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A Short Sketch of the Life of James Thomas, a Runaway Slave. (The following sketch of a resident of this town will be found very interesting.-Ed) He was born in the State of Maryland, near the city of Georgetown, was one of number of slaves who were kindly treated by their master. But after his master’s death. he fell to his daughter’s share of the property, and was hired on to work in an adjoining county for several years, but upon his mistress marriage, he was recalled to his own home. His new master finally failed in business, and there his slaves were sold. Some of James’ relatives were sold to go to Georgia, and he, fearing a like fate, concluded to risk his life in running from slavery. His name was Benjamin Sands, which he then changed to James Thomas. He says. on one Saturday a little colored boy came from the slave holders house to our cabin, (which was then a long way off) and told me, my youngest sister and brother, we were sold to go to Georgia. I said nothing, but told the boy to tell mommy I would be there Sunday, and that morning I rode on horseback 12 miles to see my mother. When I went in the house I found my mother sitting by the fire, in the old fashioned fireplace, she arose on her feet and gave me her hand, but could not speak for some time then. She said your sister and brother are sold. I said mammy, I will not stay here, she said, child, where will you go? (She called me child, although I was then 25 years old.) I said, I will go to Canada, and my dear mammy don’t you grieve after me. Through the help of God, I will strive to get out of their reach. Well, mammy, now I must go, and I gave her my hand. Mammy if you never see me again in this life, strive to meet me in heaven. I gave her my hand and she raised her apron to her face, and could not speak at once, then she said, “Fare you well, my child.” I mounted my horse and away. I went, I looked back several times and she still stood in the same place, looking after me. When I arrived at home, I said to my brother, William and Eliza are gone sure enough. I am going to run away, will you go with me? He said, I can’t go and leave my wife and children. (Afterwards they were all taken away from him and sold in the far South, and he married again, and has children. Such was slavery.) Well, I told him I was going. I asked his wife, Mary, to give me a light. I went up the stairs, took just the clothes I wanted and gave the rest to my brother, and started. I said, fare you well brother, remember me in prayer, shook hands, and they all began to cry and say fare you well, fare you well. Then I started and that Sunday night I walked about 24 miles, from Montgomery to Frederic County, staid the next day in my old bosses son’s barn. My uncle lived there, and I made myself known to him, and he gave me a pair of stockings. I traveled that way for a week, hiding day and night in barns, and one day hid in a mountain, where it was so cold I could not sleep, but had to walk to keep warm; had shoes on, the snow was 4 inches deep, and icicles hanging on the trees. I traveled nights, I did not fear dog or man, but trusted in God, felt my life was in my hands, when lo! I met a colored man and he told me I was one mile from Frederic City, back most to my old home again, had gone around, instead of forth. How my heart fell, then I went around, out west of the city, and come on the road again that led to my father’s house. I got there Saturday morning, just as the roosters were crowing. I knocked at the door and my father opened the door, and I went in. My dear child he said, what do you do here? I thought you were out of the way from this place. What are you going to do now? I said in the name of God, I am going to try again. Where have you been all this time? I went in barns and got turned around, and I could not tell which way I should go. Well, they have been looking for you and said if you came back they would not sell you, (but James said, I know better.)- Well; he said, where are you going to stay to day? I said, cant I stay here up stairs. Yes; he said they had been here once to look for you, and will not come again. Saturday night the colored people came in to see me and I bid them good bye. My father said, I will go with you to a place where they owe me some money for mending shoes, if I can get it I will give it to you. He tried to get money for me while I staid out in the dark. He could not get it, so he told me to cross the first mountain I came to, which was the Blue Ridge, and follow the second mountain. I said, I bid you fare well. He said, I wish you good luck, and that was the last time I ever saw my father. I soon came to a stream of water with an icy pole over it, when I put my foot on it I would slip. I concluded I would risk it. I said what difference if I do fall in and get drowned. So I did not do it on purpose. So I ventured and came across safety. I was young and strong then. After that I met two white men just between daylight and dark, and one said “Where are you going?” I said, “I am going down here aways,” and they said, “You ought not go down there, they are bad people down there.” I said “I reckon they will not hurt me for one night.” I kept on walking as I talked. I happened to look across my shoulder and I saw one was following me. I did not run, but I walked pretty quickly, when I found he gained on me, I stopped, turned around and looked at him, and the other man said, “You better come away and let that man be,Jake,” and he turned around and left me, and I walked on. So again I was preserved by and Almighty hand. After that no one bothered me. In starting the second time to run away, he laid a stick in the direction he should start every night, and that helped him very much. It was in February, and the cold was severe, he had no chance to warm, and froze his feet so badly that they have always troubled him some. He was at one time two days and two nights without food. He finally reached Pennsylvania, but did not know it, and on the seventh morning he was so cold he could not resist the temptation to go in a farmer’s house and warm. A girl came in from milking, when he said, “What a fine quantity of milk.” “Yes, she said, we have the best cows in Pennsylvania.” Then he knew where he was. He chopped wood. One day when seeing a man come there with papers he was frightened, and went on his journey again. He stopped several times and worked awhile, but did not feel safe and would soon slip off again. He earned a little money.- From Harrisburg to Philadelphia he went on the cars, but having only $4 the conductor put him off when within 20 miles of the Quaker City, but one of the work hands on the cars told him to jump behind, which he did, and thus reached the peaceful city of Philadelphia. He was obliged to spend the first night there in the watch house, as he had no means of paying for a night’s lodging. During the night a prisoner was brought there and he was obliged to be locked up with him until morning, which was quite unpleasant. He worked a few days in a brick yard earning money to bring him to New York. He soon left there, and came to Poughkeepsie, crossed the Hudson there, and going 6 miles west, hired out for five months to Cornelius LeFevre, to work on a farm, telling him he came from New Jersey. He said, I now for the first time felt secure. I had a dream, and was told in it, “you are far enough, study your book.” After that he lived in the family of John L. DuBois at Libertyville for 3 years, where he was treated very kindly, his children taught him the letters, and to spell. He then married, lived on year in New Paltz, then settled at Ohioville, Ulster Co., N.Y. He received assistance and direction from a kind Quaker but the name of Stykes, who resided in Maryland. He has never forgotten him, and would much like to see him and express his gratitude, which he feels he owes him. James has been at Harper’s Ferry where John Brown was killed. He used to attend camp meetings sometimes when a slave and speaks of one journey there, where he passed through a valley, known by the name of London, in Virginia, where many Friends lived, all having beautiful residences in that part of the land. When he came to New York, people would gaze at him, could tell by his looks that he was a slave. One man tried to make him pay 50 cents, and told him he had not pain on the boat. But James had paid on the cares and on the boat connected. He said a crowd soon gathered around and the man was missing. He has lived North 42 years, always strived to live an industrious life, and been a Christian worker. He has had his share of the trials of life, losing his first wife and many children, but married again. Through all his many ups and downs and trying times, he has kept his eye of faith fixed of God and hip hope bright for heaven. He has lived in true thankfulness for his wonderful escape from slavery, and in his quiet home in the North has felt blessed. He did not date tell of his escape from slavery until President Lincoln’s proclamation freeing all the slaves. He worked many years in a family of Friends at Ohioville, by the name of Heaton. They were all interested in him, and found him a faithful and trusty man. At the close of the war he went to the South to find his mother. He rejoiced to find her living, and some of his brothers and sisters. Those sold far South he has not heard from. His mother has been to his Northern home once and visited James and his family, and James has been several times South on visits. At the time of writing this in the winter of 1888, he again went South, expecting this would be his last visit to his mother, but he was disappointed, upon reaching there to find she had died three weeks before. As she had expected him there sooner, she wished very much before she died to see him once more, but it was not permitted. She lived to be 98 years old. The slave holder’s daughter that James belonged to is still living. The scale has turned, she is dependent, and the former slaves are charitable, and often help her a little. When James first heard from his mother, after the war, he told mother Heaton. She said “Well, Jimmie, this must do thy heart good.” After James had been North four years, the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, that worried him much. He was feared he might be again caught and taken South. During his recent visit at the South he saw many changes. When he first landed after leaving Washington at German Station, Md., he saw 40 or 50 milk cans at the depot, showing it is now a great dairy country, creameries, etc. Years ago a great deal of grain was raised here. He also saw a large store house, where they can buy up hay, straw, corn, and wheat, paying the money for it there. It is then sent by railroad to Washington and Baltimore. Some wagons bringing in wheat were drawn by six large Norman horses; these wagons are heavy and they carry about one hundred and twenty bushels at a load. Years ago it had to be taken by horses about 30 miles. The country is in fine condition for farming, the country is also much improved and cut up in small farms, and new settlers came there from adjoining counties, none from the North. Houses are being built there now as nice as they are here. The colored people are prospering, have places of their own. Some have as much as 70 acres of land. The whites and colored have separate churches and schools, both have good ones. Montgomery Co. his old county, is temperance, but they will steal liquor some, but it does not flow as freely as of old. One man was arrested for selling while he was there, and paid $50 fine. They have all kinds of machinery for farming, more than at the North, water conveniences etc. No tobacco is raised there in that county, no fruit for market. At Poolsville, an incorporated village, in Montgomery Co., they have just put up a very nice large Academy, something they never had there before. He felt badly to visit the old plantation, all new comers, houses all gone, nothing left except the smoke house and the old stone mill; new cottages there, very great changes have taken place in over 40 years. He visited the grave yard where his grandmother is buried, (she was the first person he ever saw,) after death, over 50 years ago. They need to use carts and wagons to take the remains to the graveyard. He says he thanks the Lord he has lived to see the time when hearses are used for all classes. The abutments of two bridges still stand in the Potomac. These bridges were burned during the war and were never rebuilt. He stopped in Baltimore on his way home, attended a meeting, also a fair there, in the largest church the colored people have in the city, it occupies a whole block, had 900 members. In Washington he called on Henry Dezlinger and was kindly entertained. He says the State gives the poor old colored people $1,800 a year to help them along. He visited two months at the South. This sketch was finished as his ___. He has for a number of years had fruit on his little place and has enough to do to keep him busy and happy. I close this sketch with a selection from a recent poem. “We call at Jimmie’s cross the way, From my first days a neighbor there, And as we reach the cottage door, We’re greeted by the aged pair. Comfort and thrift seems to surround, The flowers and vines are blooming fair, With smiling vineyards all around, _____________ work and care.”
-transcribed by Jasper Clark |
