Thursday, September 21, 2017

Jacob Bigelow to William Still, October 12, 1855

WASHINGTON, D. C., October 12, 1855.

MR. WM. STILL:— As YOU PicK UP ALL THE news THAT IS STIRRING, I CONTRIBUTE A FEw scRAPS TO YOUR sTOCK, GOING TO sHow THAT THE POOR SLAVE-HOLDERS THEIR TBOUBLES AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE.

FoUR HEAVY LOSSES ON onE SMALL scRAP cUT FRom A sINGLE NUMBER oF THE “SUN!” How vExaTIOUS! How PRovoKING! ON THE OTHER HAND, THINK oF THE POOR, TIMID, BREATHLESS, FLYING CHILD of FIFTEEN! FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD! OH, POOR sucCoR! To wHoM IN ALL THIS WIDE LAND oF FREEDOM sHALL sHE FLEE AND FIND SAFETY? ALAS! — ALAS! — THE LAW PoINTs To No one!

Is SHE STILL RUNNING wiTH BLEEDING FEET?* OR HIDEs SHE IN soME coLD CAVE, To REST AND STARVE? “$500 REWARD.” YouRs, FOR THE WEAK AND THE POOR. PERISH THE REWARD.

J. B.
_______________

* At the time this letter was written, she was then under Mr. B.'s protection in Washington, and had to be so kept for six weeks. His question, therefore, “is she still running with bleeding feet,” etc., was simply a precautionary step to blind any who might perchance investigate the matter.

SOURCES: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 181-2

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