Still, William, Underground Rail Road:
A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, Etc.

Porter & Coales, Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, 1872
Call Number: 1400, MSA L1117

MSA L1117, Image No: 371   Enlarge and print image (47K)

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Still, William, Underground Rail Road:
A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, Etc.

Porter & Coales, Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, 1872
Call Number: 1400, MSA L1117

MSA L1117, Image No: 371   Enlarge and print image (47K)

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THE SLAVE-HUNTING TRAGEDY. 349 WnuuAM and ELLEN CRAFT were hotly pursued to Boston by hunters from Georgia. ADAM GIBSOS, a fred colored man, residing in Philadelphia, was arrested, delivered into the hands, of his alleged claimants, by commissioner Edward D. Ingraham, and hurritd into Slavery. EUPHEMIA WILLIAMS (the mother of six living children),—her case excited much interest and sympathy. SHADKACH was arrested and rescued in Boston. HANNAH DEL.LCSI and her child were returned to Slavery from Philadelphia. THOMAS HALI, and his wife were pounced upon at midnight in Chester county, beaten and dragged off to Slavery, etc. And, as if gloating over their repeated successes, and utterly regardless of all caution, about one year after the passage of this nefarious bill, a party of slave-hunters arranged for a grand capture at Christiana. One year from the passage of the law, at a time when alarm and excitement were running high, the most decided stand was taken at Christiana, in the State of Pennsylvania, to defeat the law, and defend freedom. Fortunately for the fugitives the plans of the slave-hunters and officials leaked out while arrangements were making in Philadelphia for the capture, and, information being sent to the Anti-slavery office, a messenger was at once dispatched to Christiana to put all persons supposed to be iu danger on their guard. Among those thus notified, were brave hearts, who did not believe in running away from slave-catchers. They resolved to stand up for tbe right of self-defence. They loved liberty and hated Slavery, and when the slave-catchers arrived, they were prepared for them. Of the contest, on that bloody morning, we have copied a report, carefully written at'the time, by C. M. Burleigh, editor of the " Pennsylvania Freeman," who visited the eoene of battle, immediately after it was over, and doubtless obtained as faithful an account of all the facts in the case, as could then be had. "Last Thursday morning, (the llth inst.), a peaceful neighborhood in the borders of Lancaster county, was made the scene of a bloody battle, resulting from an attempt to capture seven colored men as fugitive slaves. As the reports of tbe affray which came to us were contradictory, and having good reason to believe that those of the daily press were grossly one-sided and unfair, we repaired to the scene of the tragedy, and, by patient inquiry and careful examination, endeavored to learn the real facts. To do this, from the varying and conflicting statements which we encountered, scarcely two of which agreed in every point, was not easy ; but we believe the account we give below, as the result of these inquiries, is subatantially correct, Very early on the llth inst. a party of slave-hunters went into a neigh-