William Carter
MSA SC 5496-10339
Biography:
William Carter was born around 1817 and lived in St. Mary’s County near the Chaptico, where he was owned by a planter named William H. Thomas. Thomas was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1842 to 1844 and then from 1852 to the 1853 January Special Session. Carter was about five feet six or seven inches tall and was described as being “very black.” He was missing the tips of two fingers on his right hand.[1] In the 1850 Slave Census, William H. Thomas owned twenty slaves, including a thirty-two year old man who could have been William Carter. [2]
Sometime around 1851, when Carter was about 35 years old, Thomas sold Carter to a man named George A. Digges, who lived in Prince George’s County. [3]
The sale and relocation of Carter to Prince George’s County separated him from the community he knew in St. Mary’s County. This separation may have been one of the motivating factors behind Carter’s resolve to run away from Digges. No runaway advertisement written by Digges has yet been found to precisely date Carter’s escape, but by April 12, 1851 he was using the alias John Thomas and carrying a pass, signed by George Gipson, stating that he was a free man. [4] George Gipson was a farmer who lived near William H. Thomas in St. Mary's County. [5]
A William Carter appears in the St. Mary's County Certificates of Freedom on March 1st, 1841.[6] The William Carter in the Certificate of Freedom was about twenty three years old in 1841; an age matching this William Carter. He was also five feet six and a half inches tall and "of a black complexion", both of which are also in keeping with this William Carter. However, if William Carter was a free man it is unclear why he was using the alias John Thomas and how he was sold into slavery.
Carter was captured in Prince George’s County April 12, 1851 and placed in the custody of Sheriff James J. Chew at the Prince George’s County jail. [7] Chew notified the public of Carter’s capture on April 23, 1851, by placing a committal notice in the Port Tobacco Times and Charles County Advertiser. The notice stated that William Carter had been committed to the Prince George’s County Jail on April 12, 1851, and that Carter said he was owned by a man named William Henry Thomas-- in fact, this appears to be his previous owner, the man who had sold him to George Digges.
On June 29, 1851, Carter escaped the jail with another man who had been detained while fleeing slavery, Henry Compton. [8] Sheriff James J. Chew wasted little time in pursuing the two men. The day after their escape, Chew advertised for them both in the Marlboro Gazette and Prince George’s Advertiser. He offered a 100 dollar reward for their capture, or 50 dollars for them separately.
Chew’s pursuit of the two men continued well into the next year, despite the fact that Chew had died by early 1852. In February of 1852, a runaway advertisment included a reward for the return of Carter and Compton that had been increased to 150 dollars, or 75 dollars separately. The name associated with the ad was "James J. Chew, Late Sheriff." and the advertisements were to continue until the men were found. [9] According to the runaway advertisements, it was suspected that William Carter had returned to St. Mary's County.
The ads eventually stop in 1852, but it is unclear whether that was because the men were recaptured or because the newspaper was not paid to continue the advertisements.
1."One Hundred Dollars Reward." Baltimore Sun, July 2, 1851.
2."William H. Thomas." United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850, Maryland, St. Mary's County.
3."One Hundred Dollars Reward."
4."Notice." Port Tobacco Times and Charles County Advertiser, April 23, 1851.
5. 1850 United States Federal Census, St. Mary's County, Maryland, District Four, p. 3. Ancestry.com.
6. ST. MARY'S COUNTY COURT (Certificates of Freedom) 1806-1851, MSA CM1187-1.
7. "Notice."
8. "One Hundred Dollars Reward."
9."$150 Reward." Port Tobacco Times and Charles County Advertiser, February 25, 1852.
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