HAMILTON, Sept. 15th, 1856.
To MR. STILL, Dear Sir:— I take this
opportunity of addressing these few lines to you hoping to find you in good
health I am happy to inform you that Miss Weaver arrived here on Tuesday last,
and I can assure you it was indeed a happy day. As for your part that you done
I will not attempt to tell you how thankful I am, but I hope that you can
imagine what my feelings are to you. I cannot find words sufficient to express
my gratitude to you, I think the wedding will take place on Tuesday next, I
have seen some of the bread from your house, and she says it is the best bread
she has had since she has been in America. Sometimes she has impudence enough
to tell me she would rather be where you are in Philadelphia than to be here
with me. I hope this will be no admiration to you for no honest hearted person
ever saw you that would not desire to be where you are, No flattery, but
candidly speaking, you are worthy all the praise of any person who has ever
been with you, I am now like a deserted Christian, but yet I have asked so
much, and all has been done yet I must ask again, My love to Mrs. Still. Dear
Mr. Still I now ask you please to exercise all your influence to get this young
man Willis Johnson from Richmond for me It is the young man that Miss Weaver
told you about, he is in Richmond I think he is at the corner of Fushien
Street, & Grace in a house of one Mr. Rutherford, there is several
Rutherford in the neighborhood, there is a church call’d the third Baptist
Church, on the R. H. side going up Grace street, directly opposite the Baptist
church at the corner, is Mrs. Meads Old School at one corner, and Mr. Rutherfords
is at the other corner. He can be found out by seeing Fountain Tombs who
belongs to Mr. Rutherford and if you should not see him, there is James Turner
who lives at the Governors, Please to see Captain Bayliss and tell him to take
these directions and go to John Hill, in Petersburgh, and he may find him. Tell
Captain Bayliss that if he ever did me a friendly thing in his life which he
did do one friendly act, if he will take this on himself, and if money should
be lacking I will forward any money that he may require, I hope you will
sympathize with the poor young fellow, and tell the captain to do all in his
power to get him and the costs shall be paid. He lies now between death or
victory, for I know the man he belongs to would just as soon kill him as not,
if he catches him, I here enclose to you a letter for Mr. Wm. C. Mayo, and
please to send it as directed. In this letter I have asked him to send a box to
you for me, which you will please pay the fare of the express upon it, when you
get it please to let me know, and I will send you the money to pay the expenses
of the carriage clear through. Please to let Mr. Mayo know how to direct a box
to you, and the best way to send it from Richmond to Philadelphia. You will
greatly oblige me by so doing. In this letter I have enclosed a. trifle for
postage which you will please to keep on account of my letters I hope you wont
think hard of me but I simply send it because I know you have done enough, and
are now doing more, without imposing in the matter I have done it a great many
more of our people who you have done so much fore. No more from your humble and
oldest servant.
John HALL, Norton's
Hotel, Hamilton.
SOURCE: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A Record
of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 252
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