USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > Chester > History of the Underground railroad in Chester and the neighboring counties of Pennsylvania > Part 20
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Her husband was an industrious and well-behaved colored man, who had lived in the neighborhood some eight or ten years, and was supposed to be free. He was taken before the judge of the district at West Chester, and before Enoch Lewis arrived the hearing had begun, and the man had acknowledged that he was the slave of the claimant. Enoch Lewis then proposed to purchase the man, and after some negotiation the master agreed to take $400 for him in cash. Enoch drew up a paper, to which he subscribed his own name as one of the purchasers and in a short time $100 were thus raised. The other $300 Enoch himself paid, taking the 0
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negroe's own bond for the money, and manumission papers were therefore executed in due form. As Enoch Lewis's salary as a teacher was then but $500, his loss of the money vested upon the integrity of the poor fugitive would have been somewhat serious. But his confidence was not misplaced. By small installments every dollar of the money was paid, and the quandom slave established the character of a good citizen. After paying his bond given for his freedom, he purchased a house and lot of some ten or twelve acres of land and lived comfortably and respectably to a good old age.
The residence of Enoch Lewis, at New Garden, was long a station on the Underground Railroad, during the time of Isaac Jackson, its former owner, and it con- tinued to be so, many years after. Although Enoch did not approve of encouragement being given to slaves to leave their masters and he thought no general good would be accomplished by it, if a fugitive sought a temporary asylum beneath his roof or a helping hand on the way, when fleeing from slavery, his claim to hos- pitality and charitable aid in the name of humanity was not to be denied. When a slave-catcher appeared in the neighborhood, Enoch Lewis was usually one of the first that was informed of it, and a horse and car- riage to convey the fugitive who was supposed to be in danger of arrest to a safe distance were promptly fur- nished. Enoch's eldest son, Joseph J. Lewis, of West Chester, informs me that when a boy he was once sent to Nixon's factory on Pickering Creek, with a load of wool in a one-horse covered cart and a colored woman and her child packed in behind the wool, on a report that the former master of the woman had obtained a
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warrant for her arrest and was in search of her. The route taken to Nixon's factory was by no means the most direct, but was deemed the most safe. It led by Kimberton where the woman and child were left in the charge of Emmor Kimber, who gave them, the same night, a free passage to the next station north ward.
A fugitive once stopped at Enoch Lewis's and re- mained several days. He was a preacher and bad fled from the far South, and, after a series of romantic ad- ventures, effected his complete escape. The narrative of his experiences was so interesting that Enoch Lewis assembled his pupils in his school-room to listen to it. One incident is still remembered. A short time after the fugitive left his master, he took refuge with a col- ored friend who found him a well-contrived hiding- place. Though well secreted he became forcibly im- pressed one night, though without any apparent reason, that he was not safe where he was, and that he must immediately seek some new covert. Obeying the moni- tion, he left his place of concealment and, entering a small stream of water which flowed near by, he followed it for a short distance, so that the scent of his foot-steps could not be traced by dogs, till he came to the over- hanging branches of a tree of thick foliage. This he ascended, and found himself well hidden within an hundred yards of his former hiding-place. "Jist," said the narrator, " as I'se got fixed, lyin' strait out along a big lim', when here dey come, massa and a dozen more on hoss-back, hollowin' and screetchin', de hosses at full jump, and de dogs yelpin', right up to de little cave whar dey spect to find de poor nigger. But no poor nigger dar. Den de dogs run about from cave to de
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creek, and from creek back to de cave, smellen' de groun'. De men stamp and thrash about, ride up and down de creek pass my tree. De moon perty bright, but de same good speret what tell me to git away from de cave, wouldn't let 'em see me dar lyin' on dat lim' like a coon."
This colored preacher brought with him to Enoch Lewis's a little nephew, about five years old, whom Enoch reared and educated. Being inclined to adventure, this boy was given his liberty when about eighteen, became steward on a passenger ship plying between New York and Liverpool, and subsequently on a large steam- boat on the Hudson, and when last heard from was thus employed and prospering.
The outrages formerly inflicted on free colored people by the slave system, are illustrated by an instance which occurred over sixty years ago. A free negro, residing in the western part of Londongrove, or in one of the adjacent townships, had occasion to go to Baltimore on business. Having no pass from any slave-owner, he was liable to arrest on suspicion of being a runaway slave, under a law of Maryland, and advertised, and if, after a certain number of days, no claimants appeared, the suspected runaway was sold for his jail fees at public auction. The man, in this case, being found without a pass, and knowing no white man in Baltimore to vouch for him, was arrested and thrown in prison, and no person appearing to claim him, he was advertised to be sold on a certain day. Information of the facts having been communicated to Enoch Lewis and his friends in the neighborhood, Israel Jackson, who knew the man, hastened to Baltimore, procured a writ of habeas corpus,
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proved his freedom, and, after a pretty sharp contro- versy as to the legal right of the authorities to detain him, obtained his release and brought him away with him.
Evan Lewis, the youngest brother of Enoch, resided in Wilmington, Delaware, and was a zealous and active, abolitionist. His house was for many years a much frequented station on the Underground Railroad. The fugitives who came his way were generally forwarded in the direction of Philadelphia, but some, when cir- cumstances required that they should pursue a different route, took the road to New Garden and were commit- ted to the care of Enoch Lewis for such friendly aid as was needed.
By an Act of Congress of February 12, 1793, Judges and Justices of the Peace of the several States were authorized to issue warrants for the removal of negroes and mulattoes claimed as slaves. Under this Act many and terrible abuses were practiced. On fictitious ciaims, free colored persons were arrested without notice and hurried before justices favoring this species of kidnap- ping, and sharing with the perpetrators the profits of it. When thus arrested, the alleged fugitives were sum- marily dealt with. On hasty examinations, conducted with little regard to rules of evidence or considerations of justice, warrants of removal were granted. The victims of these practices, when once fairly within the clutches of these manstealers, were not likely ever to return. They were usually sold to some trader, who carried them far South, whence there was little chance of escape. To put a stop to this odious traffic, it was necessary to obtain a law of our State Legislature, de-
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priving justices of the peace of jurisdiction in cases of claims to fugitive slaves. As justices of the peace were State officers, it was competent to the State Legislature to define their jurisdiction. Enoch Lewis was one of those who made earnest efforts to procure the passage of an Act prohibiting justices from issuing warrants of re- moval. He called public attention to the subject in various newspaper articles and visited Harrisburg in conjunction with certain members of committees of the Meeting for Sufferings and other Society Organizations of Friends, to hold conferences with members of the Legislature. At length in 1820, by an Act passed the twenty-seventh of March of that year, the object of these efforts was attained .*
A good deal of excitement and annoyance in the Southern townships of Chester county were formerly caused by the incursions of slave-hunters from Mary- land. These men were generally of loose morals and lawless conduct, profane in language, coarse and brutal in appearance and swaggering in their demeanor. They inspired a feeling of detestation wherever they ap- peared, none favored their nefarious enterprises except the very lowest and meanest of the population. Among such they were accustomed, not unfrequently, to find spics and informers. A posse of these miscreants once started a negro whom they took to be a slave or wished to make one, from his covert in the neighborhood of Pleasant Garden Forge and chased him to the vicinity of the Forge. The fugitive took refuge in the dwelling
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of Samuel Irwin, the proprietor of the Forge, and was directed by some of the family to ascend to the second story, which on the opposite side was on a level with the ground, and to make his egress on that side. As the pursuers approached, Mr. Irwin took his stand at the door, which was divided in the middle, one-half being open and the other closed, and standing behind the lower part which was closed, stopped the rush of the party and parleyed with the leader who demanded entrance to search for the fugitive. The men were hot with the chase and fierce and furious, and the leader, who represented himself as the owner of the fu- gitive, insisted on his right to enter and capture his " nigger," whom he had seen pass into the house. Mr. Irwin met the demand with great coolness and perfect civility, stated that he did not at all believe that the " nigger " was in his house, demanded to see the warrant authorizing the arrest, and by a series of questions in a quiet and gentlemanly tone contrived to detain the claimant and his crew for several minutes before allow- ing them to enter. When they entered he offered them every facility for a thorough search, conducted them leisurely through every room in his house, opened every closet, and showed them every nook which might serve for a hiding-placc. In the meantime, the poor fu- gitive was busy in putting as much space between him- self and his pursuers as possible, and he made so good a use of his opportunity as to effect his escape. Mr. Irwin used to tell of another slave-catcher who, by a singular series of coincidences, was baffled in the pursuit of his pleasant occupation. Passing on horseback by the hut of a negro family on one of the roads near
*The Act of Congress authorizing "Aldermen or Justices of the Peace to issue warrants of removai of any negro or mulatto, claimed to be a fugitive from labor," was passed on the twelfth day of Febru- ary, 1793.
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Pleasant Garden Forge, he leaned forward to get & view of the interior of the cabin and was seen to scan with an inquisitive air the family group within. The mother of the family was of large size and determined character. Observing the demeanor of the stranger, and rightly judging his purpose, she suddenly snatched a large butcher-knife and rushed at him furiously. He immediately put spurs to his horse, and getting beyond her reach, pushed on his way. He had not gone far before he saw a couple of negroes coming out of a bushy piece of woodland trimming ox wattles which they had just cut, while their teams were standing in the road. The slave-catcher, still nervous from his adventure with the woman, suspected that the wattles were intended for him, and not daring to face his supposed antagonists, he turned his horse and rode back a few hundred yards to a place where the road forked. Taking the other prong of the fork, he followed it for a short distance and then happened to see two men, one white and the other colored, approaching him in such a way as to in- tercept his progress, with guns in their hands. Alarmed at this additional manifestation of hostility, the poor slave-catcher hurried back to the Forge, and calling upon Mr. Irwin, claimed his protection against the "niggers" of the neighborhood who, he believed had formed a conspiracy to murder him. "Mr. Irwin, per- ceiving from the man's own statement that the cause of `his apprehensions was his own consciousness of his detestable purposes, assured him that if he would take the road leading south and pursue that to the State line he would escape all molestation; but that if he ventured to go in a different direction, he, Mr. Irwin,
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would not insure his life for an hour. This excellent advice was followed thankfully, and the face of this redoubtable slave-catcher was not seen afterwards in those parts. Verily, " the wicked flee when no man pursueth."
Enoch Lewis was born in Radnor, Delaware county, First mo. (January) 29th, 1776. He was mainly self- taught. His opportunities for receiving an education when a boy were quite limited. Yet having an insati- able fondness for learning, he found the time and means to acquire knowledge by unwearied diligence, and at the age of fifteen began his successful career as a teacher. He was the author of several works on mathematics, one on Grammar, several on religious and moral subjects ; edited at different times the African Observer and the Friends' Review, and contributed many essays to lead- ing journals upon various subjects.
On ninth of Fifth mo. (May), 1799, he married Alice Jackson, daughter of Isaac and Hannah Jackson, of New Garden, Chester county, a woman of fine educa- tion and of literary taste. She died Twelfth mo. (De- cember), 1813. In Fifth mo. (May), 1815, he married a daughter of Jonn Jackson, of London Grove, a first cousin of his first wife, and woman of excellent mind and more than ordinary culture.
He died Seventh mo. (July), 1856. He was a mem- ber of the Society of Friends, as were both his wives, and was scrupulous in his attendance at both the First- day and mid-week meetings.
An interesting biography of him has recently been published by his son, the Hon. Joseph J. Lewis, long the oldest member of the West Chester bar, and who OK
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was employed as one of the counsel in the defense cf Castner Hanway ; an account of whose trial is given in Chapter Eight of this work.
CHAPTER XIX.
BENJAMIN PRICE .- His Father, Philip Price, Assists Runaways .- In- cidents .- Golden Weddings .- SAMUEL M. PAINTER .- Abraham D. Shadd. John Brown and Benjamin Freemen .- NATHAN EVANS.
BENJAMIN PRICE. (Born Twelfth Mo., 1793 .- Died First Mo., 8th, 1871.)
Taken by permission from the MISS. Memoir of Benjamin and Jane Price, now in course of Preparation by their son, Isaiah Price, D.D.S., Major 97th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Author and Publisher of a "History of the 7th Pennsylvania Volunteers during the War of the Rebellion," etc., etc.
"About the earliest knowledge we had of the anti- slavery cause was derived from the experiences related to us while very young children, by our parents and others, of incidents in the perilous service of aiding fugitive slaves in their escape from bondage, so courage- ously engaged in by many of the humane inhabitants of the country early in the present century.
"Our father entered upon this fulfillment of the Divine command in his youth, following the example of his father, and took his place upon the road at a very early age.
" When he was about sixteen, a case of threatened re- capture of some slaves then at his father's and on the adjoining farm, demanded the utmost care and skill in extricating the fugitives from the grasp of the slave- catchers who had reached the neighborhood. Being apprised of the danger, our grandfather, Philip Price, hurried the three-two men and a woman, the wife of one of the men, to a hiding-place in the thicket, then abounding near his place. The woman was disguised as
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a man. He directed them to emerge at dark and make their way across the fields to an unfrequented road in the vicinity, in a direction not likely to be observed by their pursuers, and to look out for a guide with horses. At nightfall he directed his son, Benjamin, to mount one of the horses and to lead another, and take some bags as though going upon an errand to the adjoining mill. This was then a frequent mode of bringing home the grist. Grandfather had also given him the requisite directions for overtaking the fugitives upon the unfre- quented road.
" He thus safely eluded observation and joined the party on the road ; thesc then mounted, one behind him and the other on the other horse, and passed by the by- road across the Wilmington road and through by Jesse Mercer's place, and out on the street-road east of Dar- lington's Corner Inn, which was regarded as too public for them to pass. They then went on safely to a desig- nated station, not now remembered, somewhere in the neighborhood of Darby.
"Our father returned alone; being familiar with the road he had no difficulty in finding his way going or re- turning, and was capable of finding safe shelter from pursuit, had any been made, by taking to the by-lanes and roads or even to the woods, if none of those were at hand.
" Having reached Osborn's Hill on his return, about two A. M. his attention was arrested by the sound of the distant clatter of horse's feet and the rumble of wheels upon the stony road-bed, mingled with voices in boisterous rage, oaths and curses being distinctly heard. Rightly conjecturing that these sounds might
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proceed from the disappointed slave-hunters, either re- turning for another search at his father's house, or on their way to Wilmington by the road he was on, he re- traced his road a few paces and entered the lane leading to John Forsyth's place, which would shield him from observation, the hedges being much overgrown, and thus he could escape if they should enter after him, by passing out toward Forsyth's. But the sound soon in- dicated that the party had passed toward the Brandy- wine, the last he heard being the clatter of crossing the bridge at Wistar's. He then emerged from his conceal- ment and soon found a welcome needed rest at his home where his anxious parents had become quite uneasy at his prolonged absence. Having also heard the noise of the disappointed hunters, they feared he might encoun- ter them in the road upon his return.
"Our father has told us of the thoughts that occupied his mind, as he rode beneath the canopy of stars, going and returning upon his errand of mercy ; how his abhor- rence of slavery grew into a glowing purpose to do all in his power to aid those seeking to escape from its grievous injustice. Never was a fugitive turned away from the shelter of his home, or bid to pursue his toil- ing journey unrelieved by food, raiment, means, or a conveyance to some other shelter on the way beyond.
"There was no record kept of the cases in which our father actively aided in the escape of fugitive slaves. He did what he could for them, in that judicious pru- dent manner in which it is enjoined to 'let not the left hand know what the right hand doeth,' not through any fear of the reproach of men, but in order the bet- ter to serve and to shield those whom he would aid
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from the dangers which a garrulous tongue might en- tail upon them.
" He received fugitives from almost every station be- tween his home and the land of bondage. It canont now be ascertained what directions these received, or what were the particular landmarks or other indications by which they found their way to his home. They came from his cousin, Thomas Garrett, of Wilmington, Del .; Eziekel Hunn, of near Camden, Del .; William Jackson, Londongrove; Isaac and Dinah Mendenhall, Simon and Sarah Barnard, at Avondale; from Jacob Lind- ley's home (to his father's during his boyhood); Amos Preston's at West Grove, and from many others not now recalled.
"He forwarded them to various points beyond: To John Sugar, West Bradford ; John Vickers, Uwchlan; Dr. Bartholomew Fussell and Graceanna Lewis, West Vincent; Emmor Kimber, Kimberton; Elijah F. Penny- packer, Benjamin Garrigues, Montgomery county ; Jacob L. Paxson, Norristown; to his brother-in-law, William H. Johnson, Buckingham, Bucks county ; John Sellers, Darby, Pa .; Eli D. Pierce, Providence, and John Jackson, Darby, Delaware county, Pa .; to his cousins, Philip, Isaac and Samuel Garrett, Delaware county, Pa., and to many others of which there is . no record.
" Our earliest recollections are dotted with the memory of strange, dark faces, coming in at nightfall, partak- ing of supper, and afterward being mysteriously stowed away, with blankets for covering, in the barn or on the garret floor, where, in some instances, they remained concealed for a few days and nights, being fed cautious-
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ly at our meal-time ; and on some propitious night they would disappear and be heard of no more, and the horses in the stable next morning would bear evidence of having traversed the roads during the night and the carriage wheels would still be moist with fresh mud, when we knew they were dry on the on the evening be- fore. Our father, (an unusual occurrence at other times) being not yet astir, we were cautioned by our mother ' to make no noise to disturb father's rest, as he had not gone to bed till late.' His errand was not concealed from us, but we were thus taught practically to leave un- spoken the words that might give improper information to others less cautious and considerate of the peril of those fleeing from bondage. In some instances, when the fugitives were considered to be in less immediate danger of pursuit, they were given work on the farm or in the house, where they remained for some weeks or months, earning means to enable them to reach Canada, the only place of absolute safety. Of these, the earliest recollected arrived on a stormy day in December, 1829. We first encountered him in the granary getting chaff to mix feed for the stock ; we had just returned from school, and one of us asked ' who is this ?' and received the answer, 'Ned Wilson, sir,' and his white teeth dis- closed the ' open countenance ' of a genial nature, to which boys naturally take with a sincere appreciation. From that day, while he remained with us, 'Ned Wilson, sir' and the boys were fast friends. At every opportunity we sought him at his work, or wherever he might be, and in the evening we became his instructors in the alphabet, which, with great perseverence, he mastered; then in writing and spelling, until the difficul-
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ties of these elements were surmounted and he became enabled to read with more facility than is often reached by younger scholars in the same period. His interest and gratitude were unbounded. His safety at length rendered it necessary for him to ' run on,' and he left us with saddened heart at the parting, yet with grateful remembrance of his sojourn in our home.
" The next remembered were John and Araminta Dor- sey ; they came at the pork-butchering-time; the year not recalled. The impression of their advent is that seeing the woman engaged at the table where the sausages was being prepared, her name was asked. 'My name is Arrowminta, but you may call me Minta, for short,' and ' Minta ' became established in the kitchen at the head of the culinary department, proving to be an excellent helper to our mother, capable of relieving her of many cares. Her husband, John, had been a minister or exhorter among their people; he was intelligent and with some qualifications for a preacher if he had had a better opportunity for education ; but he did not take ardently to work, and was fonder of an argument than : such employment as required the diligence of his hands. After remaining a short period they were forwarded to our Uncle William H. Johnson, and from there subse- quently proceeded to Canada.
"One of the most exciting incidents of capture and escape which occurred in West Chester, was that of Rachel Harris. The successful manner in which she was conveyed out of West Chester, by Benjamin and Isaiah Price, is narrated in her History.
" A later case was that of Henry Clark, alias Andrew Commegys, who was a character of notable interest. He
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arrived at the farm-gate one sultry summer morning, enquired the way to Mr. Benjamin Price's, and was quite glad to find himself so near his destination. Be ing piloted to where our father was at work in one of the fields, he told the story of his escape. He was owned by a Mr. Commegys, who lived near Cantwell's Bridge in Delaware. To avoid being sold at the settle- ment of his late master's estate, or of falling into the hands of the young master, whose disposition was reck- lessly cruel and extravagant, he resolved upon flight. He was familiar with the roads to Wilmington and the vicinity, where, as the trusted servant of his old master, he was often permitted to drive his carriage and teams, and even to go there alone on some holiday excursion to visit his friends.
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