Tuesday, February 1, 2011

John Pickering-Underground Railroad Conductor




Iowa Journal of History and Politics, v24-1924

Owen Garretson, remembering:

"… the spirit of liberty is implanted in every human soul and can not be eradicated. Ruel Daggs finally realized the difficulty of holding slaves so near the free State of Iowa and contemplated selling his slaves south so that he would be free from the necessity of keeping a constant guard on valuable property. Nothing was more repugnant to the Negroes of the border States than the thought of being "sold South" and as soon as the slaves of Mr. Daggs learned that their master was planning to dispose of them in this manner, nine of them- three men, four women, and two children- determined to make an attempt to escape from Iowa before it was too late."…

"To this lonely dwelling (near Athens, Mo.) on Thursday night or Friday morning early in June 1848, came the nine Negroes from the plantation of Ruel Daggs. Without doubt they had been informed that if they could reach Salem, twenty five miles north of the Missouriborder, they would receive assistance."

"No sooner had they arrived at this home, than a terrific rain set in and they were compelled to stay all the next day and part of the following night."

"Sometime Friday night, the rains having ceased, the Negroes started for the north accompanied by their host. On reaching the Des Moines River, however, the stream was found to be so swollen that its passage was difficult and a long delay ensued." "by assistance of Mr. Leggens, they procured or constructed a raft and successfully passed to the northern shore," How the fugitives reached Salem is not known, "but in all probability they were in touch with sympathizing friends who aided in their transportation."

"On Monday, following the escape of the Negroes, two men,…who were searching for the Negroes and heading their course towardSalem, saw a covered wagon being driven rapidly several miles ahead of them. They increased their speed and on arriving at the woods, about a mile south of Salem, they found the wagon in the bushes near the roadside, while scattered through the near-by woods were the supposed slaves of Ruel Daggs. The horses hitched to this wagon were the property of John Pickering, an active worker in the anti slavery cause, and the team was driven by Jonathan Frazier, a son of Thomas Frazier, the son of a noted pioneer preacher and leader of the anti-slavery Friends of Iowa…"

(This material quoted here from the research notes of Lewis D. Savage of Salem, Iowa who in the later 20th Century was so instrumental in helping re-tell the stories of the fugitive slave era and the Underground Railroad running through Iowa.)



http://www.icelandichorse.info/salemfugitiveslaves/conductingtheundergroundrailroad2002.html


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Underground Railroads

The most important event that ever transpired in the southeast corner of Henry County, and of which Salem was the cradle and her citizens the nurses, was the outbreak in 1848, between June 5 and 8, and caused by the hiding away of slaves by the Salem people, the blacks belonging to Rural Daggs, of Clarke County, Mo.

Nineteen slaves belonging to Rural Daggs made up their minds they would escape, and knowing that the spirit of the freedom loving Quaker people was in opposition to the chain and lash, they concluded to start for Salem and pray for succor and secretion.

The negroes got as far as Farmington on Saturday night, and by Sunday morning they had reached the Salem timber. The planters over the line having learned of the escape of the slaves, made up a small party and started in pursuit of them. This fact coming to the ears of those who had shouldered the task of aiding the slaves to escape, the former advised the slaves to hide in the timber southwest of Salem. They did this, remaining there two or three days, during which time great baskets of bread and provisions were smuggled to the forest where lay the negroes, by the good people of Salem. Chief among those who fed the slaves were John H. Pickering and wife. The latter baked the bread and after nightfall her husband would carry it to the wood. "Auntie, why does thee bake so many loaves?" the neighbors would ask. "Well, thee knows I have many in my family to feed," would be the evasive reply. And thus the secret did not leak out.

Perhaps all would have gone smoothly and the slaves accomplished a successful escape, had not three of the party been so indiscreet as to leave the shades of the forest, and show themselves within the borders of the town. Their presence was made known by some one living at Salem, who was in sympathy with the planters. The sympathizers met the planters below the town, and communicated the fact stated. The planters immediately returned to the vicinity where lived Rural Daggs, and started the report that the slaves were being cared for by the Salem people, and, that in order to capture the fugitives it would be necessary to raise a force of men, proceed to the town and surround it.

On their way to Salem, the planters entered the office of Esquire Gibbs, at Hillsboro, and swore out blank warrants for the arrest of certain Salem people, on the charge of fostering, aiding and abetting the escape and seclusion of Rural Dagg's slaves. The planters, armed with these warrants, rode into town, and forming themselves into divisions, proceeded to the business of searching the houses. To this mode of procedure some of the citizens objected, while others freely threw open their doors and bade the planters enter and seek.

One of the objectors was Henry W. Way. When the planters came to his house he said to them, having set a ladder up to the window of the loft: "You may go up if you wish, gentlemen. There are three negroes hidden away in that loft. But mind you, it is risky business to make an attempt to carry out the search. The first man who touches a rung of that ladder is in danger of his life." And at the same time he drew a pistol and defied the crowd. "I am armed, gentlemen," he continued, "with enough of these little instruments to make just thirteen holes in your flesh." The planters gave up their search of Mr. Way's house, and departed on their rounds.

Not being successful in their search for slaves, the planters now set out to carry into force that power and authority vested in them by the blank warrants. They arrested John H. Pickering, T. Clarkson Frazier, Erick Knudson, Elihu Frazier, Isaac C. Frazier, John Comer and a few others. These they confined in a hotel, where they were kept during the night. A strong guard was placed around the hotel, and about 10 o'clock the next morning the citizens were released on their own recognizance. Suits for damages were finally instituted, and the planters in time recovered judgment.

http://genealogytrails.com/iowa/henry/historical.html

Contents of The Greene County Pioneer, 1985-2008

Greene County Genealogical Society

229 North Main Street, Greeneville, TN 37745

Vol. 15 No. 1 May 1999

President’s Message, 99-2; Back Issues, 99-3; Corrections, 99-4; Death Notices from The Greeneville Herald, 1881-1885 (pt. 2), 99-8; The Kildays of Greene Co., TN: The First Four Generations, 99-13; Son Daniel Bryan and Father Bryant Bryan of Lick Creek, Greene Co., TN, 99-18; Descendants of Nicholas Coffman, 99-20; Pension Records: Family Records of Charles Henry Cutshaw, Including Civil War Pension Application Records for His Father, Henry Cutshaw, 99-22; Wagon Train: Moses Anderson Seaton(1804-1876) and Susanna Barnhart of Horse Creek, Greene Co., TN and Meta, Osage Co., MO: Two Generations of Descendants, 99-27; Descendants of Clinton Martin DeWitt (1803-1880) by Wife Anne Moore (Wed 1823, Greene Co., TN) and by Wife Anna Peale (Wed 1839, Roane Co., TN): Three Generations of Descendants, 99-31; Community Focus: Milburnton and Northeastern Greene Co.: Map of Milburnton and Surrounding Communities, 99-39; Scholastic Ledger of James Hill Dinwiddie, 15th District, Greene Co., 1852-1861 (pt. 1), 99-40; Memoranda Book of John Pickering (1820-1895), 99-48; Greene Co., TN 1870 Census, District # 15: Rheatown—Fullen’s Depot Towards Milburnton, 99-53; Providence Presbyterian Church: History of and Directions to, 99-74; Providence Cemetery Interments: Inventory of the “New” Cemetery, 99-75; Providence Cemetery Interments: Inventory of the “Old” Cemetery, 99-86; Interments at Providence Extracted from Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home Records, 1908-1949, 99-88; Announcing the First Rader Family History on CD-ROM, 99-88; Bible Records: Kesterson, 99-89; Carter-Walker-Leib, 99-90; Photographs: John Pickering (1820-1895) and Wife Miriam Beals (1820-1882),

http://www.tngenweb.org/greene/gc-pioneer/index1985-2008.htm

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