The Underground Railroad
Arrival of Jackson, Isaac Edmonson Turner from Petersburg
TOUCHING SCENE ON MEETING THEIR OLD BLIND FATHER AT THE U.G.R.R. DEPOT.
LETTERS AND WARNING TO SLAVEHOLDERS.
About the latter part of December, 1857, Isaac and Edmondson, brothers, succeeded in making their escape together from Petersburg, Va. They barely escaped the auction block, as their mistress, Mrs. Ann Colley, a widow, had just completed arrangements for their sale on the coming first day of January. In this kind of property, however, Mrs. Colley had not largely invested. In the days of her prosperity, while all was happy and contented, she could only boast of “four head:” these brothers, Jackson, Isaac and Edmondson and one other. In May, 1857, Jackson had fled and was received by the Vigilance Committee, who placed him upon their books briefly in the following light:
“RUNAWAY—Fifty Dollars Reward,—Ran away some time in May last, my Servant-man, who calls himself Jackson Turner. He is about 27 years of age, and has one of his front teeth out. He is quite black, with thick lips, a little bow-legged, and looks down when spoken to. I will give a reward of Fifty dollars if taken out of the city, and twenty five Dollars if taken within the city. I forewarn all masters of vessels from harboring or employing the said slave; all persons who disregard this Notice will be punished as the law directs.
ANN COLLEY.
Petersburg, June 8th, 1857.”
JACKSON is quite dark, medium size, and well informed for one in his condition. In Slavery, he had been “pressed hard.” His hire, “ten dollars per month” he was obliged to produce at the end of each month, no matter how much he had been called upon to expend for “doctor bills, &c.” The woman he called mistress went by the name of Ann Colley, a widow, living near Petersburg. “She was very quarrelsome,” although a “member of the Methodist Church.” Jackson seeing that his mistress was yearly growing “harder and harder,” concluded to try and better his condition “if possible.” Having a free wife in the North, who was in the habit of communicating with him, he was kept fully awake to the love of Freedom. The Underground Rail Road expense the Committee gladly bore. No further record of Jackson was made. Jackson found his poor old father here, where he had resided for a number of years in a state of almost total blindness, and of course in much parental anxiety about his boys in chains. On the arrival of Jackson, his heart overflowed with joy and gratitude not easily described, as the old man had hardly been able to muster faith enough to believe that he should ever look with his dim eyes upon one of his sons in Freedom. After a day or two’s tarrying, Jackson took his departure for safer and more healthful localities,—her “British Majesty’s possessions.” The old man remained only to feel more keenly than ever, the pang of having sons still toiling in hopeless servitude.
In less than seven months after Jackson had shaken off the yoke, to