1849--Jane Stephens and Family Escape Attempts

Item

Title: 1849--Jane Stephens and Family Escape Attempts
Date: 1849
Formatted date: 1849-01-01
Event type: Escape
Description: 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.
Participant: African American(s): Jane Stephens (a.k.a. Jennie Carter); John "Felix" White; Moses Stephens; Sisley White; Oscar White; Emily Francis White; Lucy Ann White; George White; William Allen; Milly; Stephens, Jane; White, John "Felix"; unknown, Moses [1]; White, Sisley; White, Oscar F.; White, Emily Francis; White, Lucy Ann; White, George W.; Allen, William [2]; Parsons, Milly; Slave holder(s): Benamin Stephens Jr.; Mr. Keene; Webb Ross; Stephens, Benjamin L., Jr.; Ross, Webb; Other participant(s): Laura Smith Haviland
Location: Missouri; Boone County (Ky.); Rabbit Hash (Ky.); Georgetown (Ky.); Emporia (Kan.)
Related resource: Allen family; Carter family; Keene family; Ross family; Stephens family
Bibliographic citation: "The Escape of Jane," The Christian Recorder, Philadelphia, PA, 27 Apr 1867; "Jane's Escape," The Christian Recorder, Philadelphia, PA, 2 Apr 1885; "The Escape of the Wife of John "Felix" White," Emporia Republican, Emporia, KS, 15 Oct 1896
Source: A Woman's Life-Work: Labors and experiences of Laura S. Haviland.; Ninth Census of the United States, 1870; Tenth Census of the United States, 1880; Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925; The Escape of Jane; Jane's Escape; The Escape of the Wife of John "Felix" White; Five Seek Freedom From Benjamin Stephens

Item sets: AA--Events--Escapes--Kentucky

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Items with "Participant in: 1849--Jane Stephens and Family Escape Attempts"
Title	Class
Allen, William [2]	Person
Broadwell, Marquis De La Fayette	Person
Keene, Robert	Person
Miller, John A.	Person
Parsons, Milly	Person
Ray, Wright	Person
Ross, Webb	Person
Stephens, Benjamin L., Jr.	Person
Stephens, Jane	Person
unknown, Moses [1]	Person
White, Emily Francis	Person
White, George W.	Person
White, John "Felix"	Person
White, Lucy Ann	Person
White, Oscar F.	Person
White, Sisley	Person