USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > Chester > History of the Underground railroad in Chester and the neighboring counties of Pennsylvania > Part 22
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caused much excitement, and when the appointed time came the house was crowded with friends and foes, a large number being unable to gain admittance. A gang of twenty came for the express purpose of breaking up the meeting when anything should be said that they could use as a provocation to carrying out their plot. The speaker, Thomas Earle, arrived, accompanied by S. Sellers, and moved through the crowd to the platform. After a few moments of impressive silence, Thomas Earle arose, and in a quiet, dignified manner, said that he had come there for the purpose of talking upon the subject of American slavery, but having heard on his way that there was some opposition, he did not wish to intrude and proposed that James Lewis take the sense of the meeting whether or not he should speak. The vote was almost unanimous for him to proceed. He spoke nearly two hours, and held the audience throughout in rapt attention, as if spell-bound, by his touching appeals and persuasive oratory. He pictured the life of the unrequited laborer, of families separated at the auction-block and fond affections outraged. He brought this condition of servitude directly home to the firesides and hearts of his audience, " remembering those who were in chains as bound with them," and so effective was this portraiture that at the close of the meeting " many who came to scoff remained to pray." Among the first to take the speaker by the hand and thank him for the light and the instructions given, were some of the leaders of the party who had designed to be ob- streperous. This meeting was followed by others, and by debates in different parts of Delaware and Chester counties, which largely changed sentiment in favor of P **
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the abolition of slavery. James Lewis now became known as a firm and earnest abolitionist.
About the year 1839, Nathan Evans, an aged Friend, of Willistown, Chester county, who had for years made frequent trips to Philadelphia with large numbers of fugitives, called on James Lewis to ask if he would make his place an intermediate station. This was agreed to, and James T. Dannaker accepted the position of " conductor " on that part of the route. He accompa- nied Nathan to the city with eight fugitives, the latter then in charge, and was introduced to families with whom Nathan had been accustomed to leave them and told how to manage the business secretly.
If circumstances rendered it inconvenient or danger- ous for any one of these families to accommodate the fugitives at that time, they were taken to another.
This trip was, fortunately, rather an eventful one, and the impressions made by this initiary lesson were the more valuable. Nathan had not been accustomed to taking fugitives to the anti-slavery office. On this occasion he wished to go there. It chanced to be at a time when no one was in, and he would not risk waiting, but proceeded to one of his usual stations. Here, as they were about to unload, they observed an inquisitive looking man walking around as if intent upon watching their actions. They judged that he suspected their business, and deeming it unsafe to leave the passengers there, drove one-and-a-half miles to another place, where they unloaded in safety. They remained in the city over night, and next morning learned that the house at which they first stopped had been searched about daylight, but no fugitives found in it.
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STW PROCESS, PAT'D PER & ION.
JAMES T. DANNAKER.
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James T. Dannaker then felt the importance of having several places to call at in case danger should be lurking around any one of them. In addition to the families he had been introduced to, he subsequently, through his friends, became acquainted with others. He made the arrangement with them that when he arrived with pas- sengers he would announce it by three distinct raps at the door. The family understanding the meaning of this, would know what precautions to take before going to the door, especially if strangers were in the house. When he had two or more wagon loads, he preceded them a square or two, carrying a white handkerchief in his hand, by which to direct their movements. If they could not be taken in at one place, he went to another, until he found accommodations for all.
James Lewis's house now became a prominent station, and Dannaker an efficient conductor ; never being de- tected, although he frequently made two trips a week.
At one time Friend Evans kept twenty-six at his place for two weeks, as he heard the hunters were assiduously watching for them in Philadelphia. When danger was past he took them to James Lewis, there they remained until next night, when Dannaker, with two assistants, took them by different routes to Arch street wharf, Philadelphia, arriving there at midnight. He put them on board Captain Whildon's boat, which plied between Philadelphia, Trenton and Bordentown. The Captain kept a state-room in which he carried fugitives whenever they could be put in there without exciting suspicion.
Four brothers and sisters, who had been separated for years, casually, or Providentially met at Columbia, and came on this route to James Lewis. These were, as if
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through the mysteriously directing hand of a kind Providence, sent to Norristown, and there met their father and mother. The joy of this unexpected meeting was a cause of thanks to God from the hearts both of the fugitives and their friends.
Eight arrived at one time from Norfolk, Va. On taking them to Philadelphia, Dannaker found all the stations full, until he arrived at the thirteenth, the home of Hester Reckless,* an elderly colored woman, who was as full of life and enthusiasm whenever she could render assistance to the fleeing slave, as were many who had not attained half her number of years. Having business to transact in the city, he remained until next day. As so many of the stations were full, his curiosity led him to visit them again to ascertain how many were harbored that night, and he found the number was one hundred and sixty-eight. Yet these, without an excep- tion, were moved steadily and safely along to their goal in Canada, with as little outward demonstration as bodies that are carried silently and unperceived along river-beds to the ocean.
: Two arrived one evening on their way from Balti- more. One was a bright, intelligent-looking mulatto, owned by Hon. Reverdy Johnson, of that city. He had
*Mrs. Hester Reckless, a colored woman, born at Salem, N. J., in 1776, died at her residence, No. 1015 Rodman street, on the afternoon of January 28th, 1881, aged nearly 105 years. The mother of the de- ceased also attained the age of one hundred years. Mrs. Reckless re- sided in Philadelphia for sixty-five years, and was an earnest worker in the anti-slavery movement. She worked with the late Lucretia Mott in the Female Anti-slavery Society, and cherished with great affection two relies of the organization. One was a photograph of its members, and the other was a flag with inscriptions upon it which ex- pressed the strong feelings of the anti-slavery people on the subject. Her memory was good to the last, and she frequently told, with a good amount of satisfaction, the fact that she had several times seen General Washington. One daughter, seventy years old, is the only near relative who survives the old lady.
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charge of his master's law office and library, from which he had acquired much knowledge, after stealthily learning the alphabet from white school-boys on the street. The other was a coachman, belonging to a lady, a relative of Mr. Johnson, living in Mississippi, and had accompanied her on a visit to Baltimore. When starting on this journey with his mistress, the idea of coming so near a free State inspired him with a desire and determination to become free himself. While these two men were planning their escape, five fugitives were captured at Wrightsville and returned to slavery. The following night a party was given in honor of the lady from Mississippi. As she was entering her carriage, the Wrightsville capture was being spoken of, when a person remarked to her that she "had better keep a sharp lookout on Charles, the coachman." " I do not believe," she said, "that he could be coaxed to leave me." Charles seized that opportune moment of asserted confidence and replied, "I know when I am well off and well cared for." After stabling the horses carefully, as was his custom, he and his companion started on foot, and the third evening reached James Lewis's house, and in two weeks arrived safely in Canada. When near Wrightsville, after leaving Baltimore, they were accosted by some rude looking men, who attempted to arrest them. Being well armed they drew their weapons upon their assailants, who, doubtless thinking " discretion the better part of valor," fled and gave them no further trouble.
In 1866, while James Dannaker was standing at the depot in Chester, a colored man alighted from a train, and after looking into his face a moment, approached
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him, and asked if his name was not Dannaker. He re- plied that it was. The colored man then introduced himself as the slave of Reverdy Johnson, whom he had helped to freedom twenty-four years before. After expressing his gratitude he stated that he was then residing in Rochester, New York; had acquired a considerable fortune ; was married, and was then accom- panied by his wife on his way to visit Baltimore.
Many testified to their being well treated and cared for, both in health and in sickness ; but they left through the fear of their being sold to go South, or of having their families sold from them.
Occasionally before starting with a load James Lewis would receive intelligence that the masters, learning where the slaves liad crossed the Susquehanna, instead of attempting to pursue them in their underground route through the country, had gone directly to Philadelphia, to intercept them there. He then sent them to Norristown.
At one time, just as Dannaker arrived at a station in the city with eight, he received word that the pursuers were close upon them. He took them immediately to another place, and then returned to watch the course of their pursuers. They soon arrived with a constable and search-warrant. After a fruitless search through the house, the constable remarked that there were two other places where they might be, and he knew they were the . only houses in the city, besides this, where slaves were harbored. One of them was where Dannaker had just taken the fugitives. Before the party arrived at this latter place with another warrant he had his men safely removed to a secure retreat which the slave-hunting constable wot not of.
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In 1843 James T. Dannaker married and removed to the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he made his home another station. He soon became known in that vicinity as an abolitionist, and his house was closely watched. Knowing this, he ceased to harbor slaves, but took them to the city as soon as practicable after they were de- livered into his care.
At one time James Lewis, assisted by two friends, brought sixteen to his place. He accompanied them to the city in the evening, walking as usual on the streets, in advance of the wagons, and directing the course of the drivers by the motions of a handkerchief. They saw they were suspected by a man who followed them a long distance, until they had nearly reached the last station in the lower part of the city, when a furious thunder- storm burst upon them and drove their unwelcome friend to seek shelter. Being thus relieved of uncongenial company, they hastened to the next stopping-place and unloaded in safety.
Two slaves from Havre-de-Grace came to James Dannaker's house one morning before daylight. He concealed them for that day. After breakfast he called on a man residing four doors from his place, for whom he was transacting business in the city. This man had formerly lived in Maryland, but had grown to dis- approve of slavery. Quite a facetious smile played over the face of the wife as she met Dannaker, and invited him into another room. He was there introduced to a man from Maryland, in search of two runaway slaves. This man, after a little conversation, gave him one of the handbills describing the slaves, which description tallied exactly with the appearance of the two at his
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house. In the evening he took them to one of the Phila- delphia stations, and related the circumstance of meeting their master. They were kept in the city about a week, and then forwarded to other places. It was not until they were leaving that they were told how near they had been to their master when at Dannaker's house.
An interesting and gratifying occurrence took place on one of James T. Dannaker's visits with a fugitive to the house of two sisters in Philadelphia, whose home was a valued station. The women fixed unusually scrutinizing glances upon this man for a few minutes, and then left the room. In a short time they returned, bringing with them a colored woman, who, as if be- wildered with a sudden flash of astonishment and rapture, recognized the fugitive as her husband. The unexpected meeting was equally overwhelming to him. They had been separated from each other nearly four years; he having been sold to a master farther South. He was sold again, and brought back nearer to the free States. Here he heard of his wife's escape, and resolved to follow her. They had taken different routes, were both on their way to Canada, and were thus blest with a reunion in the house of stranger-friends on their road to freedom.
James T. Dannaker is, at the present writing, living at Chester, Pa., a vigorous old man, with remarkable memory. Among the happiest reminiscences of his life is the recollection of incidents-exciting, pathetic and amusing, when, despite the penal laws made in the in- terest of a slave-holding power, every active worker on the Underground Railroad freely and cheerfully im- periled his own property and even his own liberty to aid the slave in his journeyings for liberty.
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ROBERT PURVIS.
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In a letter to the editors, under date of April 23d, 1883, James T. Dannaker writes as follows : " And now, at the age of seventy years, the writer looks back upon that part of his life with great satisfaction, his only regret being that he was not able to do more."
ROBERT PURVIS. (Born August 4th, 1810.)
After describing the manner in which fugitives were assisted through Chester and adjoining counties, many of whom were sent or taken to Philadelphia, the history would seem incomplete without a knowledge of the management of that place. Accordingly the author addressed a letter to Robert Purvis, one of the few sur- viving members of the "Anti-slavery Executive Com- mittee, and an agent of the Underground Railroad, and received the following response to the several inquiries made :
DEAR FRIEND :- In compliance with your request, I send you the following statement, as an answer to your inquiries concerning my personal history and connection with the Underground Railroad.
I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, August 4th, 1810. My father was an Englishman, my mother a free-born woman ; a native of Charleston. My mater- nal grandmother, whose name was Dido Badaracka, was a Moore, born in Morocco. When twelve years old, she, with an Arab girl, of about the same age, was de- coyed by a native to go a mile or two out of the city, to see a deer that had been caught.
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They were seized, placed upon the backs of camels, and carried over the country to a Slave Mart on the coast, to be shipped to America. This was about the year 1766, when the slave-trade was tolerated in this Christian country ! She was taken with a cargo of kidnapped Africans to Charleston, South Carolina,
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where, by reason of her comeliness, she was purchased for a maiden lady, whose name was Deas.
Her mistress became exceedingly attached to her, and at her death, when my grandmother was about nineteen years of age, emancipated her; leaving her also an annuity of sixty dollars.
Her Arab companion was not long held in bondage, as the laws did not permit ownership in persons of pure Arab blood. My grandmother, after being reinstated in her freedom, married a German, who professed the Jewish faith.
In the spring of 1819, my father, William Purvis, having retired from business, sent my mother and their three sons to Philadelphia, with the view of going from there to England to reside permanently. The execu- tion of this plan was prevented by his untimely death.
He was instinctively and practically an abolitionist, even at that early date. My first impressions of the evils of slavery were derived from the books he placed into our hands, viz : "Torrey's Portraiture of Slavery " and "Sandford and Merton."
When he arrived in Philadelphia, finding there were no schools of a higher grade for " colored " children, he established a school on Spruce street, near Eighth street, and paid the teacher's salary for one year.
In the year 1830 I became interested in anti-slavery through my acquaintance with Benjamin Lundy, and William Lloyd Garrison-the latter, who called to see me, had just been released from a Baltimore prison, where he was placed for a libel on Francis Todd, of Newburyport, Mass. He unfolded to me his plans for publishing The Liberator, the first number of which came out on January first, 1831.
In 1833 the American Anti-Slavery Society was formed in Philadelphia. I was a member of the con- vention, and Vice President of the society for many years I was also President for several years of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, and a member of the Executive Committee.
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I think it was about the year 1838, that the first or- ganized society of the Underground Railroad came into existence-of this, I was made President, and Jacob C. White, Secretary. With the exception of my- self, I believe Edwin H. Coates is the only remaining one of the original members.
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The funds for carrying on this enterprise were raised from our anti-slavery friends, as the cases came up, and their needs demanded it, for many of the fugitives re- quired no other help than advice and direction how to proceed. To the late Daniel Neall, the society was greatly indebted for his generous gifts, as well as for his en- couraging words and fearless independence, for he was a believer in the "Higher Law," and practised it.
The most efficient helpers, or agents we had, were two market women, who lived in Baltimore, one of whom was white, the other " colored."
By some means, they obtained a number of genuine certificates of freedom or passports, which they gave to slaves who wished to escape. These passports were after- wards returned to them, and used again by other fugi- tives. The generally received opinion, that "all ne- groes look alike," prevented too close a scrutiny by the officials.
Another most effective worker, was a son of a slave- holder, who lived at Newberne, N. C. Through his agency, the slaves were forwarded, by placing them on vessels engaged in the lumber trade, which plied be- tween Newberne and Philadelphia, and the captains of which had hearts. Having the address of the active members of the Committee, they were enabled to find us, when not accompanied by our agents. Many were sent, by our well known friend, Thomas Garrett, and Samuel D. Burvis, a native of Delaware and a man of marked courage and daring. The fugitives were distri- buted among the members of the society, but most of them were received at my house in Philadelphia, where by the ingenuity of a carpenter, I caused a place to be constructed underneath a room, which could only be
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entered by a trap door in the floor. This we deemed perfectly secure, should any search be made by the authorized officials.
THE DORSEY BROTHERS.
Among the hundreds of cases which came under my notice, none excited my interest more deeply than that of four brothers, who came from Frederick county, Md .; and arrived in Philadelphia in the summer of 1836. They were finely developed and handsome young men, reputed to be the children of their master, and after his death, finding themselves slaves, when they had been promised their freedom, they took "French leave," and arrived safely in Philadelphia, under the assumed Christian names of Basil, Thomas, Charles and William ; all retaining the surname of Dorsey. I took three of the brothers to my farm in Bucks county-Thomas pre- ferring to live in the city. I succeeded in securing places with some of the neighboring farmers for Charles and William, Basil remaining in my employ. The latter was a married man, having a wife and two children whom he left in Maryland. She was a free woman, and by a previous arrangement with her brother-in-law, likewise free, they were brought to Philadelphia, where I met them and took them to my house.
This man proved afterwards to be a false and treacher- ous villain. He opened a correspondence with the son of their old master, who bought these men at the settle- ment of his father's estate and had become their owner. By a well arranged plan, with the assistance of a notori- ous slave-catcher, they were enabled to surprise and capture Thomas, who was hurried before one of the Judges of the Court and sent back to slavery. He was carried to Baltimore and imprisoned with the view of shipping him thence to the New Orleans market. By the timely efforts of his friends in Philadelphia, money was raised, and the sum of one thousand dollars paid for his freedom. He afterwards became the popular caterer of Philadelphia, and died a few years ago, leaving
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a handsome competence to his family. Immediately following the the capture of Thomas, by the direction of the brother-in-law, they went to Bristol and secured the services of a constable by the name of Brown, who re- paired with the claimant and his friends to Doylestown, and obtained warrants from Judge Fox for the arrest of the three brothers. Basil, while ploughing at some distance from the house, was overpowered after a severe struggle by the slave-holder and his friends, placed in a carriage and taken to Bristol, three miles distant, where he was thrown into a cell used for criminals. I had just returned from the city, and was in the act of eating my supper, when a neighbor's son came in great excitement to tell me that Basil had been carried off. I sprang from the table, and hastening in the direction where I knew the man had been working, learned from the farmers I found assembled there the particulars of this outrage, with the added information that he had been taken to Bristol. Burning with indignation, hat- less as I was, I hurried thither, where I found the captors and the captive.
An excited crowd of people was gathered about the market house, whom I addressed and succeeded in en- listing their sympathies in behalf of the poor victim.
After a parley with the slave-holder, it was agreed that we should meet there at seven o'clock in the morn- ing, and start thence for the purpose of appearing before Judge Fox, at Doylestown. Availing myself of the kind offer of a friend, I was driven rapidly home for the purpose of securing the safety of Basil's brothers. I was rejoiced to find them already there. They had heard of Basil's capture and were pursued by a part of those men, led by Brown, who had taken him. These men had halted in a field near my residence, evidently deliberating how to proceed. By my advice, Charles, in whose hands I placed a double barrelled gun heavily charged, walked out in front of the house and defied them. The slave- catchers, thinking doubtless "discretion the better part
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of valor," instantly departed. Under the cover of the darkness, I was enabled to convey the two men to my brother Joseph's farm, about two miles distant, and that night, he drove forty miles, and left them in New Jersey at the house of a friend. There they remained safely, until an opportunity offered to send them to Canada. The next morning about six o'clock I was on my way to Bristol. Before reaching there, I met a woman, who informed me that at five o'clock a wagon passed her house, and she heard Basil cry out: "Go tell Mr. Purvis, they are taking me off." The object of this movement was to deceive me in regard to time and enable them to appear before Judge Fox, and by ex- parte testimony have the case closed, and the victim delivered into their custody. Upon receiving this in- formation I hastened home, and quickly harnessing a fleet trotting horse pursued them. I left instructions that Basil's wife and children should follow in another carriage. By good fortune I came upon the fugitive kidnappers about four miles from Doylestown, where they had stopped for breakfast.
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