Study Areas:

Slavery

Anti-Slavery

Free Persons of Color

The Violent Decade

Underground Railroad

US Colored Troops

Civil War

The Year of Jubilee (1863)

May 1828: Two men escape from St. Mary's County on Whitsunday

130 Dollars Reward.
Ran away from the subscriber, near Chaptico, St. Mary's county, Maryland, on the 25th ultimo, negro Tom, aged from 22 to 26 years, about 6 feet in height, of a copper color, quick of speech, has a little impediment in his delivery, talks much, can also read. He is not very shrewd, and frequently uses sailor's language, having been engaged in the crafting trade from St. Mary's to Baltimore, with his former master, Henry Clements, from whose estate the subscriber purchased said fellow in January, 1824; said fellow was raised, in part, by a certain Steven Tarlton, of Bedlam Neck, in said county, and was ever anxious to be employed as a waterman.

It is probable that he has made his way to Georgetown, Alexandria, Washington City, or Baltimore, or some other seaport town, in order to get employment in that way. Unless he has been seduced to go to a free State, by a certain fellow also called Tom, a blacksmith by trade, who was purchased of the Blackstone family by Richard H. Miles, Esq. of St. Mary's, and by him sold to a Mr. Bethel, residing Westward of the State of Maryland, from whom the said fellow escaped, and returned to St. Mary's again; but, from recent attempts to take said man, it is said that he left his native county on the 25th May last, being Whitsunday, with the subscriber's man Tom in company.

Blacksmith Tom is said to be an artful fellow, well acquainted with the country, travels only by night, and lies hid during the day. It is probable that both of these fellows may have obtained passes, also changed thier names, and nevertheless they were heard to declare that they were bound for a State wherein there were no slaves; yet they may have shaped their course to Baltimore or some other sea port town.

Fifty dollars will be given by me for apprehending said man Tom, if taken in Saint Mary's or Charles county; one hundred dollars if taken out of the State of Maryland, and in a slave-holding State, and the above reward of one hundred and thirty dollars if taken in Pennsylvania or any other non-slave-holding State, with all gaol fees.

Josiah Turner.
June 24.

Source: Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, D.C.), Friday, 4 July 1828.

Covering the history of African Americans in central Pennsylvania from the colonial era through the Civil War.

Support the Afrolumens Project. Buy the books:

The Year of Jubilee, Volume One: Men of God, Volume Two: Men of Muscle