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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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1851--Escaped Slave Discharged
An enslaved man was arrested in Harding County, OH, after escaping from Kentucky. Judge Denning released him.
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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.
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1846--Case of the Kidnapping of Jerry Phinney
Judge Brown decided Jerry Phinney was kidnapped and taken to Ohio. It was argued that Phinney was hired out and brought to Ohio on purpose and was not escaping from his enslaver, Mrs. Long.
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1864--Miss Mandana Tileston Marries to Man in Prison
Mandana Tileston marries Rev. Calvin Fairbanks after a 13-year engagement. Fairbanks had been imprisoned 12.5 years prior in Kentucky for helping the escape of enslaved people.
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1865--Rev. Calvin Fairbank Imprisoned
Rev. Calvin Fairbank gives his account of the physical punishments he endured while in prison for assisting in an enslaved person's escape.
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1861--Sago Lawsuit
Lawsuit between Kentucky against Ohio for refusing to issue a warrant against Sago who was charged in KY for helping an enslaved person escape. Sago took refuge in Ohio.
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1854-- Escape of Nine Freedom Seekers from Kentucky
Nine enslaved persons from Kentucky fled enslavement on Sunday, September 3, 1854. They were believed to be hiding in Cincinnati the following Tuesday. The freedom seekers' identities are unknown, as is the success of their flight.
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1825--Reward Ad For Townley
Enslaver Thomas Bean offered a $100 reward for the return of Townley, who took his freedom while in Campbell County, one mile below Cincinnati (West Covington or Ludlow area). Townley, 21 yrs old, was recently purchased from John I. Estep of Maryland, and it is suspected he may return there (for family?), or he may go to Ohio or Pennsylvania. The enslaver resides in Prince George’s County, MD, though it’s not clear why Townley was in Kentucky when he escaped.
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1850--Cornelius Thornton Caught
A freedom seeker named Cornelius Thornton born ca. 1825, was caught and detained in St. Louis, MO, on July 8, 1850. An advertisement names his slave holder as Richard Southgate, of Cincinnati. Southgate had several free people of color living with him in 1840, but came from a Kentucky slaveholding family, to whom he could have leased or given Cornelius before his escape.
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1836--Freedom Seeker Henry
An ad for Henry, who ran from Mississippi. He was raised in Kentucky by Henry Johnson or a Mr. Chambers, and then brought south by E. Coleman for sale. It was thought that he would be running back to Kentucky.
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bef 1856--Johnson Family Escape
Thomas Johnson's wife and several children escaped first, then Thomas fled, to be followed later by 3 more children who joined them in Malden.
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1861--Slave uprising
A slave uprising was reported on May 10, 1861. Initial reports were of an insurrection aided by 2 white men. A later conflicting article says not.
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1849--George White Attempts Escape
George White is the son of Jennie Stephens (a.k.a. Jane Stephens, also Jennie Carter) and John "Felix" White. After an unsuccessful escape attempt ca. 1849, he was first sold to Webb Ross of Georgetown, KY with his mother and siblings, then possibly separated. Eventually, he was reunited with his mother and several siblings. He enlisted in the USCT and died in 1914 at a Disabled Veteran's Home in Leavenworth, KS.
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1861--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.
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1852--Two Women Escape From Farmer Lodge
Two young women, described as "mulatto" escaped from a farmer by the name of Lodge in 1852. The Lodge family was closely associated with the Piatt and Ryle families, so the women may have come from those slaveholders. The escape may have been facilitated by Samuel Barkshire in Rising Sun.
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1841--Anderson Ferry
A free man of color in Cincinnnati named George R. Smith is implicated in the escape of several enslaved persons from the Clarkson farm. Evan P. Anderson and Montegue McClure (Anderson Ferry) cleared him and themselves of any involvement. There are indications that they were actually involved (evidenced by their moving out of the area and making a sale of the ferry) as Smith may have been.
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1842--The Jones Family Escape
The escape of Hannah, Andrew, Letta, Jerry, Mary, Jackson, George, Henry and James from Wharton Jones was assisted by John Van Zandt took place on April 23, 1841. They were pursued by slave catchers and caught. Two escaped, but only one, Andrew, remained free (the other returned on his own) Van Zant was arrested, then released. Legal proceedings for Jones to recoup the loss of Andrew and the cost of the slavehunters ruined Van Zandt financially.
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1849--Lucy Ann Attempts Escape
After an unsuccessful escape attempt ca. 1849, the daughter of Jennie Stephens and John "Felix" White was first sold to Webb Ross of Georgetown, KY with her mother and siblings, and then to an unnamed slaveholder in Shelbyville, KY. Jane placed two ads (in 1867 and 1885) looking for Lucy Ann, the later ad says she was last known to be in Louisville, KY.