African Americans of the Kentucky Borderlands

Items

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 1849--Sisley Attempts Escape
  After an unsuccessful escape attempt ca. 1849, Sisley, the daughter of Jennie Stephens and John "Felix" White was first sold to Webb Ross of Georgetown, KY with her mother and siblings, then to John A. Miller, a Mississippi cotton planter who held hundreds of enslaved people. Jane placed two ads in 1867 and 1885 looking for Sisley and her sister Lucy Ann. There is no indication they were ever reunited.
• 1849--Oscar F. White Attempts Escape
  After an unsuccessful escape attempt ca. 1849, the son of Jane Stephens and John Felix White was sold first to Webb Ross of Georgetown, Kentucky, then to an unnamed slaveholder in Memphis, TN. He enlisted in the 42nd US Colored Infantry on 19 Mar 1864 at Chattanooga, Tennessee under the alias "Oscar Baker". He attained the rank of sergeant and listed his occupation as a mason. After the war, he worked on the Alabama "farm of William Lanier" in 1868. His wife is named Adeline and they have a child named Elen. 1870 census also shows son, Oscar, Jr. "Father Phelix was in Columbus, OH, Mother Jennie in Georgetown, KY" Later widowed, reunited with mother, brother and sister ca 1870. He remarried in 1872 and settled in Boulder, Colorado. He died May 22, 1922.
• 1860--Two Freedom Seekers Captured in Lawrenceburg
  Two freedom seekers are captured in Lawrenceburg and beaten by a mob. The 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.
• 1860--Five Slaves Escape William E. Young
  Five enslaved people escaped from slaveholder William E. Young of Hunter’s Bottom.
• 1856--Six Enslaved Freedom Seekers
  Six enslaved persons escape from the slaveholder known as Wilborn. Three men, two women and 1 child. 26 Feb 1856 The Squatter. Sovreign, Kansas, Cincinnati Gazette.
• 1849--Jane Stephens and Family Escape Attempts
  Jane Stephens, a.k.a. Jennie Carter, was the wife of John “Felix” White and the mother of Sisley, Oscar, Emily Francis, Lucy Ann and George White. The family was caught during an escape attempt that occurred in late 1848 or early 1849 . Jane's husband, John, had escaped several years prior and wanted to free his family. He had help from abolitionist and UGRR conductor Laura Smith Haviland, his friend William Allen, who was still enslaved in Boone County, and free African Americans in Rising Sun, Indiana who were managing the Underground Railroad activity in the area. John was separated from the family during their capture, but was caught several days later. He was held in jail for a while before again obtaining his freedom, and did not know the fate of his family. Jane and her children were sold to a man named Webb Ross in Georgetown, Ky, who sold them all to separate enslavers. Jane was sold to Mr. Keene, a slaveholder who took her to Missouri. Once free, she settled in Emporia, Kansas. In 1867, and again in 1885, Jane and her second husband , Rev. Dudley Carter, placed advertisements in the newspaper, searching for her children. Jane was reputedly the daughter of her first slaveholder (Stephens) and Milly, an enslaved woman. She died in 1896 in Emporia, Kansas.
• 1849--Solomon Attempts Escape
  The overseer and enslaved man held by Benjamin Stephens attempted an escape with other freedom seekers ca. 1849. The group was caught and others were sold, no further information could be found on Solomon and he does not appear in Benamin Stephens' probate.
• 1809--UGRR Help in Cincinnati
  On August 26th, 1809, a man referred to as "Sam Killis" was captured in Cincinnati, where he was living among free African Americans, and held as a runaway. He is accused in the newspaper of stealing the pass of "Samuel Sanders" a free man also living in Cincinnati. Sanders may have been enslaved in Campbell, Boone or Gallatin Counties before freedom. Was Sam Sanders helping him or duped by him? Cincinnati marshal Robert Blair placed the ad but gave no indication where he thought Killis had escaped from.
• 1806--"Limus" Escape
  On November 29, 1806, "Limus" (also known as Elimas), an enslaved man held by John Hall of Northbend took an axe, a dog and his freedom, and left for free soil. He was described as 22 years old, 5'8" tall, with scars on face, nose and hand. A $25 reward was offered for his return. See 1807 for more information.
• 1813--Jim Escape
  On July 19, 1813 a $20 reward was offered for the capture and return of freedom seeker, Jim, described as about 30 years old, 5'9" tall, with a dark complexion. His middle finger on his left hand is missing and he is described as both smart and active. Slaveholder Abraham Depew offered a $20 reward for his return.
• 1807--Elimas/Limas Escapes Again
  On April 26, 1807, Elimas (also known as Limas) may have been sold to Archelaus Alloway, who advertised for his return in May. He had twice previously escaped John Hall. His description is largely the same as the advertisement in 1806, but the reward is doubled this time to $50. There is no indication that he was ever caught.
• 1860--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?
• 1826--Andrew Shields
  Andrew Shields, a man of color, is bound and confined in Lawrenceburg by George and Benjamin Brasher. Brasher claims he is a Kentucky runaway, Shields claims he a a free man being kidnapped. Brasher claimed the slaveholder hired him and lived in "Miami Bottom" in Kentucky.