WILMINGTON, 10th Mo.
3lst, 1857.
ESTEEMED FRIEND WILLIAM STILL:— I write to inform thee that
we have either 17 or 27, I am not certain which, of that large Gang of God's
poor, and I hope they are safe. The man who has them in charge informed me
there were 27 safe and one boy lost during last night, about 14 years of age,
without shoes; we have felt some anxiety about him, for fear he may be taken up
and betray the rest. I have since been informed there are but 17 so that I
cannot at present tell which is correct. I have several looking out for the
lad; they will be kept from Phila. for the present. My principal object in
writing thee at this time is to inform thee of what one of our constables told
me this morning; he told me that a colored man in Phila. who professed to be a
great friend of the colored people was a traitor; that he had been written to
by an Abolitionist in Baltimore, to keep a look out for those slaves that left
Cambridge this night week, told him they would be likely to pass through
Wilmington on 6th day or 7th day night, and the colored man in Phila. had
written to the master of part of them telling him the above, and the master
arrived here yesterday in consequence of the information, and told one of our
constables the above; the man told the name of the Baltimore writer, which he
had forgotten, but declined telling the name of the colored man in Phila. I
hope you will be able to find out who he is, and should I be able to learn the
name of the Baltimore friend, I will put him on his Guard, respecting his
Phila. correspondents. As ever thy friend, and the friend of Humanity, without
regard to color or clime.
THOS. GARRETT.
SOURCE: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A
Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 110
No comments:
Post a Comment