Identifier: historyofundergr00smed_0 (find matches)
Title: History of the Underground railroad in Chester and the neighboring counties of Pennsylvania
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Smedley, R. C. (Robert Clemens), 1832-1883
Subjects: Underground Railroad African Americans
Publisher: Lancaster, Pa., Office of the Journal
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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er given them, and a speedyconveyance furnished to other friends. Thus hundredswere aided, and instances of peril and anxiety were notrare. Many came directly from their owners in Dela-ware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Fewquestions were asked beyond what were necessary tosatisfy themselves that the parties were really fugitivesfrom slavery. A man and woman with their child, tired and hun-gry, called at their place one night. They had comefrom near Elkton, had ridden one of their mastershorses as far as they dare, then traveled the rest of theway on foot. They were attired in some of Massascloes. The woman wore a pair of his fine boots.Their reason for leaving was a fear of being sold togo South. They were fed, properly clothed, and as-sisted further on their journey. It was a custom in the South to give slaves once ayear a week of holiday in which to enjoy themselveswithout being required to work, and to visit relatives andfriends on other plantations. Many of them were not
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HANNAH COX. UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. 275 required to return or to give an account of themselvesduring that time. As this week was their own, andsome of them liked to earn a little spending money,they remained and worked; the masters paying themfor the labor. But many felt that as one week of lib-erty in a year was a glorious respite from the longweeks of unrequited tasks, a lifetime of such libertywould be better, and they took advantage of that timeto leave for the North. So, after the holidays, a greaternumber of fugitives were passed along. In after yearsthe slaveholders discontinued this custom. It was after one of these seasons that two fine lookingcolored men and a woman came from Maryland andwere passed to other stations. Several years after, oneof the men met Hannah Cox at an anti-slavery meet-ing, and reminded her of the time she helped him tofreedom. One woman came there from Wilmington, who wasthe slave of a Presbyterian minister. She had beenkindly treated, but heard a whispe

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