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TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE HISTORY AND LEGACY OF SLAVERY IN MARYLAND (Final Report) 1999/12/31 MdHR 991422 MdHR 991422, Image No: 400 Print image (119K) |
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TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE HISTORY AND LEGACY OF SLAVERY IN MARYLAND (Final Report) 1999/12/31 MdHR 991422 MdHR 991422, Image No: 400 Print image (119K) |
| Untitled 11/7/99 9:52 PM he escaped being sent back to slavery and torture. He told me that New York was then full of Southerners returning fron the Northern watering-places; that the colored people of New York were not to be trusted; that there were hired men of ny cwn color who wDuld betray me for a fe/7 dollars; that there were hired men ever on the lookout for fugitives; that I mist trust no man with ny secret; that I rrust not think of going either upon the wharves or into any colored boarding-house, for all such places were closely watched; that he was himself unable to help me; and, in fact, he seened while speaking to me to fear lest I rryself might be a spy and a betrayer. Under this apprehension, as I suppose, he shewed signs of wishing to be rid of me, and with whitewash brush in hand, in search of wDrk, he soon disappeared. This picture, given ty poor "Jake," of Na^ York, was a darrper to rry enthusiasm. My- little store of none/ WDuld soon be exhausted, and since it WDuld be unsafe for me to go on the wharves for work, and I had no introciictions elsewhere, the prospect for me was far from cheerful. I saw the wisdcm of keying away from the ship-yards, for, if pursued, as I felt certain I should be, Mr. Aiild, rry "master," WDuld naturally seek me there among the calkers. Every door seared closed against me. I was in the midst of an ocean of rry fellow-men, and yet a perfect stranger to every one. I v\as without hare, without acquaintance, without money, without credit, without work, and without any definite knowledge as to what course to take, or where to look for succor. In such an extranity, a roan had something besides Ms new-born freedom to think of. While wardering about the streets of New York, and lodging at least one night among the barrels on one of the wharves, I was indeed free—frcm slavery, but free from food and shelter as well. I kept ny secret to nyself as long as I could, but I ves compelled at last to seek some one who would befriend me without taking advantage of ny destitution to betray rne. Such a person I found in a sailor named Stuart, a v\arm-hearted and generous fellow, who, frcm his humble hare on Centre street, saw me standing on the opposite sidewalk, near the Ttubs prison. As he approached me, I ventured a rerrark to him which at once enlisted his interest in rne. He took ire to his hare to spend the night, and in the rrorning went with me to Mr. David Haggles, the secretary of the New York Vigilance Catmittee, a co-wDrker with Isaac T. Hopper, La^is and Arthur Tapoan, Theodore S. Wright, Sarruel Cornish Thomas Denning, Philip A. Bell, and other true wen of their time. All these (save Mr. Bell, who still lives, and is editor and publisher of a ; called the "Elevator,M in San Francisco) have finished their work on earth. Cnce in the hands of these brave and wise men, I felt. comparatively safe. With Mr. Ruggles, on the corner of Lispenard. and Church streets, I was hidden several days, during which time my intended wife carne on from Baltimore at ny call, to share the burdens of life with rne. She v\as a free v\orHn, and came at once on getting the good news of ny safety http://www.msstate.edu/Archives/History/USA/Afro-Amer/dugI210.txt Page 6 of 17 |