as he had lived, a wicked, +bad man. Oh, den it 'peared like I would give de world full of +silver and gold, if I had it, to bring dat pore soul back, I would +give _myself_; I would give eberyting! But he was gone, I couldn't +pray for him no more." + +As she recovered from this long illness, a deeper religious spirit +seemed to take possession of her than she had ever experienced +before. She literally "prayed without ceasing." "'Pears like, I +prayed all de time," she said, "about my work, eberywhere; I was +always talking to de Lord. When I went to the horse-trough to wash +my face, and took up de water in my hands, I said, 'Oh, Lord, wash +me, make me clean.' When I took up de towel to wipe my face and +hands, I cried, 'Oh, Lord, for Jesus' sake, wipe away all my +sins!' When I took up de broom and began to sweep, I groaned, 'Oh, +Lord, whatsoebber sin dere be in my heart, sweep it out, Lord, +clar and clean;' but I can't pray no more for pore ole master." No +words can describe the pathos of her tones as she broke into these +words of earnest supplication. + +What was to become of the slaves on this plantation now that the +master was dead? Were they all to be scattered and sent to +different parts of the country? Harriet had many brothers and +sisters, all of whom with the exception of the two, who had gone +South with the chain-gang, were living on this plantation, or were +hired out to planters not far away. The word passed through the +cabins that another owner was coming in, and that none of the +slaves were to be sold out of the State. This assurance satisfied +the others, but it did not satisfy Harriet. Already the inward +monitor was whispering to her, "Arise, flee for your life!" and in +the visions of the night she saw the horsemen coming, and heard +the shrieks of women and children, as they were being torn from +each other, and hurried off no one knew whither. + +And beckoning hands were ever motioning her to come, and she +seemed to see a line dividing the land of slavery from the land of +freedom, and on the other side of that line she saw lovely white +ladies waiting to welcome her, and to care for her. Already in her +mind her people were the Israelites in the land of Egypt, while +far away to the north _somewhere_, was the land of Canaan; but had +she as yet any prevision that _she_ was to be the Moses who was to +be their leader, through clouds of darkness and fear, and fires of +tribulation to that promised land? This she never said. + +One day there were scared faces seen in the negro quarter, and +hurried whispers passed from one to another. No one knew how it +had come out, but some one had heard that Harriet and two of her +brothers were very soon, perhaps to-day, perhaps to-morrow, to be +sent far South with a gang, bought up for plantation work. Harriet +was about twenty or twenty-five years old at this time, and the +constantly recurring idea of escape at _sometime_, took sudden +form that day, and with her usual promptitude of action she was +ready to start at once. + +She held a hurried consultation with her brothers, in which she so +wrought upon their fears, that they expressed themselves as +willing to start with her that very night, for that far North, +where, could they reach it in safety, freedom awaited them. But +she must first give some intimation of her purpose to the friends +she was to leave behind, so that even if not understood at the +time, it might be remembered afterward as her intended farewell. +Slaves must not be seen talking together, and so it came about +that their communication was often made by singing, and the words +of their familiar hymns, telling of the heavenly journey, and the +land of Canaan, while they did not attract the attention of the +masters, conveyed to their brethren and sisters in bondage +something more than met the ear. And so she sang, accompanying the +words, when for a moment unwatched, with a meaning look to one and +another: + + "When dat ar ole chariot comes, + I'm gwine to lebe you, + I'm boun' for de promised land, + Frien's, I'm gwine to lebe you." + +Again, as she passed the doors of the different cabins, she lifted +up her well-known voice; and many a dusky face appeared at door or +window, with a wondering or scared expression; and thus she +continued: + + "I'm sorry, frien's, to lebe you, + Farewell! oh, farewell! + But I'll meet you in de mornin', + Farewell! oh, farewell! + + "I'll meet you in de mornin', + When you reach de promised land; + On de oder side of Jordan, + For I'm boun' for de promised land." + +The brothers started with her, but the way was strange, the north +was far away, and all unknown, the masters would pursue and +recapture them, and their fate would be worse than ever before; +and so they broke away from her, and bidding her goodbye, they +hastened back to the known horrors of slavery, and the dread of +that which was worse. + +Harriet was now left alone, but after watching the retreating +forms of her brothers, she turned her face toward the north, and +fixing her eyes on the guiding star, and committing her way unto +the Lord, she started again upon her long, lonely journey. Her +farewell song was long remembered in the cabins, and the old +mother sat and wept for her lost child. No intimation had been +given her of Harriet's intention, for the old woman was of a most +impulsive disposition, and her cries and lamentations would have +made known to all within hearing Harriet's intended escape. And +so, with only the North Star for her guide, our heroine started on +the way to liberty, "For," said she, "I had reasoned dis out in my +mind; there was one of two things I had a _right_ to, liberty, or +death; if I could not have one, I would have de oder; for no man +should take me alive; I should fight for my liberty as long as my +strength lasted, and when de time came for me to go, de Lord would +let dem take me." + +And so without money, and without friends, she started on through +unknown regions; walking by night, hiding by day, but always +conscious of an invisible pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by +night, under the guidance of which she journeyed or rested. +Without knowing whom to trust, or how near the pursuers might be, +she carefully felt her way, and by her native cunning, or by God +given wisdom, she managed to apply to the right people for food, +and sometimes for shelter; though often her bed was only the cold +ground, and her watchers the stars of night. + +After many long and weary days of travel, she found that she had +passed the magic line, which then divided the land of bondage from +the land of freedom. But where were the lovely white ladies whom +in her visions she had seen, who, with arms outstretched, welcomed +her to their hearts and homes. All these visions proved deceitful: +she was more alone than ever; but she had crossed the line; no one +could take her now, and she would never call any man "Master" +more. + +"I looked at my hands," she said, "to see if I was de same person +now I was free. Dere was such a glory ober eberything, de sun came +like gold trou de trees, and ober de fields, and I felt like I was +in heaven." But then came the bitter drop in the cup of joy. She +was alone, and her kindred were in slavery, and not one of them +had the courage to dare what she had dared. Unless she made the +effort to liberate them she would never see them more, or even +know their fate. + +"I knew of a man," she said, "who was sent to the State Prison for +twenty-five years. All these years he was always thinking of his +home, and counting by years, months, and days, the time till he +should be free, and see his family and friends once more. The +years roll on, the time of imprisonment is over, the man is free. +He leaves the prison gates, he makes his way to his old home, but +his old home is not there. The house in which he had dwelt in his +childhood had been torn down, and a new one had been put up in its +place; his family were gone, their very name was forgotten, there +was no one to take him by the hand to welcome him back to life." + +"So it was wid me," said Harriet, "I had crossed de line of which +I had so long been dreaming. I was free; but dere was no one to +welcome me to de land of freedom, I was a stranger in a strange +land, and my home after all was down in de old cabin quarter, wid +de ole folks, and my brudders and sisters. But to dis solemn +resolution I came; I was free, and dey should be free also; I +would make a home for dem in de North, and de Lord helping me, I +would bring dem all dere. Oh, how I prayed den, lying all alone on +de cold, damp ground; 'Oh, dear Lord,' I said, 'I haint got no +friend but _you_. Come to my help, Lord, for I'm in trouble!'" + +It would be impossible here to give a detailed account of the +journeys and labors of this intrepid woman for the redemption of +her kindred and friends, during the years that followed. Those +years were spent in work, almost by night and day, with the one +object of the rescue of her people from slavery. All her wages +were laid away with this sole purpose, and as soon as a sufficient +amount was secured, she disappeared from her Northern home, and as +suddenly and mysteriously she appeared some dark night at the door +of one of the cabins on a plantation, where a trembling band of +fugitives, forewarned as to time and place, were anxiously +awaiting their deliverer. Then she piloted them North, traveling +by night, hiding by day, scaling the mountains, fording the +rivers, threading the forests, lying concealed as the pursuers +passed them. She, carrying the babies, drugged with paregoric, in +a basket on her arm. So she went _nineteen_ times, and so she +brought away over three hundred pieces of living and breathing +"property," with God given souls. + +The way was so toilsome over the rugged mountain passes, that +often the _men_ who followed her would give out, and foot-sore, +and bleeding, they would drop on the ground, groaning that they +could not take another step. They would lie there and die, or if +strength came back, they would return on their steps, and seek +their old homes again. Then the revolver carried by this bold and +daring pioneer, would come out, while pointing it at their heads +she would say, "Dead niggers tell no tales; you go on or die!" And +by this heroic treatment she compelled them to drag their weary +limbs along on their northward journey. + +But the pursuers were after them. A reward of $40,000 was offered +by the slave-holders of the region from whence so many slaves had +been spirited away, for the head of the woman who appeared so +mysteriously, and enticed away their property, from under the very +eyes of its owners. Our sagacious heroine has been in the car, +having sent her frightened party round by some so-called +"Under-ground Railway," and has heard this advertisement, which was +posted over her head, read by others of the passengers. She never +could read or write herself, but knowing that suspicion would be +likely to fall upon any black woman traveling North, she would +turn at the next station, and journey towards the South. Who would +suspect a fugitive with such a price set upon her head, of rushing +at railway speed into the jaws of destruction? With a daring +almost heedless, she went even to the very village where she would +be most likely to meet one of the masters to whom she had been +hired; and having stopped at the Market and bought a pair of live +fowls, she went along the street with her sun-bonnet well over her +face, and with the bent and decrepit air of an aged, woman. +Suddenly on turning a corner, she spied her old master coming +towards her. She pulled the string which tied the legs of the +chickens; they began to flutter and scream, and as her master +passed, she was stooping and busily engaged in attending to the +fluttering fowls. And he went on his way, little thinking that he +was brushing the very garments of the woman who had dared to steal +herself, and others of his belongings. + +At one time the pursuit was very close and vigorous. The woods +were scoured in all directions, every house was visited, and every +person stopped and questioned as to a band of black fugitives, +known to be fleeing through that part of the country. Harriet had +a large party with her then; the children were sleeping the sound +sleep that opium gives; but all the others were on the alert, each +one hidden behind his own tree, and silent as death. They had been +long without food, and were nearly famished; and as the pursuers +seemed to have passed on, Harriet decided to make the attempt to +reach a certain "station of the underground railroad" well known +to her; and procure food for her starving party. Under cover of +the darkness, she started, leaving a cowering and trembling group +in the woods, to whom a fluttering leaf, or a moving animal, were +a sound of dread, bringing their hearts into their throats. How +long she is away! has she been caught and carried off, and if so +what is to become of them? Hark! there is a sound of singing in +the distance, coming nearer and nearer. + +And these are the words of the unseen singer, which I wish I could +give you as I have so often heard them sung by herself: + + Hail, oh hail, ye happy spirits, + Death no more shall make you fear, + Grief nor sorrow, pain nor anguish, + Shall no more distress you dere. + + Around Him are ten thousand angels + Always ready to obey command; + Dey are always hovering round you, + Till you reach de heavenly land. + + Jesus, Jesus will go wid you, + He will lead you to his throne; + He who died, has gone before you, + Trod de wine-press all alone. + + He whose thunders shake creation, + He who bids de planets roll; + He who rides upon the tempest, + And whose scepter sways de whole. + + Dark and thorny is de pathway, + Where de pilgrim makes his ways; + But beyond dis vale of sorrow, + Lie de fields of endless days. + +The air sung to these words was so wild, so full of plaintive +minor strains, and unexpected quavers, that I would defy any white +person to learn it, and often as I heard it, it was to me a +constant surprise. Up and down the road she passes to see if the +coast is clear, and then to make them certain that it is _their_ +leader who is coming, she breaks out into the plaintive strains of +the song, forbidden to her people at the South, but which she and +her followers delight to sing together: + + Oh go down, Moses, + Way down into Egypt's land, + Tell old Pharaoh, + Let my people go. + + Oh Pharaoh said he would go cross, + Let my people go, + And don't get lost in de wilderness, + Let my people go. + + Oh go down, Moses, + Way down into Egypt's land, + Tell old Pharaoh, + Let my people go. + + You may hinder me here, but you can't up dere, + Let my people go, + He sits in de Hebben and answers prayer, + Let my people go! + + Oh go down, Moses, + Way down into Egypt's land, + Tell old Pharaoh, + Let my people go. + +And then she enters the recesses of the wood, carrying hope and +comfort to the anxious watchers there. One by one they steal out +from their hiding places, and are fed and strengthened for another +night's journey. + +And so by night travel, by signals, by threatenings, by +encouragement, through watchings and fastings, and I may say by +direct interpositions of Providence, and miraculous deliverances, +she brought her people to what was then their land of Canaan; the +State of New York. But alas! this State did not continue to be +their refuge. For in 1850, I think, the Fugitive Slave Law was put +in force, which bound the people north of Mason and Dixon's line, +to return to bondage any fugitive found in their territories. + +"After that," said Harriet, "I wouldn't trust Uncle Sam wid my +people no longer, but I brought 'em all clar off to Canada." + +On her seventh or eighth journey, she brought with her a band of +fugitives, among whom was a very remarkable man, whom I knew only +by the name of "Joe." Joe was a noble specimen of a negro, +enormously tall, and of splendid muscular development. He had been +hired out by his master to another planter, for whom he had worked +for six years, saving him all the expense of an overseer, and +taking all trouble off from his hands. He was such a very valuable +piece of property, and had become so absolutely necessary to the +planter to whom he was hired, that he determined to buy him at any +cost. His old master held him proportionately high. But by paying +one thousand dollars down, and promising to pay another thousand +in a certain time, the purchase was made, and this chattel passed +over into the hands of a new owner. + +The morning after the purchase was completed, the new master came +riding down on a tall, powerful horse into the negro quarter, with +a strong new rawhide in his hand, and stopping before Joe's cabin, +called to him to come out. Joe was just eating his breakfast, but +with ready obedience, he hastened out at the summons. Slave as he +was, and accustomed to scenes of brutality, he was surprised when +the order came, "Now, Joe, strip, and take a licking." Naturally +enough, he demurred at first, and thought of resisting the order; +but he called to mind a scene he had witnessed a few days before +in the field, the particulars of which are too horrible to be +given here, and he thought it the wisest course to submit; but +first he tried a gentle remonstrance. + +"Mas'r," said he, "habn't I always been faithful to you? Habn't I +worked through sun an' rain, early in de mornin' an' late at +night; habn't I saved you an oberseer by doin' his work? hab you +anything to complain agin me?" + +"No, Joe, I have no complaint to make of you. You're a good +nigger, an' you've always worked well. But you belong to _me_ now; +you're _my_ nigger, and the first lesson my niggers have to learn +is that I am master and they belong to me, and are never to resist +anything I order them to do. So I always begin by giving them a +good licking. Now strip and take it." + +Joe saw that there was no help for him, and that for the time he +must submit. He stripped off his clothing, and took his flogging +without a word, but as he drew his shirt up over his torn and +bleeding back, he said to himself: "Dis is de first an' de last." +As soon as he was able he took a boat, and under cover of the +night, rowed down the river, and made his way to the cabin of "Old +Ben," Harriet's father, and said to him: "Nex' time _Moses_ comes, +let me know." + +It was not long after this time, that the mysterious woman +appeared--the woman on whom no one could lay his finger--and men, +women, and children began to disappear from the plantations. One +fine morning Joe was missing, and call as loud as he might, the +master's voice had no power to bring him forth. Joe had certainly +fled; and his brother William was gone, and Peter and Eliza. From +other plantations other slaves were missing, and before their +masters were awake to the fact, the party of fugitives, following +their intrepid leader, were far on their way towards liberty. + +The adventures of this escaping party would of themselves fill a +volume. They hid in potato holes by day, while their pursuers +passed within a few feet of them; they were passed along by +friends in various disguises; they scattered and separated; some +traveling by boat, some by wagons, some by cars, others on foot, +to meet at some specified station of the under-ground railroad. +They met at the house of Sam Green,[A] the man who was afterwards +sent to prison for ten years for having a copy of "Uncle Tom's +Cabin" in his house. And so, hunted and hiding and wandering, they +found themselves at last at the entrance of the long bridge which +crosses the river at Wilmington, Delaware. + +[Footnote A: In mentioning to me the circumstances of Sam Green's +imprisonment, Harriet, who had no acquaintance with books, merely +mentioned the fact as it had come to her own knowledge. But I have +lately come across a book in the Astor Library which confirms the +story precisely as she stated it. It is in a book by Rev. John +Dixon Long, of Philadelphia. He says, "Samuel Green, a free +colored man of Dorchester County, Maryland, was sentenced to ten +years' confinement in the Maryland State Prison, at the spring +term of the County Court held in Cambridge, Md. + +"What was the crime imputed to this man, born on American soil, a +man of good moral character, a local preacher in the Methodist +Episcopal Church; a husband and a father? Simply this: A copy of +'Uncle Tom's Cabin' _had been found in his possession_. It was not +proved that he had ever read it to the colored people."] + +No time had been lost in posting up advertisements and offering +rewards for the capture of these fugitives; for Joe in particular +the reward offered was very high. First a thousand dollars, then +fifteen hundred, and then two thousand, "an' all expenses clar an' +clean for his body in Easton Jail." This high reward stimulated +the efforts of the officers who were usually on the lookout for +escaping fugitives, and the added rewards for others of the party, +and the high price set on Harriet's head, filled the woods and +highways with eager hunters after human prey. When Harriet and her +companions approached the long Wilmington Bridge, a warning was +given them by some secret friend, that the advertisements were up, +and the bridge was guarded by police officers. Quick as lightning +the plans were formed in her ready brain, and the terrified party +were separated and hidden in the houses of different friends, till +her arrangements for their further journey were completed. + +There was at that time residing in Wilmington an old Quaker, whom +I may call _my_ "friend," for though I never saw his face, I have +had correspondence with him in reference to Harriet and her +followers. This man, whose name was Thomas Garrett, and who was +well known in those days to the friends of the slave, was a man of +a wonderfully large and generous heart, through whose hands during +those days of distress and horror, no less than three thousand +self-emancipated men, women and children passed on their way to +freedom. He gave heart, hand, and means to aid these poor +fugitives, and to our brave Harriet he often rendered most +efficient help in her journeys back and forth. + +He was the proprietor of a very large shoe establishment; and not +one of these poor travelers aver left his house without a present +of a new pair of shoes and other needed help. No sooner had this +good man received intelligence of the condition of these poor +creatures, than he devised a plan to elude the vigilance of the +officers in pursuit, and bring Harriet and her party across the +bridge. Two wagons filled with bricklayers were engaged, and sent +over; this was a common sight there, and caused no remark. They +went across the bridge singing and shouting, and it was not an +unexpected thing that they should return as they went. After +nightfall (and, fortunately, the night was very dark) the same +wagons recrossed the bridge, but with an unlooked-for addition to +their party. The fugitives were lying close together on the bottom +of the wagons; the bricklayers were on the seats, still singing +and shouting; and so they passed the guards, who were all +unsuspicious of the nature of the load contained in the wagons, or +of the amount of property thus escaping their hands. + +The good man, Thomas Garrett, who was in a very feeble state of +health when he last wrote me, and has now gone to his reward, +supplied them with all needed comforts, and sent them on their way +refreshed, and with renewed courage. And Harriet here set up her +Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far hath the Lord helped me!" But many a +danger, and many a fright, and many a deliverance awaited them, +before they reached the city of New York. And even there they were +not safe, for the Fugitive Slave Law was in operation, and their +only refuge was Canada, which was now their promised land. + +They finally reached New York in safety: and this goes almost +without saying, for I may as well mention here that of the three +hundred and more fugitives whom Harriet piloted from slavery, not +one was ever recaptured, though all the cunning and skill of white +men, backed by offered rewards of large sums of money, were +brought into requisition for their recovery. + +As they entered the anti-slavery office in New York, Mr. Oliver +Johnson rose up and exclaimed, "Well, Joe, I am glad to see the +man who is worth $2,000 to his master." At this Joe's heart sank. +"Oh, Mas'r, how did you know me!" he panted. "Here is the +advertisement in our office," said Mr. Johnson, "and the +description is so close that no one could mistake it." And had he +come through all these perils, had he traveled by day and night, +and suffered cold and hunger, and lived in constant fear and +dread, to find that far off here in New York State, he was +recognized at once by the advertisement? How, then, was he ever to +reach Canada? + +"And how far off is Canada?" he asked. He was shown the map of New +York State, and the track of the railroad, for more than three +hundred miles to Niagara, where he would cross the river, and be +free. But the way seemed long and full of dangers. They were +surely safer on their own tired feet, where they might hide in +forests and ditches, and take refuge in the friendly underground +stations; but here, where this large party would be together in +the cars, surely suspicion would fall upon them, and they would be +seized and carried back. But Harriet encouraged him in her cheery +way. He must not give up now. "De Lord had been with them in six +troubles, and he would not desert them in de seventh." And there +was nothing to do but to go on. As Moses spoke to the children of +Israel, when compassed before and behind by dangers, so she spake +to her people, that they should "go forward." + +Up to this time, as they traveled they had talked and sung hymns +together, like Pilgrim and his friends, and Joe's voice was the +loudest and sweetest among them; but now he hanged his harp upon +the willows, and could sing the Lord's songs no more. + +"From dat time," in Harriet's language, "Joe was silent; he talked +no more; he sang no more; he sat wid his head on his hand, an' +nobody could 'rouse him, nor make him take any intrust in +anything." + +They passed along in safety through New York State, and at length +found themselves approaching the Suspension Bridge. They could see +the promised land on the other side. The uninviting plains of +Canada seemed to them, + + "Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, + All dressed in living green;" + +but they were not safe yet. Until they reached the center of the +bridge, they were still in the power of their pursuers, who might +at any pause enter the car, and armed with the power of the law, +drag them back to slavery. The rest of the party were happy and +excited; they were simple, ignorant creatures, and having implicit +trust in their leader, they felt safe when with her, and no +immediate danger threatened them. But Joe was of a different +mould. He sat silent and sad, always thinking of the horrors that +awaited him if recaptured. As it happened, all the other +passengers were people who sympathized with them, understanding +them to be a band of fugitives, and they listened with tears, as +Harriet and all except poor Joe lifted up their voices and sang: + + I'm on the way to Canada, + That cold and dreary land, + De sad effects of slavery, + I can't no longer stand; + I've served my Master all my days, + Widout a dime reward, + And now I'm forced to run away, + To flee de lash, abroad; +Farewell, ole Master, don't think hard of me, +I'm traveling on to Canada, where all de slaves are free. + + De hounds are baying on my track, + Ole Master comes behind, + Resolved that he will bring me back, + Before I cross the line; + I'm now embarked for yonder shore, + Where a man's _a man_ by law, + De iron horse will bear me o'er, + To "shake de lion's paw;" +Oh, righteous Father, wilt thou not pity me. +And help me on to Canada, where all de slaves are free. + + Oh I heard Queen Victoria say, + That if we would forsake, + Our native land of slavery, + And come across de lake; + Dat she was standing on de shore, + Wid arms extended wide, + To give us all a peaceful home, + Beyond de rolling tide; +Farewell, ole Master, don't think hard of me, +I'm traveling on to Canada, where all de slaves are free. + +No doubt the simple creatures with her expected to cross a wide +lake instead of a rapid river, and to see Queen Victoria with her +crown upon her head, waiting with arms extended wide, to fold them +all in her embrace. There was now but "one wide river to cross," +and the cars rolled on to the bridge. In the distance was heard +the roar of the mighty cataract, and now as they neared the center +of the bridge, the falls might be clearly seen. Harriet was +anxious to have her companions see this wonderful sight, and +succeeded in bringing all to the windows, except Joe. But Joe +still sat with his head on his hands, and not even the wonders of +Niagara could draw him from his melancholy musings. At length as +Harriet knew by the rise of the center of the bridge, and the +descent immediately after, the line of danger was passed; she +sprang across to Joe's side of the car, and shook him almost out +of his seat, as she shouted, "Joe! you've shook de lion's paw!" +This was her phrase for having entered on the dominions of +England. But Joe did not understand this figurative expression. +Then she shook him again, and put it more plainly, "Joe, you're in +Queen Victoria's dominions! You're a free man!" + +Then Joe arose. His head went up, he raised his hands on high, and +his eyes, streaming with tears, to heaven, and then he began to +sing and shout: + + "Glory to God and Jesus too, + One more soul got safe; + Oh, go and carry the news, + One more soul got safe." + +"Joe, come and look at the falls!" + + "Glory to God and Jesus too, + One more soul got safe." + +"Joe! it's your last chance. Come and see de falls!" + + "Glory to God and Jesus too, + One more soul got safe." + +And this was all the answer. The train stopped on the other side; +and the first feet to touch British soil, after those of the +conductor, were those of poor Joe. + +Loud roared the waters of Niagara, but louder still ascended the +Anthem of praise from the overflowing heart of the freeman. And +can we doubt that the strain was taken up by angel voices and +echoed and re-echoed through the vaults of heaven: + + Glory to God in the highest, + Glory to God and Jesus too, + For all these souls now safe. + +"The white ladies and gentlemen gathered round him," said Harriet, +"till I couldn't see Joe for the crowd, only I heard his voice +singing, 'Glory to God and Jesus too,' louder than ever." A sweet +young lady reached over her fine cambric handkerchief to him, and +as Joe wiped the great tears off his face, he said, "Tank de Lord! +dere's only one more journey for me now, and dat's to Hebben!" As +we bid farewell to Joe here, I may as well say that Harriet saw +him several times after that, a happy and industrious freeman in +Canada.[B] + +[Footnote B: In my recent interview with Mr. Oliver Johnson he +told me of an interesting incident in the life of the good man, +Thomas Garrett. + +He was tried twice for assisting in the escape of fugitive slaves, +and was fined so heavily that everything he possessed was taken +from him and sold to pay the fine. At the age of sixty he was left +without a penny, but he went bravely to work, and in some measure +regained his fortune; all the time aiding, in every way possible, +all stray fugitives who applied to him for help. + +Again he was arrested, tried, and heavily fined, and as the Judge +of the United States Court pronounced the sentence, he said, in a +solemn manner: "Garrett, let this be a lesson to you, not to +interfere hereafter with the cause of justice, by helping off +runaway negroes. + +The old man, who had stood to receive his sentence, here raised +his head, and fixing his eyes on "the Court," he said: + +"Judge--thee hasn't left me a dollar, but I wish to say to thee, +and to all in this court room, that if anyone knows of a fugitive +who wants a shelter, and a friend, _send him to Thomas Garrett_, +and he will befriend him!" + +[Not Luther before the Council at Worms was grander than this brave +old man in his unswerving adherence to principle. In those days +that tried men's souls there were many men like this old Quaker, +and many women too, who would have gone cheerfully to the fire and +the stake, for the cause of suffering humanity; men and women +_these_ "of whom the world was not worthy."] + +On one of her journeys to the North, as she was piloting a company +of refugees, Harriet came, just as morning broke, to a town, where +a colored man had lived whose house had been one of her stations +of the under-ground, or unseen railroad. They reached the house, +and leaving her party huddled together in the middle of the +street, in a pouring rain, Harriet went to the door, and gave the +peculiar rap which was her customary signal to her friends. There +was not the usual ready response, and she was obliged to repeat +the signal several times. At length a window was raised, and the +head of a _white man_ appeared, with the gruff question, "Who are +you?" and "What do you want?" Harriet asked after her friend, and +was told that he had been obliged to leave for "harboring +niggers." + +Here was an unforeseen trouble; day was breaking, and daylight was +the enemy of the hunted and flying fugitives. Their faithful +leader stood one moment in the street, and in that moment she had +flashed a message quicker than that of the telegraph to her unseen +Protector, and the answer came as quickly; in a suggestion to her +of an almost forgotten place of refuge. Outside of the town there +was a little island in a swamp, where the grass grew tall and +rank, and where no human being could be suspected of seeking a +hiding place. To this spot she conducted her party; she waded the +swamp, carrying in a basket two well-drugged babies (these were a +pair of little twins, whom I have since seen well grown young +women), and the rest of the company following. She ordered them to +lie down in the tall, wet grass, and here she prayed again, and +waited for deliverance. The poor creatures were all cold, and wet, +and hungry, and Harriet did not dare to leave them to get +supplies; for no doubt the man at whose house she had knocked, had +given the alarm in the town; and officers might be on the watch +for them. They were truly in a wretched condition, but Harriet's +faith never wavered, her silent prayer still ascended, and she +confidently expected help from some quarter or other. + +It was after dusk when a man came slowly walking along the solid +pathway on the edge of the swamp. He was clad in the garb of a +Quaker; and proved to be a "friend" in need and indeed; he seemed +to be talking to himself, but ears quickened by sharp practice +caught the words he was saying: + +"My wagon stands in the barn-yard of the next farm across the way. +The horse is in the stable; the harness hangs on a nail." And the +man was gone. Night fell, and Harriet stole forth to the place +designated. Not only a wagon, but a wagon well provisioned stood +in the yard; and before many minutes the party were rescued from +their wretched position, and were on their way rejoicing, to the +next town. Here dwelt a Quaker whom Harriet knew, and he readily +took charge of the horse and wagon, and no doubt returned them to +their owner. How the good man who thus came to their rescue had +received any intimation of their being in the neighborhood Harriet +never knew. But these sudden deliverances never seemed to strike +her as at all strange or mysterious; her prayer was the prayer of +faith, and she _expected_ an answer. + +At one time, as she was on her way South for a party of slaves, +she was stopped not far from the southern shore of the Chesapeake +Bay, by a young woman, who had been for some days in hiding, and +was anxiously watching for "Moses," who was soon expected to pass +that way. + +This girl was a young and pretty Mulatto, named Tilly, she had +been lady's maid and dressmaker, for her Mistress. She was engaged +to a young man from another plantation, but he had joined one of +Harriet's parties, and gone North. Tilly was to have gone also at +that time, but had found it impossible to get away. Now she had +learned that it was her Master's intention to give her to a Negro +of his own for his wife; and in fear and desperation, she made a +strike for freedom. Friends had concealed her, and all had been on +the watch for Moses. + +The distress and excitement of the poor creature was so great, and +she begged and implored in such agonized tones that Harriet would +just see her safe to Baltimore, where she knew of friends who +would harbor her, and help her on her way, that Harriet determined +to turn about, and endeavor to take the poor girl thus far on her +Northward journey. + +They reached the shore of Chesapeake Bay too late to leave that +night, and were obliged to hide for a night and day in the loft of +an old out-house, where every sound caused poor Tilly to tremble +as if she had an ague fit. When the time for the boat to leave +arrived, a sad disappointment awaited them. The boat on which they +had expected to leave was disabled, and another boat was to take +its place. At that time, according to the law of Slavery, no Negro +could leave his Master's land, or travel anywhere, without a pass, +properly signed by his owner. Of course this poor fugitive had no +pass; and Harriet's passes were her own wits; but among her many +friends, there was one who seemed to have influence with the clerk +of the boat, on which she expected to take passage; and she was +the bearer of a note requesting, or commanding him to take these +two women to the end of his route, asking no questions. + +Now here was an unforeseen difficulty; the boat was not going; the +clerk was not there; all on the other boat were strangers. But +forward they must go, trusting in Providence. As they walked down +to the boat, a gang of lazy white men standing together, began to +make comments on their appearance. + +"Too many likely looking Niggers traveling North, about these +days." "Wonder if these wenches have got a pass." "Where you +going, you two?" Tilly trembled and cowered, and clung to her +protector, but Harriet put on a bold front, and holding the note +given her by her friend in her hand, and supporting her terrified +charge, she walked by the men, taking no notice of their insults. + +They joined the stream of people going up to get their tickets, +but when Harriet asked for hers, the clerk eyed her suspiciously, +and said: "You just stand aside, you two; I'll attend to your case +bye and bye." + +Harriet led the young girl to the bow of the boat, where they were +alone, and here, having no other help, she, as was her custom, +addressed herself to the Lord. Kneeling on the seat, and +supporting her head on her hands, and fixing her eyes on the +waters of the bay, she groaned: + +"Oh, Lord! You've been wid me in six troubles, _don't_ desert me +in the seventh!" + +"Moses! Moses!" cried Tilly, pulling her by the sleeve. "Do go and +see if you can't get tickets now." + +"Oh, Lord! You've been wid me in six troubles, _don't_ desert me +in the seventh." + +And so Harriet's story goes on in her peculiarly graphic manner, +till at length in terror Tilly exclaimed: + +"Oh, Moses! the man is coming. What shall we do?" + +"Oh, Lord, you've been wid me in six troubles!" + +Here the clerk touched her on the shoulder, and Tilly thought +their time had come, but all he said was: + +"You can come now and get your tickets," and their troubles were +over. + +What changed this man from his former suspicious and antagonistic +aspect, Harriet never knew. Of course she said it was "de Lord," +but as to the agency he used, she never troubled herself to +inquire. She _expected_ deliverance when she prayed, unless the +Lord had ordered otherwise, and in that case she was perfectly +willing to accept the Divine decree. + +When surprise was expressed at her courage and daring, or at her +unexpected deliverances, she would always reply: "Don't, I tell +you, Missus, 'twan't _me_, 'twas _de Lord_! Jes' so long as he +wanted to use me, he would take keer of me, an' when he didn't +want me no longer, I was ready to go; I always tole him, I'm gwine +to hole stiddy on to you, an' you've got to see me trou." + +There came a time when Harriet, who had already brought away as +many of her family as she could reach, besides all others who +would trust themselves to her care, became much troubled in +"spirit" about three of her brothers, having had an intimation of +some kind that danger was impending over them. With her usual +wonderful cunning, she employed a friend to write a letter for her +to a man named Jacob Jackson, who lived near the plantation where +these brothers were at that time the hired slaves. + +Jacob Jackson was a free negro, who could both read and write, and +who was under suspicion just then of having a hand in the +disappearance of colored "property." It was necessary, therefore, +to exercise great caution in writing to him, on his own account as +well as that of the writer, and those whom she wished to aid. +Jacob had an adopted son, William Henry Jackson, also free, who +had come North. Harriet determined to sign her letter with William +Henry's name, feeling sure that Jacob would be clever enough to +understand by her peculiar phraseology, the meaning she intended +to convey. + +Therefore, after speaking of indifferent matters, the letter went +on: "Read my letter to the old folks, and give my love to them, +and tell my brothers to be always _watching unto prayer_, and when +_the good old ship of Zion comes along, to be ready to step on +board_." This letter was signed "William Henry Jackson." + +Jacob was not allowed to have his letters in those days, until the +self-elected inspectors of correspondence had had the perusal of +them, and consulted over their secret meaning. These wise-acres +therefore assembled, wiped their glasses carefully, put them on, +and proceeded to examine this suspicious document. What it meant +they could not imagine. William Henry Jackson had no parents, or +brothers, and the letter was incomprehensible. Study as they +might, no light dawned upon them, but their suspicions became +stronger, and they were sure the letter meant mischief. + +White genius having exhausted itself, black genius was brought +into requisition. Jacob was sent for, and the letter was placed in +his hands. He read between the lines, and comprehended the hidden +meaning at once. "Moses" had dictated this letter, and Moses was +coming. The brothers must be on the watch, and ready to join her +at a moment's warning. But Moses must hurry, for the word had gone +forth that the brothers were to be sent South, and the chain-gang +was being collected. + +Jacob read the letter slowly, threw it down, and said: "Dat letter +can't be meant for me no how; I can't make head or tail of it." +And he walked off and took immediate measures to let Harriet's +brothers know that she was on the way, and they must be ready at +the given signal to start for the North. + +It was the day before Christmas when Harriet arrived, and the +brothers were to have started on the day after Christmas for the +South. They started on Christmas-day, but with their faces turned +in another direction, and instead of the chain-gang and the whip, +they had the North Star for their guide, and the Moses of her +people for their leader. + +As usual, this mysterious woman appeared suddenly, and word was +conveyed to the brothers that they were to be at Old Ben's cabin +on Saturday night, ready to start. "Old Ben" was their father, and +as the parents were not of much use now, Harriet was pretty +certain that they would not be sent away, and so she left them +till she had rescued the younger and more valuable members of the +family. + +Quite a number had assembled at the cabin when the hour came for +starting, but one brother was missing. Something had detained +John; but when the time for starting had struck, Harriet's word +was "forward," and she "nebber waited for no one." + +Poor John was ready to start from his cabin in the negro quarter +when his wife was taken ill, and in an hour or two another little +heir to the blessings of slavery had come into the world. + +John must go off for a "Granny," and being a faithful, +affectionate creature, he could not leave his wife under the +present circumstances. + +After the birth of the child he determined to start. The North and +freedom, or the South and life-long slavery, were the alternatives +before him; and this was his last chance. If he once reached the +North, he hoped with the help of Moses to bring his wife and +children there. + +Again and again he tried to start out of the door, but a watchful +eye was on him, and he was always arrested by the question, "Where +you gwine, John?" His wife had not been informed of the danger +hanging over his head, but she knew he was uneasy, and she feared +he was meditating a plan of escape. John told her he was going to +try to get hired out on Christmas to another man, as that was the +day on which such changes were made. + +He left the house but stood near the window listening. He heard +his wife sobbing and moaning, and not being able to endure it he +went back to her. "Oh, John!" she cried, "you's gwine to lebe me! +I know it! but wherebber you go, John, don't forgit me an' de +little children." + +John assured her that wherever he went she should come. He might +not come for her, but he would send Moses, and then he hurried +away. He had many miles to walk to his old father's cabin, where +he knew the others would be waiting for him, and at daybreak he +overtook them in the "fodder house," not far from the home of the +old people. + +At that time Harriet had not seen her mother for six years, but +she did not dare to let her know that four of her children were so +near her on their way to the North, for she would have raised such +an uproar in her efforts to detain them, that the whole +neighborhood would have been aroused. + +The poor old woman had been expecting her sons to spend Christmas +with her as usual. She had been hard at work in preparation for +their arrival. The fatted pig had been killed, and had been +converted into every form possible to the flesh of swine; pork, +bacon and sausages were ready, but the boys did not come, and +there she sat watching and waiting. + +In the night when Harriet with two of her brothers, and two other +fugitives who had joined them arrived at the "fodder house," they +were exhausted and well-nigh famished. They sent the two strange +men up to the cabin to try to rouse "Old Ben," but not to let +their mother know that her children were so near her. + +The men succeeded in rousing Old Ben, who came out quietly, and as +soon as he heard their story, went back into the house, gathered +together a quantity of provisions, and came down to the fodder +house. He placed the provisions inside the door, saying a few +words of welcome to his children, but taking care _not to see +them_. "I know what'll come of dis," he said, "an' I ain't gwine +to see my chillen, no how." The close espionage under which these +poor creatures dwelt, engendered in them a cunning and artifice, +which to them seemed only a fair and right attempt on their part, +to cope with power and cruelty constantly in force against them. + +Up among the ears of corn lay the old man's children, and one of +them he had not seen for six years. It rained in torrents all that +Sunday, and there they lay among the corn, for they could not +start till night. At about daybreak John had joined them. There +were wide chinks in the boards of the fodder house, and through +these they could see the cabin of the old folks, now quite alone +in their old age. All day long, every few minutes, they would see +the old woman come out, and shading her eyes with her hand, take a +long look down the road to see if "de boys" were coming, and then +with a sad and disappointed air she would turn back into the +cabin, and they could almost hear her sigh as she did so. + +What had become of the boys? Had they been sold off down South? +Had they tried to escape and been retaken? Would she never see +them or hear of them more? + +I have often heard it said by Southern people that "niggers had no +feeling; they did not care when their children were taken from +them." I have seen enough of them to know that their love for +their offspring is quite equal to that of the "superior race," and +it is enough to hear the tale of Harriet's endurance and self-sacrifice +to rescue her brothers and sisters, to convince one that +a heart, truer and more loving than that of many a white woman, +dwelt in her bosom. I am quite willing to acknowledge that she was +almost an anomaly among her people, but I have known many of her +family, and so far as I can judge they all seem to be peculiarly +intelligent, upright and religious people, and to have a strong +feeling of family affection. There may be many among the colored +race like them; certainly all should not be judged by the idle, +miserable darkies who have swarmed about Washington and other +cities since the War. + +Two or three times while the group of fugitives were concealed in +this loft of the fodder house, the old man came down and pushed +food inside the door, and after nightfall he came again to +accompany his children as far as he dared, upon their journey. +When he reached the fodder house, he tied a handkerchief tight +about his eyes, and one of his sons taking him by one arm, and +Harriet taking him by the other, they went on their way talking in +low tones together, asking and answering questions as to relatives +and friends. + +The time of parting came, and they bade him farewell, and left him +standing in the middle of the road. When he could no longer hear +their footsteps he turned back, and taking the handkerchief from +his eyes, he hastened home. + +But before Harriet and her brothers left, they had gone up to the +cabin during the evening to take a silent farewell of the poor old +mother. Through the little window of the cabin they saw her +sitting by the fire, her head on her hand, rocking back and forth, +as was her way when she was in great trouble; praying, no doubt, +and wondering what had become of her children, and what new evil +had befallen them. + +With streaming eyes, they watched her for ten or fifteen minutes; +but time was precious, and they must reach their next under-ground +station before daylight, and so they turned sadly away. + +When Christmas was over, and the men had not returned, there began +to be no small stir in the plantation from which they had escaped. +The first place to search, of course, was the home of the old +people. At the "Big House" nothing had been seen of them. The +master said "they had generally come up there to see the house +servants, when they came for Christmas, but this time they hadn't +been round at all. Better go down to Old Ben's, and ask him." + +They went to Old Ben's. No one was at home but "Old Kit," the +mother. She said "not one of 'em came dis Christmas. She was +looking for 'em all day, an' her heart was mos' broke about 'em." + +Old Ben was found and questioned about his sons. Old Ben said, "He +hadn't _seen one_ of 'em dis Christmas." With all his deep +religious feeling, Old Ben thought that in such a case as this, it +was enough for him to keep to the _letter_, and let the man +hunters find his sons if they could. Old Ben knew the Old +Testament stories well. Perhaps he thought of Rahab who hid the +spies, and received a commendation for it. Perhaps of Jacob and +Abraham, and some of their rather questionable proceedings. He +knew the New Testament also, but I think perhaps he thought the +kind and loving Saviour would have said to him, "Neither do I +condemn thee." I doubt if he had read Mrs. Opie, and I wonder what +judgment that excellent woman would have given in a case like +this. + +These poor fugitives, hunted like partridges upon the mountains, +or like the timid fox by the eager sportsman, were obliged in +self-defense to meet cunning with cunning, and to borrow from the +birds and animals their mode of eluding their pursuers by any +device which in the exigency of the case might present itself to +them. They had a creed of their own, and a code of morals which we +dare not criticise till we find our own lives and those of our +dear ones similarly imperiled. + +One of Harriet's other brothers had long been attached to a pretty +mulatto girl named Catherine, who was owned by another master; but +this man had other views for her, and would not let her marry +William Henry. On one of Harriet's journeys this brother had made +up his mind to make one of her next party to the North, and that +Catherine should go also. He went to a tailor's and bought a new +suit of clothes for a small person, and concealed them inside the +fence of the garden of Catherine's master. This garden ran down to +the bank of a little stream, and Catherine had been notified where +to find the clothes. When the time came to get ready, Catherine +boldly walked down to the foot of the garden, took up the bundle, +and hiding under the bank, she put on the man's garments and sent +her own floating down the stream. + +She was soon missed, and all the girls in the house were set to +looking for Catherine. Presently they saw coming up from the river +a well-dressed little darkey boy, and they all ceased looking for +Catherine, and stared at him. He walked directly by them, round +the house, and out of the gate, without the slightest suspicion +being excited as to who he was. In a few weeks from that time, +this party were all safe in Canada. + +William Henry died in Canada, but I have seen and talked with +Catherine at Harriet's house. + +I am not quite certain which company it was that was under her +guidance on their Northward way, but at one time when a number of +men were following her, she received one of her sudden intimations +that danger was ahead. "Chillen," she said, "we must stop here and +cross dis ribber." They were on the bank of a stream of some +width, and apparently a deep and rapid one. The men were afraid to +cross; there was no bridge and no boat; but like her great +pattern, she went forward into the waters, and the men not knowing +what else to do, followed, but with fear and trembling. The stream +did not divide to make a way for them to cross over, but to her +was literally fulfilled the promise: + + "When through the deep waters I cause thee to go, + The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow." + +"For," said she, "Missus, de water never came above my chin; when +we thought surely we were all going under, it became shallower and +shallower, and we came out safe on the odder side." Then there was +another stream to cross, which was also passed in safety. They +found afterward that a few rods ahead of them the advertisement of +these escaping fugitives was posted up, and the officers, +forewarned of their coming, were waiting for them. But though the +Lord thus marvelously protected her from capture, she did not +always escape the consequences of exposure like this. It was in +March that this passage of the streams was effected, and the +weather was raw and cold; Harriet traveled a long distance in her +wet clothing, and was afterward very ill for a long time with a +very severe cold. I have often heard her tell this story; but some +of the incidents, particularly that of her illness, were not +mentioned by herself, but were written me by friend Garrett. + +I hardly know how to approach the subject of the spiritual +experiences of my sable heroine. They seem so to enter into the +realm of the supernatural, that I can hardly wonder that those who +never knew her are ready to throw discredit upon the story. +Ridicule has been cast upon the whole tale of her adventures by +the advocates of human slavery; and perhaps by those who would +tell with awe-struck countenance some tale of ghostly visitation, +or spiritual manifestation, at a dimly lighted "_seance_." + +Had I not known so well her deeply religious character, and her +conscientious veracity, and had I not since the war, and when she +was an inmate of my own house, seen such remarkable instances of +what seemed to be her direct intercourse with heaven, I should not +dare to risk my own character for veracity by making these things +public in this manner. + +But when I add that I have the strongest testimonials to her +character for integrity from William H. Seward, Gerritt Smith, +Wendell Phillips, Fred. Douglass, and my brother, Prof. S.M. +Hopkins, who has known her for many years, I do not fear to brave +the incredulity of any reader. + +Governor Seward wrote of her: + +"I have known Harriet long, and a nobler, higher spirit, or a +truer, seldom dwells in human form." + +Gerritt Smith, the distinguished philanthropist, was so kind as to +write me expressing his gratification that I had undertaken this +work, and added: + +"I have often listened to Harriet with delight on her visits to my +family, and I am convinced that she is not only truthful, but that +she has a rare discernment, and a deep and sublime philanthropy." + +Wendell Phillips wrote me, mentioning that in Boston, Harriet +earned the confidence and admiration of all those who were working +for freedom; and speaking of her labors during the war, he added: +"In my opinion there are few captains, perhaps few colonels, who +have done more for the loyal cause since the war began, and few +men who did more before that time, for the colored race, than our +fearless and sagacious friend." + +Many other letters I received; from Mr. Sanborn, Secretary of the +Massachusetts Board of Charities, from Fred. Douglass, from Rev. +Henry Fowler, and from Union officers at the South during the war, +all speaking in the highest praise and admiration of the character +and labors of my black heroine. + +Many of her passes also were sent me; in which she is spoken of as +"Moses," for by that name she was universally known. For the story +of her heroic deeds had gone before her, and the testimony of all +who knew her accorded with the words of Mr. Seward: + +"The cause of freedom owes her much; the country owes her much." +And yet the country was not willing to pay her anything. Mr. +Seward's efforts, seconded by other distinguished men, to get a +pension for her, were sneered at in Congress as absurd and +quixotic, and the effort failed. + +Secretary Seward, from whom Harriet purchased her little place +near Auburn, died. The place had been mortgaged when this noble +woman left her home, and threw herself into the work needed for +the Union cause; the mortgage was to be foreclosed. The old +parents, then nearly approaching their centennial year, were to be +turned out to die in a poor-house, when the sudden determination +was taken to send out a little sketch of her life to the +benevolent public, in the hope of redeeming the little home. This +object, through the kindness of friends, was accomplished. The old +people died in Harriet's own home, breathing blessings upon her +for her devotion to them. + +Now another necessity has arisen, and our sable friend, who never +has been known to beg for herself, asks once more for help in +accomplishing a favorite project for the good of her people. This, +as she says, is "her last work, and she only prays de Lord to let +her live till it is well started, and den she is ready to go." +This work is the building of a hospital for old and disabled +colored people; and in this she has already had the sympathy and +aid of the good people of Auburn; the mayor and his noble wife +having given her great assistance in the meetings she has held in +aid of this object. It is partly to aid her in this work, on which +she has so set her heart, that this story of her life and labors +is being re-written. + +At one time, when she felt called upon to go down for some company +of slaves, she was, as she knew, watched for everywhere (for there +had been an excited meeting of slave-holders, and they were +determined to catch her, dead or alive), her friends gathered +round her, imploring her not to go on in the face of danger and +death, for they were sure she would never be allowed to return. +And this was her answer: + +"Now look yer! John saw de City, didn't he?" "Yes, John saw de +City." "Well, what did he see? He saw twelve gates, didn't he? +Three of dose gates was on de north; three of 'em was on de east; +an' three of 'em was on de west; but dere was three more, an' dem +was on de _south_; an' I reckon, if dey kill me down dere, I'll +git into one of dem gates, don't you?" + +Whether Harriet's ideas of the geographical bearings of the gates +of the Celestial City as seen in the apocalyptic vision, were +correct or not, we cannot doubt that she was right in the +deduction her faith drew from them; and that somewhere, whether +North, East, South, or West, to our dim vision, there is a gate +that will be opened for our good Harriet, where the welcome will +be given, "Come in, thou blessed of my Father." + +It is a peculiarity of Harriet, that she had seldom been known to +intimate a wish that anything should be given to herself; but when +her people are in need, no scruples of delicacy stand in the way +of her petitions, nay, almost her _demands_ for help. + +When, after rescuing so many others, and all of her brothers and +sisters that could be reached, with their children, she received +an intimation in some mysterious or supernatural way, that the old +people were in trouble and needed her, she asked the Lord where +she should go for the money to enable her to go for them. She was +in some way, as she supposed, directed to the office of a certain +gentleman, a friend of the slaves, in New York. When she left the +house of the friends with whom she was staying, she said: "I'm +gwine to Mr. ------'s office, an' I ain't gwine to lebe dere, an' +I ain't gwine to eat or drink, till I get money enough to take me +down after de ole people." + +She went into this gentleman's office. + +"How do you do, Harriet? What do you want?" was the first +greeting. + +"I want some money, sir." + +"_You do_! How much do you want?" + +"I want twenty dollars, sir!" + +"_Twenty dollars_! Who told you to come here for twenty dollars!" + +"De Lord tole me, sir." + +"He did; well I guess the Lord's mistaken this time." + +"No, sir; de Lord's nebber mistaken! Anyhow I'm gwine to sit here +till I get it." + +So she sat down and went to sleep. All the morning, and all the +afternoon, she sat there still; sometimes sleeping, sometimes +rousing up, often finding the office full of gentlemen; sometimes +finding herself alone. Many fugitives were passing through New +York at this time, and those who came in supposed her to be one of +them, tired out, and resting. Sometimes she would be roused up +with the words: + +"Come, Harriet! You had better go; there's no money for you here." + +"No, sir; I'm not gwine to stir from here till I git my twenty +dollars!" + +She does not know all that happened, for deep sleep fell upon her; +probably one of the turns of somnolency to which she has always +been subject; but without doubt her story was whispered from one +to another, and as her name and exploits were well known to many +persons, the sympathies of some of those visitors to the office +were aroused; at all events she came to full consciousness, at +last, to find herself the happy possessor of _sixty dollars_, the +contribution of these strangers. She went on her way rejoicing to +bring her old parents from the land of bondage. + +When she reached their home, she found that her old father was to +be tried the next Monday for helping off slaves. And so, as she +says in her forcible language, "I just removed my father's trial +to a higher court, and brought him off to Canada." + +The manner of their escape is detailed in the following letter +from friend Garrett: + + WILMINGTON, 6th Mo., 1868. + +MY FRIEND: Thy favor of the 12th reached me yesterday, requesting +such reminiscences as I could give respecting the remarkable +labors of Harriet Tubman, in aiding her colored friends from +bondage. I may begin by saying, living as I have in a slave State, +and the laws being very severe where any proof could be made of +any one aiding slaves on their way to freedom, I have not felt at +liberty to keep any written word of Harriet's or my own labors, +except in numbering those whom I have aided. For that reason I +cannot furnish so interesting an account of Harriet's labors as I +otherwise could, and now would be glad to do; for in truth I never +met with any person, of any color, who had more confidence in the +voice of God, as spoken direct to her soul. She has frequently +told me that she talked with God, and he talked with her every day +of her life, and she has declared to me that she felt no more fear +of being arrested by her former master, or any other person, when +in his immediate neighborhood, than she did in the State of New +York, or Canada, for she said she never ventured only where God +sent her, and her faith in the Supreme Power truly was great. + +I have now been confined to my room with indisposition more than +four weeks, and cannot sit to write much; but I feel so much +interested in Harriet, that I will try to give some of the most +remarkable incidents that now present themselves to my mind. The +date of the commencement of her labors, I cannot certainly give; +but I think it must have been about 1845; from that time till +1860, I think she must have brought from the neighborhood where +she had been held as a slave, from 60 to 80 persons,[C] from +Maryland, some 80 miles from here. No slave who placed himself +under her care, was ever arrested that I have heard of; she mostly +had her regular stopping places on her route; but in one instance, +when she had several stout men with her, some 30 miles below here, +she said that God told her to stop, which she did; and then asked +him what she must do. He told her to leave the road, and turn to +the left; she obeyed, and soon came to a small stream of tide +water; there was no boat, no bridge; she again inquired of her +Guide what she was to do. She was told to go through. It was cold, +in the month of March; but having confidence in her Guide, she +went in; the water came up to her armpits; the men refused to +follow till they saw her safe on the opposite shore. They then +followed, and, if I mistake not, she had soon to wade a second +stream; soon after which she came to a cabin of colored people, +who took them all in, put them to bed, and dried their clothes, +ready to proceed next night on their journey. Harriet had run out +of money, and gave them some of her underclothing to pay for their +kindness. When she called on me two days after, she was so hoarse +she could hardly speak, and was also suffering with violent +toothache. The strange part of the story we found to be, that the +masters of these men had put up the previous day, at the railroad +station near where she left, an advertisement for them, offering a +large reward for their apprehension; but they made a safe exit. +She at one time brought as many as seven or eight, several of whom +were women and children. She was well known here in Chester County +and Philadelphia, and respected by all true abolitionists. I had +been in the habit of furnishing her and those who accompanied her, +as she returned from her acts of mercy, with new shoes; and on one +occasion when I had not seen her for three months, she came into +my store. I said, "Harriet, I am glad to see thee! I suppose thee +wants a pair of new shoes." Her reply was, "I want more than +that." I, in jest, said, "I have always been liberal with thee, +and wish to be; but I am not rich, and cannot afford to give +much." Her reply was: "God tells me you have money for me." I +asked her "if God never deceived her?" She said, "No!" "Well! how +much does thee want?" After studying a moment, she said: "About +twenty-three dollars." I then gave her twenty-four dollars and +some odd cents, the net proceeds of five pounds sterling, received +through Eliza Wigham, of Scotland, for her. I had given some +accounts of Harriet's labor to the Anti-Slavery Society of +Edinburgh, of which Eliza Wigham was Secretary. On the reading of +my letter, a gentleman present said he would send Harriet four +pounds if he knew of any way to get it to her. Eliza Wigham +offered to forward it to me for her, and that was the first money +ever received by me for her. Some twelve months after, she called +on me again, and said that God told her I had some money for her, +but not so much as before. I had, a few days previous, received +the net proceeds of one pound ten shillings from Europe for her. +To say the least there was something remarkable in these facts, +whether clairvoyance, or the divine impression on her mind from +the source of all power, I cannot tell; but certain it was she had +a guide within herself other than the written word, for she never +had any education. She brought away her aged parents in a singular +manner. They started with an old horse, fitted out in primitive +style with a _straw collar_, a pair of old chaise wheels, with a +board on the axle to sit on, another board swung with ropes, +fastened to the axle, to rest their feet on. She got her parents, +who were both slaves belonging to different masters, on this rude +vehicle to the railroad, put them in the cars, turned Jehu +herself, and drove to town in a style that no human being ever did +before or since; but she was happy at having arrived safe. Next +day, I furnished her with money to take them all to Canada. I +afterward sold their horse, and sent them the balance of the +proceeds. I believe that Harriet succeeded in freeing all her +relatives but one sister and her three children. Etc., etc. +Thy friend, + + THOS. GARRETT. + +[Footnote C: Friend Garrett probably refers here to those who +passed through his hands. Harriet was obliged to come by many +different routes on her different journeys, and though she never +counted those whom she brought away with her, it would seem, by +the computation of others, that there must have been somewhat over +three hundred brought by her to the Northern States and Canada.] + +As I have before stated, with all Harriet's reluctance to ask for +anything for herself, no matter how great her needs may be, no +such scruples trouble her if any of her people are in need. She +never hesitates to call upon her kind friends in Auburn and in +other places for help when her people are in want. At one time, +when some such emergency had arisen, she went to see her friend, +Governor Seward, and boldly presented her case to him. + +"Harriet," he said, "you have worked for others long enough. If +you would ever ask anything for yourself, I would gladly give it +to you, but I will not help you to rob yourself for others any +longer." + +In spite of this apparent roughness, we may be sure Harriet did +not leave this noble man's house empty handed. + +And here I am reminded of a touching little circumstance that +occurred at the funeral of Secretary Seward. + +The great man lay in his coffin. Friends, children, and admirers +were gathered there. Everything that love and wealth could do had +been done; around him were floral emblems of every possible shape +and design, that human ingenuity could suggest, or money could +purchase. Just before the coffin was to be closed, a woman black +as night stole quietly in, and laying a wreath of field flowers +_on his feet_, as quietly glided out again. This was the simple +tribute of our sable friend, and her last token of love and +gratitude to her kind benefactor. I think he would have said, +"This woman hath done more than ye all." + +While preparing this second edition of Harriet's story, I have +been much pleased to find that that good man, Oliver Johnson, is +still living and in New York City. And I have just returned from a +very pleasant interview with him. He remembers Harriet with great +pleasure, though he has not seen her for many years. He speaks, as +all who knew her do, of his entire confidence in her truthfulness +and in the perfect integrity of her character. + +He remembered her coming into his office with Joe, as I have +stated it, and said he wished he could recall to me other +incidents connected with her. But during those years, there were +such numbers of fugitive slaves coming into the Anti-Slavery +Office, that he might not tell the incidents of any one group +correctly. No records were kept, as that would be so unsafe for +the poor creatures, and those who aided them. He said, "You know +Harriet never spoke of anything she had done, as if it was at all +remarkable, or as if it deserved any commendation, but I remember +one day, when she came into the office there was a Boston lady +there, a warm-hearted, impulsive woman, who was engaged heart and +hand in the Anti-Slavery cause. + +"Harriet was telling, in her simple way, the story of her last +journey. A party of fugitives were to meet her in a wood, that she +might conduct them North. For some unexplained reason they did not +come. Night came on and with it a blinding snow storm and a raging +wind. She protected herself behind a tree as well as she could, +and remained all night alone exposed to the fury of the storm." + +"'Why, Harriet!' said this lady, 'didn't you almost feel when you +were lying alone, as if there was _no God_?' 'Oh, no! missus,' +said Harriet, looking up in her child-like, simple way, 'I jest +asked Jesus to take keer of me, an' He never let me git _frost-bitten_ +one bit.'" + +In 1860 the first gun was fired from Fort Sumter; and this was the +signal for a rush to arms at the North and the South, and the war +of the rebellion was begun. Troops were hurried off from the North +to the West and the South, and battles raged in every part of the +Southern States. By land and by sea, and on the Southern rivers, +the conflict raged, and thousands and thousands of brave men shed +their blood for what was maintained by each side to be the true +principle. + +This war our brave heroine had expected, and its result, the +emancipation of the slaves. Three years before, while staying with +the Rev. Henry Highland Garnet in New York, a vision came to her +in the night of the emancipation of her people. Whether a dream, +or one of those glimpses into the future, which sometimes seem to +have been granted to her, no one can say, but the effect upon her +was very remarkable. + +She rose singing, "_My people are free!" "My people are free_!" +She came down to breakfast singing the words in a sort of ecstasy. +She could not eat. The dream or vision filled her whole soul, and +physical needs were forgotten. + +Mr. Garnet said to her: + +"Oh, Harriet! Harriet! You've come to torment us before the time; +do cease this noise! My grandchildren may see the day of the +emancipation of our people, but you and I will never see it." + +"I tell you, sir, you'll see it, and you'll see it soon. My people +are free! My people are free." + +When, three years later, President Lincoln's proclamation of +emancipation was given forth, and there was a great jubilee among +the friends of the slaves, Harriet was continually asked, "Why do +you not join with the rest in their rejoicing!" "Oh," she +answered, "I had _my_ jubilee three years ago. I rejoiced all I +could den; I can't rejoice no more." + +In some of the Southern States, spies and scouts were needed to +lead our armies into the interior. The ignorant and degraded +slaves feared the "Yankee Buckra" more than they did their own +masters, and after the proclamation of President Lincoln, giving +freedom to the slaves, a person in whom these poor creatures could +trust, was needed to assure them that these white Northern men +were friends, and that they would be safe, trusting themselves in +their hands. + +In the early days of the war, Governor Andrew of Massachusetts, +knowing well the brave and sagacious character of Harriet, sent +for her, and asked her if she could go at a moment's notice, to +act as spy and scout for our armies, and, if need be, to act as +hospital nurse, in short, to be ready to give any required service +to the Union cause. + +There was much to be thought of; there were the old folks in the +little home up in Auburn, there was the little farm of which she +had taken the sole care; there were many dependents for whom she +had provided by her daily toil. What was to become of them all if +she deserted them? But the cause of the Union seemed to need her +services, and after a few moments of reflection, she determined to +leave all else, and go where it seemed that duty called her. + +During those few years, the wants of the old people and of +Harriet's other dependents were attended to by the kind people of +Auburn. At that time, I often saw the old people, and wrote +letters for them to officers at the South, asking from them +tidings of Harriet. I received many letters in reply, all +testifying to her faithfulness and bravery, and her untiring zeal +for the welfare of our soldiers, black and white. She was often +under fire from both armies; she led our forces through the jungle +and the swamp, guided by an unseen hand. She gained the confidence +of the slaves by her cheery words, and songs, and sacred hymns, +and obtained from them much valuable information. She nursed our +soldiers in the hospitals, and knew how, when they were dying by +numbers of some malignant disease, with cunning skill to extract +from roots and herbs, which grew near the source of the disease, +the healing draught, which allayed the fever and restored numbers +to health. + +It is a shame to our government that such a valuable helper as +this woman was not allowed pay or pension; but even was obliged to +support herself during those days of incessant toil. Officers and +men were paid. Indeed many enlisted from no patriotic motive, but +because they were insured a support which they could not procure +for themselves at home. But this woman sacrificed everything, and +left her nearest and dearest, and risked her life hundreds of +times for the cause of the Union, without one cent of recompense. +She returned at last to her little home, to find it a scene of +desolation. Her little place about to be sold to satisfy a +mortgage, and herself without the means to redeem it. + +Harriet was one of John Brown's "men." His brave and daring spirit +found ready sympathy in her courageous heart; she sheltered him in +her home in Canada, and helped him to plan his campaigns. I find +in the life and letters of this remarkable man, written by Mr. F. +B. Sanborn, occasional mention of Harriet, and her deep interest +in Captain Brown's enterprises. + +At one time he writes to his son from St. Catherine's, Canada: + +"I came on here the day after you left Rochester. I am succeeding +to all appearance beyond my expectations. Harriet Tubman _hooked +on her whole team at once_. He (Harriet) is the most of a man +naturally that I ever met with. There is abundant material here +and of the right quality." She suggested the 4th of July to him as +the time to begin operations. And Mr. Sanborn adds: "It was about +the 4th of July, as Harriet, the African sybil, had suggested, +that Brown first showed himself in the counties of Washington and +Jefferson, on opposite sides of the lordly Potomac." + +I find among her papers, many of which are defaced by being +carried about with her for years, portions of these letters +addressed to myself, by persons at the South, and speaking of the +valuable assistance Harriet was rendering our soldiers in the +hospital, and our armies in the field. At this time her manner of +life, as related by herself, was this: + +"Well, missus, I'd go to de hospital, I would, early eb'ry +mornin'. I'd get a big chunk of ice, I would, and put it in a +basin, and fill it with water; den I'd take a sponge and begin. +Fust man I'd come to, I'd thrash away de flies, and dey'd rise, +dey would, like bees roun' a hive. Den I'd begin to bathe der +wounds, an' by de time I'd bathed off three or four, de fire and +heat would have melted de ice and made de water warm, an' it would +be as red as clar blood. Den I'd go an' git more ice, I would, an' +by de time I got to de nex' ones, de flies would be roun' de fust +ones black an' thick as eber." In this way she worked, day after +day, till late at night; then she went home to her little cabin, +and made about fifty pies, a great quantity of ginger-bread, and +two casks of root beer. These she would hire some contraband to +sell for her through the camps, and thus she would provide her +support for another day; for this woman never received pay or +pension, and never drew for herself but twenty days' rations +during the four years of her labors. At one time she was called +away from Hilton Head, by one of our officers, to come to +Fernandina, where the men were "dying off like sheep," from +dysentery. Harriet had acquired quite a reputation for her skill +in curing this disease, by a medicine which she prepared from +roots which grew near the waters which gave the disease. Here she +found thousands of sick soldiers and contrabands, and immediately +gave up her time and attention to them. At another time, we find +her nursing those who were down by hundreds with small-pox and +malignant fevers. She had never had these diseases, but she seems +to have no more fear of death in one form than another. "De Lord +would take keer of her till her time came, an' den she was ready +to go." + +When our armies and gun-boats first appeared in any part of the +South, many of the poor negroes were as much afraid of "de Yankee +Buckra" as of their own masters. It was almost impossible to win +their confidence, or to get information from them. But to Harriet +they would tell anything; and so it became quite important that +she should accompany expeditions going up the rivers, or into +unexplored parts of the country, to control and get information +from those whom they took with them as guides. + +General Hunter asked her at one time if she would go with several +gun-boats up the Combahee River, the object of the expedition +being to take up the torpedoes placed by the rebels in the river, +to destroy railroads and bridges, and to cut off supplies from the +rebel troops. She said she would go if Colonel Montgomery was to +be appointed commander of the expedition. Colonel Montgomery was +one of John Brown's men, and was well known to Harriet. +Accordingly, Colonel Montgomery was appointed to the command, and +Harriet, with several men under her, the principal of whom was J. +Plowden, whose pass I have, accompanied the expedition. Harriet +describes in the most graphic manner the appearance of the +plantations as they passed up the river; the frightened negroes +leaving their work and taking to the woods, at sight of the gun-boats; +then coming to peer out like startled deer, and scudding +away like the wind at the sound of the steam-whistle. "Well," said +one old negro, "Mas'r said de Yankees had horns and tails, but I +nebber beliebed it till now." But the word was passed along by the +mysterious telegraphic communication existing among these simple +people, that these were "Lincoln's gun-boats come to set them +free." In vain, then, the drivers used their whips in their +efforts to hurry the poor creatures back to their quarters; they +all turned and ran for the gun-boats. They came down every road, +across every field, just as they had left their work and their +cabins; women with children clinging around their necks, hanging +to their dresses, running behind, all making at full speed for +"Lincoln's gun-boats." Eight hundred poor wretches at one time +crowded the banks, with their hands extended toward their +deliverers, and they were all taken off upon the gun-boats, and +carried down to Beaufort. + +"I nebber see such a sight," said Harriet; "we laughed, an' +laughed, an' laughed. Here you'd see a woman wid a pail on her +head, rice a smokin' in it jus' as she'd taken it from de fire, +young one hangin' on behind, one han' roun' her forehead to hold +on, 'tother han' diggin' into de rice-pot, eatin' wid all its +might; hold of her dress two or three more; down her back a bag +wid a pig in it. One woman brought two pigs, a white one an' a +black one; we took 'em all on board; named de white pig +Beauregard, and de black pig Jeff Davis. Sometimes de women would +come wid twins hangin' roun' der necks; 'pears like I nebber see +so many twins in my life; bags on der shoulders, baskets on der +heads, and young ones taggin' behin', all loaded; pigs squealin', +chickens screamin', young ones squallin'." And so they came +pouring down to the gun-boats. When they stood on the shore, and +the small boats put out to take them off, they all wanted to get +in at once. After the boats were crowded, they would hold on to +them so that they could not leave the shore. The oarsmen would +beat them on their hands, but they would not let go; they were +afraid the gun-boats would go off and leave them, and all wanted +to make sure of one of these arks of refuge. At length Colonel +Montgomery shouted from the upper deck, above the clamor of +appealing tones, "Moses, you'll have to give em a song." Then +Harriet lifted up her voice, and sang: + + "Of all the whole creation in the East or in the West, + The glorious Yankee nation is the greatest and the best. + Come along! Come along! don't be alarmed, + Uncle Sam is rich enough to give you all a farm." + +At the end of every verse, the negroes in their enthusiasm would +throw up their hands and shout "Glory," and the row-boats would +take that opportunity to push off; and so at last they were all +brought on board. The masters fled; houses and barns and railroad +bridges were burned, tracks torn up, torpedoes destroyed, and the +object of the expedition was fully accomplished. + +This fearless woman was often sent into the rebel lines as a spy, +and brought back valuable information as to the position of armies +and batteries; she has been in battle when the shot was falling +like hail, and the bodies of dead and wounded men were dropping +around her like leaves in autumn; but the thought of fear never +seems to have had place for a moment in her mind. She had her duty +to perform, and she expected to be taken care of till it was done. + +Would that, instead of taking them in this poor way at second-hand, +my readers could hear this woman's graphic accounts of +scenes she herself witnessed, could listen to her imitations of +negro preachers in their own very peculiar dialect, her singing of +camp-meeting hymns, her account of "experience meetings," her +imitations of the dances, and the funeral ceremonies of these +simple people. "Why, der language down dar in de far South is jus' +as different from ours in Maryland as you can tink," said she. +"Dey laughed when dey heard me talk, an' I could not understand +dem, no how." She described a midnight funeral which she attended; +for the slaves, never having been allowed to bury their dead in +the day-time, continued the custom of night funerals from habit. + +The corpse was laid upon the ground, and the people all sat round, +the group being lighted up by pine torches. + +The old negro preacher began by giving out a hymn, which was sung +by all. "An' oh! I wish you could hear 'em sing, Missus," said +Harriet. "Der voices is so sweet, and dey can sing eberyting we +sing, an' den dey can sing a great many hymns dat we can't nebber +catch at all." + +The old preacher began his sermon by pointing to the dead man, who +lay in a rude box on the ground before him. + +"_Shum_? Ded-a-de-dah! _Shum, David_? Ded-a-de-dah! Now I want you +all to _flec_' for moment. Who ob all dis congregation is gwine +next to lie ded-e-de-dah? You can't go nowhere's, my frien's and +bredren, but Deff 'll fin' you. You can't dig no hole so deep an' +bury yourself dar, but God A'mighty's far-seein' eye'll fin' you, +an' Deff 'll come arter you. You can't go into that big fort +(pointing to Hilton Head), an' shut yourself up dar; dat fort dat +Sesh Buckra said the debil couldn't take, but Deff 'll fin' you +dar. All your frien's may forget you, but Deff 'll nebber forget +you. Now, my bredren, prepare to lie ded-a-de-dah!" + +This was the burden of a very long sermon, after which the whole +congregation went round in a sort of solemn dance, called the +"spiritual shuffle," shaking hands with each other, and calling +each other by name as they sang: + + "My sis'r Mary's boun' to go; + My sis'r Nanny's boun' to go; + My brudder Tony's boun' to go; + My brudder July's boun' to go." + +This to the same tune, till every hand had been shaken by every +one of the company. When they came to Harriet, who was a stranger, +they sang: + + Eberybody's boun' to go! + +The body was then placed in a Government wagon, and by the light +of the pine torches, the strange, dark procession moved along, +singing a rude funeral hymn, till they reached the place of +burial. + +Harriet's account of her interview with an old negro she met at +Hilton Head, is amusing and interesting. He said, "I'd been yere +seventy-three years, workin' for my master widout even a dime +wages. I'd worked rain-wet sun-dry. I'd worked wid my mouf full of +dust, but could not stop to get a drink of water. I'd been +whipped, an' starved, an' I was always prayin', 'Oh! Lord, come +an' delibber us!' All dat time de birds had been flyin', an' de +rabens had been cryin', and de fish had been swimmin' in de +waters. One day I look up, an' I see a big cloud; it didn't come +up like as de clouds come out far yonder, but it 'peared to be +right ober head. Der was thunders out of dat, an' der was +lightnin's. Den I looked down on de water, an' I see, 'peared to +me a big house in de water, an' out of de big house came great big +eggs, and de good eggs went on trou' de air, an' fell into de +fort; an' de bad eggs burst before dey got dar. Den de Sesh Buckra +begin to run, an' de neber stop running till de git to de swamp, +an' de stick dar an' de die dar. Den I heard 'twas de Yankee +ship[D] firin' out de big eggs, an dey had come to set us free. +Den I praise de Lord. He come an' put he little finger in de work, +an de Sesh Buckra all go; and de birds stop flyin', and de rabens +stop cryin', an' when I go to catch a fish to eat wid my rice, +dey's no fish dar. De Lord A'mighty 'd come and frightened 'em all +out of de waters. Oh! Praise de Lord! I'd prayed seventy-three +years, an' now he's come an' we's all free." + +[Footnote D: The _Wabash_.] + +The following account of the subject of this memoir is cut from +the _Boston Commonwealth_ of 1863, kindly sent the writer by Mr. +Sanborn: + +"It was said long ago that the true romance of America was not in +the fortunes of the Indian, where Cooper sought it, nor in New +England character, where Judd found it, nor in the social +contrasts of Virginia planters, as Thackeray imagined, but in the +story of the fugitive slaves. The observation is as true now as it +was before War, with swift, gigantic hand, sketched the vast +shadows, and dashed in the high lights in which romance loves to +lurk and flash forth. But the stage is enlarged on which these +dramas are played, the whole world now sit as spectators, and the +desperation or the magnanimity of a poor black woman has power to +shake the nation that so long was deaf to her cries. We write of +one of these heroines, of whom our slave annals are full--a woman +whose career is as extraordinary as the most famous of her sex can +show. + +"Araminta Ross, now known by her married name of Tubman, with her +sounding Christian name changed to Harriet, is the grand-daughter +of a slave imported from Africa, and has not a drop of white blood +in her veins. Her parents were Benjamin Ross and Harriet Greene, +both slaves, but married and faithful to each other. They still +live in old age and poverty,[E] but free, on a little property at +Auburn, N.Y., which their daughter purchased for them from Mr. +Seward, the Secretary of State. She was born, as near as she can +remember, in 1820 or in 1821, in Dorchester County, on the Eastern +shore of Maryland, and not far from the town of Cambridge. She had +ten brothers and sisters, of whom three are now living, all at the +North, and all rescued from slavery by Harriet, before the War. +She went back just as the South was preparing to secede, to bring +away a fourth, but before she could reach her, she was dead. Three +years before, she had brought away her old father and mother, at +great risk to herself. + +[Footnote E: Both dead for some years.] + +"When Harriet was six years old, she was taken from her mother and +carried ten miles to live with James Cook, whose wife was a +weaver, to learn the trade of weaving. While still a mere child, +Cook set her to watching his musk-rat traps, which compelled her +to wade through the water. It happened that she was once sent when +she was ill with the measles, and, taking cold from wading in the +water in this condition, she grew very sick, and her mother +persuaded her master to take her away from Cook's until she could +get well. + +"Another attempt was made to teach her weaving, but she would not +learn, for she hated her mistress, and did not want to live at +home, as she would have done as a weaver, for it was the custom +then to weave the cloth for the family, or a part of it, in the +house. + +"Soon after she entered her teens she was hired out as a field +hand, and it was while thus employed that she received a wound, +which nearly proved fatal, from the effects of which she still +suffers. In the fall of the year, the slaves there work in the +evening, cleaning up wheat, husking corn, etc. On this occasion, +one of the slaves of a farmer named Barrett, left his work, and +went to the village store in the evening. The overseer followed +him, and so did Harriet. When the slave was found, the overseer +swore he should be whipped, and called on Harriet, among others, +to help tie him. She refused, and as the man ran away, she placed +herself in the door to stop pursuit. The overseer caught up a +two-pound weight from the counter and threw it at the fugitive, but it +fell short and struck Harriet a stunning blow on the head. It was +long before she recovered from this, and it has left her subject +to a sort of stupor or lethargy at times; coming upon her in the +midst of conversation, or whatever she may be doing, and throwing +her into a deep slumber, from which she will presently rouse +herself, and go on with her conversation or work. + +"After this she lived for five or six years with John Stewart, +where at first she worked in the house, but afterward 'hired her +time,' and Dr. Thompson, son of her master's guardian, 'stood for +her,' that is, was her surety for the payment of what she owed. +She employed the time thus hired in the rudest labors,--drove +oxen, carted, plowed, and did all the work of a man,--sometimes +earning money enough in a year, beyond what she paid her master, +'to buy a pair of steers,' worth forty dollars. The amount exacted +of a woman for her time was fifty or sixty dollars--of a man, one +hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars. Frequently Harriet +worked for her father, who was a timber inspector, and +superintended the cutting and hauling of great quantities of +timber for the Baltimore ship-yards. Stewart, his temporary +master, was a builder, and for the work of Ross used to receive as +much as five dollars a day sometimes, he being a superior workman. +While engaged with her father, she would cut wood, haul logs, etc. +Her usual 'stint' was half a cord of wood in a day. + +"Harriet was married somewhere about 1844, to a free colored man +named John Tubman, but she had no children. For the last two years +of slavery she lived with Dr. Thompson, before mentioned, her own +master not being yet of age, and Dr. T.'s father being his +guardian, as well as the owner of her own father. In 1849 the +young man died, and the slaves were to be sold, though previously +set free by an old will. Harriet resolved not to be sold, and so, +with no knowledge of the North--having only heard of Pennsylvania +and New Jersey--she walked away one night alone. She found a +friend in a white lady, who knew her story and helped her on her +way. After many adventures, she reached Philadelphia, where she +found work and earned a small stock of money. With this money in +her purse, she traveled back to Maryland for her husband, but she +found him married to another woman, and no longer caring to live +with her. This, however, was not until two years after her escape, +for she does not seem to have reached her old home in the first +two expeditions. In December, 1850, she had visited Baltimore and +brought away her sister and two children, who had come up from +Cambridge in a boat, under charge of her sister's husband, a free +black. A few months after she had brought away her brother and two +other men, but it was not till the fall of 1851, that she found +her husband and learned of his infidelity. She did not give way to +rage or grief, but collected a party of fugitives and brought them +safely to Philadelphia. In December of the same year, she +returned, and led out a party of eleven, among them her brother +and his wife. With these she journeyed to Canada, and there spent +the winter, for this was after the enforcement of Mason's Fugitive +Slave Bill in Philadelphia and Boston, and there was no safety +except 'under the paw of the British Lion,' as she quaintly said. +But the first winter was terribly severe for these poor runaways. +They earned their bread by chopping wood in the snows of a +Canadian forest; they were frost-bitten, hungry, and naked. +Harriet was their good angel. She kept house for her brother, and +the poor creatures boarded with her. She worked for them, begged +for them, prayed for them, with the strange familiarity of +communion with God which seems natural to these people, and +carried them by the help of God through the hard winter. + +"In the spring she returned to the States, and as usual earned +money by working in hotels and families as a cook. From Cape May, +in the fall of 1852, she went back once more to Maryland, and +brought away nine more fugitives. + +"Up to this time she had expended chiefly her own money in these +expeditions--money which she had earned by hard work in the +drudgery of the kitchen. Never did any one more exactly fulfill +the sense of George Herbert-- + + "'A servant with this clause + Makes drudgery divine.' + +"But it was not possible for such virtues long to remain hidden +from the keen eyes of the Abolitionists. She became known to +Thomas Garrett, the large-hearted Quaker of Wilmington, who has +aided the escape of three thousand fugitives; she found warm +friends in Philadelphia and New York, and wherever she went. These +gave her money, which he never spent for her own use, but laid up +for the help of her people, and especially for her journeys back +to the 'land of Egypt,' as she called her old home. By reason of +her frequent visits there, always carrying away some of the +oppressed, she got among her people the name of 'Moses,' which it +seems she still retains. + +"Between 1852 and 1857, she made but two of these journeys, in +consequence partly of the increased vigilance of the slave-holders, +who had suffered so much by the loss of their property. A +great reward was offered for her capture and she several times was +on the point of being taken, but always escaped by her quick wit, +or by 'warnings' from Heaven--for it is time to notice one +singular trait in her character. She is the most shrewd and +practical person in the world, yet she is a firm believer in +omens, dreams, and warnings. She declares that before her escape +from slavery, she used to dream of flying over fields and towns, +and rivers and mountains, looking down upon them 'like a bird,' +and reaching at last a great fence, or sometimes a river, over +which she would try to fly, 'but it 'peared like I wouldn't hab de +strength, and jes as I was sinkin' down, dere would be ladies all +drest in white ober dere, and dey would put out dere arms and pull +me 'cross.' There is nothing strange in this, perhaps, but she +declares that when she came North she remembered these very places +as those she had seen in her dreams, and many of the ladies who +befriended her were those she had been helped by in her vision. + +"Then she says she always knows when there is danger near her--she +does not know how, exactly, but ''pears like my heart go flutter, +flutter, and den dey may say "Peace, Peace," as much as dey likes, +_I know its gwine to be war_!' She is very firm on this point, and +ascribes to this her great impunity, in spite of the lethargy +before mentioned, which would seem likely to throw her into the +hands of her enemies. She says she inherited this power, that her +father could always predict the weather, and that he foretold the +Mexican war. + +"In 1857 she made her most venturesome journey, for she brought +with her to the North her old parents, who were no longer able to +walk such distances as she must go by night. Consequently she must +hire a wagon for them, and it required all her ingenuity to get +them through Maryland and Delaware safe. She accomplished it, +however, and by the aid of her friends she brought them safe to +Canada, where they spent the winter. Her account of their +sufferings there--of her mother's complaining and her own +philosophy about it--is a lesson of trust in Providence better +than many sermons. But she decided to bring them to a more +comfortable place, and so she negotiated with Mr. Seward--then in +the Senate--for a little patch of ground. To the credit of the +Secretary of State it should be said, that he sold her the +property on very favorable terms, and gave her some time for +payment. To this house she removed her parents, and set herself to +work to pay for the purchase. It was on this errand that she first +visited Boston--we believe in the winter of 1858-59. She brought a +few letters from her friends in New York, but she could herself +neither read nor write, and she was obliged to trust to her wits +that they were delivered to the right persons. One of them, as it +happened, was to the present writer, who received it by another +hand, and called to see her at her boarding-house. It was curious +to see the caution with which she received her visitor until she +felt assured that there was no mistake. One of her means of +security was to carry with her the daguerreotypes of her friends, +and show them to each new person. If they recognized the likeness, +then it was all right. + +"Pains were taken to secure her the attention to which her great +services of humanity entitled her, and she left New England with a +handsome sum of money toward the payment of her debt to Mr. +Seward. Before she left, however, she had several interviews with +Captain Brown, then in Boston. He is supposed to have communicated +his plans to her, and to have been aided by her in obtaining +recruits and money among her people. At any rate, he always spoke +of her with the greatest respect, and declared that 'General +Tubman,' as he styled her, was a better officer than most whom he +had seen, and could command an army as successfully as she had led +her small parties of fugitives. + +"Her own veneration for Captain Brown has always been profound, +and since his murder, has taken the form of a religion. She had +often risked her own life for her people, and she thought nothing +of that; but that a white man, and a man so noble and strong, +should so take upon himself the burden of a despised race, she +could not understand, and she took refuge from her perplexity in +the mysteries of her fervid religion. + +"Again, she laid great stress on a dream which she had just before +she met Captain Brown in Canada. She thought she was in 'a +wilderness sort of place, all full of rocks, and bushes,' when she +saw a serpent raise its head among the rocks, and as it did so, it +became the head of an old man with a long white beard, gazing at +her, 'wishful like, jes as ef he war gwine to speak to me,' and +then two other heads rose up beside him, younger than he,--and as +she stood looking at them, and wondering what they could want with +her, a great crowd of men rushed in and struck down the younger +heads, and then the head of the old man, still looking at her so +'wishful.' This dream she had again and again, and could not +interpret it; but when she met Captain Brown, shortly after, +behold, he was the very image of the head she had seen. But still +she could not make out what her dream signified, till the news +came to her of the tragedy of Harper's Ferry, and then she knew +the two other heads were his two sons. She was in New York at that +time, and on the day of the affair at Harper's Ferry she felt her +usual warning that something was wrong--she could not tell what. +Finally she told her hostess that it must be Captain Brown who was +in trouble, and that they should soon hear bad news from him. The +next day's newspaper brought tidings of what had happened. + +"Her last visit to Maryland was made after this, in December, +1860; and in spite of the agitated condition of the country, and +the greater watchfulness of the slave-holders, she brought away +seven fugitives, one of them an infant, which must be drugged with +opium to keep it from crying on the way, and so revealing the +hiding-place of the party." + +In the spring of 1860, Harriet Tubman was requested by Mr. Gerrit +Smith to go to Boston to attend a large Anti-Slavery meeting. On +her way, she stopped at Troy to visit a cousin, and while there +the colored people were one day startled with the intelligence +that a fugitive slave, by the name of Charles Nalle, had been +followed by his master (who was his younger brother, and not one +grain whiter than he), and that he was already in the hands of the +officers, and was to be taken back to the South. The instant +Harriet heard the news, she started for the office of the United +States Commissioner, scattering the tidings as she went. An +excited crowd was gathered about the office, through which Harriet +forced her way, and rushed up stairs to the door of the room where +the fugitive was detained. A wagon was already waiting before the +door to carry off the man, but the crowd was even then so great, +and in such a state of excitement, that the officers did not dare +to bring the man down. On the opposite side of the street stood +the colored people, watching the window where they could see +Harriet's sun-bonnet, and feeling assured that so long as she +stood there, the fugitive was still in the office. Time passed on, +and he did not appear. "They've taken him out another way, depend +upon that," said some of the colored people. "No," replied others, +"there stands 'Moses' yet, and as long as she is there, he is +safe." Harriet, now seeing the necessity for a tremendous effort +for his rescue, sent out some little boys to cry _fire_. The bells +rang, the crowd increased, till the whole street was a dense mass +of people. Again and again the officers came out to try and clear +the stairs, and make a way to take their captive down; others were +driven down, but Harriet stood her ground, her head bent and her +arms folded. "Come, old woman, you must get out of this," said one +of the officers; "I must have the way cleared; if you can't get +down alone, some one will help you." Harriet, still putting on a +greater appearance of decrepitude, twitched away from him, and +kept her place. Offers were made to buy Charles from his master, +who at first agreed to take twelve hundred dollars for him; but +when this was subscribed, he immediately raised the price to +fifteen hundred. The crowd grew more excited. A gentleman raised a +window and called out, "Two hundred dollars for his rescue, but +not one cent to his master!" This was responded to by a roar of +satisfaction from the crowd below. At length the officers +appeared, and announced to the crowd, that if they would open a +lane to the wagon, they would promise to bring the man down the +front way. + +The lane was opened, and the man was brought out--a tall, +handsome, intelligent _white_ man, with his wrists manacled +together, walking between the U.S. Marshal and another officer, +and behind him his brother and his master, so like him that one +could hardly be told from the other. The moment they appeared, +Harriet roused from her stooping posture, threw up a window, and +cried to her friends: "Here he comes--take him!" and then darted +down the stairs like a wild-cat. She seized one officer and pulled +him down, then another, and tore him away from the man; and +keeping her arms about the slave, she cried to her friends: "Drag +us out! Drag him to the river! Drown him! but don't let them have +him!" They were knocked down together, and while down, she tore +off her sun-bonnet and tied it on the head of the fugitive. When +he rose, only his head could be seen, and amid the surging mass of +people the slave was no longer recognized, while the master +appeared like the slave. Again and again they were knocked down, +the poor slave utterly helpless, with his manacled wrists, +streaming with blood. Harriet's outer clothes were torn from her, +and even her stout shoes were pulled from her feet, yet she never +relinquished her hold of the man, till she had dragged him to the +river, where he was tumbled into a boat, Harriet following in a +ferry-boat to the other side. But the telegraph was ahead of them, +and as soon as they landed he was seized and hurried from her +sight. After a time, some school children came hurrying along, and +to her anxious inquiries they answered, "He is up in that house, +in the third story." Harriet rushed up to the place. Some men were +attempting to make their way up the stairs. The officers were +firing down, and two men were lying on the stairs, who had been +shot. Over their bodies our heroine rushed, and with the help of +others burst open the door of the room, and dragged out the +fugitive, whom Harriet carried down stairs in her arms. A +gentleman who was riding by with a fine horse, stopped to ask what +the disturbance meant; and on hearing the story, his sympathies +seemed to be thoroughly aroused; he sprang from his wagon, calling +out, "That is a blood-horse, drive him till he drops." The poor +man was hurried in; some of his friends jumped in after him, and +drove at the most rapid rate to Schenectady. + +This is the story Harriet told to the writer. By some persons it +seemed too wonderful for belief, and an attempt was made to +corroborate it. Rev. Henry Fowler, who was at the time at +Saratoga, kindly volunteered to go to Troy and ascertain the +facts. His report was, that he had had a long interview with Mr. +Townsend, who acted during the trial as counsel for the slave, +that he had given him a "rich narration," which he would write out +the next week for this little book. But before he was to begin his +generous labor, and while engaged in some kind efforts for the +prisoners at Auburn, he was stricken down by the heat of the sun, +and was for a long time debarred from labor. + +This good man died not long after and the promised narration was +never written, but a statement by Mr. Townsend was sent me, which +I copy here: + +_Statements made by Martin I. Townsend, Esq., of Troy, who was +counsel for the fugitive, Charles Nalle._ + +Nalle is an octoroon; his wife has the same infusion of Caucasian +blood. She was the daughter of her master, and had, with her +sister, been bred by him in his family, as his own child. When the +father died, both of these daughters were married and had large +families of children. Under the highly Christian national laws of +"Old Virginny," these children were the slaves of their +grandfather. The old man died, leaving a will, whereby he +manumitted his daughters and their children, and provided for the +purchase of the freedom of their husbands. The manumission of the +children and grandchildren took effect; but the estate was +insufficient to purchase the husbands of his daughters, and the +fathers of his grandchildren. The manumitted, by another +Christian, "conservative," and "national" provision of law, were +forced to leave the State, while the slave husbands remained in +slavery. Nalle, and his brother-in-law, were allowed for a while +to visit their families outside Virginia about once a year, but +were at length ordered to provide themselves with new wives, as +they would be allowed to visit their former ones no more. It was +after this that Nalle and his brother-in-law started for the land +of freedom, guided by the steady light of the north star. Thank +God, neither family now need fear any earthly master or the bay of +the blood-hound dogging their fugitive steps. + +Nalle returned to Troy with his family about July, 1860, and +resided with them there for more than seven years. They are all +now residents of the city of Washington, D.C. Nalle and his family +are persons of refined manners, and of the highest respectability. +Several of his children are red-haired, and a stranger would +discover no trace of African blood in their complexions or +features. It was the head of this family whom H.F. Averill +proposed to doom to returnless exile and life-long slavery. + +When Nalle was brought from Commissioner Beach's office into the +street, Harriet Tubman, who had been standing with the excited +crowd, rushed amongst the foremost to Nalle, and running one of +her arms around his manacled arm, held on to him without ever +loosening her hold through the more than half-hour's struggle to +Judge Gould's office, and from Judge Gould's office to the dock, +where Nalle's liberation was accomplished. In the _meelee_ she was +repeatedly beaten over the head with policemen's clubs, but she +never for a moment released her hold, but cheered Nalle and his +friends with her voice, and struggled with the officers until they +were literally worn out with their exertions, and Nalle was +separated from them. + +True, she had strong and earnest helpers in her struggle, some of +whom had white faces as well as human hearts, and are now in +Heaven. But she exposed herself to the fury of the sympathizers +with slavery, without fear, and suffered their blows without +flinching. Harriet crossed the river with the crowd, in the ferry-boat, +and when the men who led the assault upon the door of Judge +Stewart's office were stricken down, Harriet and a number of other +colored women rushed over their bodies, brought Nalle out, and +putting him in the first wagon passing, started him for the West. + +A lively team, driven by a colored man, was immediately sent on to +relieve the other, and Nalle was seen about Troy no more until he +returned a free man by purchase from his master. Harriet also +disappeared, and the crowd dispersed. How she came to be in Troy +that day, is entirely unknown to our citizens; and where she hid +herself after the rescue, is equally a mystery. But her struggle +was in the sight of a thousand, perhaps of five thousand +spectators. + +On asking Harriet particularly, as to the age of her mother, she +answered, "Well, I'll tell you, Missus. Twenty-three years ago, in +Maryland, I paid a lawyer five dollars to look up the will of my +mother's first master. He looked back sixty years, and said it was +time to give up. I told him to go back furder. He went back sixty-five +years, and there he found the will--giving the girl Ritty to +his grand-daughter (Mary Patterson), to serve her and her +offspring till she was forty-five years of age." This grand-daughter +died soon after, unmarried; and as there was no provision +for Ritty, in case of her death, she was actually emancipated at +that time. But no one informed her of the fact, and she and her +dear children remained in bondage till emancipated by the courage +and determination of this heroic daughter and sister. The old +woman must then, it seems, be ninety-eight years of age,[F] and +the old man has probably numbered as many years. And yet these old +people, living out beyond the toll-gate, on the South Street road, +Auburn, come in every Sunday--more than a mile--to the Central +Church. To be sure, deep slumbers settle down upon them as soon as +they are seated, which continue undisturbed till the congregation +is dismissed; but they have done their best, and who can doubt +that they receive a blessing. Immediately after this they go to +class-meeting at the Methodist Church. Then they wait for a third +service, and after that start out home again. + +[Footnote F: This was written in the year '68, and the old people +both lived several years after that time.] + +Harriet supposes that the whole family were actually free, and +were kept wrongfully in a state of slavery all those long years; +but she simply states the fact, without any mourning or lamenting +over the wrong and the misery of it all, accepting it as the will +of God, and, therefore, not to be rebelled against. + +This woman, of whom you have been reading, is now old and feeble, +suffering from the effects of her life of unusual labor and +hardship, as well as from repeated injuries; but she is still at +work for her people. For many years, even long before the war, her +little home has been the refuge of the hunted and the homeless, +for whom she had provided; and I have seen as many as eight or ten +dependents upon her care at one time living there. + +It has always been a hospital, but she feels the need of a large +one, and only prays to see this, "her last work," completed ere +she goes hence. + +Without claiming any of my dear old Harriet's prophetic vision, I +seem to see a future day when the wrongs of earth will be righted, +and justice, long delayed, will assert itself. I seem to see that +our poor Harriet has passed within "one of dem gates," and has +received the welcome, "Come, thou blessed of my Father; for I was +hungry and you gave me meat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, +I was a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, +sick and in prison and you visited me." + +And when she asks, "Lord, when did I do all this?" He answers: + +"Inasmuch as you did it unto one of the least of these, _my +brethren_, you did it unto me." + +And as she stands in her modest way just within the celestial +gate, I seem to see a kind hand laid upon her dark head, and to +hear a gentle voice saying in her ear, "Friend, come up higher!" + + + + +SOME ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF "HARRIET." + +The story of this remarkable black woman has been attracting +renewed interest of late, and I have often been asked to publish +another edition of the book, and to add some interesting and +amusing incidents which I have related to my friends. + +Harriet is very old and feeble now; she does not know how old, but +probably between eighty and ninety. Her years of toil and +adventure have told upon her, and she may not last much longer. If +she does, she will still need help which she would never ask for +herself, but which this little book may give her; when she dies, +it may aid in putting up a fitting monument to her memory, which +should always be "kept green." + +As time goes on, the horrors of the days of slavery are by many +forgotten, and the children who have been born since the War of +the Rebellion know of that fearful straggle, and of the causes +that led to it, only as a tradition of long ago. + +Even in the city where Harriet has so long lived her quiet and +unobtrusive life, it is not an uncommon thing to meet a young +person who has never even heard her name. + +Those who know the principal facts of her eventful history may be +interested to read these few added incidents, which she has +related to me from time to time. + +A year or two ago, as I was staying at the summer home of my +brother, Professor Hopkins, on Owasco Lake, Harriet came up to see +us; it was after lunch, and my brother ordered a table to be set +for her on the broad shaded piazza and waited on her himself, +bringing her cups of tea and other good things, as if it were a +pleasure and an honor to serve her. + +There is a quiet dignity about Harriet that makes her superior or +indifferent to all surrounding circumstances; whether seated at +the hospitable board of Gerrit Smith or any other white gentleman, +as she often was, or sent to the kitchen, where the white +domestics refused to eat with a "nigger," it was all the same to +Harriet; she was never elated, or humiliated; she took everything +as it came, making no comments or complaints. + +And so she sat quietly eating her lunch, and talking with us. +After the lunch was over, as we sat on the piazza waiting for the +steamboat to take her back to Auburn, she said: + +"I often think, Missus, of things I wish I had told you before you +wrote de book. Now, as I come up on de boat I thought of one thing +thet happened to me when I was very little. + +"I was only seven years old when I was sent away to take car' of a +baby. I was so little dat I had to sit down on de flo' and hev de +baby put in my lap. An' dat baby was allus in my lap 'cept when it +was asleep, or its mother was feedin' it. + +"One mornin' after breakfast she had de baby, an' I stood by de +table waitin' till I was to take it; just by me was a bowl of +lumps of white sugar. My Missus got into a great quarrel wid her +husband; she had an awful temper, an' she would scole an' storm, +an' call him all sorts of names. Now you know, Missus, I never had +nothing good; no sweet, no sugar, an' dat sugar, right by me, did +look so nice, an' my Missus's back was turned to me while she was +fightin' wid her husband, so I jes' put my fingers in de sugar +bowl to take one lump, an' maybe she heard me, an' she turned an' +saw me. De nex' minute she had de raw hide down; I give one jump +out of de do', an' I saw dey came after me, but I jes' flew, and +dey didn't catch me. I ran, an' I ran, an' I run, I passed many a +house, but I didn't dar' to stop, for dey all knew my Missus an' +dey would send me back. By an' by, when I was clar tuckered out, I +come to a great big pig-pen. Dar was an ole sow dar, an' perhaps +eight or ten little pigs. I was too little to climb into it, but I +tumbled ober de high board, an' fell in on de ground; I was so +beat out I couldn't stir. + +"An' dere, Missus, I stayed from Friday till de nex' Chuesday, +fightin' wid dose little pigs for de potato peelin's an" oder +scraps dat came down in de trough. De ole sow would push me away +when I tried to git her chillen's food, an' I was awful afeard of +her. By Chuesday I was so starved I knowed I'd got to go back to +my Missus, I hadn't got no whar else to go, but I knowed what was +comin.' So I went back." + +"And she gave you an awful flogging, I suppose, Harriet?" + +"No, Missus, but _he_ did." + +This was all that was said, but probably that flogging left some +of those scars which cover her neck and back to this day. + +Think of a poor little helpless thing seven years old enduring all +this terror and suffering, and yet few people are as charitable to +the slave-holders as Harriet. "Dey don' know no better, Missus; +it's de way dey was brought up. 'Make de little nigs min' you, or +flog 'em,' was what was said to de chillen, and dey was brought up +wid de whip in der hand. Now, min' you, Missus, dat wasn't de way +on all de plantations; dere was good Marsters an' Missuses, as +I've heard tell, but I didn't happen to come across 'em." + +There is frequent mention made in the Memoir of Harriet's firm and +unwavering trust in God in times of great perplexity or deadly +peril, when she often had occasion to say, "Vain is the help of +man, but in God is my help." I have never known another instance +of such implicit trust and confidence. + +Very soon after the Civil War her house was turned into a +hospital, and no poor helpless creature of her race was ever +turned from her door. Indeed, all through the war, and through the +cruel reign of the fugitive slave law, her house was one of the +depots of the "Underground Railway," as that secret and unseen +mode of conveying the hunted fugitives was called, and when the +war was over she established a hospital, which for many years, +indeed till she was too ill herself to take charge of it, has been +the refuge of the sufferers of her race who had no earthly +dependence but Harriet. + +Very often this woman, except for her trust in "de Lawd," had had +no idea where the next meal was to come from, but she troubled +herself no more about it than if she had been a Vanderbilt or an +Astor. "De Lawd will provide" was her motto, and He never failed +her. + +One day, in passing through Auburn, I was impelled to stop over a +train, and drive out to see what were the needs of my colored +friend, and to take her some supplies. + +Her little house was always neat and comfortable, and the small +parlor was nicely and rather prettily furnished. The lame, the +halt, and the blind, the bruised and crippled little children, and +one crazy woman, were all brought in to see me, and "the blind +woman" (she seemed to have no other name), a very old woman who +had been Harriet's care for eighteen years, was led into the room--an +interesting and pathetic group. + +On leaving, I said to her: "If you will come out to the carriage, +Harriet, there are some provisions there for you." + +She turned to one of her poor dependents and said: "What did you +say to me dis mornin'? You said, 'We hadn't got nothin' to eat in +de house,' and what did I say to you? I said, 'I've got a rich +Father!'" + +Nothing that comes to this remarkable woman ever surprises her. +She says very little in the way of thanks, except to the Giver of +all good. How the knowledge comes to her no one can tell, but she +seems always to know when help is coming, and she is generally on +hand to receive it, though it is never for herself she wants it, +but only for those under her care. + +I must not forget to mention the Indian girls of the Fort Wrangel +School, who, having read a little notice of Harriet in the +"Evangelist," went to work, and by their daily labor raised +thirty-seven dollars which they sent to me for Harriet--and this +school has been disbanded, and these educated girls have been sent +back to their wretched homes, because our Government could not +afford to support it any longer! + +Pundita Ramabai went about this time to see Harriet and they had +an interesting talk together. Here was a remarkable trio taking +hold of hands--the woman from East India, the Indian girl from the +far West, and the black woman from the Southern States only two +removes from an African savage! + +Once when she came to New York, where she had not been in twenty +years, and was starting off alone to find some friends miles away +in a part of the city which she had never seen, we remonstrated +with her, telling her she would surely be lost. + +"Now, Missus," she said, "don't you t'ink dis ole head dat done de +navigatin' down in Egypt can do de navigatin' up here in New +York?" + +And she walked many miles, scorning a "cyar," and found all the +people she wished to see. + +Harriet was known by various names among her Southern friends. One +of these was "Ole Chariot," perhaps as a rhyme to the name by +which they called her. + +And so, often when she went to bring away a band of refugees, she +would sing as she walked the dark country roads by night: + + "When dat ar' ole chariot comes, + Who's gwine wid me?" + +And from some unseen singer would come the response: + + "When dat ar' ole chariot comes, + I'se gwine wid you." + +And by some wireless telegraphy known only to the initiated it +would be made known in one cabin or another where their deliverer +was waiting concealed, and when she would be ready to pilot them +on their long journey to freedom. + +A Woman's Suffrage Meeting was held in Rochester a year or two +ago, and Harriet came to attend it. She generally attended every +meeting of women, on whatever subject, if possible to do so. + +She was led into the church by an adopted daughter, whom she had +rescued from death when a baby, and had brought up as her own. + +The church was warm and Harriet was tired, and soon after she +entered deep sleep fell upon her. + +Susan B. Anthony and Mrs. Stanton were on the platform, and after +speeches had been made and business accomplished, one of these +ladies said: + +"Friends, we have in the audience that wonderful woman, Harriet +Tubman, from whom we should like to hear, if she will kindly come +to the platform." + +People looked around at Harriet, but Harriet was fast asleep. + +"Mother! mother!" said the young girl; "they are calling for you," +but it was some time before Harriet could be made to understand +where she was, or what was wanted of her. At length, she was led +out into the aisle and was assisted by one of these kind ladies on +to the platform. + +Harriet looked around, wondering why so many white ladies were +gathered there. I think it was Miss Anthony who led her forward, +saying: + +"Ladies, I am glad to present to you Harriet Tubman, 'the +conductor of the Underground Railroad.'" + +"Yes, ladies," said Harriet, "I was de conductor ob de Underground +Railroad for eight years, an' I can say what mos' conductors can't +say--I nebber run my train off de track an' I nebber los' a +passenger." The audience laughed and applauded, and Harriet was +emboldened to go on and relate portions of her interesting +history, which were most kindly received by the assembled ladies. + +After the passage of the iniquitous fugitive slave law, Harriet +removed all her dependents to Canada, and here John Brown and some +of his followers took refuge with her, and she was his helper and +adviser in many of his schemes. The papers of that time tell of +her helping him with his plans and of his dependence upon her +judgment. In one of his letters he says: "Harriet has hitched on, +and with all her might; she is a whole team." + +For this large party added to her own family of several persons, +she worked day and night in her usual self-forgetting manner. Her +old father and mother were with her, and the mother, nearly a +hundred years old and enfeebled in mind, was querulous and +exacting, and most unreasonable in her temper, often reproaching +this faithful daughter as the Israelites did Moses of old, for +"bringing them up into the wilderness to die there of hunger." + +There came a day when everything eatable was exhausted, and the +prospect was dark, indeed. The old mother had no tobacco and no +tea--and these were more essential to her comfort than food or +clothing; then reproaches thick and fast fell upon Harriet. She +made no reply, but "went into her closet and shut the door"; when +she came out she had a large basket on her arm. + +"Catharine," she said, "take off dat small pot an' put on a large +one." + +"But, Harriet, der ain't not'ing in de house to eat." + +"Put on de large pot, Catharine; we're gwine to have soup to-day"--and +Harriet started for the market. The day was nearly over, and +the market-men were anxious to be rid of their wares, and were +offering them very cheap. Harriet walked along with the basket on +her arm. "Old woman, don't you want a nice piece of meat?" called +out one; and another, "Here's a nice piece; only ten cents. Take +this soup-bone, you can have it for five cents." But Harriet had +not five cents. At length a kind-hearted butcher, judging of the +trouble from her face, said: "Look here, old woman, you look like +an honest woman; take this soup-bone, and pay me when you get some +money"; then another said, "Take this," and others piled on pieces +of meat till the basket was full. Harriet passed on, and when she +came to the vegetables she exchanged some of the meat for +potatoes, cabbage, and onions, and the big pot was in requisition +when she reached home. Harriet had not "gone into her closet and +shut the door" for nothing. + +I hope I may be excused for sometimes telling my story in the +first person, as I cannot conveniently do it in any other way. In +getting ready a Thanksgiving box to send to Harriet, a few years +ago, I had ordered a turkey to be sent for it, but as the weather +grew quite warm, I was advised to send a ham instead. That box was +lost for three weeks, and when I saw Harriet again and told her +that I had intended to send a turkey in it, she said, "Wal, dere +was a clar Providence in dat, wa'n't dere, Missus?" + +A friend, hearing that I was preparing a Christmas box in New York +for this needy household, sent me a quantity of clothing and ten +dollars for them. As my box was not quite full, I expended three +dollars of that money in groceries, and sent seven dollars to a +lady in Auburn who acted as treasurer for Harriet, giving her +money as it was needed; for Harriet's heart is so large, and her +feelings are so easily wrought upon, that it was never wise to +give her more than enough for present needs. + +Not long after, I received a letter from a well-known physician--a +woman--in Auburn, in which she said: + +"I want to tell you something about Harriet. She came to me last +Friday, and said, 'Doctah, I have got my taxes and insurance to +pay to-morrow, and I haven't a cent. Would you lend me seven +dollars till next Chuesday?' More to try her than anything else, I +said, 'Why, Harriet, I'm a poor, hard-working woman myself; how do +you know you'll pay me seven dollars next Tuesday?' 'Well, Doctah, +I can't jes' tell you how, but I'll pay you next Chuesday.'" On +Tuesday my letter with seven dollars enclosed arrived in Auburn, +and Harriet took the money to the friend who had lent it to her. +Others thought this strange, but there was nothing strange about +it to her. + +A few years ago, when Harriet called on the writer, she was +introduced to the husband of one of her daughters lately married. +He told her how glad he was to see her, as he had heard so much +about her. She made one of her humble courtesies, and said: "I'm +pleased to see you, sir; it's de first time I've hed de pleasure +makin' yo' 'quaintance since you was 'dopted into my fam'bly." + +When the turns of somnolence come upon Harriet, her "sperrit," as +she says, goes away from her body, and visits other scenes and +places, and if she ever really sees them afterwards they are +perfectly familiar to her and she can find her way about alone. +Instances of this kind have lately been mentioned in some of the +magazines, but Harriet had never heard of them. + +Sitting in her house one day, deep sleep fell upon her, and in a +dream or vision she saw a chariot in the air, going south, and +empty, but soon it returned, and lying in it, cold and stiff, was +the body of a young lady of whom Harriet was very fond, whose home +was in Auburn, but who had gone to Washington with her father, a +distinguished officer of the Government there.[G] + +[Footnote G: William H. Seward.] + +The shock roused Harriet from her sleep, and she ran into Auburn, +to the house of her minister, crying out: "Oh, Miss Fanny is +dead!" and the news had just been received. + +She woke from a sleep one day in great agitation, and ran to the +houses of her colored neighbors, exclaiming that "a drefful t'ing +was happenin' somewha', de ground was openin', an' de houses were +fallin' in, and de people bein' killed faster 'n dey was in de +wah--faster 'n dey was in de wah." + +At that very time, or near it, an earthquake was occurring in the +northern part of South America, for the telegram came that day, +though why a vision of it should be sent to Harriet no one can +divine. + +Her expressions are often very peculiar; some ladies of a certain +church who had become interested in her wished to see her, and she +was invited to come to their city, and attended the sewing circle, +where twenty or thirty of them were gathered together. They asked +her many questions, and she told stories, sang songs, danced, and +imitated the talk of the Southern negroes; and went away loaded +with many tokens of the kind interest of these ladies. On the way +home she said: + +"What nice, kind-lookin' ladies dem was, Missus. I looked in all +dere faces, an' I didn't see nothin' venomous in one of 'em!" + +As has been said, Harriet can neither read nor write; her letters +are all written by an amanuensis, and she seems to have an idea +that by laying her hand on this person, her feelings may be +transmitted to the one to whom she is writing. These feelings are +sometimes very poetically expressed. I have by me some of those +letters; in one of them she says: "I lay my hand on the shoulder +of the writer of this letter, and I wish for you, and all your +offsprings, a through ticket in the Gospel train to Glory." + +In another letter she has dictated this sentence: + +"I ask of my Heavenly Father, that when the last trump sounds, and +my name is called, I may stand close by your side, to answer to +the call." Probably many of her friends and correspondents might +contribute facts and incidents in Harriet's life quite as +interesting as any I have mentioned, but I have no way of getting +at them. + +Harriet had long cherished the idea of having her hospital +incorporated, and placed in charge of the Zion African Methodist +Church of Auburn, and she was particularly anxious to come into +possession of a lot of twenty-five acres of land, near her own +home, to present to it as a little farm. This lot was to be sold +at auction, and on the day of the sale Harriet appeared with a +very little money, and a determination to have the land, cost what +it might. + +"Dey was all white folks but me dere, Missus, and dere I was like +a blackberry in a pail ob milk, but I hid down in a corner, and no +one know'd who was biddin'. De man began down pretty low, and I +kept goin' up by fifties; he got up to twelve hundred, thirteen +hundred, fourteen hundred, and still dat voice in the corner kept +goin' up by fifties. At last it got up to fourteen hundred and +fifty, an' den oders stopped biddin', an' de man said, 'All done! +who is de buyer?' 'Harriet Tubman,' I shouted. 'What! dat ole +nigger?' dey said. 'Old woman, how you ebber gwine to pay fer dat +lot ob land?' 'I'm gwine home to tell de Lawd Jesus all about it,' +I said." + +After telling the Lord Jesus all about it, Harriet went down to a +bank, obtained the money by mortgaging the land, and then +requested to have a deed made out, making the land over to the +Zion African Methodist Church. And her mind is easy about her +hospital, though with many persons the trouble would be but just +beginning, as there is interest on the mortgage to be paid. + +Though the hospital is no longer on her hands, you will never find +her without several poor creatures under her care. When I last saw +her she was providing for five sick and injured ones. A blind +woman came one day to her door, led by four little children--her +husband had turned her out of his house, and like all other poor +distressed black people, who could get there, she made her way to +Harriet. Before the next morning a fifth was added to the group. +As soon as it was possible Harriet dressed the whole six in white +and took them to a Methodist church and had them baptized. + +A little account of this was sent to the "Evangelist," and the +almost immediate response was seventy-five dollars, which was of +great benefit in providing for the needs of the growing family. + +This faithful creature will probably not live much longer, and her +like will not be seen again. But through the sale of the last +edition of her "Memoir," and some other sources of income, her +wants will be abundantly supplied. + +Harriet's friends will be glad to learn that she has lately been +for some time in Boston, where a surgical operation was performed +upon her head, the skull (which was crushed by a weight thrown by +her master more than seventy years before) being successfully +raised. Harriet's account of this operation is rather amusing. + +"Harriet," said Professor Hopkins, "what is the matter with your +head? Your hair is all gone!" + +"Why, dat's where dey shaved it off befo' dey cut my head open." + +"Cut your head open, Harriet? What do you mean?" + +"Wal, sir, when I was in Boston I walked out one day, an' I saw a +great big buildin', an' I asked a man what it was, an' he said it +was a hospital. So I went right in, an' I saw a young man dere, +an' I said, 'Sir, are you a doctah?' an' he said he was; den I +said, 'Sir, do you t'ink you could cut my head open?' + +"'What do you want your head cut open fer?' he said. + +"Den I tol' him de whole story, an' how my head was givin' me a +powerful sight of trouble lately, with achin' an' buzzin', so I +couldn' get no sleep at night. + +"An' he said, 'Lay right down on dis yer table,' an' I lay down." + +"Didn't he give you anything to deaden the pain, Harriet?" + +"No, sir; I jes' lay down like a lamb fo' de slaughter, an' he +sawed open my skull, an' raised it up, an' now it feels more +comfortable." "Did you suffer very much?" + +"Yes, sir, it hurt, ob cose; but I got up an' put on my bonnet an' +started to walk home, but my legs kin' o' gin out under me, an' +dey sont fer a ambulance an' sont me home." + +It has been hoped that this remarkable experience might result in +giving Harriet a new lease of life, but I am sorry to say she is +very feeble, and I fear will not be with us much longer. + +Her "through ticket" has long been ready for her, and when her +last journey is accomplished can we doubt that she will be +welcomed to one of those many mansions prepared for those who have +spent their lives in the Master's service? + + +THE END + + + + +APPENDIX. + + +The following letters to the writer from those well-known and +distinguished philanthropists, Hon. Gerrit Smith and Wendell +Phillips, and one from Frederick Douglass, addressed to Harriet, +will serve as the best introduction that can be given of the +subject of this memoir to its readers: + +_Letter from Hon. Gerrit Smith_. + + PETERBORO, _June_ 13, 1868. + +MY DEAR MADAME: I am happy to learn that you are to speak to the +public of Mrs. Harriet Tubman. Of the remarkable events of her +life I have no _personal_ knowledge, but of the truth of them as +she describes them I have no doubt. + +I have often listened to her, in her visits to my family, and I am +confident that she is not only truthful, but that she has a rare +discernment, and a deep and sublime philanthropy. + + With great respect your friend, + + GERRIT SMITH. + + * * * * * + +_Letter from Wendell Phillips_. + + _June_ 16, 1868. + +DEAR MADAME: The last time I ever saw John Brown was under my own +roof, as he brought Harriet Tubman to me, saying: "Mr. Phillips, I +bring you one of the best and bravest persons on this continent-- +_General_ Tubman, as we call her." + +He then went on to recount her labors and sacrifices in behalf of +her race. After that, Harriet spent some time in Boston, earning +the confidence and admiration of all those who were working for +freedom. With their aid she went to the South more than once, +returning always with a squad of self-emancipated men, women, and +children, for whom her marvelous skill had opened the way of +escape. After the war broke out, she was sent with indorsements +from Governor Andrew and his friends to South Carolina, where in +the service of the Nation she rendered most important and +efficient aid to our army. + +In my opinion there are few captains, perhaps few colonels, who +have done more for the loyal cause since the war began, and few +men who did before that time more for the colored race, than our +fearless and most sagacious friend, Harriet. + + Faithfully yours, + + WENDELL PHILLIPS. + + * * * * * + +_Letter from Frederick Douglass_. + + ROCHESTER, _August_ 29, 1868. + +DEAR HARRIET: I am glad to know that the story of your eventful +life has been written by a kind lady, and that the same is soon to +be published. You ask for what you do not need when you call upon +me for a word of commendation. I need such words from you far more +than you can need them from me, especially where your superior +labors and devotion to the cause of the lately enslaved of our +land are known as I know them. The difference between us is very +marked. Most that I have done and suffered in the service of our +cause has been in public, and I have received much encouragement +at every step of the way. You, on the other hand, have labored in +a private way. I have wrought in the day--you in the night. I have +had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes of +being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done +has been witnessed by a few trembling, scarred, and foot-sore +bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, +and whose heartfelt "_God bless you_" has been your only reward. +The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of +your devotion to freedom and of your heroism. Excepting John +Brown--of sacred memory--I know of no one who has willingly +encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people +than you have. Much that you have done would seem improbable to +those who do not know you as I know you. It is to me a great +pleasure and a great privilege to bear testimony to your character +and your works, and to say to those to whom you may come, that I +regard you in every way truthful and trustworthy. + + Your friend, + + FREDERICK DOUGLASS. + + * * * * * + +_Extracts from a Letter written by Mr. Sanborn, Secretary of the +Massachusetts Board of State Charities._ + +MY DEAR MADAME: Mr. Phillips has sent me your note, asking for +reminiscences of Harriet Tubman, and testimonials to her +extraordinary story, which all her New England friends will, I am +sure, be glad to furnish. + +I never had reason to doubt the truth of what Harriet said in +regard to her own career, for I found her singularly truthful. Her +imagination is warm and rich, and there is a whole region of the +marvelous in her nature, which has manifested itself at times +remarkably. Her dreams and visions, misgivings and forewarnings, +ought not to be omitted in any life of her, particularly those +relating to John Brown. + +She was in his confidence in 1858-9, and he had a great regard for +her, which he often expressed to me. She aided him in his plans, +and expected to do so still further, when his career was closed by +that wonderful campaign in Virginia. The first time she came to my +house, in Concord, after that tragedy, she was shown into a room +in the evening, where Brackett's bust of John Brown was standing. +The sight of it, which was new to her, threw her into a sort of +ecstacy of sorrow and admiration, and she went on in her +rhapsodical way to pronounce his apotheosis. + +She has often been in Concord, where she resided at the houses of +Emerson, Alcott, the Whitneys, the Brooks family, Mrs. Horace +Mann, and other well-known persons. They all admired and respected +her, and nobody doubted the reality of her adventures. She was too +_real_ a person to be suspected. In 1862, I think it was, she went +from Boston to Port Royal, under the advice and encouragement of +Mr. Garrison, Governor Andrew, Dr. Howe, and other leading people. +Her career in South Carolina is well known to some of our +officers, and I think to Colonel Higginson, now of Newport, R.I., +and Colonel James Montgomery, of Kansas, to both of whom she was +useful as a spy and guide, if I mistake not. I regard her as, on +the whole, the most extraordinary person of her race I have ever +met. She is a negro of pure, or almost pure blood, can neither +read nor write, and has the characteristics of her race and +condition. But she has done what can scarcely be credited on the +best authority, and she has accomplished her purposes with a +coolness, foresight, patience and wisdom, which in a _white man_ +would have raised him to the highest pitch of reputation. + +I am, dear Madame, very truly your servant, + + F.B. SANBORN. + + * * * * * + +_Letter from Hon. Wm.H. Seward_. + + WASHINGTON, _July_ 25, 1868. + +MAJ.-GEN. HUNTER-- + +MY DEAR SIR: Harriet Tubman, a colored woman, has been nursing our +soldiers during nearly all the war. She believes she has a claim +for faithful services to the command in South Carolina with which +you are connected, and she thinks that you would be disposed to +see her claim justly settled. + +I have known her long, and a nobler, higher spirit, or a truer, +seldom dwells in the human form. I commend her, therefore, to your +kind and best attentions. + + Faithfully your friend, + + WILLIAM H. SEWARD. + + * * * * * + +_Letter from Col. James Montgomery_. + + ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C., _July_ 6, 1863. + HEADQUARTERS COLORED BRIGADE. + +BRIG.-GEN. GILMORE, Commanding Department of the South-- + +GENERAL: I wish to commend to your attention, Mrs. Harriet Tubman, +a most remarkable woman, and invaluable as a scout. I have been +acquainted with her character and actions for several years. + +I am, General, your most ob't servant, + + JAMES MONTGOMERY, Col. Com. Brigade. + + * * * * * + +_Letter from Mrs. Gen. A. Baird_. + + PETERBORO, _Nov_. 24, 1864. + +The bearer of this, Harriet Tubman, a most excellent woman, who +has rendered faithful and good services to our Union army, not +only in the hospital, but in various capacities, having been +employed under Government at Hilton Head, and in Florida; and I +commend her to the protection of all officers in whose department +she may happen to be. + +She has been known and esteemed for years by the family of my +uncle, Hon. Gerrit Smith, as a person of great rectitude and +capabilities. + + MRS. GEN. A. BAIRD. + + * * * * * + +_Letter from Hon. Gerrit Smith_. + + PETERBORO, N.Y., _Nov_. 4, 1867. + +I have known Mrs. Harriet Tubman for many years. Seldom, if ever, +have I met with a person more philanthropic, more self-denying, +and of more bravery. Nor must I omit to say that she combines with +her sublime spirit, remarkable discernment and judgment. + +During the late war, Mrs. Tubman was eminently faithful and useful +to the cause of our country. She is poor and has poor parents. +Such a servant of the country should be well paid by the country. +I hope that the Government will look into her case. + + GERRIT SMITH. + + * * * * * + +_Testimonial from Gerrit Smith_. + + PETERBORO, _Nov._ 22, 1864. + +The bearer, Harriet Tubman, needs not any recommendation. Nearly +all the nation over, she has been heard of for her wisdom, +integrity, patriotism, and bravery. The cause of freedom owes her +much. The country owes her much. + +I have known Harriet for many years, and I hold her in my high +esteem. + + GERRIT SMITH. + + * * * * * + +_Certificate from Henry K. Durrant, Acting Asst. Surgeon, U.S.A._ + +I certify that I have been acquainted with Harriet Tubman for +nearly two years; and my position as Medical Officer in charge of +"contrabands" in this town and in hospital, has given me frequent +and ample opportunities to observe her general deportment; +particularly her kindness and attention to the sick and suffering +of her own race. I take much pleasure in testifying to the esteem +in which she is generally held. + + HENRY K. DURRANT, + Acting Assistant Surgeon, U. S. A. + In charge "Contraband" Hospital. + +Dated at Beaufort, S.C., the 3d day of May, 1864. + +I concur fully in the above. + + R. SAXTON, Brig.-Gen. Vol. + + * * * * * + +The following are a few of the passes used by Harriet throughout +the war. Many others are so defaced that it is impossible to +decipher them. + +HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, +HILTON HEAD, PORT ROYAL, S.C., _Feb_. 19, 1863. + +Pass the bearer, Harriet Tubman, to Beaufort and back to this +place, and wherever she wishes to go; and give her free passage at +all times, on all Government transports. Harriet was sent to me +from Boston by Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, and is a +valuable woman. She has permission, as a servant of the +Government, to purchase such provisions from the Commissary as she +may need. + + D. HUNTER, Maj.-Gen. Com. + + * * * * * + +General Gilmore, who succeeded General Hunter in command of the +Department of the South, appends his signature to the same pass. + +HEADQUARTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, + _July_ 1, 1863. + +Continued in force. + + Q.A. GILMORE, Brig.-Gen. Com. + + * * * * * + + BEAUFORT, _Aug_. 28, 1862. + +Will Capt. Warfield please let "Moses" have a little Bourbon +whiskey for medicinal purposes. + + HENRY K. DURANT, Act. Ass. Surgeon. + + * * * * * + +WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C, + _March_ 20, 1865. + +Pass Mrs. Harriet Tubman (colored) to Hilton Head and Charleston, +S.C., with free transportation on a Government transport, + +By order of the Sec. of War. + Louis H., Asst. Adj.-Gen., U.S.A. +To Bvt. Brig.-Gen. Van Vliet, U.S.Q.M., N.Y. +Not transferable. + + * * * * * + +WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D.C., + _July_ 22, 1865. + +Permit Harriet Tubman to proceed to Fortress Monroe, Va., on a +Government transport. Transportation will be furnished free of +cost. + +By order of the Secretary of War. + L.H., Asst. Adj.-Gen. +Not transferable. + + * * * * * + + _Appointment as Nurse_. + +SIR: I have the honor to inform you that the Medical Director +Department of Virginia has been instructed to appoint Harriet +Tubman nurse or matron at the Colored Hospital, Fort Monroe, Va. + + Very respectfully, your obdt. servant, + V.K. BARNES, Surgeon-General. +Hon. WM.H. SEWARD, + Secretary of State, Washington, D.C. + + +Of the many letters, testimonials, and passes, placed in the hands +of the writer by Harriet, the following are selected for insertion +in this book, and are quite sufficient to verify her statements. + +_A Letter from Gen. Saxton to a lady of Auburn_. + + ATLANTA, GA., _March_ 21, 1868. + +MY DEAR MADAME: I have just received your letter informing me that +Hon. Wm.H. Seward, Secretary of State, would present a petition to +Congress for a pension to Harriet Tubman, for services rendered in +the Union Army during the late war. I can bear witness to the +value of her services in South Carolina and Florida. She was +employed in the hospitals and as a spy. She made many a raid +inside the enemy's lines, displaying remarkable courage, zeal, and +fidelity. She was employed by General Hunter, and I think by +Generals Stevens and Sherman, and is as deserving of a pension +from the Government for her services as any other of its faithful +servants. + + I am very truly yours, + RUFUS SAXTON, Bvt. Brig.-Gen., U.S.A. + +Rev. Samuel I. May, in his recollections of the anti-slavery +conflict, after mentioning the case of an old slave mother, whom +he vainly endeavored to assist her son in buying from her master, +says: + +"I did not until four years after know that remarkable woman +Harriet, or I might have engaged her services, in the assurance +that she would have bought off the old woman without _paying_ for +her inalienable right--her liberty." + +Mr. May in another place says of Harriet, that she deserves to be +placed _first_ on the list of American heroines, and then proceeds +to give a short account of her labors, varying very little from +that given in this book. + + + + +FUGITIVE SLAVE RESCUE IN TROY. + +From the _Troy Whig_, April 28, 1859. + +Yesterday afternoon, the streets of this city and West Troy were +made the scenes of unexampled excitement. For the first time since +the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, an attempt was made here to +carry its provisions into execution, and the result was a terrific +encounter between the officers and the prisoner's friends, the +triumph of mob law, and the final rescue of the fugitive. Our city +was thrown into a grand state of turmoil, and for a time every +other topic was forgotten, to give place to this new excitement. +People did not think last evening to ask who was nominated at +Charleston, or whether the news of the Heenan and Sayers battle +had arrived--everything was merged into the fugitive slave case, +of which it seems the end is not yet. + +Charles Nalle, the fugitive, who was the cause of all this +excitement, was a slave on the plantation of B.W. Hansborough, in +Culpepper County, Virginia, till the 19th of October, 1858, when +he made his escape, and went to live in Columbia, Pennsylvania. A +wife and five children are residing there now. Not long since he +came to Sandlake, in this county, and resided in the family of Mr. +Crosby until about three weeks ago. Since that time, he has been +employed as coachman by Uri Gilbert, Esq., of this city. He is +about thirty years of age, tall, quite light-complexioned, and +good-looking. He is said to have been an excellent and faithful +servant. + +At Sandlake, we understand that Nalle was often seen by one H.F. +Averill, formerly connected with one of the papers of this city, +who communicated with his reputed owner in Virginia, and gave the +information that led to a knowledge of the whereabouts of the +fugitive. Averill wrote letters for him, and thus obtained an +acquaintance with his history. Mr. Hansborough sent on an agent, +Henry J. Wall, by whom the necessary papers were got out to arrest +the fugitive. + +Yesterday morning about 11 o'clock, Charles Nalle was sent to +procure some bread for the family by whom he was employed. He +failed to return. At the baker's he was arrested by Deputy United +States Marshal J.W. Holmes, and immediately taken before United +States Commissioner Miles Beach. The son of Mr. Gilbert, thinking +it strange that he did not come back, sent to the house of William +Henry, on Division Street, where he boarded, and his whereabouts +was discovered. + +The examination before Commissioner Beach was quite brief. The +evidence of Averill and the agent was taken, and the Commissioner +decided to remand Nalle to Virginia. The necessary papers were +made out and given to the Marshal. + +By this time it was two o'clock, and the fact began to be noised +abroad that there was a fugitive slave in Mr. Beach's office, +corner of State and First Streets. People in knots of ten or +twelve collected near the entrance, looking at Nalle, who could be +seen at an upper window. William Henry, a colored man, with whom +Nalle boarded, commenced talking from the curb-stone in a loud +voice to the crowd. He uttered such sentences as, "There is a +fugitive slave in that office--pretty soon you will see him come +forth. He is going to be taken down South, and you will have a +chance to see him. He is to be taken to the depot, to go to +Virginia in the first train. Keep watch of those stairs, and you +will have a sight." A number of women kept shouting, crying, and +by loud appeals excited the colored persons assembled. + +Still the crowd grew in numbers. Wagons halted in front of the +locality, and were soon piled with spectators. An alarm of fire +was sounded, and hose carriages dashed through the ranks of men, +women, and boys; but they closed again, and kept looking with +expectant eyes at the window where the negro was visible. +Meanwhile, angry discussions commenced. Some persons agitated a +rescue, and others favored law and order. Mr. Brockway, a lawyer, +had his coat torn for expressing his sentiments, and other +_melees_ kept the interest alive. + +All at once there was a wild halloo, and every eye was turned up +to see the legs and part of the body of the prisoner protruding +from the second story window, at which he was endeavoring to +escape. Then arose a shout! "Drop him!" "Catch him!" "Hurrah!" But +the attempt was a fruitless one, for somebody in the office pulled +Nalle back again, amid the shouts of a hundred pairs of lungs. The +crowd at this time numbered nearly a thousand persons. Many of +them were black, and a good share were of the female sex. They +blocked up State Street from First Street to the alley, and kept +surging to and fro. + +Martin I. Townsend, Esq., who acted as counsel for the fugitive, +did not arrive in the Commissioner's office until a decision had +been rendered. He immediately went before Judge Gould, of the +Supreme Court, and procured a writ of habeas corpus in the usual +form, _returnable_ immediately. This was given Deputy-Sheriff +Nathaniel Upham, who at once proceeded to Commissioner Beach's +office, and served it on Holmes. Very injudiciously, the officers +proceeded at once to Judge Gould's office, although it was evident +they would have to pass through an excited, unreasonable crowd. As +soon as the officers and their prisoner emerged from the door, an +old negro, who had been standing at the bottom of the stairs, +shouted, "Here they come," and the crowd made a terrific rush at +the party. + +From the office of Commissioner Beach, in the Mutual Building, to +that of Judge Gould, in Congress Street, is less than two blocks, +but it was made a regular battlefield. The moment the prisoner +emerged from the doorway, in custody of Deputy-Sheriff Upham, +Chief of Police Quin, Officers Cleveland and Holmes, the crowd +made one grand charge, and those nearest the prisoner seized him +violently, with the intention of pulling him away from the +officers, but they were foiled; and down First to Congress Street, +and up the latter in front of Judge Gould's chambers, went the +surging mass. Exactly what did go on in the crowd, it is +impossible to say, but the pulling, hauling, mauling, and +shouting, gave evidences of frantic efforts on the part of the +rescuers, and a stern resistance from the conservators of the law. +In front of Judge Gould's office the combat was at its height. No +stones or other missiles were used; the battle was fist to fist. +We believe an order was given to take the prisoner the other way, +and there was a grand rush towards the West, past First and River +Streets, as far as Dock Street. All this time there was a +continual _melee_. Many of the officers were hurt--among them Mr. +Upham, whose object was solely to do his duty by taking Nalle +before Judge Gould in accordance with the writ of habeas corpus. A +number in the crowd were more or less hurt, and it is a wonder +that these were not badly injured, as pistols were drawn and +chisels used. + +The battle had raged as far as the corner of Dock and Congress +Streets, and the victory remained with the rescuers at last. The +officers were completely worn out with their exertions, and it was +impossible to continue their hold upon him any longer. Nalle was +at liberty. His friends rushed him down Dock Street to the lower +ferry, where there was a skiff lying ready to start. The fugitive +was put in, the ferryman rowed off, and amid the shouts of +hundreds who lined the banks of the river, Nalle was carried into +Albany County. + +As the skiff landed in West Troy, a negro sympathizer waded up to +the waist, and pulled Nalle out of the boat. He went up the hill +alone, however, and there who should he meet but Constable Becker! +The latter official seeing a man with manacles on, considered it +his duty to arrest him. He did so, and took him in a wagon to the +office of Justice Stewart, on the second floor of the corner +building near the ferry. The justice was absent. + +When the crowd on the Troy bank had seen Nalle safely landed, it +was suggested that he might be recaptured. Then there was another +rush made for the steam ferry-boat, which carried over about 400 +persons, and left as many more--a few of the latter being soused +in their efforts to get on the boat. On landing in West Troy, +there, sure enough, was the prisoner, locked up in a strong +office, protected by Officers Becker, Brown and Morrison, and the +door barricaded. + +Not a moment was lost. Up stairs went a score or more of resolute +men--the rest "piling in" promiscuously, shouting and execrating +the officers. Soon a stone flew against the door--then another-- +and bang, bang! went off a couple of pistols, but the officers who +fired them took good care to aim pretty high. The assailants were +forced to retreat for a moment. "They've got pistols," said one. +"Who cares?" was the reply; "they can only kill a dozen of us-- +come on." More stones and more pistol-shots ensued. At last the +door was pulled open by an immense negro, and in a moment he was +felled by a hatchet in the hands of Deputy-Sheriff Morrison; but +the body of the fallen man blocked up the door so that it could +not be shut, and a friend of the prisoner pulled him out. Poor +fellow! he might well say, "Save me from my friends." Amid the +pulling and hauling, the iron had cut his arms, which were +bleeding profusely, and he could hardly walk, owing to fatigue. + +He has since arrived safely in Canada. + + +THE END. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Harriet, The Moses of Her People +by Sarah H. Bradford + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARRIET, THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE *** + +This file should be named 7htub10.txt or 7htub10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, 7htub11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, 7htub10a.txt + +Produced by Maria Cecilia Lim and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we usually do not +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our eBooks one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to tell us about any error or corrections, +even years after the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg eBooks is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our Web sites at: +http://gutenberg.net or +http://promo.net/pg + +These Web sites include award-winning information about Project +Gutenberg, including how to donate, how to help produce our new +eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter (free!). + + +Those of you who want to download any eBook before announcement +can get to them as follows, and just download by date. This is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any eBook selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. Our +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If the value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour in 2002 as we release over 100 new text +files per month: 1240 more eBooks in 2001 for a total of 4000+ +We are already on our way to trying for 2000 more eBooks in 2002 +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +will reach over half a trillion eBooks given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away 1 Trillion eBooks! +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +Here is the briefest record of our progress (* means estimated): + +eBooks Year Month + + 1 1971 July + 10 1991 January + 100 1994 January + 1000 1997 August + 1500 1998 October + 2000 1999 December + 2500 2000 December + 3000 2001 November + 4000 2001 October/November + 6000 2002 December* + 9000 2003 November* +10000 2004 January* + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of February, 2002, contributions are being solicited from people +and organizations in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, +Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, +Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, +Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New +Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, +Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South +Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West +Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in all 50 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, additions to this list +will be made and fund raising will begin in the additional states. +Please feel free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork to legally +request donations in all 50 states. If your state is not listed and +you would like to know if we have added it since the list you have, +just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in states where we are +not yet registered, we know of no prohibition against accepting +donations from donors in these states who approach us with an offer to +donate. + +International donations are accepted, but we don't know ANYTHING about +how to make them tax-deductible, or even if they CAN be made +deductible, and don't have the staff to handle it even if there are +ways. + +Donations by check or money order may be sent to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + +Contact us if you want to arrange for a wire transfer or payment +method other than by check or money order. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been approved by +the US Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN +[Employee Identification Number] 64-622154. Donations are +tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. As fund-raising +requirements for other states are met, additions to this list will be +made and fund-raising will begin in the additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information online at: + +http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this eBook, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this eBook if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS EBOOK +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +eBook, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this eBook by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this eBook on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM EBOOKS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBooks, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this eBook +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these eBooks, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's eBooks and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other eBook medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this eBook from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm eBook) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this eBook within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS EBOOK IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE EBOOK OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this eBook, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the eBook, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this eBook electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + eBook or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this eBook in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The eBook, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The eBook may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the eBook (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + eBook in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the eBook refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this eBook's header and trailer may be reprinted only +when distributed free of all fees. Copyright (C) 2001, 2002 by +Michael S. Hart. Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be +used in any sales of Project Gutenberg eBooks or other materials be +they hardware or software or any other related product without +express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN EBOOKS*Ver.02/11/02*END* + |