Archive and History Center Database

Items

• 1856--Public Unhappy with Treatment of Accused Enslaved Man
  A story about an escaped enslaved man from Kentucky: he was reported to have broken into a couple homes, stealing from the families, and assaulting the wives. He was arrested and taken to jail. A local group got together and removed him from jail to punish him. The enslaved person was killed despite no trial being held to determine guilt or innocence. The coroner did his investigation. There were "condemnatory" feelings in the community regarding the death of the former enslaved man.
• 1856--Escaped Slave Accused of Assault and Theft
  An escaped enslaved person in Golconda, Pope County, Illinois, has been reported to be breaking into farms and stealing. He broke into the house of Daniel Threldkeld. His wife and kids were the only ones home. The paper reported he attacked and assaulted her. He supposedly did the same thing in Mrs. Jackson's home. The enslaved person was caught the next day and taken to the jail. A crowd of locals decided to take matters into their own hands and took the black man into their custody. They took him into the county and tied him up. They proceeded to torture and kill him without a trial for what he was accused of.
• 1856--Punishment without Trial
  A report accuses a runaway slave of attacking two women. He was arrested but then taken by a group of people into the country and tortured. The formerly enslaved man was killed, based on the crimes he was accused of, without a trial.
• 1848--Ripley Escape Attempt
  During an escape attempt on the Ohio River near Ripley, several people were injured, including freedom seekers and slave catchers. Young Fowler was shot in the kidney. Joseph Duncan was wounded in the mouth. A few escapees were either injured or killed. Patrick Doyle, a white man who was a Catholic student at Bardstown College, was captured with the group.
• 1849--Four Caught in Barboursville
  Four freedom seekers are caught in their escape to free soil. Major John S. Rowland of Georgia enslaved them. The group was caught in Barboursville, KY.
• 1845--Infant and White Woman Among 7 Escape
  Seven run away from Mr. B. Lee of Maysville, KY. Included in those who escaped were an infant and a white woman named Fanny with light, straight hair.
• 1846--Rev. Kearn is Arrested
  Rev. George Kearn was arrested in Rosewell (Russell) County, KY, for assisting enslaved escape to freedom.
• 1848--Group of Freedomseekers near Maysville
  Escape of a group of enslaved men and women from Fayette County, KY. They were reported to be near Maysville with a group of slave catchers from Harrison County in pursuit. 14 African Americans were being led by one white man who split up into smaller groups to prevent getting caught.
• 1852--Ad for John who Escaped from Widow Lewis
  An ad for an enslaved person, John, lists an escape from Robert Kemp. The "light copper, 24 or 25 years old, 5ft 6in." freedom seeker was originally enslaved by Widow Lewis in Kentucky.
• 1859--Wellington Slave Rescue Case
  Trial of the Wellington Slave Rescue Case. Freedom seeker, John escaped from his enslaver John G. Bacon in Kentucky. He escaped to Oberlin, OH, where slave catcher Anderson Jennings captured him.
• 1853--John Escapes John
  Gov. John Vance gave up John B. Mahan for helping enslaved people escape from Kentucky. The article refers to another case where John Fee was accused of aiding freedom seekers, and Gov. Medill gave him up to be arrested. Widow Wilcoxen in Falmouth enslaved Maria and her two daughters, one of which had a young son. The widow's son had the young mother and son live with him. The widow wanted her enslaved to be free upon her death. Her son devised a plan to sell the enslaved people. John Fee learned of this plan and assisted them in escaping.
• 1839--Four Escape from Widow and Colonel Johnson
  The article mentions the escape of 4 enslaved people, three a widow enslaved, and the fourth by Col. Johnson.
• 1848--Large-scale Escape
  Article of enslaved people escaping in large numbers from several counties in Kentucky with the help of abolitionists. Some have reported as many as 66 are missing from Woodford, Franklin, Bourbon, and Mason counties. Another report stated that a group of freedom seekers, 40 or 50, had stopped near Maysville. There has been some violence involved. Charles Foster was killed.
• 1854--Delia Webster Refuses Warden
  Delia Webster appealed her charges. She had tutored the kids of the warden, Newton Craig. He asked her to be his wife after his current wife died, and Webster refused. Craig said he would find anyone to swear to her previous charges, which were assisting enslaved people to escape.
• 1857--Life in Prison Possible for Speer Ferguson
  Speer Ferguson could get life in prison for assisting in the escape of several enslaved people. Irwin and another, enslaved by Charles Withers, and Jane, enslaved by Col. Stevenson, escaped to Ohio. The unnamed freedom seeker later died of wounds from dogs, and Jane was captured.
• 1857--Runaway Killed
  Three men were found hiding in Ohio after having escaped slavery in Kentucky. As they tried to run away from their pursuers, one man got away, and one man was arrested. The third attempted to shoot James Humphreys, but he was shot and killed.
• 1865--Palmer Charges Dismissed
  Charges against General Palmer for aiding enslaved people escape were dismissed due to the adoption of the 13th Amendment.
• 1852--Mail Boat Escape
  James G. Birney looks into the Supreme Court case regarding the escape of a Kentucky enslaved person who made his way across the Ohio River via a mail boat run by Strader and Gorman.
• 1865--Fisk and Palmer Give Passes
  Generals Fisk and Palmer have given passes allowing an estimated 11,000 freedom seekers to cross the Ohio River from Kentucky.
• 1857--U.S. Marshalls Arrested
  US Marshalls attempted to arrest a freedom seeker from Kentucky. However, it was unsuccessful when the escapee locked himself on the second floor of a log cabin in Mechanicsburg, Champaign County, OH. The former enslaved man was assisted by local abolitionists who threatened violence against the marshalls if they attempted to arrest him. The marshalls returned a few days later to arrest the abolitionists; the freedom seeker had already left for Canada. A judge from Clark County issued a writ of habeas corpus, which discharged the abolitionists and placed the marshalls in jail.
• 1851--Escaped Slave Discharged
  An enslaved man was arrested in Harding County, OH, after escaping from Kentucky. Judge Denning released him.
• 1854--Wounded Freedom Seeker Found in Alley
  Kids find a wounded freedom seeker in an alley in Cincinnati, OH. He was about 65-70 years old. He had escaped from Kentucky with his three daughters, the youngest of whom was 13. A group of men near Sycamore Hill attacked them. The daughters were taken, and he was robbed of $6 in silver. They had escaped Lexington, and a $1000 reward was out for their return.
• 1845--Kentucky Enslaver is due his Money for Freedom Seeker Caught in Ohio
  A Kentucky freedom seeker is caught in Ohio. Several Ohio abolitionists offered the enslaver $800 for his freedom but never paid. The Ohio Supreme Court in Chillicothe decides that the Kentucky enslaver is due his money.
• 1845--Escape Case Brought Before Ohio Supreme Court
  A case was brought before the Ohio Supreme Court in Chillicothe regarding the escape of an enslaved person. The freedom seeker went from Kentucky to Ohio, where he was overtaken. Abolitionists offered $800 to his enslaver. The enslaver stated he was never paid, and the abolitionists claimed they never made the offer.
• 1851--Several Escape Near Newport
  Several enslaved people escaped just outside of Newport, KY.