George (b. circa 1786 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-001635
War of 1812 Escaped Slave, Harford County, Maryland, 1814
Biography:
In September 1814, George escaped his enslavement along with the slaves Peter and Mark. All three men were slaves of Aquila Nelson, in Harford County, whose farm stood near the Chesapeake Bay. They reached the British frigate Menelaus under the command of Sir Peter Parker, and Nelson's slaves, Primus, joined them a few days later. The escape took place "shortly before the Battle of North Point."
A short time later, the four men were using their knowledge of the area
to guide the British up the Bush River on a raid. The troops burned three
ships at Park Point, near Nelson's home, and stole the schooner
Fox
from Stump & Company at Harford Mills.1
Geographic representation of Nelson property, George's escape, and overview of slavery in Harford County on historical map available here (Google Earth required to open file).
1. Claim of Aquila Nelson,
Case 803, Case Files, compiled ca. 1827 - ca. 1828, documenting the period
ca. 1814 - ca. 1828, *ARC Identifier 1174160 / MLR Number PI 177 190,*
National Archives, College Park.
3.
Walter W. Preston, History of Harford County, Maryland (Baltimore,
MD: Press of Sun Book Office, 1901) 217.
Return to George's Introductory Page
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