Escapes

Timeline

BRACKEN: Juliet Miles caught.

Juliet Miles, former enslaved, caught attempting to free her children and grandchildren and others (10 total) from slavery in Bracken and Mason Counties. New York Daily Tribune, Monday, March 28, 1859

PENDLETON: Mr. Green and three freedom seekers caught

Mr. Green, a naturalized German national living in Pendleton County was caught assisting in the escape of two women and two children (aged 6 and 10 yrs.) The slaveholders were Mr. Ellis and Mr. Kirby; both lived near Flour Creek. The relationships amongst the women and children is not clear. All were caught in the attempt; the reporter paraphrased that Green was “Doing his duty and would do the same again.” The Louisville Daily Courier, Louisville, Ky; 9 July 1859 p 1

GALLATIN: Four Freedom Seekers

Four unnamed men near Warsaw escaped enslavement in Sep 1859. Slaveholders by the name of “Robinson” and “Hughes” each claimed ownership of one man; the slaveholder(s) of the other two men were not named. Indiana Weekly Visitor, Rising Sun, IN, 17 Sep 1859

GALLATIN: Four freedom seekers escape.

Four unnamed (male) freedom seekers ran away from Warsaw, “a short time since.” Indiana Reveille, Vol 42 Number 38, Vevay, In; 21 Sept 1859

Railroad Death–Escape Attempt?

8 year old boy belonging to Pascal Rucker dies by “railroad accident.” Could he have been part of an escape attempt like the Chambers’ attempt in 1858? Kentucky Death Records, 1847-1911

KENTON: Escape from sinking steamer.

Six enslaved to C. Blackburn of Covington, were sold to B. P. Buckner (Boone) and were on a boat to be shipped south on steamer “Cambridge.” The steamer sunk and the enslaved people escaped, presumably. Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, Cincinnati, Oh; 28 Oct 1859; p 3

Skiff Theft–Escape Attempt?

“Dill Bradley took up an old negro man who stole a skift (sic) at Lawrenceburg” He was turned over to the man from whom he took the boat. What was he doing? Was he a runaway? Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

Escape of Levi Simpson

Possibly Boone County; Levi Simpson escaped sometime before 1860. enslaved by Moses and Delphia Simpson, settled in Ypsilanti, MI after living in Lorain Co, OH and Colchester. Ypsilanti Daily Press, Ypsilanti, MI; February 19, 1912

Two Captured in Aurora

May be the same capture as the article of May 10th. May 7: James Holmes, West Abbot, R. T. Terrill and several other men “took 2 negroes” at Aurora. One man belonged to Arnold (Lewis), near Verona, the other man belonged to Conner (John F). July 2: James Holmes, Robert Terrill, Mat Wert, Mr. Bailey, and Mr. Ricketts were paid $113 for the enslaved men captured in Aurora. Diary of Lewis A. Loder 1857-1904; BCPL

Two Freedom Seekers Captured

Two freedom seekers are captured in Lawrenceburg, beaten by mob. Slaveholder, named as a minister only, comes to retrieve them and says he would’ve preferred they had made their way to freedom as opposed to the treatment they received in Lawrenceburg. Cincinnati Commercial, Cincinnati, Oh, 10 May 1860

TRIMBLE: Five slaves escape.

5 enslaved people escaped from slaveholder Wm. E. Young of Hunter’s Bottom. Indiana Reveille; Vol 43, No 21, Vevay, Switzerland County, 23 May 1860

BRACKEN: Three slaves escape, one captured.

Three enslaved men escaped (ca. June, 1860) from slaveholders Reed and Pollack, near Germantown. Near Iberia, OH, slavehunters captured one, two escaped with help of FPOC and White citizens. Louisville Daily Courier, Louisville, KY; 25 Sp 1860; p 1 col 6

Four Freedom Seekers

4 enslaved escape from Petersburg area, from the widow of Joseph Norris (Joe and Frank), John H. Walton (Ed), and John Terrill (unnamed male). Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904, BCPL

Caroline Scott Family Escape

Four enslaved people self-emancipate. Caroline Scott, her husband Robert or Robison Scott and Caroline’s brother and sister escape to Amherstburg, CA. Caroline later lived in Adrian, MI, and her history was found in her 1904 obituary. Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Mich; 14 Aug, 1904

Freedom Seeker “Hunted”

Feb 27- P. C. Lillard “hunting man who ran from him” near Napolean (Boone/Gallatin border.) The freedom-seeker left on Feb 25. Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

“Hunting Jack”

William Craven and Mr. Youell were in Petersburg “hunting Jack,” the enslaved man bought from John M. Hoshall. Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

Woman and Children Escape

Addison Gaines “woman and 5 children ran off” – Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

GALLATIN: Slave uprising.

Slave uprising reported, 10 May 1861. Initial reports were of insurrection aided by 2 white men. Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, Ca; 23 May 1861; conflicting article says not, 11 May 1861, New York Times, New York, NY

OWEN: Insurrection panic.

Insurrection reported, “several hundred” slaves arming themselves. Later debunked as panic when citizen saw armed African American soldiers. Caused upset in surrounding counties. The Evening Star And Dial, London, May 24, 1861

Freedom Seeker Caught

June 18-23: Runaway caught by Watt York. Slaveholder Casper Holloway of Union, Arkansas who came to pick him up with Mr. Hamrick. (Petersburg?) Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

GALLATIN: Five men and one woman caught.

22 December: Five men and one woman caught at Dillsboro, Indiana. Identified as runaways from Warsaw. Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

Soldier Chased Off

Federal soldier chased off of John Norris’ land for “trying to persuade” his enslaved people to leave with him. Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

OWEN: Reward Ad for Bob.

William Hicks, Jailer of Owen County, placed an ad for freedom seeker named Bob, slaveholder John Mays of Pike County. Route unknown. Daily Commonwealth, Frankfort, Ky; 25 Aug 1862

Two Female Freedom Seekers Caught

Tim Smith and S.G. Botts caught two female freedom seekers. Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

FLEMING: Alvin Smith self-emancipates.

Alvin Smith self-emancipated from Fleming County slaveholder Richard Willet in 1863. Though he connected with the network of the Underground Railroad in Brown County, OH right away, he chose to head south and join the Union Army. Settled in Akron, died in 1948, five days short of his 105th birthday. Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Feb 5, 2018

Seven Escape

E. Bannister, Walton, loses 7 enslaved people. Could be related to Mary Ann French, 1849 escape. Those who were accused of “stealing” theses slaves were Dennis (a slave) and John Weaver. Both tried: Dennis acquitted; Weaver later released. Cincinnati Daily Enquirer; 9 Jan 1863

KENTON: UGRR agent accused.

Enslaved UGRR agent “Dennis” and white man John Weaver accused of helping 7 enslaved people escape from Enoch Weaver farm in Independence, all were caught. Dennis was released, Weaver held. Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, Cincinnati, Oh; 9 Jan 1863; p 3

Two Freedom Seekers Captured

Feb 27- Two men caught the previous fall as runaways by slave catchers Botts and Riddell are put on mailboat to TN. They had been kept in jail (Burlington) since the capture. Diary of Lewis A. Loder, 1857-1904; BCPL

FLEMING: Mass escape.

Seven enslaved people belonging to James C. Savage of Germantown escaped in on 23 May, Saturday evening, 1863. Fifteen others of the same neighborhood also escaped the same night. Maysville Weekly Bulliten, Maysville, KY; 28 May 1863, p 3

Three Freedom Seekers

Three enslaved escape from Petersburg area, from John Norris, Fanny Parker and Richard Parker (2 men and 1 woman). Diary of Lewis A. Loder,1857-1904, BCPL

Six Freedom Seekers Caught

Six slaves escape from G. Weaver, but are caught. A free man of color is implicated, as is a white man named John Edwards. Cincinnnati Commercial, Cincinnati, Oh. 23 Oct, 1863

Five or Six Freedom Seekers Escape

Late November, 1863- Leonard Stephens, in a letter dated 12 Dec, 1863, written to his brother William, of Missouri, “There was a lot of five or six negroes ran away from the neighborhood of Florence three weeks ago. The owners have no intelligence of them, & I believe took no steps to recover them. Some seem to think that there may be a good deal of that sort of thing shortly.” Stephens family letters and documents, compiled by Claude E. Stephens and Sadie Bassett Lamb

Freedom Seeker Jailed

Mar. 31, 1864, Tom, is committed to the jail in Kenton County, KY. He is “supposed to belong” to Nancy Rogers, a Boone County slaveholder. The jailer placed an ad with a description of Tom, asking the owner to come forward and retrieve him. Frankfort Tri-Weekly Commonwealth; Frankfort, Ky., April 20, 1864

HARRISON: Daniel Jailed.

15 July 1864- Daniel, belonging to Walker Thornton of Harrison County, jailed in Bracken County. Tri Weekly Commonwealth; Frankfort, Ky; 14 Nov 1864 p 3 col 3

PENDLETON: Freedom seeker caught.

Caught in Pendleton! A freedom seeker from Bourbon County named Seely, was committed to the Pendleton County jail as a suspected fugitive. The slaveholder named is Mrs. Foster. Seely is described as about 21 yrs. Old, five feet two inches tall, 120-130 lbs, “yellow” complexion. Ad placed by F. P. Craig, Pendleton County Jailer, on 21 Oct. 1864. Tri-Weekly Commonwealth, Franfort, Ky; Nov. 14, 1864