xt75hq3rv912 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt75hq3rv912/data/mets.xml Coffin, Levi, 1798-1877. 1876  books b92e450c6418762009 English Western Tract Society  : Cincinnati, Ohio Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Coffin, Levi, 1798-1877. Abolitionists --United States --Biography. Underground railroad. Fugitive slaves --United States. Slavery --Ohio. Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the reputed president of the underground railroad; being a brief history of the labors of a lifetime in behalf of the slave, with the stories of numerous fugitives, who gained their freedom through his instrumentality, and many other incidents. text Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the reputed president of the underground railroad; being a brief history of the labors of a lifetime in behalf of the slave, with the stories of numerous fugitives, who gained their freedom through his instrumentality, and many other incidents. 1876 2009 true xt75hq3rv912 section xt75hq3rv912 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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REMINISCENCES
OF

LEVI

COFFIN,

The Reputed President of the Underground

Railroad;

B EINO

A B R I E F HISTORY OF T H E LABORS OF A L I F E T I M E IN B E H A L F OF T H E S L A V E , W I T H T H E STORIES OF N U M E R OUS FUGITIVES, WHO GAINED T H E I R F R E E D O M THROUGH HIS INSTRUMENTALITY, INCIDENTS. AND MANY OTHER

WESTERN TRACT Cincinnati,

SOCIETY,

Ohio.

  
  
PREFACE.

I H A V E b een solicited for many years to write a history of m y a nti-slavery labors and underground railroad experiences, and ' a lthough I had kept a diary the most of m y life, it was w i t h o u t a ny prospect of ever p u t t i n g it into book-form. ary merit. I had no desire t o appear before the p u b l i c as an author, h a v i n g no c l a i m to literW h a t I had done I believed was s i m p l y a C h r i s t i a n B u t I was c o n t i n u a l l y urged b y d uty and not for the purpose of being seen of men, or for notoriety, w h i c h I h ave never sought. m y f riends to e ngage i n the w o r k , b e l i e v i n g that it w o u l d be i n teresting to the r i s i n g g e n e r a t i o n ; but b e i n g so f u l l y occupied w i t h o ther duties, I seemed to find n o time that I could devote to t his w o r k , so that i t was put off from year to year. I also often r eceived letters from different parts of the country, d e s i r i n g me to w rite t he history of m y life and labors i n the anti-slavery cause, r e m i n d i n g m e that the most of my co-laborers had passed away, and t hat I must soon follow, and that t hese s t i r r i n g anti-slavery times i n w h i c h I l i v e d and labored were a part of the history of our c ountry, w h i c h should not be lost. B u t s t i l l I d eferred it u n t i l A n d although I feel n ow, i n the seventy-eighth year of my age.

t he infirmities of that p e r i o d of life fast gathering around me, I h ave gathered up my diaries, and other documents that h a d been p reserved, and have w r i t t e n a book. I n my o w n p l a i n , s i m p l e

(9

  
ii

PREFACE.

s tyle, I have endeavored to t ell t he stories w i t h o u t any exaggeration. E r r o r s no doubt w i l l a ppear, w h i c h I trust the i n d u l g e n t r eader w i l l p ardon, i n consideration of my advanced age and feebleness. I t is here proper also to acknowledge the valuable services o f a k i n d f r i e n d , for a i d received i n p r e p a r i n g t hese p ages f or the p ress. I regret that I have been o b l i g e d to leave^out many interesting stories and t h r i l l i n g i ncidents, on account of s w e l l i n g the s ize and cost of the book b e y o n d what was agreed upon w i t h the p ublishers. A m o n g the stories o m i t t e d is the account of the l o n g i mprisonment a nd sufferings of C a l v i n F a i r b a n k , of Massachusetts, i n t he K e n t u c k y penitentiary, for a i d i n g fugitives, and of R i c h a r d D i l l i n g h a m , o f O h i o , who suffered and d i e d i n the penitentiary at N a s h v i l l e , T ennessee, for a s imilar o ffense. S ome time ago I requested m y dear o l d f r i e n d and co-laborer i n t he c ause o f the slave, D r . W m . H e n r y Brisbane, to w r i t e a few i n t r o d u c t o r y w ords for m y book, w h i c h I here introduce as part of t he preface: M y v ery dear o l d f r i e n d has requested me to write some i ntrod u c t o r y w ords, or preface, for his b o o k ; and I can not do justice t o my o w n most affectionate feelings toward h i m and his amiable w ife, d ear " A u n t K a t y , " w i t h o u t c o m p l y i n g w i t h his request a n d a ccepting the h o n o r thus conferred upon m e . I h ave i n m y possession a p i c t u r e , executed b y M r . B a l l , a c olored m a n from V i r g i n i a . T h e central figure is a native of S o u t h C a r o l i n a , a r epresentative of the o l d planter, class of that State, w ho m a n u m i t t e d his slaves many years before the E m a n c i p a t i o n P r o c l a m a t i o n o f President L i n c o l n . O n each h a n d sits w i t h h i m a f riend and C h r i s t i a n b r o t h e r     t h e one, a sedate, benevolent-looki n g Q uaker, a native of N o r t h C a r o l i n a , and a f a i t h f u l representative of that class k n o w n as O r t h o d o x F r i e n d s ; the other, w i t h a c ountenance f u l l o f h u m o r and amiable mischief, a native of R h o d e I s l a n d , a n d a true representative of the o l d R o g e r W i l l i a m s c lass o f S o u l - L i b e r t y Baptists. T h e c ause o f the slave b r o u g h t i n t o a m ost i n t i m a t e and happy friendship t hese t hree men of diverse o r i g i n , t r a i n i n g , habits of l ife, t emperament, disposition and other p ersonal c haracteristics. F o r many years they labored and suffered

  
PREFACE.

iii

t ogether for those i n bonds as b o u n d w i t h them. I n C h r i s t i a n love t hey bowed themselves before their H e a v e n l y F a t h e r and prayed t ogether for the oppressed race; w i t h a faith that knew no wavering t hey worked i n fraternal u n i o n for the enfranchisement of their d espised colored brethren, and shared together the o d i u m attached t o the name of abolitionist, and finally they rejoiced together a n d g ave t hanks to G o d for the glorious results of those y ears o f persevering effort. T h e y oungest o f t hese h as g one t o his r e w a r d i n h eaven, and those who k n e w E d w a r d H a r w o o d can not wonder t hat the other two loved h i m w i t h a love that was more than a b rother's. T h e oldest   the p l a c i d , the benevolent, the k i n d hearted and devoted f r i e n d of the slave, and of a l l m a n k i n d     L e v i C offin, s t i l l l ives to give, for the benefit of h u m a n i t y , the r eminiscences of h i s experiences, so f u l l o f interesting incidents a nd t o u c h i n g pathos. T h e other survivor thanks G o d w i t h a l l his h eart that his dear brother has been spared to l eave t his valuable r ecord as a l egacy to his thousands of friends, white and black, i n t his o ur beloved country, redeemed from the curse of slavery w i t h t he atoning blood of many a battle-field. A n d n ow, w i t h no more fugitives to h i d e , and no c l a n k i n g c hains to disturb our peaceful o l d age, I subscribe myself, F r a t e r n a l l y a nd l o v i n g l y his, WM.
C I N C I N N A T I , O H I O , June 17, 1S76.

HENRY

BRISBANE.

T r u s t i n g t hat this volume w i l l a ccomplish something toward the e radication o f the s pirit o f c aste, w h i c h s t i l l e xists i n our l a n d     t hough, i n the providence of G o d , slavery itself has been r e m o v e d     a nd i n the a cceptance a nd practice of that command, w h i c h reads: " L o v e t hy neighbor as thyself," I now commend it to the reader. LEVI C INCINNATI, Eighth Month, 1876. COFFIN.

  
  
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTORY G enealogy. C H A P T E R I. C onversion to A b o l i t i o n i s m     I n c i d e n t s of the Cruelties of S l a v e r y     F i r s t Efforts on Behalf of the Slaves   Stephen, t he K i d n a p p e d N e g r o     T h e Captured Slave   Services o f Vestal C o f f i n     T h e Story of E d e     T h e W h i t e S lave....12-31 C H A P T E R II. T h e Story of J a c k B a r n e s     M y Journey w i t h a Slave-owner    A M i s s i o n F u l l o f A n x i e t y     T h e Story of S a m     I T u r n S l a v e - h u n t e r     N a r r o w Escape from A r r e s t     P e n a l t y of A i d i n g a S l a v e     F a t e of Poor Sam 32-68 C H A P T E R III. T e a c h i n g S laves t o Read   Sabbath-School W o r k     A g i t a t i o n o f the A n t i - S l a v e r y Cause   Manumission Societies   Trip t o I n d i a n a     I n c i d e n t s on the W a y     T h e E a r l y Settlements of I n d i a n a     I E ngage i n School L a b o r s     O r g a n i zation of the first Sabbath-School i n Western I n d i a n a     A V i s i t to Illinois   -Lost on the P r a i r i e     S p r i n g f i e l d , I llinois, F i f t y Years A g o     C o n c l u s i o n of School L a b o r s i n I n d i a n a     R e t u r n to N o r t h C a r o l i n a     S h o r t T r i p to Virginia .    C9-102 C H A P T E R IV. M a r r i a g e     R e m o v a l to I n d i a n a     I L o c a t e at N e w p o r t and E ngage i n Mercantile B u s i n e s s     U n d e r g r o u n d R a i l r o a d W o r k     D i f f i c u l t i e s a nd Dangers of the W o r k     T r i p to N o r t h C a r o l i n a     H e a r t - r e n d i n g S cene a t a Slave A u c t i o n     Temperance W o r k at Newport, 1 03-138 CHAPTER.    3-  

  
vi

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V. Newport Stories   The Cunning Slave   Robert B u r r e l     E l i z a H a r r i s     S a m , t he E l o q u e n t Slave   Prejudice A g a i n s t C o l o r     A u n t R a c h e l     A Slave-hunter O u t w i t t e d     S eventeen F u g i t i v e s I39 77
_I

CHAPTER VI. N e w p o r t Stories Continued   Seventeen F u g i t i v e s     T w o Slave G i r l s f rom M a r y l a n d     A n e c d o t e of a V i s i t t o C i n c i n n a t i     S t o r y of L o u i s T a l b e r t     J o h n W h i t e 1 78-222 C H A P T E R VII. D iscussion o f the A n t i - S l a v e r y Subject   Anti-Slavery Societies a n d L e c t u r e r s     O p p o s i t i o n to the Movement   Separation o f F r i e n d s of I n d i a n a Y e a r l y M e e t i n g     A c t i o n w h i c h C aused the S e p a r a t i o n     R e u n i o n     T h e Committee f rom L o n d o n Y e a r l y M e e t i n g     I n t e r v i e w s w i t h the C ommittee     L a s t Interview, w i t h W i l l i a m F o r s t e r     V i s i t to Canada i n 1844   Meetings w i t h F u g i t i v e s     T h e i r S tories     A Special Providence     A u n t Susie's D r e a m     T h e Story of J a c k s o n     A M o t h e r R escues h er Children 2 23-264 C H A P T E R VIII. F ree L a b o r     T e s t i m o n y of J o h n W o o l m a n and O t h e r s     M y C o n v i c t i o n s     F r e e - L a b o r Societies of N e w Y o r k a n d P h i l a d e l p h i a     O u r O rganization i n the W e s t     R e m o v a l t o C i n c i n n a t i     F r e e - L a b o r Business   Southern C o t t o n P roduced by F r e e L a b o r     I n c i d e n t s of a Southern T r i p     I n t e r v i e w s w i t h Slaveholders, : 265-296 CHAPTER IX. '

U n d e r g r o u n d R a i l r o a d W o r k i n C i n c i n n a t i     A Reminiscence     T h e F u g i t i v e Cook G i r l     A C o m p a n y of Twenty-eight F u g i t i v e s     A u n t B e t s e y     J a c k and L u c y     A s s e s s m e n t s o n U n d e r g r o u n d R a i l r o a d S t o c k     A Pro-Slavery M a n S i l e n c e d     T h e Story of Jane 297-334

  
CONTENTS.

Vll

CHAPTER X. C i n c i n n a t i S tories C o n t i n u e d     T h e R a g B a b y     T h e V i c e President's S l a v e     T h e Disguised Slave     W o l v e s i n S heep's C l o t h i n g     S a l l y , the Slave M o t h e r     L o u i s and Ellen   The Michigan Raid 3 35-373 CHAPTER XI. C i n c i n n a t i S tories C o n t i n u e d     J o h n W i l s o n and E l i z a     U n c l e T o m     R o s e , the W h i t e S l a v e     S t o r y of J i m and h is F r i e n d i n a T i g h t Box 3 74-418 CHAPTER XII. L o u i s a P icquet, the O c t o r o o n     J o h n F a i r f i e l d , the Southern A b o l i t i o n i s t     J o h n and M a r y     N a r r o w Escapes of Fugitives 4 19-461 C H A P T E R XIII. A P ro-Slavery M a n T u r n s A b o l i t i o n i s t     F o u r t e e n F u g i t i v e s C ross on the I ce   Slave C h i l d r e n Placed i n our C h a r g e     T h e C ase o f W i l l i a m T h o m p s o n 4G2-489 CHAPTER XIV. M ajor P h i l l i p s     A S laveholder's Colored F a m i l y     M y T r i p w i t h t he Major d o w n the R i v e r     I n c i d e n t s of the J o u r n e y     D i s c u s s i o n s w i t h Slaveholders   Insights into Southern S ocial L i f e     A W h i p p i n g on Board a Boat 490-523 CHAPTER XV. T h e M o b S p i r i t i n Cincinnati   -Destruction of the P h i l a n thropist Press i n 1836   Demonstration of Pro-Slavery F e e l i n g i n 1 841   A D isgraceful R i o t - T h e Scanlan Mob.524-541 CHAPTER XVI. T rials U n d e r the F u g i t i v e Slave L a w     T h e W a s h . M c Q u e r r y C a s e     T h e Services of J o h n J o l l i f f e     E s c a p e from a C ourt R o o m     T h e Rosetta C a s e     M a r g a r e t G a r n e r     T h e Story of a H a t 54 -574
2

  
viii

CONTENTS,

CHAPTER

XVII.

A n U . G . R . R . D e p o t     T h e Purchase of S laves b y their R e latives   Other Services for the Colored P e o p l e     T h e C ase o f C o n n e l l y     S a m b o i n a T i g h t Box 575   593 CHAPTER XVIII.

L ast W o r k on the U . G . R . R .     T h e P r i n c e of W a l e s     B e g i n n i n g o f the W a r     K i r b y Smith's Threatened R a i d     R escue of a Slave G i r l b y T w o U n i o n S o l d i e r s     T h e K e n t u c k y P o l i c y and C o l . U t l e y ' s A c t i o n . . . 5 94-618 CHAPTER XIX. W o r k A m o n g the F r e e d m e n     V i s i t to C a i r o     D e s t i t u t i o n and S uffering of the C o l o r e d People   Efforts i n T h e i r B e h a l f     O r g a n i z a t i o n of R e l i e f Societies 619-650 CHAPTER XX. M i s s i o n t o E n g l a n d     L a b o r s i n B e h a l f of the F r e e d m e n     I ncidents of the W o r k     C o n t r i b u t i o n s from a l l C lasses o f Society   Public Meetings 6 51-712

  
INTRODUCTORY

CHAPTER.

GENEALOGY.

H E f ollowing brief sketch of the Coffin family i s g athered from the first number of the A m e r ican H istorical R ecord, published at Philadelphia, a nd f rom private records copied from those kept at N antucket. T h e earliest account of the name we
0

T

h ave d ates b ack to 1066. I n ' t h a t year Sir R i c h a r d C offin, k night, accompanied W i l l i a m t he Conqueror f rom N o r m a n d y to England, and the manor of A l wington, i n the county of Devonshire, was assigned t o him. T h e authorities respecting the county of D evonshire make honorable mention of S i r E l i a s C offin, k night of Clist and Ingarby, in the d ays o f K i n g J ohn ; o f Sir R i c h a r d Coffin, of A l w i n g t o n , i n t he time of H e n r y I I . ; of Sir Jeffrey Coffin and C ombe Coffin, under H e n r y I I I . , and of other knights, d escendants of t hese, u ntil t he time' of H e n r y V I I I . , w hen we find S ir W i l l i a m C offin, sheriff of Devonshire, h ighly preferred at Court, and one of eighteen a ssistants chosen b y the k i n g to accompany him to a t ournament i n France, in 1519. H e was also high s teward of the manor and liberties of Standon, in H ertford. B y his w ill h e bequeathed his horses a nd h awks to the king,' and devised the manor of E a s t ' H i g g i n g t o n , Devonshire, to his nephew, Sir R i c h a r d C offin, of Portledge. H i s monument in ( 3)

  
4

GENEALOGF.

S tandon C h u r c h is mentioned in Weever's " F u n e r a l M o n u m e n t s , " a t p age 534. N icholas C offin, of Butler's parish, in Devonshire, d ied i n 1603. H i s w ill, w hich was proved at T o t ness, i n Devonshire, November 3, 1603, mentions h is w ife and five children, v i z : Peter, Nicholas, T ristram, J ohn a nd A n n e . Peter married Joanna T h i m ber, and died in 1627, leaving four daughters and t wo sons. One of t hese s ons was the famous-Tristram C offin   or Coffyji, as he spelled i t     t h e ancestor o f t he numerous families of that name in this country. N e a r l y a ll his descendants are enabled, b y means of t he accurate genealogical records in existence, to t race their lineage back to h i m , although nearly two c enturies h ave e lapsed since his death. H e was born a t B r i x t o n , n ear P l y m o u t h , in the county of Devonshire, E n g l a n d , i n the year 1605. H e married D i o nis S tevens, and in 1642 came to N e w E n g l a n d , b ringing w i t h h i m his wife and five children, his m other and his two sisters.' H e first settled at Salisbury, Massachusetts, where he lived a number of y ears, and in 1660 removed, w i t h his family, and settled u pon the island of Nantucket. H e was one of-a c ompany of nine who first purchased Nantucket from t he Indians, which fact appears in a conveyance from t he Sachems, Wanackmamack, and Nickanoose. P rior t o this purchase from the natives, the E n g l i s h t itle t o the greater portion of the island had been o btained from Thomas M a y h e w , who held the same u nder a conveyance from L o r d S tirling. T ristram C offin a nd his sons at one time owned about onefourth o f Nantucket, and the whole of the little island

  
GENEALOGY.

5

a djacent to it on the w est, c alled Tuckernuck, containing o ne thousand acres, which was purchased of t he old sachem, Potconct. H e appears to h ave b een a l eading spirit among the first settlers, and was frequently selected b y the inhabitants to transact important public business. T he children of Tristram Coffin w ere P eter, T ristram, E lizabeth, James, J ohn a nd Stephen. We t race our line of the family from J ohn. H e married D eborah A u s t i n ; their son Samuel married M i r i a m G ardner; t heir son W i l l i a m m arried P riscilla P addock; their son L e v i m arried Prudence W i l l i a m s . T hese last w ere m y parents, and this places me in t he fifth generation from the first Tristram Coffin, of N antucket. T h e different branches of T r i s t r a m Coffin's f amily h ave i ncreased and scattered, u ntil t here a re representatives in nearly every part of the U n i t e d S tates. T h e island of Nantucket being small, and its s oil n ot very productive, a large number of people could n ot be supported thereon, and as the population i n creased, a number of the men e ngaged i n the whale fishery a nd o ther maritime pursuits, in order to gain a l ivelihood. Others turned their attention to other p arts of the country, and w ere i nduced to remove a nd s ettle elsewhere, with a view to better their condition, as to providing for their children, etc. A w h i l e b efore the Revolutionary W a r a considerable colony o f F riends removed and settled at N e w Garden, i n G uilford C ounty, N o r t h Carolina, which was then a n ewly settled  country. M y grandfather, W i l l i a m C offin, was among those who thus emigrated. H i s re-

  
6

GENEALOGY.

m oval t ook place in the year 177.3. M y grandparents, W i l l i a m a nd P riscilla C offin, had -ten children   eight s ons and two daughters   all of whom lived to have f amilies o f their own. T h e y settled at N e w Garden, N o r t h C arolina, and were all members of the religious S ociety of Friends. M y father, L e v i C offin, was the y oungest of eight sons and next to the youngest c hild. H e was born on the island of Nantucket, 1 0th month, 10th, 1763, and was about ten years o l d w hen the family moved to N o r t h Carolina. My g randfather Coffin lived to be eighty-three, and m y g randmother eighty-one years old. B o t h died in t he year 1803, at the place where they first settled in N o r t h C arolina. I remember them well, though I w as y o u n g at the time of their death. B o t h were v aluable elders in the religious Society of Friends, a nd w ere highly esteemed in the community. T h e i r h ouse had l o n g been a resort and a place of entertainment for Friends who came into the neighborhood t o attend religious meetings, and for traveling m inisters. T h e y lived on a farm", a short distance f rom N e w Garden Meeting-House. M y father was b rought up as a farmer, but managed to get a fair e ducation, considering the l imited a dvantages at that d ay, and, when a y o u n g man, engaged during the w inter s eason in teaching school in the neighborhood. A f t e r t he marriage of m y parents, they settled on a f arm i n the neighborhood of N e w Garden, and I was b rought up as a farmer, u ntil I r eached m y twentyfirst year. M y parents had seven children. I was t he only son and next to the youngest c hild. I c ould n ot well be spared from the farm to attend school,

  
GENEALOGY.

y

a nd t he most of m y education I obtained at home. M y f ather took pains to instruct me and m y sisters d uring h is hours of leisure from out-door work, so t hat I kept about even w i t h m y associates in the n eighborhood w ho had better opportunities for gaining a n education, and during the short intervals that I a ttended school, I was classed w i t h them, and often s tood a t the head of m y class. B u t our schools then w ere very inferior, compared w ^ h those at the present. I thirsted for a better education, and as soon as I was of age I sought a better school than we had i n o ur neighborhood. I r emained there one session, then engaged "as a ssistant teacher during the winter session, and the f ollowing w inter attended another good school. I t hen t aught, at intervals, for several years. I n the y ear 1816 m y sister Sarah died. She was i n her t wentieth year and two years m y senior. T h i s was a h eavy stroke upon me. She was a k ind a nd affectionate sister, and we had been inseparable companions i n our childhood. A l t h o u g h she died rejoicing i n h er dear Redeemer, w i t h a bright and glorious p rospect before her, I could not for a long time be r esigned sufficiently to say concerning her loss, " T h y w ill, O L o r d , n ot mine, be done." M y older sisters w ere married, and I and m y youngest sister P riscilla w ere all that were left at home with our pareuts. P riscilla was three years m y junior. She was a s weet a nd a ttractive c hild, a nd we were warmly attached to e ach other. W h e n she was about twelve years old s he was converted, and at" the age of fifteen she a ppeared in public testimony. She appeared to have

  
8

GENEALOGY.

a r emarkable gift in the ministry, and her words i mpressed a ll who heard her and touched the hearts o f m any. H e r mission and labors for several years s eemed to be mostly confined to family circles and t o social gatherings of y o u n g people. O n such o ccasions she was frequently prompted to speak i n a m ost remarkable manner, and her words seemed t o have g reat effect o n her y o u n g associates and o thers who heard lTer. F o r some years after her first appearance in the ministry, she spoke but seldom i n public assemblies, but when she d i d , it was t o-the edification of her hearers. A few years afterward s he was recorded as a minister of the religious S ociety of Friends. I n t he spring of 1825 m y parents and sister moved t o the State of Indiana, where m y married sisters h ad a ll located. I was then engaged in teaching, but e xpected soon to follow w i t h m y own l ittle f amily, w hich I d id the next year.     M y sister P riscilla m arried a s hort time before I removed to Indiana. M y p arents were now left alone, and being old and feeble, I t ook charge of them and located them near me, i n t he village of Newport. M y father died in 1833, in h is s eventieth year. W e then took m y mother into o ur h ouse and cared for her u ntil t he close of her l ife. S he died in 1845, in her eighty-eighth year. M y m other's family, the Williamses, were of W e l s h e xtraction. I h ave understood that m y great-grandfather, George W i l l i a m s , c ame from W a l e s to A m e r ica, a nd settled in Prince George County, M aryland. M y g randfather, R i c h a r d W i l l i a m s , m arried P rudence Bales, and their oldest two children were born

  
GENEALOGY.

g

i n M aryland. Afterward they emigrated to N o r t h C arolina a nd settled in G uilford C ounty, about the y ear 1752. T h e y located near the place where the o ld N e w Garden Meeting-House now stands, and w here the yearly meeting of the religious Society o f Friends has been held for many years. A t the t ime of their removal to that neighborhood, it was t hinly s ettled, but it grew in time to be a large a nd p rosperous settlement, the members of which w ere m ostly Friends. M y grandparents had many h ardships to encounter and privations to undergo, s uch as the first settlers of a new country always h ave t o experience. W h e n the stock of provisions w hich t hey had brought with them g ave o ut, they h ad t o go to an older settlement, about fifty miles d istant, to get a new supply. The first winter they c leared a small piece of land, and in the spring p lanted corn and garden seed. Provisions again b ecame s cant, and they had to live on roasting-earsand v egetables t ill t he corn ripened, being entirely d eprived of bread. A s soon as the corn was ripe e nough to shell, they dried it b y spreading it on the g round in the sun, and then took it on horseback to a m i l l a bout thirty miles distant, on Cane Creek, n ow in Chatham County. M y grandfather W i l l i a m s d onated the ground on which N e w Garden MeetingHouse was built, besides several a cres o f land, covered with timber sufficient for all building purposes. T h e battle of G uilford C ourt-House, fought about t he close of the Revolutionary W a r , commenced n ear N e w Garden Meeting-House and continued a long the old Salisbury road, a distance of about

  
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GENEALOGY.

t hree miles, to M artinsville, t he old G uilford C ourtHouse, n ear where the main battle was fought. A n umber o f soldiers were k illed n ear the meetinghouse and along the road, and were buried b y the r oadside and in the F r i e n d s ' b u r y i n g ground near t he meeting-house. I have often seen their graves. A f t e r t he battle the meeting-house was used as a h ospital f or the wounded soldiers, and m y grandfather W i l l i a m s ' h ouse was occupied b y the wounded B ritish o fficers. M y grandfather Coffin's house was" u sed b y the A m e r i c a n officers as a hospital for their s ick a nd wounded. T h e two farms joined, and the h eadquarters of the different forces were thus in c lose p r o x i m i t y . T h e small-pox broke out among the B ritish officers, and m y grandfather W i l l i a m s c aught the disease f rom t hem and died. M y ' g r a n d m o t h e r was left w i t h t welve children, five sons and seven daughters. She w as sister to Thomas Bales, who is said to have been t he first white emigrant that settled in Ohio. A t his d eath he was buried i n a coffin d u g out of a log, t here being no dressed timber available and no sawmill w ithin h undreds of miles. H i s descendants are q uite n umerous i n the W e s t e r n States. M y grandmother remained a widow for the rest of her l ife. S he lived to a good old age, and d.ied respected b y a ll w ho knew her. She was an elder in the religious S ociety of Friends for many years, and was h i g h l y e steemed as a " M o t h e r in Israel." T h e date of her d eath and her age are not in m y possession, but I c an r emember her well. M o s t of her children lived

  
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t o a good old age, and, w i t h the exception of one s on, a ll had large families, so that m y connections, o n m y mother's side, as well as on m y father's, are' q uite n umerous. B o t h m y parents and grandparents w ere o pposed t o slavery, and none of either of the families e ver o wned slaves; and all w ere f riends of the oppressed, so I claim that I inherited m y anti-slavery principles.

  
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REMINISCENCES.

CHAPTER
CONVERSION HALF NEGRO TAL SLAVE. TO ABOLITIONISM OF SLAVERY CRUELTIES

I.
INCIDENTS OF THE ON B E -

FIRST EFFORTS

OF T H E SLAVES COFFIN

STEPHEN, T H E KIDNAPPED SERVICES OF VESEDE THE WHITE OF

T H E CAPTURED SLAVE T H E STORY

D A T E m y conversion to A b o l i t i o n i s m from an i ncident w h i c h occurred when I was about seyen y ears old. It made a d eep a nd lasting impression o n m y m ind, a nd created that horror of the cruelties o f s lavery which has been the motive of so many a ctions of m y life. A t the time of which I speak, V i r g i n i a a nd M a r y l a n d were the principal slave-rearing S tates, and to a g reat e xtent supplied the S outhern market. F r e e negroes i n Pennsylvania w ere frequently kidnapped or decoyed into t hese S tates, then hurried away to Georgia, A l a b a m a , or L ouisiana, a nd sold. T h e g angs w ere handcuffed a nd c hained together, and driven b y a man on horseback, who nourished a l o n g whip, such as is used in d riving c attle, and goaded the reluctant and weary w hen their feet l agged on the l o n g journey. One d ay I was b y the roadside where m y father was c hopping w ood, when I saw such a gang approaching a long the new Salisbury road. T h e coffle of

I

  
FIRST

EFFORTS,

j3

s laves came first, chained in couples on each side of a l ong c hain which extended between t h e m ; the driver was some distance behind, with the wagon of supplies. M y father addressed the slaves pleasantly, a nd t hen asked: " W e l l , b oys, why do they chain y o u ? " One of the men, whose countenance betrayed unusual intelligence and whose expression d enoted the d eepest s adness, replied:- " T h e y have t aken us away from our wives and children, and they c hain us lest we should make our e scape a nd go b ack to t h e m . " M y childish sympathy and interest w ere aroused, and when the dejected procession had p assed on, I turned to m y father and asked many q uestions concerning them, why they were taken a way from their families, etc. I n simple words, s uited t o m y comprehension, m y father explained to m e trie meaning of slavery, and, as I listened, the t hought arose i n m y m i n d     " H o w terribly we s hould f eel if father were taken away from u s . " T h i s w as the first awakening of that sympathy w ith t he oppressed, which, together with a strong h atred of oppression and injustice in every form, w ere the motives that influenced m y whole after-life. A n o t h e r i ncident of m y boyhood is indelibly engraved on m y m ind. I a ccompanied m y father one s p r i n g t o the famous shad fishery at the narrows of t he Y a d k i n R i v e r , a .spot of w ild a nd romantic s cenery, where the stream breaks through a spur of t he mountains and g oes f oaming and dashing down i ts r ocky bed in a succession of rapids. Every s pring, w hen the shad ascended the river, many p eople resorted to the place to obtain fish. T h e y

  
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REMINISCENCES.

b rought with them a variety of merchandise, saddlery, c rockery-ware, etc., and remained in camp s ome time, b u y i n g and selling. T h e fishery was o wned b y two brothers named C r u m p . T h e y were s laveholders, and sometimes allowed their slaves the p rivilege of fishing after night and disposing of the fish thus obtained, on their own account. A slave, w ho had availed himself of this privilege, disposed o f t he fish he caught to m y father. N e x t morning h e came to the place where we were preparing b reakfast, and entered into conversation w ith m y f ather, speaking of the fish he had sold h i m , and a sking i f he would take more on the same terms! N o t i c i n g t his, and t h i n k i n g it a piece of presuming f amiliarity and. impertinence, on the part of the n egro, a y o u n g man, nephew of the Crumps, seized a f agot f rom the fire and struck the negro a furious b low a cross the head, baring the s kull, c overing his b ack and breast w i t h blood, and his head w i t h fire; s wearing at the same time that he would allow no s uch impudence from niggers. M y father protested a gainst the act, and I was so deeply moved that I l eft m y breakfast untasted, and going off b