Sam (b. circa 1805 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-51912
Fled from Slavery, Dorchester County, Maryland, 1825
Biography:
Sam was born a slave around 1805 in Dorchester County, Maryland.1 His slave owner, Levin Jones, owned property near Vienna.2 On April 2, 1825, Jones placed a runaway advertisement in the Cambridge Chronicle as an attempt to spread the word that his slave had ran away. Sam was said to have runaway in January 1825 from Jones' farm. Jones described Sam as "about twenty years of age well made, of a very dark complexion, nearly black; he is about 6 feet high, of a pleasant countenance when spoken to."3 Jones attempted to give the best personal decription of Sam as possible in hopes of reclaiming him. He also noted that Sam "took with him a suit of dark country made cloth; his other clothing not recollected."4 Based on the vague desciption, it could have been difficult for others to help with this search.
Jones also placed the ad in a Philadelphia based newspaper entitled "The Columbian Observer."5 This suggests that Jones was aware of slaves running to the North to obtain their freedom. If Sam was taken out of the state, Jones offered a fifty dollar reward for the apprehension and return of his slave. Jones offered a thirty dollar reward for the apprehension and return of Sam if he was taken in the state. The runaway ad ran in the Cambridge Chronicle three times before being taken out.
1. "Fifty Dollars Reward." Cambridge Chronicle. April 2, 1825.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
Researched and Written by Tanner Sparks, 2014.
Return to Sam's Introductory Page
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|
