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1853--Arrest of Thomas Trundle for enticement of: Jackson, enslaved by Joseph Kendrick and Mike, enslaved by William Anderson
Dr. Thomas Trundle was arrested in 1853 for "enticement of slaves." Fearing for his life, he asked for and received a change of venue to Kenton County, where he died of mysterious causes on the morning of his trial. Conflicting news reports claimed Trundle was either an abolitionist or a slave stealer who sold slaves south for financial gain.
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1856--Several Escape Stories
Twelve enslaved persons escaped from the Monroe family. A mother, 10 daughters and one son. Boone County is named, but is possible that the family was based further southeast considering their escape route description.
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1855--Multiple Group Escapes
Possible Boone County enslaved persons escaped through Boone County crossing points. A report is made of seven separate groups of freedom seekers arriving in Cincinnati within a week, many may have come through Boone County. The first three and the fifth escaped group from Kentucky were comprised of 3 males, 3 males, two males and one male, respectively. The sixth escape was two men from Louisiana, who came on foot. The seventh was a woman and three children on a mail boat from Louisville.
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1852--Mass Escape of at Least Thirty Freedom Seekers
On November 11, 1852, Jonas Crisler wrote to his family: “there has been at least 30 ran off this faul (sic) 14 at and about Burlington and the rest about Petersburg. Abraham Piatts, Thomas Graves, and William Whittaker all the most valuable I have no doubt if things continue negroes slaves (sic) will be scarce neare the O. River particularly if old Mat Bots and his clan continues their privilege they have had I believe thay have been their pilots and is yet.” Crisler was referring to the other escape of 14 enslved the week before from the aforementioned slaveholders.
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1865--Escape of Nancy Mcgruder
Nancy Mcgruder was the only slave on the Dinsmore property that is known to have run away. She left the Dinsmore family in September of 1865, after most slaves in the United States had been freed but before those in Kentucky were. She was “excluded” from her church for leaving the state “in a disorderly manner.”
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n.d.--George Hamilton Escapes to Canada
George Hamilton escaped to Canada. He was seemingly involved in a money-making scam whereby he expressed a desire to return to the ownership of John Barton and requested funds to enable his return. In a letter, mentions Eliza Harris, Lloyd Graves, as well as a person known as Delaney.
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1851--Nine Freedom Seekers
Joshua Zimmerman's nine enslaved people were reported as "fugitives" after being allowed to visit Billy (and others), who formerly enslaved to Zimmerman, in Clermont County. The enslaved group did not return to Boone County. It was probably an emancipation, but was reported as otherwise.
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bef 1857--Boat Explosion
Before 1857, eight men perished in an explosion of the "Noah P. Sprague" boat on the Detroit River. Among them, William Sanford, [first name unknown] Tolliver (a.k.a. Talliaferro), and [first name unknown] Stephenson, all listed as "colored" and from Malden, Canada West They were possibly part of a Cass County (Mich.) migrant group.
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between 1863-1864--Evans Corneal Escapes
Evans Corneal was taken from Boone County to Chariton County, MO in 1857, and escaped in 1863 or 1864 with two other men. He settled in Hiawatha, Kansas. He returned to Missouri for his wife and children after the close of the war and brought them back to Hiawatha. He died in 1923, and is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Hiawatha, KS. His name is possibly a derivative of "Carneal," but he may have been sold to another slaveholder in Boone County before moving to MO.
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1854--Escape of Nine
Nine enslaved persons escpae from Boone County.
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between 1850-1860--Piatt Coachman Escapes to Indiana
A coachman of the Piatt family escaped to Rising Sun and was helped to freedom by Woodford Barkshire (a free man of color), a conductor who regularly helped people on the path to Canada. (Escape was circa the mid 1850s).
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between 1850-1860--Two Young Women Escape
Two young women, described as "mulatto" escaped from a farmer by the name of Lodge. The Lodge family was closely associated with the Piatt and Ryle families, so the women may have come from these slaveholders . The escape may have been facilitated by UGRR station master Samuel Barkshire (a free man of color) in the Rising Sun circa 1850s escape.
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1852--Five Freedom Seekers
Five enslaved people escaped through Rising Sun. They were hidden by Nancy Hawkins, a former slaveholder who became a part of the UGRR network. The slaveholder was James Stephens. The freedom seekers consisted of three men and two momen.
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1854--Nine Freedom Seekers Caught in Boone County
Several enslaved men and women escaped from Burlington, Ky. The freedom seekers included Shadrach, 60, enslaved by Jonas Crisler; his wife Susan, 29, and their two boys, Almeda, 26, and her daughter Sarah Jane; Lewis, 24, enslaved by William Walton; Lee, 21, enslaved by John Gaines; and Anderson, 22, enslaved by John P. Scott.
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bef 1863--Elias S. Rouse Escapes and Joins Military
Born in KY, Elias S. Rouse enlisted in the 54th MA infantry, Company K, in 1863 at Readville MA. He had escaped to MA prior to enlistment and listed his place of birth as Malden, CN. Records give a variety of information, possibly to protect him from being identified as a freedom seeker. He was wounded in South Carolina but continued to serve until the end of the war. He settled in Ypsilanti, MI after the Civil War, and married Mary Gay, a widow of another soldier who was lost in the war.
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1864--Freedom Seeker Jailed
On March 31, 1864, Tom was 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.
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1852--Disaster on the River
In 1852 ten freedom seekers of slaveholder and emancipationist Ephraim Porter, made their escape to freedom. Sadly, the wagon they were in overturned near the Ohio River, and, fearing capture, they fled without all of their belongings. Later, several of this group contacted Ephraim Porter, who, according to his obituary, sent them supplies to their new home in Malden, Ontario.
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1863--Seven Escape
E. Bannister of Walton loses 7 enslaved people. These escapes could be related to the 1849 escape of Mary Ann French. Dennis (an enslaved man) and John Weaver were accused of stealing these enslaved persons. Both were tried, Dennis was acquitted and Weaver was later released.
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1859--Escape From Sinking Steamer
Six enslaved to C. Blackburn of Covington, were sold to B. P. Buckner (of Boone County) and were to be shipped south on the steamer “Cambridge.” The steamer sunk and the enslaved people escaped, presumably.
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1857--Three Slaves Attempt Escape
An unnamed freedom seeker (under slaveholder William Sandford) was one of three men who had attempted escape from Carroll County. This man had been caught at Lochry Creek in Dearborn County, Indiana. One man, referred to as “Berry’s boy” had been shot and killed at Vevay Indiana during the chase. Another man was sold by slaveholder, William Sandford, after being caught.”
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1857--Freedom Seeker Captured
One freedom seeker belonging to William Sanford is captured at Lochry Creek.
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1863--Six Freedom Seekers Caught Owned by G. Weaver
Six slaves escape from G. Weaver, but are caught. A free man of color is implicated, as is a white man named John Edwards.
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1858--Escape on Horseback
On September 22, 1858, an enslaved man from Boone County Kentucky escaped from slaveholder William Donaldson on the back of a "fine mare belonging to Mr. D." The slaveholder gave chase, but no trace of the man or horse was found. Both the horse and the man were valued at about $1000 apiece.
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1863--James Harvey Patterson Escape
Two years before the end of the Civil War, in 1863, an enslaved man, James Harvey Patterson (born in Boone County, Kentucky, on Sept. 15, 1831) self-emancipated. He ultimately settled in Kansas, where he died at the age of 94 years.
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1856--Escape of the Garner family
Margaret Garner, Robert Garner, 4 children, and his parents, Simon and Mary and 11 Other slaves were reported to have escaped. Margaret Garner was a Freedom Seeker whose recapture became a national news story. In January 1856, 17 slaves from Boone and Kenton counties crossed the Ohio River. Included were Robert and Margaret Garner and their children, who were owned by the Gaines family of Richwood Road (now Maplewood Farm).