Ohio History Journal

96         Ohio Arch. and      Hist. Society Publications.     A YOUTHFUL HISTORIAN. Sometime before the holidays (1907) The Daily News of Spring- field, Ohio, offered three prizes for the best three essays on some local historical subject; essays to be written by the pupils of the public schools

and to be confined to one thousand words each. The judges selected as the awarding commit- tee were Prof. B. F. Prince, professor in his- tory in Wittenberg College, ex-President Clark County Historical Society and for many years Trustee of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society; Prof. Allen M. Kline, head of the history department in the Springfield public schools and Mr. J. H. Rabbitts, Post- master of Springfield, attorney-at-law, an ex- journalist and an enthusiastic and accomplished student of history. The contest awakened a great interest among the school pupils and scorces of competitors entered the field. The essays were submitted to the awarding com-

mittee in such manner that the decision of the judges would be without their knowing the names of the respective writers previous to the award. The successful winners and prizes were as follows: first prize, ($15 in gold) Douglas Hypes, aged 16, Wittenberg Academy; second prize ($10 in gold) Paul F. Trout, aged 18, Springfield High School; third prize ($5 in gold) Clotell Dalie, aged 15, Springfield High School. Master Douglas Hypes, the winner of the first prize is the son of the Hon. Oran F. Hypes, member of the Ohio Senate. The youthful writer adopted the methods of a real historian, for he went straight to the original sources, and obtained his material at first hand, as his addi- tional notes testify. This fact gives especial value and interest to the article and shows the young writer did his work with the true historic interest and painstaking labor. It is, moreover, admirably written, and is as follows: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN CLARK COUNTY.   BY DOUGLAS HYPES. It was on a cold dreary night in the early "fifties." A high gale was blowing, which seemed to drive everything before it with unabating fury. Soon after midnight, a wagon came noiselessly down old Mechanic street in Springfield, Ohio. The driver stopped the horses before a house, half way between Jefferson and Pleasant streets, and, quickly alighting, made his way up the hill to the dwelling. In response to his low knock, the back door was opened. "I have come a night earlier than expected," said the stranger, "for they were in pursuit."

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Editorialana.                         97

 

"All right," was the reply. "Bring them in."

A black man and woman were now taken from the wagon to the

house, and after receiving food, the secret panel from the cupboard was

removed, and they entered the hidden closet. Leaving the house, quietly,

the stranger drove away, while the whole scene remained enshrouded in

mystery. This scene was often repeated in the dark days before the

Civil War.

Perhaps there is nothing in the history of Clark County about which

so little is known, as her part in the "Underground Railway." Long

before the war, a Kentuckian, having followed his slave to Ripley, and

there losing all trace of him remarked, "He seems to have disappeared

on an underground road." Although spoken in fun, this incident after-

ward gave a name to those secret stations stretching from the Ohio river

and elsewhere to Canada.

The "Fugitive Slave Law," of 1850 gave the slave holders the right

to search for their slaves in other states, at the same time providing

for the laying of a heavy fine on any one refusing to assist in the search.

This law made even the enemies of slavery cautious, but they did not

cease giving secret aid and shelter to fugitives. Thus the history of the

Underground Railroad in Clark County was never written. Neither

diaries nor records can be found, and but few are living, who shared in

the exciting events of those days.

Most of the northern states east of the Mississippi, were crossed by

the trails of fugitive slaves. But of all these, Ohio was the favorite.

Slaves starting from the Ohio river, first reached the friendly Quaker

settlements of Clinton County. From there they went to Wilberforce

either through Xenia or Jamestown. The route then led to Selma and

South Charleston or Springfield. Another route entered from Dayton.

On reaching Springfield the fugitives were taken either to Urbana or

Mechanicsburg.

It will never be known how many citizens aided in secreting slaves.

In Springfield, John D. Nichols, whose residence in Mechanic street was

the secret station, probably assisted more slaves than any other person.

Others who gave support and money were: Geo. H. Frey, Christopher

Thompson, John Baldwin, Mrs. Ann Warder, Sampson Mason, Daniel

Morrow, Perry Stuart, Robt. Pyles and Chas. Stout. In the country were

Joseph Dugdale, James Farr, D. Heiskell, E. G. Coffin, Samuel Howell,

Jacob Jonathan and Wm. Pierce and others.

One of the noted incidents of the underground days, was the arrest

of five neighboring citizens and an attempt to take them away for inter-

fering with United States marshals, in capturing a slave. When the party

reached South Charleston they were stopped by Sheriff Layton. While

serving papers upon them, the ruffian marshals struck the sheriff to the

ground, inflicting serious wounds.

Constable Coffin now pursued the deputies to Green County, where he

overtook them and released the captives, after arresting the marshals.

Their arrest became a noted event, the New York Times referring to

it as the "Rebellion in Ohio." This act, however, aroused South Charles-

ton to an anti-slavery feeling, and at a public meeting they passed this

resolution:

Resolved, That we will make our town too hot to hold any informer,

resident or foreign, who may be found prowling in our midst, endeavor-

ing to involve our citizens in legal difficulties.

Within two blocks of the Nichols station of the Underground Rail-

road, now lives Chas. A. Harris. As a boy he once helped three fugi-

tives escape. One night in 1854, Dr. Joel Harris, who lived north of

Vol. XVII-7.

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98         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Springfield, aroused his son Charles, then but thirteen, telling him to go

to the barn and hitch up. The boy obeyed, but soon came back, fright-

ened, informing his father that he heard some one in the haymow. Tak-

ing a lantern, the father went out with Charles, and called, "Who's

night.

"Is that you, Dr. Harris ?" called a negro voice.

Soon three fugitive slaves appeared. They had been secreted by

Peter Bird, having been brought from Springfield.

"After giving them food," said Mr. Harris, "my father ordered me

to drive them to Pickrellton, nine miles away. Arriving, I called Mr.

Pickrell, saying as my father had told me, "I have brought some people."

Mr. Pickrell then led the fugitives into an orchard. Removing brush

from a hollow sycamore, the slaves crawled into a cave, dug out beneath,

where they were provided with food and blankets. The brush was thrown

carelessly over the entrance, and the slaves awaited the coming of another

night."

Among the colored freemen of that time, the most active for the

slaves, was Robert Pyles. His son, James H. Pyles, recalls the arrival

of seven fugitives one night. Secreting them at the Buckeye hotel barn,

they were hurried northward without discovery.

It is nearly fifty years since the time of the Underground Railway.

"Those were strenuous days," said men who are yet living to tell its

secrets. "All the money offered us by Southern slave masters, could not

silence abolition, for it was right." During the period more than five

thousand slaves escaped to the north, and not one was ever known to

be captured in Clark County. With their faces toward freedom, one

could hear the slave song:

"Dark and thorny is de pathway

Where de pilgrim makes his ways

But beyond dis vale of sorrow

Lies de fields ob endless days."

 

*       *    **

In conclusion with this paper, additional "notes" were submitted for

publication whenever it should be printed. This was made necessary, Mr.

Hypes explained, by the fact that he felt that the matter was important

but that it could not be added to his paper without running over the

1,000-word limit which was set by the rules of the contest.

These notes were retained by the contest editor and were not sub-

mitted to the judges. They are however, given here.

 

NOTES.

The introduction of the account, is based upon an actual event which

took place on Mechanic street across from my home. The old slave

station contained two secret closets. The part of the house which con-

tained the original slave cupboard has been removed, but the part con-

taining the other hiding place still stands, and is number 307 South

Mechanic street, now Lowry avenue. Before the former part was re-

moved, however, I frequently visited the cupboard, and have looked upon

it with much curiosity.

Entrance was gained to the latter by a trap door, which was cut

through the floor in a closet. Two joists had been removed between

the floor and lower ceiling, thus giving more space for the fugitives to

move. The trap door was easily covered over and would hardly have

been recognized.

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Editorialana.                         99

 

A daughter of Mr. Nichols, the anti-slavery man, is yet living, and

gives in a letter to me interesting facts. She says:

"My father and mother became earnest anti-slavery advocates in

1841, and from that time until the war, the colored people knew my

parents as friends, and our home was a refuge. When old enough,

probably about the year '48 or '49, I became greatly interested in the

black people, who came quietly to our kitchen door after dark and left

before daylight; often we children did not know who our callers were,

but we soon understood 'the back door knock,' the look exchanged be-

tween mother and father, and the anxious mysterious atmosphere that

pervaded the home, until father had word from the next 'station.' I

remember one morning before light, hearing a noise down stairs. I

crept to the kitchen to find a big black man and woman, for whom break-

fast was being prepared. I was quickly taken back to bed.

"I, one evening overheard father telling mother 'he had found a half

killed darkey in the cornfield,' who must get some supper and sleep,

and he would see Mr. -     , and get him off before daylight. I did

not see the man."

E. G. Coffin who aided in the arrest of the United States marshals

for the assault on Sheriff Layton, was a nephew of Levi Coffin of Cin-

cinnati. At the head of the underground, he aided hundreds of slaves

on their way north. He was a Quaker. E. G. Coffin often drove the

underground 'express,' from South Charleston to Mechanicsburg, and had

secretly taken the slave Addison White there in 1855. For this and other

service he now states:

"The outbreak of the war itself, was all that saved me from a term

in the state penitentiary, over which I afterward presided as warden."

 

AUTHORITIES.

Geo. H. Frey, Sr., E. G. Coffin, James H. Pyles, Chas. H. Pierce,

Walter Pierce, Mrs. D. A. Johnson, Mrs. Belle Nichols Rebuck, Ver-

sailles, Indiana. As to arrests, The Springfield Nonpareil, issue 1857.

 

 

THE CENTRAL OHIO VALLEY HISTORICAL CONFERENCE.

During the Summer and early Fall of the past year (1907) a number

of Cincinnati gentlemen interested directly or indirectly in history in

general and Ohio Valley history in particular formulated a plan for hold-

ing what was designated as the Central Ohio Valley Historical Confer-

ence. The purpose of this plan was to bring together for the opportunity

of discussion and mutual acquaintance and co-operation all writers, schol-

ars, teachers and others engaged in the field of history and all societies,

whose object might be, in whole or part, the promotion of history, gath-

ering of material, presentation and dissemination of the same. Patriotic

societies were included in the scope of the project. The chief, if not

original, protagonist of this idea was Professor Isaac J. Cox, of the de-

partment of history of the University of Cincinnati. Professor Cox sub-

mitted the plan to the Executive Committee of the Cincinnati Historical

Teachers' Association, which organization gave the idea enthusiastic sup-

port. General and special committees were appointed and many patriotic

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