History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Part 68

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 958

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HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

similar to one of those in the parlor. He then pried open the lid of the largest of the paeked boxes, and, with Sue's aid, transferred the contents to the other, after which, to avoid making a noise, he screwed down the lid, taking care to break off the lower ends of the nails in the lid of the box, which was already directed, so that it might appear to be nailed down. By means of screws he fixed two or three pickets, which he had ripped off the fence, in such a way on the inside of the lid, that by getting into the box he could fasten it down tightly, and yet readily open it when necessary. He bored several gimlet holes in different parts of the box in a slanting direction, so as to admit air and some light without giving opportunity to those outside to see within ; and he bored one directly through on each side, in such position that he could catch an occasional view of what might be passing. These he filled up with the stubs of nails, to be removed as he might have occasion. Having put in their bundle, and bags of implements and provisions, and having fastened them so as to prevent their rolling about, they put out the light- wood torch they had in the chimney, and carefully (it being now near dawn) adjusting them- selves in the box, and drawing the slide, made all fast and snug.

In about a half-hour they heard the wagon wheels rattling in the yard; the front door opened, and the voice of Mr. Belezer made their hearts beat heavily.

" Here, boys, take this box right out and lay it down by the wagon-be in a hurry!"

In a moment they found themselves lifted and soon set down in the yard. The other box was next brought out and laid beside it ; then several other packages.

" All out, sir."

" Put these large boxes into the wagon first."

" Massa, dis one ain't got no writin' on it, sar !"

" Careless dogs, I reckon you have turned it upside down. Turn it up and let me see." The negro tilted the box for his master to look under. Seeing no direction there. he said : " Perhaps this is not to go, bring the wagon-hammer here and raise the lid."

" "Tis serew down, sir !"

" Then run over to Rhode's and ask him to lend me a serew-driver."

In a few minutes the negro returned with the tool, and the lid was unserewed. The examination of the contents being satisfactory, the lid was again replaced and a few nails driven n beside the serewing to make it all safe; the proper direction was marked on it with some soot and water, and all were quickly placed in the wagon. As the negro started off, Mr. Belezer charged him to be sure and get a bill of lading, and our fugitives were fairly on their way. George, as was common in Carolina, rode on the near horse instead of in the wagon, and, from the time he had answered " yes, sir." to his master, until they had reached the ford of Boggy Branch, some miles from Lawtonville, he had not ceased to sing a loud hymn tune he had learned at the Methodist camp-meeting. Ben and Sue, taking advantage of this, occasionally addressed each other in a whisper. As the wagon neared the ford, George suddenly checked up his song ready to stop his horses for watering. At that moment the sound of a rather loud whisper reached his ear.

" My sakes ! Worra dat ?" said George. Stopping his horses, he dismounted and exam- ined circumspectly all around and within the wagon.

With a word or two muttered so low as not to be artienlate, he let down the cheek lines, and, mounting again, drove into the middle of the ford, and there let the horses stop and drink.

While the horses were drinking, Ben took the opportunity to remove his revolver from the position in which he had placed it, so as to have it handy and yet without endangering their own lives by an accidental discharge. Unfortunately, however, he had probably left it cocked, and just as he thought he had located it safely, by some unaccountable means, a barrel was dis- charged, and a ball passed through the bottom of the box and wagon. The horses took fright and ran, and George himself was much frightened, but succeeded in keeping the wagon in the road. After running about a quarter of a mile, he got them soothed and finally stopped.

In the meantime, the fugitives in the box kept perfectly still, Ben from policy and Sue from fright.

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"I wonder," said George to himself, "who shoot dat gun. Eh soun' same's if it was in de wagon."

Raising himself on his horse, he looked back for some time toward the branch, and finally said :

"I no see nobody, but wouldn't be s'prized if some ob dem who is out huntin' for Ben jis been tryin' to scare me."

With that he put whip to his horses, and Ben and Sue breathed freely again.

Ben and Sue had been consulting abont some plan to have their box so placed on the boat and ship as to prevent it from being pressed down by other freight; and it was also desirable to have it so placed that Ben could occasionally raise the lid. He felt assured that he might safely make George acquainted with the state of things, and perhaps secure his aid. The box they were in was in the hinder part of the wagon, and the trunks and smaller boxes were piled up on the forward large box.

After leaving Pomp, there was a long reach of pine forest, through which their road passed. Ben carefully raised the lid of the box, and slipped out of the back of the wagon ; then, watching his opportunity, he slipped into a thicket on the side of the road, concealed by the brush, got ahead of the horses and issued into the road from the thicket. George immediately recognized him, and called out to him :

" Ben, you better take care, dey is huntin you not fur back."

" Nebber mine," said Ben, " I must talk wid you awhile."

He then quickly explained to him the condition of things, and told George what assistance he wished from him.

" When you put de box in de steamboat, you see to it to hab it put way dere wid nuffin on de top ob it. An dere is a black man on de steamboat what is de porter, you gib him dis dollar. and tell him Belezer's Ben axes him to see specially to dat box, and go wid it wen it is to go on de Philadelphia steamship, and see heself dat it isn't kivered up wid udder tings. Tell him dere is someting in it ob mine, and he must see to its bein' all right.'

George pledged himself to do all he could to carry out his plan of escape, and Ben promised when he got safely in the North he would do what he could to inform him how to make his way also out of bondage.

The steamboat arrived in Savannah in due time, and, the next morning, the baggage with our fugitives was safely deposited on board the steamship. A little before the ship loosed from the wharf, the porter of the steamboat gently tapped on the box, and said in a low tone. " All is right."

Some months or so previous to this time, Ben had been with his master to Savannah, and, on the way, he had become acquainted with the porter, and ascertained that he was a regular agent for the underground railroad, and from him got the idea of fugitives escaping as freight.

After meeting with various vicissitudes, the fugitives won the kindness of a railroad con- ductor, who supplied them with a free ticket from Cleveland to Detroit, and instructed them how to reach that place. The next evening the fugitives were safely on the steamboat, and the morn- ing after in Detroit; whence, without delay, they passed over into Canada, where, for the present, we shall leave them.

THE MYSTERIOUS CAVE.

The reader must now go back to the year 1855. A few days after the encounter with the Indians at Arena, Dr. Bruce was sitting up, after his family had all retired to bed. He had been absent from home during the eventful scenes of the few past days, and he had just been listen- ing to the detailed account of them. While meditating upon what he had heard, he saw the figure of a man approaching very slowly. As he drew near, he observed that he had the gait, mien and general appearance of a Carolina field negro.

" I believe you is Mass William Bruce," said the negro in a low tone.

Receiving an affirmative answer, the black, in a confidential tone, related his story ; that he was called Sam, a slave of Planter Smith's, of South Carolina, a former neighbor of Dr.

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Bruce. How he had been sold to a Texas trader, and made his escape on a steamboat. Seeing a bale of goods addressed to Prairie du Chien, he had thought of Dr. Bruce. He had brought his sister's little boy, Joe, along with him, whom he had concealed in the cave of Coon Bluff. In answer to a query regarding the lad's age, the negro replied, by asking,

" Aint you know Miss Wizena Belezer ?"

" I did know her, but she is dead now. She was drowned in the river the other day."

" Why, Mass William, land a massy, you no say sc ?"

" It is a faet, and Mr. Belezer left here just yesterday with his family to go back to Carolina."

" An Mr. Belezer bin a libbin yer, I herry dat he was in Wisconsin, but I taut he was gwine to a town wa da call Madison.'

"He intended to live in Madison, but had not moved there yet, and when he lost his daughter he concluded he would not stay in this country any longer. But what made you ask me if I knew Wizena ?"

" Caze you see, Mass William, Joe was born bout de same time dat Miss Wizena was, and you know Joe is Mr. Belezer's brudder's chile, at leas day say he is. When dey was babies, Joe an Miss Wizena look bery much alike, only Joe was a little darker. Well, you see, my Massa hate everyting look like Belezer, an he use to treat dat boy shameful, so when I was cummin off, I tink bess to bring him long. My sister was dead dese six munts, an dere was nobody to look after de chile. an I fraid Massa would buse um too much."

The Doctor finally told him that he would colleet a few dollars for him, enough to pay his and the boy's passage to Milwaukee, and friends there would help them to get to Canada in a vessel. Sam thanked him, and then asked him numerous questions about the Northern country and Canada, and then about the Belezers, and how Wizena got drowned.

The Doctor then went into the house and brought out a basket containing a quantity of provisions, cooked and uncooked, which he handed to him. The negro took the basket with a " tank you, sir," and walked briskly back the way he had come, which led round the corner of a barn. As the Doctor turned to go into the house, he was arrested by a shrill child's voice erying : "Father, father, oh father !" It was in the direction of the barn. He ran immediately to the corner of the barn, and, looking round, he saw the negro fifty yards ahead holding what appeared to be rather a small boy. The child was crying plaintively and begging not to go back to the cave.

About a week after he had seen Sam, he was visiting a patient in the neighborhood of Coon Bluff, and, taking the opportunity, he ascended the bluff to the mouth of the cave. The cave was one excavated by human hands, avowedly for the purpose of hunting a golden treasure, which a tradition among the Indians had led a company of white men to dig into the bluff in pursuit of ; but it was the general impression in the neighborhood, that it was really a hiding- place for counterfeiters and their implements. The Doctor looking in, and seeing only a long, dark, narrow passage, stopped near the entrance to listen for some sound within. He could barely catch the accented words of the negro, apparently speaking to some one whose answers were not at all andible at that distance. He then proceeded slowly through the dark passage, which he found too low for an upright position, and at length reached the place where he could hear much that was said.

" If I knowed," said Sam, " wat to do wid de chile, I would go right way to dis Canada dat Massa William Bruce tole me bont."

" Why not take the child with you ?"

" Don't you see dis chile nebber could walk dar ?"

" But you might go from here to Madison on the stage, and then to Milwaukee on the rail- road, and when you get to Milwaukee, there are plenty of chances to Canada in the steamners and lake vessels."

" Warra use a talk ? De chile would only be de means to fine me ont, so I git kotched."

" Well, that's true. If your master hadn't put dat advertisement in the papers, you might get along better."

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"Jis so. But you see dat was de berry ting dat help Massa to track me right yer. An da was de boy, like a little fool stannin right at de mout ob de cave. I yerre him say, wa you. Uncle Sam ? jis as I was guine to call de chile in. My Laud, says I, dat's Massa's voice sar- ten. I yer um serateh a match gin the rock. I knowed dat was iny time if ebber. I run hard as I could, I kotch de chile up in my arms, and de way I run down de hill. I tell you nebber was de like ob it in dese parts befo'. Mass shoot he gun at me. I know no more arter dat ; when I awake I see I was in de cave. Massa stayed wid me seberal days-him an anoder white man. At las he say. dis will nebber do, my time wut more dan dis mulatto rascal is wut; I'll take Joe along, and I'll leab you to bring dis fellaw when he gets well nuff. After he gone. he come back next day, he say, Sam how you do now ? I say I no feel so well, Massa. You see I no want um to fine out I was gittin' well, so I tell um I no feel so well. So he say as he feel my wris-why, Sam, you hab no fever now, you'll soon be well. I say, maybe I'll be well in heb- ben. He say, oh, pooh. Arter awhile he say, Sam, you run way to git you freedom, well, now, don't you want your freedom so it can nebber be taken from you ? Now you see I can ketch you, nebber mind wa you go. But if you will be a good fellow and do just as I tell you. I'll gib you free papers as soon as I git back from Californy. I hate so to go into slavery I 'grees to it, I sorry I 'grees to it, but I's in fur it, and now I must wait my time."

" What did he want you to do, Sam ?"

" He make me swar I nebber tell what it is."

" I tell you, Sam, I am afraid it is about this counterfeiting business."

" Wa you call dat ?"

" Well, I have heard since I came into this neighborhood yesterday. that this cave is used by some who make what they call bogus money."

"I dunno what you call bogus money.'

" It is bad money that people make to pass off for good money."

"Oh ! taint nuttin bout no such ting. But it is sumffin dat'll gib de heart sickness."

" What did he say about Joe ?"

"'Bout Joe ? Well, he promise me he gib Joe he freedom, too."

" And are you to stay here in the cave until he comes back from California ?"

" Yes, he bring a man ver named Gineral, an' he say, Sam, de old Gineral yer, will settle a place close by de creek down da, and when he gits a house he will be near to tend to you and de chile. He say I let de Gineral ha's some money to help pay fur settle he place ; but you mustn't leave the cave till de old Gineral tell you. Den he charge me nebber to go anywhere dat folks can see me, for ef you does, says he, you will surely git into trouble. Ile tieklar charge me to keep from Dr. Bruce. HIe say ef de Gineral eber larn dat I go to Dr. Bruce, he will send me right away and hab me taken to de court, and de court will send me to Texas. I says to myself, I knows frum dat who's my bes fren. But I say wuffa I got fur to do wid Dr. Bruce ? But de long and de short ob it is. he gib me some money, an' he say, good-bye Sam ; and him and de udder white man gone way, left de ole Gineral in yer wid me. I b'live de ole Gineral keeps a watch on me all de time -- I spect he gits mighty well paid fur it."

HIere Sam ceased, and the other observed that he had stayed as long as he could, and now he must start back for Prairie du Chien. On hearing this, the Doctor passed rapidly out of the cave, and waited behind a projecting portion of rock until the visitor came out. Ile then fol- lowed and overtook him in the road leading toward Helena, and, saluting him, inquired who he was. The man, a very light mulatto, after giving his own name and place of residence, said :

" I helped to get a colored man and a little boy off from New Orleans to Prairie du Chien, and, when I saw an advertisement offering a reward for him and the child, knowing something about this place, I put him in the way of finding it; and I told him that when he could get a chance to see you, you would advise him what to do. But his master soon came after him, and some person along the way told him the man was inquiring for a place called Coon Bluff, and, by that means, he found him up there in the cave. I was anxious to get here to put him on his guard, but I was too late."

MINERAL POINT.

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The Doctor's time did not allow him to protraet the conversation, but, saying, " I must in- vestigate that matter," he returned to see his patient at the log cabin near by, while the negro went on toward Helena.

In the course of a few days, the Doctor paid another visit to the cave, this time taking a dark-lantern with him. He proceeded, stooping low, until he arrived at the end of a long passage. It terminated abruptly, and he was evidently beyond the place where the conversation took place which he had overheard on his first visit. He used his lantern to examine the walls ; but could not discover the slightest indication of any passage or door. Returning carefully and examining all the way, he came to within two hundred feet of the entrance, where, on the north side of the passage, he found a small aperture, about large enough for a man's head, through which the sound of human voices reached his ear. He recognized the voice of the old General. Now, the reader must understand that this was the sobriquet of an old bachelor who had no particular home, except that he lived about Arena, and made himself quite at home in whatsoever house he happened to be ; not only because he felt quite easy himself, but because, in a good-natured way, he made every one feel pleasant about him. He gave much of the neigh- borhood gossip, and much of his own invention, but generally in a very harmless way. He prided himself on being a Democrat, and, therefore, always was prepared to defend the party, whether of the Northern or Southern wing; but, although he defended the Democracy without exception, yet it would never have been an easy matter to get the General to run down a fugi- tive slave. His heart was too good for this ; and yet the same amiability would make him prom- ise the slaveholder to do all he could for him.

The General finally bid Sam " good-day, " and soon the Doctor, having closed his lantern, found the light from the entrance of the cave also closed out, and for a moment got a glimpse of the General's form, and discovered at the same time a narrow stream of light which passed from the aperture to the opposite side of the passage. The Doctor, then looking in, could distinctly see that there was a narrow fissure opposite the hole into which he now pushed his entire head, but, not getting it far enough he withdrew it, and, running his whip-handle through, he discovered that he was separated from another vacant space about two feet wide by a wall of rock not more than a foot thick. He determined then to make another search for the place where the General had come out, for he had certainly seen him pass out of the mouth of the cave. He then proceeded all the way to the entrance of the cave, examining the wall carefully on that side of the passage, but no discovery whatever could he make; he also looked on the outside, hoping to find some other entrance into the cave. As he sat resting himself on the top of the bluff behind and above the entrance he had just left, Sam emerged from that same entrance and ran rapidly down the bluff into the openings with an empty bucket in his hand. He was probably going to the ereek for water. The Doctor re-entered, and, opening his lantern, threw the full glare of light upon the walls before him. About three rods from the entrance, at a very low place, near which he sup- posed the old General had seemed to shut out the light by filling up the passage, the Doctor discovered a slight curve toward the south, somewhat descending, and presently another toward the north, and then somewhat ascending and curving to the west again, which soon led him into an apartment where hung a lantern. This was an irregular room about seven feet high, and from fifteen to twenty feet wide, and about twenty-five feet long. In one corner was a rough bedstead and two or three comforts and blankets, and in another was a smaller bedstead, upon which were sheets, blankets and a coverlet. There were also a table and some chairs. The Doctor was won- dering how he got there; after searching in vain for a trap door in the apartment, as he had supposed there was, judging from Sam's movements and remarks, he returned to search the pas- sage more carefully, but finally came out at the entrance without any new discovery. Ile only saw the rough walls, sometimes of clay and sand, sometimes a jagged roek, sometimes a stone pre- senting its flat surface ; but nowhere an indication of any other passage.

" It is the strangest thing," said he to himself, as he took his seat out of the way of Sam's discovering him on his return. Sam entered the cave with the bucket of water. The Doctor let him get so far as not to interrupt him by his own movements, and then followed him without

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taking time to light his lantern. Having proceeded some distance, he heard Sam's voice to his right, saying : " Yer darlin', come up now, I got a cool drink a water fur you." At the same time the streak of light was seen on the left wall of the passage. He listened and heard a child's voice say : " I wish you would let me go with you to get the water." The tone was rather del- icate for a boy, and the Doctor thought remarkably refined for a mulatto child from a Southern plantation. He concluded he must have been accustomed to living in his master's house, who, although a bachelor, had nephews and nieces ahnost always with him. But it rather excited his curiosity to see the boy. Again he lighted his lantern and up and down the passage he passed and repassed, but no way could he find again into the chamber. He now determined to eall out for Sam.

"A, a; who dat dar ? "

" I am Doetor Bruce."

" Bress de Lord, you come, Mass William."

" How can I get to you, Sam ?"

" War is you ?"

" In the passage way."

" Keep right long de passage, den and you will come war I is."

The Doctor thought to himself he had tried that enough, nevertheless he followed the direction of the negro, and going, without obstruction several hundred feet, he found himself in the same chamber he had been in before.

" Well," said the Doctor, on getting into the light of the hanging lantern, " this is a very mysterious cave."

" So it ar. Mass William," replied Sam, " I don't understand it all meself; you see when I pulls dis rope I lets you in, and when I pulls dat one I shuts you out."

The Doctor examined the ropes, but he could see nothing, but that each rope passed through its hole in the wall of the cave.

" But, Sam, when you first came, how did you find this room ?"

" I jis walk right trou de passage. and come to um so, sir. Den dere was nuffin' in it."

" Well, Sam, are there two ways to get in and out here ?"

"I dunno, sir ; sometimes I think dere is, and sometimes I tink dere aint. One time I bin gone out, when I come back I couldn't git in. I strike my light, but I couldn't see no way fur git in year, and den I gone out agin an come back an I walk along wid my lantern and keep a walking right ahead an (you believe it) I come right out de eave same place zaetly I came in. Well, dat's funny, says I. Well, I come back, an as I come long de passage, I keep call Joe, Joe, Joe ! An I walk on same as I did befo, an yer I is in dis room same as ebber."

" And was anybody here ? " asked the Doctor.

" I didn't see nobody, but Joe he say somebody was jis gone out who was a talkin to him a long time axin him heaps of questions."

" Did you find out who it was ?"

"No. I nebber find out who dat was. Joe say he was a man wid a big black beard, an he say he lib about tirty miles off at a place. I furgit what he call um."

" Was it Mineral Point ?"

" Dat is de name. He gib Joe some candy out he pocket an a quarter dollar, an tell um he must be good boy."

" Well, Sam, that might have been the Marshal hunting you to take you back to your master."

" I tink it likely from what Massa arterwards tole me."

" What, your master told you ?"

" Oh, I furgit; you no bin know my Massa, Mr. Smith, was ver. But, Mass William, I not want you to say nuttin about it to nobody. I know you is a fren to de colored man, and you wouldn't want to do me harin, so I'll tell you."

Ile then went over the same the Doctor had already overheard, and concluded by saying : " Well. Mass William, yer I is, an I is boun by an oat. f nebber swear I wouldn't lef yer; but

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HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

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History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Part 68

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 958

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 958