Ohio History Journal

HISTORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

IN MECHANICSBURG

BY RALPH M. WATTS

"Champion of those who groan beneath

Oppression's iron hand:

In view of penury, hate and death,

I see thee fearless stand,

Still bearing up thy lofty brow,

In the steadfast strength of truth,

In manhood sealing well the vow

And promise of thy youth.

Go on, for thou hast chosen well;

On in the strength of God;

Long as one human heart shall swell

Beneath the tyrant's rod,

Speak in a suffering nation's ear,

As thou hast ever spoken,

Until the dead in sin shall hear,

The fetter's link be broken!"

Tribute to William Lloyd Garrison

--John Greenleaf Whittier.

One who has sojourned in the quiet little village of

Mechanicsburg can hardly realize that at one time in the

past it was the scene of stirring events that at times

took on the semblance of a real tragedy--a drama that

began as early as 1851 and did not reach its climax until

1857--a climax of such importance that it did as much

to create abolition spirit in Ohio as any other event, not

even excepting the Dred Scott Decision. During the

greater part of this period the friends of slavery dubbed

Mechanicsburg a "black abolition hole." In and around

Mechanicsburg there was a little group of men who

Vol. XLIII-14         (209)

210      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

were as ardent abolitionists as could be found any-

where.

The development of this abolitionist sentiment

seemed to be sporadic and not due to influences of re-

ligious sects, as was the case in other communities. In

fact, the outstanding figure in the local drama could

hardly be classed as a religious devotee.

The knowledge that this abolition spirit existed in

Mechanicsburg led those who were active in assisting

escaped slaves at other points to seek connections in this

vicinity, which action eventually led to this town being

established as one of the most noted stations on the

Underground Railroad. Three distinct routes passed

through Mechanicsburg, and these, in turn, had switch-

ing connections with several other routes. In addition

to this, the Mechanicsburg stations became so well

known that many escaped slaves who were not under

regular convoy filtered in here from the South. The

fact that Mechanicsburg was outstanding as an aboli-

tionist center was emphasized by the fact that it was

surrounded by territories which were unfriendly to the

anti-slavery movement. This factor made the task of

transporting slaves more hazardous, and as a conse-

quence, greater skill was required to escape detection.

One is surprised at the difficulty he meets in gaining in-

formation about the Underground Railroad, until he

realizes that the activities were carried on so secretly

that even friends of the movement knew of the details

of only the particular activities in which they assisted.

Prior to the establishment of Mechanicsburg con-

nections, most of the slaves who were able to get as

far north as South Charleston were carried by means

History of the Underground Railroad  211

of the well-known routes in the vicinity of Springfield

and Urbana. Eventually these routes became so well

known and so carefully watched that it seemed expedient

to bring some slaves through Mechanicsburg.

Most of those who absconded from their masters in

Kentucky and the other slave states and chose the routes

passing through Mechanicsburg, came across the Ohio

River at Ripley, Ohio. The most conspicuous figure in

this division terminus of the Underground Railroad was

Rev. John Rankin, a Presbyterian minister. This man

owned a home situated on a hill above the little town of

Ripley, and from this vantage-point a lantern placed

within an open window in the attic of the house flashed

its freedom signal to guide the poor ignorant negro

across to Ohio to safety.¹ Today, this station attracts

tourists from all parts of the United States; for tradi-

tion says that it was in a room in this house that Harriet

Beecher Stowe penned the initial lines of her immortal

book, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Mr. Rankin could boast that

none of the slaves whom he escorted along the Under-

ground Railroad were ever captured. At this point the

Underground Railroad had its inception, as a haphazard

and accidental agency, which later on developed into a

well-organized and deliberate institution.

The slaves went from the station in Ripley to Wil-

liam Miners' station, six miles north of Ripley towards

Hillsboro; from here to a station in the vicinity of Rus-

sellville, conducted by a man whose name was Patton.

Two distinct routes emanated from Ripley: one was

1 Letter from Richard Rankin.

Other histories of Ohio seem to verify this.

214      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

vain attempts, however, Penny bargained for her free-

dom in exchange for his services to the master for one

year. The year's labor having been duly completed,

Penny asked for his reward, but the master in anger

threw him forty dollars and ordered him to "clear out.^'

Penny picked up the forty dollars and walked away; but

his absence was not to be purchased at such a low price,

for he used the money to purchase firearms. When

Saturday night arrived, Penny went to the master's

home, and taking his sweetheart, her sister, her sister's

husband and another man, attempted escape. In the

front yard of their master's home, they knelt and vowed

that they would reach freedom or die in the attempt.

Too, they drew up a verbal compact that they would

not be taken alive and that the first one to lose his cour-

age and suggest turning back should be shot by the

other members of the little band. However, the little

party had scarcely reached the banks of the Ohio when

they were accosted by two men sent out by the master

to capture them. Penny brought his new firearm into

play at this juncture by shooting one of the pursuers,

wounding him seriously. Shots were generously ex-

changed with the result that one of the negroes was in-

jured also, but nevertheless, they succeeded in crossing

the river. Leaving their wounded comrade with friends

at Ripley, Ohio, the others continued their journey to

South Charleston and Mechanicsburg where they were

enrolled on Mr. Hyde's first passenger list.

We have innumerable incidents in the history of Mr.

Hyde's activities, founded on substantial facts but which,

nevertheless, make it read like a novel. One day, for

example, he started to Ripley, saying that he was going

History of the Underground Railroad  215

to the river to get a load of castings to be used in his

blacksmith shop. Among the slaves which he hauled

back on this particular trip was an octoroon. Having

brought her safely to Mechanicsburg, he now faced the

task of getting her to her next destination. And we

must remember that besides antagonistic sentiment of

local pro-slavery men, the presence of federal marshals

in the community made the task of the "conductor" a

real game of wits. In order to escape suspicion, Mr.

Hyde dressed this girl in some of his wife's clothing,

including a bonnet with a face veil. Then mounting

her on a horse, he started with her in the general direc-

tion of Delaware.

Everything went well until they approached Belle

Point, where the pair was followed by some men on

horseback. Looking back, the girl exclaimed, "My God,

here comes my master!" Then Mr. Hyde's nerve and

head served him well. He instructed her to keep jerking

on the right rein to make the horse prance so as to keep

the girl's back nearest to the approaching riders and

thus hide her identity. Half under his breath, he

warned, "No matter what happens, what I shout, or

how I swear at you, pay no attention, but keep saunter-

ing on down the road."

In the meantime the horsemen were fairly up to Mr.

Hyde who was now calling to his "wife," "Keep your

head: she won't hurt you." By this time, the slave-girl

had gone around the bend in the road, and when out of

sight of her pursuers, rode as fast as possible to a

Quaker preacher's home in the clearing in the woods.

Hyde then rode up and began conversing with the min-

ister's wife. When the officers rode up as if in pursuit,

216      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Udley told them in no mincing language, "Now if you

fellows ever follow me and my wife again, I'll shoot

you.^"6 In the meantime, the negress had found shelter

until the officers had passed.

Now this Quaker preacher had a novel way of con-

ducting his "depot."⁷ He had previously built a new

home to replace his old log cabin. Under the cover of

night, he dug a basement under this old abandoned cabin

and then threw the dirt into an old well to escape sus-

picion. The entrance to this basement he covered with

wheat so that when anyone approached whose mission

was unwonted, some of the family would be busily en-

gaged in flailing grain.⁸ In this basement the girl re-

mained for two days, until she could be taken to another

Quaker settlement (probably Alum Creek).⁹

Many times it seemed that the clutches of the law

were closing in on Mr. Hyde's activities. Once a negro

came hurriedly to Mr. Hyde's home and asked for

shelter, for the slave-catchers were hot on his trail. To

the ordinary individual, this situation would have been

too dangerous a one on which to intrude, but the ex-

perienced Udney Hyde at once took charge of the

fugitive. Hurriedly hitching his team to his wagon,

with a false-bottomed rack which provided concealment

for the negro, he started toward Ripley, backtracking

over the same trail the negro had followed only an hour

or so before. The colored man was kept well concealed

on the bottom of the wagon while Mr. Hyde continued

his journey toward the Ohio River. They had been

6 "Tod Owens," who worked for Mr. Hyde.

7 Mrs. Kent.

8 Mrs. Kent.

9 Not certain.

History of the Underground Railroad  217

driving some time when far in the distance there ap-

peared a cloud of dust from which a small speck emerged

and developed into the grim outline of a spring wagon.

Mr. Hyde then turned to the slave and said, "Here

comes a slave-holder whom I know, and I'll have to

talk to him."¹⁰ The two wagons drew alongside and a

conversation began. The slaveholder, seeing Mr. Hyde

was headed toward the Ohio River instead of away from

it, casually inquired, "Hyde, why aren't you helpin'

niggers ?"

"Well, if I knew of any needin' help, I would be

helpin' 'em," was Hyde's casual reply. Then each of

the vehicles continued on its way. Hyde went several

miles farther, then turned back toward his home by

means of a circuitous course. That night he concealed

the slave in the cellar of his home. But his troubles

did not end then; for that very evening a marshal and

a slaveholder came and stayed all night at the Hyde

home. Fortunately the slaveholder and the marshal

never suspected that they were not the only "guests."11

Another time Mr. Hyde had a load of negroes in his

wagon and was met by some slaveholders. When asked

what he had under the hay in his wagon, Mr. Hyde

laconically replied, "Niggers, G--d--you!" The slave-

holders, believing Mr. Hyde was merely trying to get

them to examine an empty wagon, allowed him to drive

on without any further interruption.¹²

On at least one other occasion, Mr. Hyde narrowly

escaped detection by the law. This time he was coming

10 Mrs. Kent.

11 Mrs. Kent.

12 William Todd and Mrs. Kent.

218      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

along by the McConkey schoolhouse, southeast of

Catawba, headed toward Mechanicsburg with some

slaves covered by hay when his wagon got stuck in the

mud. While attempting to extricate his vehicle, Mr.

Hyde was approached by some marshals. They wanted

to help him, but he refused to unload his wagon as he

was advised to do by these men, saying, "I'll kill the

damned horses first!" His bold affrontery again served

him in good stead in eluding the slave-catchers, for he

was able to get the wagon out of the mud without re-

vealing the contents of his cargo.

It is sometimes true that the persons for whom we

do the greatest favors turn out to be our most ungrate-

ful friends. But Leo L. Lloyd, a colored slave whom

Mr. Hyde aided to escape by dressing him in girl's cloth-

ing and transporting him on horseback, returned several

years later to see Mr. Hyde.13 When he came into the

room, Mr. Hyde recognizing him, immediately asked:

"What are you doin' here, nigger?"14

"Mr. Hyde, I have gone to school 'til I'm pretty

well versed in education and have a good job and some

money. I've always wanted to repay you for saving

me, so I came back to give this to you as a token of

appreciation."15 The negro then opened a package which

contained a cane with an ebony head. It is said that

Lloyd had purchased this cane in Africa while on a trip

there to see his parents, several years after the war.16

Such was the appreciation of this negro for Mr.

Hyde's kindness.

13 Mrs. Kent.

14 Tod Owens, who was staying with Mr. Hyde at the time.

15 Mrs. Kent has the cane, in her possession to-day.

16 Mrs. Kent.

History of the Underground Railroad  223

arranged with crevices, hidden rooms and dungeons that

it was often referred to as the "Catacombs."26

Mr. Ware, too, was an ardent abolitionist who not

only sympathized with the negro, but actively engaged

himself in transporting the slaves. Mr. Ware became

an abolitionist during a trip which he made into the

South where he saw a slave girl sold on the auction

block, the sight of which, he often said, "made his very

blood boil."²⁷ Mr. Ware's anti-slavery activities in-

curred such enmity among some of his fellow-members

of the M. E. Church that they refused to go to the

communion table with him.28

Mr. Ware used the same method for eluding detec-

tion as Mr. Hyde--that of concealing his clandestine

passengers under some hay in his wagon. But one ruse

employed by Mr. Ware is certainly deserving of com-

ment. At one time when he wished to transport a large

load of slaves, and feared the ever-threatening menace

of Southern sympathizers, he allowed his daughter, Mrs.

Anna Sabine, to drive the wagon. True to Mr. Ware's

fortunate forethought, the seeming innocence of the

young girl averted suspicion.

But to one man, working for the Underground Rail-

road in Mechanicsburg almost proved a disastrous avo-

cation. Mr. Levi Coffin made a practice of hiding his

colored refugees in the David Rutan place (now the

Clinton Hunter residence).29 Most of these slaves he

brought to Mechanicsburg from Springfield, Ohio. But

government agents obtained authentic evidence of his

26 Mrs. Foster.

27 Mrs. Foster.

28 Mrs. Foster and others.

29 Tod Owens, conversation.

228      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

ground Railroad was William Cratty, whose picturesque

activities merit comment. This man began his partici-

pation in helping the negro as early as 1836, and con-

tinued it until 1853.47 Only for a short time did he allow

other interests to divert his attention from the slave

rescue work, and this interim occurred when Mr. Cratty

joined the overland pilgrimage to California in the Gold

Rush of '49.

In 1836, Mr. Cratty bought a farm in Delaware

County which became one of the historical landmarks as

a "station." Mr. Cratty's activities were so extensive

that he incurred the public enmity of slave-owners in

the slave states, who soon offered $3,000.00 to any per-

son who should deliver his body, alive or dead, south

of the Mason-Dixon line. In his later days, Mr. Cratty

looked back with pride on his early activities and fre-

quently commented that he had helped three thousand

slaves48 to escape. In fact, because his reputation be-

came so widespread, and because the rumor was cir-

culated that there was a price on his head, Mr. Cratty

was compelled to such a degree of precaution that he

never opened the door of his home at night without first

investigating the object of his caller's visit. He was

constantly in fear that some avenging slave-holder

would call at his home for the purpose of taking his life.

Regardless of this constant threat, Mr. Cratty was

bold in his talk and his actions against the slavery in-

stitution. On the reception of the news of the Fugitive

Slave Law of ¹⁸⁵0--a law which placed "aider and

47 All materials concerning William Cratty are from written records

now in possession of Mary Wanzer Furnish, Newport, Kentucky.

48 According to the records left by Mr. Cratty.

History of the Underground Railroad  229

abettor" under liability to the master of the fugitive to

the extent of the slave's value--Mr. Cratty publicly

announced that "Congress could not pass an act that

could fetter his conscience; and that he would continue

to run slaves, and that all men in Congress and out of

it were welcome to the knowledge of his intentions."49

One incident in the numerous experiences of Mr.

Cratty's participation was frequently re-told in the au-

tumn of his life because of the forcible impression that

it had made upon him. It was the discovery among his

cargo of a negro who had been fastened in an iron col-

lar. He related that this device was sometimes em-

ployed by the more barbaric masters to prevent slaves

from successfully evading their overseers by hiding in

the thickets and underbrush.

This contrivance, according to Mr. Cratty, was an

iron collar riveted about the neck. Iron hoops were

fastened to this in such a way that it formed a loop

above the head; and from this loop was suspended a

bell, which was outside of the range of the grasp of the

slave. It seems that this particular slave had worn this

device so long that his skin beneath it resembled leather

rather than human skin.

This incident probably did more to whet Mr. Cratty's

determination to free the negro race than any other

event. And due to his personal persistence and geo-

graphical location, Mr. Cratty must have been a big

factor in the "board of directors" of the Underground

Railroad. Mr. Udney Hyde made frequent trips to

Mrs. Cratty's farm, where he delivered slaves; so we

see that Mr. Cratty's home, the next station on the trip

49 Records in the possession of Mrs. Furnish.

230      Ohio Arch. and Hist, Society Publications

to Canada, was quite an outlet for our own branch of

the Underground Railroad.

From William Cratty's station, a good many slaves

probably were delivered into the hands of the Benedict

family, who resided about fifteen miles northeast of

Delaware, Ohio. The Crattys and the Benedicts were

friends, and according to traditions in the Cratty fam-

ily, some of the slaves went from the Cratty station to

the Benedict stations.

Aaron Benedict, like William Cratty, had a price

placed on his head by the Kentucky slave owners; in

his case, however, the price was $1,000. The fact that

Aaron Benedict had been ringleader in a rescue case in

Marion, Ohio, probably brought him the publicity that

led to a price being offered for his body.

A colored man had run away from the Kanawha

Salt Works, West Virginia, and had found his way to

Marion, Ohio, where he was employed as a hostler in

a hotel. He had not been employed long, however, un-

til his whereabouts were learned by his former master,

who had him arrested and placed in jail.

Having heard of the arrest, Mr. Benedict drove to

Marion, went to interview the incarcerated negro and

hoped to arrange for a lawyer to aid the prisoner; but

upon hearing the man's story, Mr. Cratty decided that

strategy would be more suitable than diplomacy.

On the day of the trial, Mr. Benedict and his col-

leagues had two speedy horses hitched at a certain

place near the court house. According to the plan, as

soon as the judge rendered his decision--which Mr.

Benedict thought must certainly be conviction--the

negro was to dash out of the court-room and down the

History of the Underground Railroad  231

stairs. Benedict and his men were to protect the negro's

retreat by force. The negro was to flee to an old

swamp, where he would later be joined by his benefac-

tors.

When the trial began, however, circumstances were

materially changed. The negro's former owner had

been John Smith; and the judge in giving his decision

ruled that inasmuch as all of the witnesses had sworn

that this negro belonged to "Mr. Smith," and that "Mr.

Smith" and "John Smith" might be two distinct per-

sons, therefore he was deciding in favor of the prisoner.

This ridiculous decision showed that Northern judges

as well as Southern judges could be biased in their de-

cisions in slave cases. Upon hearing this decision, the

sheriff turned to the prisoner and told him that he was

free. But as the negro arose to leave, Mr. John Smith

took hold of the slave's arm and said, "You belong to

me!" The sheriff then demanded that Smith release his

victim; but Mr. Smith drew his bowie-knife and shouted

"He'd have his nigger if he had to go to hell or Canada

after him."50

In the fight that followed and became more furious

as the group passed down the steps of the court-house,

all sorts of weapons--fists, chair rounds, and clubs--

were freely used by both sides. A maelstrom of boister-

ous pulling, laughing, and tearing of clothes developed.

The fighting continued into the street, when suddenly

someone hit Mr. Smith over the head with a rock. This

so infuriated him that he drew his pistol, and placing the

muzzle against Mr. Benedict's breast, pulled the trigger.

Aaron Benedict saw the contraction of Mr. Smith's

50 From a written account left by Aaron Benedict.

232      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

hand, the blow of the hammer as it fell, and the smoke

of the cap. All seemed to be over, and he was helpless

to avert the impending disaster--but the charge did not

explode. The fight was finally quelled by the sheriff,

but not until Mr. Benedict had succeeded in rescuing

the slave.

Taking a round about way, Mr. Benedict and the

negro made their way to the swamp previously agreed

upon. Here they stayed until about nine o'clock that

night, when they were joined by Martin Benedict. To-

gether, the two brothers took their charge to the home

of their father, Reuben Benedict. Until the excitement

could subside, the negro was kept in the garret of this

house.

In order to aid the poor negro on his way north,

Aaron Benedict and Griffith Levering took him two

miles north of Fredericktown where they spent their

first night; then, the second night, they took him to

Greenwich, Huron County; and finally on the third

night the party found themselves in Oberlin, Ohio,

where the negro was delivered into safe hands. Accord-

ing to Aaron Benedict's accounts, the colored man suc-

ceeded in getting into Canada.

There were, in all, four of the Benedicts who gave

their efforts to the freeing of the colored race--Aaron,

Cyrus, Reuben and Martin. According to Aaron Bene-

dict, the slaves passing out of the hands of the Benedict

family usually went to Moshers', two miles south of Mt.

Gilead, then to a point near Mansfield; from here the

slaves went to Greenwich, Oberlin and thence to the lake,

where they could get transportation by boat across to

Canada.

History of the Underground Railroad  233

Thus, we have traced the two main routes leading

from Mechanicsburg which converged at Alum Creek,

and from thence to Canada. In addition, the reputation

gained by Mechanicsburg unquestionably attracted

many hundreds of slaves who filtered through by means

of their own initiative and ingenuity without following

the main routes. This meant that they came here from

surrounding towns such as Springfield, Urbana, Lon-

don and many other places. Due to its geographical

location, Mechanicsburg probably was host to more of

these escaped slaves than any other town in this part of

the State.

In fact, the negro who was to become the most-

talked-of refugee in central Ohio came to Mechanics-

burg in this manner. One morning James Hunt, who

resided on a farm near Catawba, awoke to find a large

burly negro sitting on the wood pile. When questioned,

the negro asserted that he was ravenously hungry. Mr.

Hunt, taking pity on the poor colored man, gave him

something to eat on condition that the negro should

never reveal who fed him.51 This negro, who was of

unusual physique, was Addison White, and he belonged

to Daniel White, a slave owner of Flemingsburg, Ken-

tucky. The fugitive related that his master had hired

an overseer to beat his slaves, and especially for the pur-

pose of breaking Addison's will. Addison would not

submit to such treatment, so he beat up the overseer.

The slave owner's recourse then was to hire a "nigger

breaker" to take charge of the White plantation.⁵²

Sensing that trouble would result, Addison suddenly

51 Frank Hunt, conversation.

52 Mandy White, ex-slave and wife of Addison White.

236      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

when some Kentuckians, together with U. S. Deputies

Churchill and Elliott of Cincinnati, and Captain John

Puffinbarger, of Urbana, deputy marshal of Champaign

County, appeared in Mechanicsburg at daybreak and de-

scended upon the Hyde cabin, two miles south of town.

The Hyde cabin was a two-room affair made of

hewn logs. To the left of the door was a ladder lead-

ing to a loft floored with heavy planks. Hearing the

commotion as the sound of the horses' hoofs announced

the approach of the officers, Mr. Hyde gave the negro

a loaded gun and sent him up the ladder through the

passage, which was barely large enough to admit his

large body, with orders not to use the gun until signalled

to do so. When the deputies arrived at the door, Mr.

Hyde, still confined to his bed because of his injured

foot, invited them to come in. When the officers had

made known the object of their visit, Mr. Hyde in-

formed them that the negro was in the loft but that he

would surrender him only on condition that the slave-

holders give up their guns and give Addison a fair

chance. Addison would then have only his trousers, a

shirt, and a pair of powerful fists as a means to gain

his freedom from his pursuers. The deputies, neverthe-

less, refused to bargain on such terms.

Finally, one of the officers, Elliott, tired of this petty

bickering announced he was going up the ladder after

the captive. Mr. Hyde warned the officer that the negro

was well armed and determined not to be taken alive.

All the while the negro had been wanting Mr. Hyde to

give him the signal to open fire.

Elliott climbed the ladder, regardless of the warn-

ing. As his head and shoulders emerged above the small

History of the Underground Railroad  237

opening, the slave, getting the signal from Mr. Hyde,

opened fire. The bullet struck the shot gun carried in

the hands of the deputy and glanced off without more

serious injury to the officer than a singed ear inflicted by

the ricochetting projectile. This frightened the deputy,

causing him to fall from the ladder to the ground floor

in the midst of his comrades, who were watching man-

oeuvers from below.

While this was taking place, attempts were being

made to get help from outside. Aaron, one of Mr. Hyde's

sons, attempted to go to Russell Hyde's for help, but

was ordered back at the point of an officer's gun. Aman-

da, a daughter (later Amanda Shepherd) conceived a

plan. She took some feed and went into the yard where

she pretended to be feeding the chickens. Starting sud-

denly, she hurried toward the neighboring farmhouse,

protected in her flight by the safe coverage of a wood

pile in the front yard. One of the officers drew his gun

and commanded: "Stop, you little hell-cat!" But this

young lady defied their threats, saying, "Shoot and be

damned."⁵⁸ (For this very deed, this daring little lady

was given the choice of $50.00 or 50 acres of land in

Texas by Aunt Mira Ware⁵⁹). She aroused her brother

to get him to ride to Mechanicsburg to arouse the people

and bring aid against the officers. Oldsters have it that

she herself continued on into town hanging on to a tail

of a cow to hasten her progress.

Within the cabin, the officers were beginning to sense

their embarrassing predicament. After the negro shot

58 Mrs. Kent.

59 Mrs. Foster; Mrs. Kent.

238       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Elliott, there were no others who volunteered to arrest

the captive.60

"We better get out of here," cried Elliott, turning

toward the door. "Here comes that whole damn abolition

town of Mechanicsburg!" Surely enough, a crowd of

restless, excited people were coming to the scene. All

types of weapons, varying from clubs to carpet beat-

ers,61 were being brandished by these citizens.

Elliott, seeing the boards of the loft above him move,

decided to give his prey a good scare before beating a

hasty retreat. Pulling his gun to his shoulder, he fired

at the negro through a crack in the floor. "There's

enough slugs in that to fill his whole carcass too full o'

holes to hold punkins, and powder enough to send him

straight to hell!"62

As the men passed out of the door, one of them

slammed the door on Mr. Hyde's injured foot, causing

him to faint. But the officers' troubles were not to be

allayed so easily! There was that crowd of "ruffians"

from Mechanicsburg who did not look the least bit

friendly.

The scene that occurred at this point must have been

as thrilling as the finale in a western movie; for there

were all types of people assembled in the Hyde yard,

jeering and threatening the officers. There were young

men carrying clubs, there were old men, young women

and old women--women with bread dough still on their

hands where they had left their morning's baking.

60 Due to the prejudiced colorings of the various versions, both verbal

and printed, the writer had to choose those versions that seemed most

probable and were repeated oftenest.

61 Mrs. Kent.

62 Mrs. Kent.

History of the Underground Railroad  239

There were all types of weapons: Pitchforks, clubs,

sticks, but there seem to have been no firearms brand-

ished. After some strong words had been exchanged be-

tween the infuriated mob and the officers, the officers

were given orders to leave within a certain length of

time. Seeing that resistance would be futile, the officers

climbed into their carriages and drove away. The mem-

bers of the mob after having taken care of Mr. Hyde,

and released the negro, finally dispersed to resume their

various peacetime tasks.

Fearing that this episode would not be the closing

chapter of the story, Udney Hyde left his home and

stayed at various places, moving from one place to an-

other within the immediate county.  For a time he

stayed with "Aleck" Doty, who then resided at Five

Points, a few miles from Mechanicsburg. Each time,

however, that he ventured near home, the officers soon

appeared in the vicinity.

Not only did Mr. Hyde fear personal apprehension,

but he took the precaution to deed his property to Prince

Alden so that the officers could not seize it.63

When the snares of the law seemed to be closing in,

Mr. Hyde changed his hiding-place to the Gaddus

Lands, a vast swamp lying to the east of Mechanicsburg.

During the day Udney Hyde kept himself in these bad

lands--home for snakes and wild animals--that acted

as a great protection from possible pursuit. When

darkness fell, he would go to the Cornelius Van Ness

farm home, where he would be given his day's meals by

the Van Ness family.⁶⁴

63 Mrs. Kent.

64 Mrs. Kent; Mr. J. S. Van Ness.

240      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Days and days were wearied away by Mr. Hyde in

this dismal swamp. But this constant isolation from his

children finally drove Mr. Hyde to return home for an

occasional brief visit. Whenever he went home it was

late in the afternoon, and in the guise of an insane man.

The mud of the swamp covered his clothes; he fastened

sticks to the brim of his hat, and walked in an unusual

manner.⁶⁵ Even the children helped in their way by re-

porting that a crazy man had called at their home to get

something to eat.

Let us see what had happened to the negro in the

meantime. He had been spirited away and hidden during

the thrilling days when the officers were attempting to

apprehend Hyde. After all the controversy had been

settled, Addison White went to Massachusetts where he

joined the Northern army in the Civil War. Here he

was enrolled in Company E, 54th Massachusetts Infan-

try.⁶6

After the War, Addison White split wood near

Pleasant Chapel, where he met and married his second

wife who survives him and resides on East Race Street.

After Mr. and Mrs. White moved into town, Mr. White

held a job for the village, driving the water wagon. The

sight of "Add" White, his team, and his dog were, no

doubt, familiar sights to some of the older residents.67

On May 27, six days after the shooting episode,

Deputies Churchill and Elliott, accompanied by a posse

of men from Cincinnati, appeared in Mechanicsburg for

the purpose of arresting Udney Hyde. Joseph Brand of

65 Mrs. Kent.

66 Mrs. White; also shown by gravestone.

67 "Todd" Owens.

242      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

No resistance was made, and the posse started in

carriages in the general direction of Urbana. As the

party passed through town, it was stopped by some citi-

zens who desired to know the grounds for the arrest,

and the legality of the proceedings.71 Mr. Churchill as-

sured these citizens that he would take his prisoners to

Urbana for preliminary trial. But some of these citi-

zens evidently became agitated at Churchill, for one

William Pangborn said, "Boys, you don't have to go

unless you want to; just say the word and we'll set you

free!^"72 To this one of the officers replied, "By God,

that's talk!"⁷³ Nevertheless the assurance that Churchill

would go to Urbana to prefer charges against the pris-

oners was accepted, so the officers were allowed to pro-

ceed with their charges.

By certain friends of these arrested men, this prom-

ise was not accepted at its face value; and as a result,

David Rutan and Colwell, neighbors of Guthridge.74

set out to follow the officers to Urbana. These men

soon found out that their suspicions had not been un-

founded; for the officers, instead of going to Urbana,

turned south at Clark's hill about five miles west of

Mechanicsburg. This led the would-be rescuers to sus-

pect Churchill of holding the purpose of kidnapping the

men in his custody, and taking them into a slave state

where they would be severely persecuted and possibly

murdered.

When Rutan and Colwell encountered the officers'

70 Court records printed in the Springfield Republic.

71 Mrs. Kent, conversation.

72 Marysville Tribune, September 15, 1897.

History of the Underground Railroad           243

posse, one of the marshals said, "What in the devil are

you following us for"? To this Rutan replied that he

had followed merely "to see fair play."⁷⁵ Whereupon

the marshals leveled their pistols and threatened the pur-

suers' lives if they did not turn back. In the meantime,

one of the marshals, seeing they had trouble at hand,

had grabbed "Saw" Taylor by the hair of the head,

handcuffed him, and "ordered him to keep his d---d

abolitionist mouth shut!^"76

Mr. Colwell was unable to gain any concessions from

the officers either by force or diplomacy, so he hastily

drove to Urbana to secure a writ of habeas corpus for

the release of the captives and a warrant for the arrest

of the marshals.77

F. W. Greenough made application for the writ of

habeas corpus to secure the release of Edward Taylor,

Charles Taylor, Hiram Guthridge, and Russell Hyde.⁷⁷

75 Court records, June 17, in the Weekly Republic.

76 June 26, 1857.

77 The following warrant was issued to F. W. Greenough:

"To S. V. Baldwin, Probate Judge of Champaign County, Ohio.

Edward Taylor, Charles Taylor, Hiram Guthridge, and Russell Hyde

respectfully present that they are detained and deprived of their liberty by

Officer Churchill without any legal authority. They therefore pray that

a Writ of Habeas Corpus may be issued to the said Churchill commanding

him to forthwith have the bodies of said Charles Taylor, Edward Taylor,

Hiram Guthridge and Russell Hyde together with the cause of the de-

tention before your honor, and that they be released from said imprison-

ment.                                F. W. GREENOUGH.

Sworn to by said F. W. Greenough this 27th day of May A.D. 1857

before me,                          SAMUEL V. BALDWIN.

1 This was followed by the issuance of this writ:

The State of Ohio

Champaign County

To the Sheriffs of our several counties greeting:

We command you that the bodies of Charles Taylor, Hiram Guth-

ridge, Edward Taylor and Russell Hyde of said county by one

244       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

The writ was issued by Samuel V. Baldwin, judge of

the Probate Court of Champaign County, and placed

in the hands of Sheriff Clark to serve on the party,

which was now rapidly moving toward South Charles-

ton, at which point the officers hoped to board a train

for Cincinnati.

While these legal proceedings were going on, citi-

zens of Mechanicsburg, Urbana, Springfield and sur-

rounding communities prepared to aid in the pursuit of

the "abductors." About one hundred persons in the

posse organized by Sheriff Clark started in hot pursuit

about two o'clock in the afternoon. Still another posse

was hastily organized by Sheriff Layton of Clark

County, and Pierce Morris and Senator Brand of Ur-

bana. Sheriff Layton and his party headed straight for

South Charleston as fast as the horses could be safely

driven on such a hot afternoon. Excitement ran high

and the whole country side was aroused by the chase.

Sheriff Layton encountered the U. S. marshals and

their prisoners at a point not far from South Charleston,

and rode up to serve the writ of habeas corpus. He called

out that he was the sheriff of Clark County and that

Churchill imprisoned and restrained of their liberty without any legal

authority as is said, you take and have before me, Samuel V. Baldwin,

Judge of said county, forthwith to do and receive what I shall then

and there consider, concerning them in their behalf. And summon

the said Churchill then and there to appear before me to show the

cause of the taking and detaining the said Charles Taylor, Edward

Taylor, Russell Hyde and Hiram Guthridge, and have you there then

this writ with your doings thereon.

Witness my hand and the seal of the said Court at Urbana this

27th of May A. D. 1857.             Samuel V. Baldwin,

Judge of the Champaign Probate Court.

(Seal)

History of the Underground Railroad  245

he had a writ; but this declaration was met by cries

of "Go to hell, drive on," etc., emanating from the pur-

sued. Then Compton, deputy marshal of Springfield,

rode up and caught the bit of one of the horses pulling

one of the buggies. A battle royal then ensued in which

shots were profusely exchanged.  Churchill fired at

Compton at least twice, but Compton's gun would not

fire when he snapped the trigger. The marshals then

demanded that Sheriff Layton show his writ; but when

he stuck his hand in his pocket to procure the writ, he

was struck over the head with a Colt wielded by

Churchill, who suspected the sheriff of reaching for his

gun. This blow had serious effects, for Sheriff Layton

never regained his health after this encounter.

While this affray was being staged, Sheriff Clark

and his party came upon the scene, and the U. S. mar-

shals, seeing that they were greatly outnumbered, made

a hasty retreat on their way southward.

Ichabod Corwin, a lawyer of Urbana, and Senator

Brand wasted no time in organizing a new pursuit

group, and aided by the citizens of South Charleston,

who volunteered their services and fresh horses, began

the quest of their quarry anew. One must realize that

a forced ride from Urbana to South Charleston under

a hot sun is wearisome to horse and rider alike; besides,

the county officers had been handicapped by a late start.

Now followed the most exciting part of the whole

chase; for it was now very dark and the trip had to be

made under the cover of darkness. Hour after hour

the men rode along, but the advantage of fresh horses

proved to be a deciding factor in favor of the pursuing

246      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

posse. About morning, as the party was approaching

Lumberton, the marshals were seen in the near distance.

As the sheriffs' posse closed in, the fleeing marshals

left their prisoners and scattered in every direction.

Some of them, in their desperation ran into homes in

which the occupants were yet asleep. Several of the

marshals' posse succeeded in escaping, but to at least

ten, including Churchill and Elliott, the effort was in

vain.

The Mechanicsburg men were returned to Urbana,

where they were tried on habeas corpus proceedings be-

fore Judge Baldwin, May 29. The U. S. marshals

were occupied at this time, however, with defending

themselves in Springfield, so the four--Russell Hyde,

Charles Taylor, Edward Taylor and Hiram Guthridge

--were released.

In the meantime, the marshals had been taken to

Springfield, where they were brought before Judge

Tobert. It should be remembered here that the sheriffs

held writs for the arrest of the U. S. marshals. In ad-

dition, warrants had been issued for the arrest of

Churchill and party; one charging them with assaulting,

with intent to kill, Sheriff Layton; the other making the

same charge in behalf of William H. Compton. Not

having necessary funds with which to provide bail, the

deputies spent the night in the Springfield jail.

Next morning these men gave bail, but upon being

released, were again arrested. This time, the charge

was the attempt to shoot Layton, and their bail was set

at $1000., which they were unable to pay, so once more

they were incarcerated.

At this point the Addison White case takes on

History of the Underground Railroad    247

national importance; for no sooner were these marshals

placed in the jail, than Judge Leavitt, who was judge of

the U. S. District Court, demanded their release. Now

the issue became a phase of the "state rights" contro-

versy that was the cause of the Civil War later. The

question involved was whether, in case of controversy,

the United States or the State of Ohio had supreme sov-

ereignty; for the United States Court was demanding

the release of prisoners held by a state court. The State

authorities finally decided to release their prisoners on

condition that they be committed to the charge of Judge

Leavitt, in Cincinnati. Several days were consumed by

the trial, and then Judge Leavitt delayed his decision.

Let us see what had been happening in Mechanicsburg

in the meantime.

The citizens of Mechanicsburg, resenting the ac-

tion of the marshals in seizing four of their citizens and

assaulting the county officers, held a public meeting at

Mann's Hall, (where Smith's Drug Store is located)

May 29, to take official action against the unwarranted

conduct of these marshals. As soon as the meeting--

composed of sober, earnest men, old, middle-aged, and

young men was called to order, a chairman and a secre-

tary were appointed.  (That no names were recorded

certainly needs no explanation.) Speeches of a spirited

nature were given by several prominent citizens who

magnified their grievances in vociferous oratory. Fol-

lowing the oratory, a committee was appointed to draw

up the following resolutions:

"Whereas, There has recently occurred in our midst, a seizure

of citizens of this place, and it becomes necessary that we, the

fellow-citizens of the persons seized, should express our feelings

in reference to the act.

248       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Therefore,

Resolved, That in the late seizure of persons in our town, we

have not interfered with the officers, nor will we hereafter, in any

illegal manner attempt to interfere with the execution of lawful

writs.

Resolved, That we will, at the same time, endeavor, by all

honorable means in our power, to satisfy our minds that any writs

served upon our citizens, emanate from the proper source, and are

in the hands of officers properly appointed and legally authorized

to execute the same.

Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to use all proper means in

our power, to cause any persons under arrest to be speedily and

safely conveyed to our seat of justice, where the said warrants

may be legally substantiated or annulled."

How very similar to that little group of men who

met at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, in 1774, to assert

their rights, and at the same time to restore harmony be-

tween the agents of King George and themselves!⁷⁸ Now,

however, the agents are those representing the United

States Government.

Nor was Mechanicsburg the only town that re-

sorted to concerted action in protesting against conduct

of the deputy marshals. South Charleston, the host to

most of the action in the assaulting episodes, was posted

during the night of July 2 with notices announcing a

meeting to be held at Pringle's Hall at eight o'clock that

evening for the purpose of deciding what should be done

in the event that any of the South Charleston citizens

should be arrested for assisting the sheriffs in executing

the law. They agreed that "laws must and would be

obeyed, if properly executed," but that they would not

be arrested by a "set of drunken bullies 'clothed with a

little brief authority.'" They went to the extent of de-

claring that if it became necessary they would "Sacrifice

78 The Republic, June 19, 1857.

History of the Underground Railroad    249

life before they would be treated like dogs."⁷⁹ A further

resolution read: . . . "while we would deprecate and

strive to prevent resistance to the proper execution of

any legal warrant, emanating from State or national

authority, we will not for our imaginary offense, quietly

allow our citizens to be seized by drunken U. S. mar-

shals or any other such officials. . . . Resolved, that we

heartily endorse the conduct of those of our citizens

who, at the command of the sheriff, assisted him in the

arrest of the U. S. marshals; and we hereby pledge to

them (in case of prosecution) as far as necessary, our

influence, our time, and our means, to aid them in se-

curing justice--which we regard as acquittal."

Returning to the scene of the trial, we discover that

it consumed several weeks--a trial in which the theory

of state's rights was predominant--that is, whether a

law of the United States could be annulled by violent

opposition or by disapproval on the part of one of the

states. The issues of the trial were so paramount that

Chase, governor of Ohio, designated his attorney gen-

eral⁸⁰ to take a hand in the case.81 It was even expected

that the President of the United States would send out

the attorney general of the United States to appear in

behalf of the Federal Government.

Judge Leavitt, in handing down his decision, July

16, 1857, said: "I know well there is a deep-seated hos-

tility to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 throughout

most of the free States . . . but these considerations do

not excuse or justify attempts to defeat the National

79 The Republic, Springfield, July 3, 1857.

80 Cincinnati Enquirer, June 18, 1857.

81 Ohio State Democrat, Urbana, Ohio, June 18, 1857.

250      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Laws, sanctioned by the Constitution of the United

States, growing out of the existence of the institution,

in other parts of the Union . . . but while it is a law, it

must be respected and obeyed as such. . . . Its repeal by

the same power that passed it is the only method by

which it can cease to have the force of law. . . . The

deputy marshals are discharged."

It should be noted here that the very principle laid

down by Judge Leavitt was the ideal for which the

North fought four dark years of bitter warfare at a

cost of some 600,000 lives and $4,750,000,000. from

1861 to 1865.

Then followed a series of trials impossible to relate

in detail. Certain persons like Dr. M. L. Houston, E. G.

Coffin, constable of South Charleston, Senator J. C.

Brand, Sheriff Clark, and David Rutan, Edward Tay-

lor, Charles Taylor, Russell Hyde and Hiram Guthridge

were brought to trial by the United States for violations

of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Edward Taylor, Charles Taylor, Russell Hyde, and

Hiram Guthridge, on trial for alleged participation in

aiding Addison White to escape, were set free on con-

dition that they pay Mr. White for his property. The

money was raised in and around Mechanicsburg by

means of popular contributions by citizens. Eliza Pat-

rick, for example, a bachelor girl who donated $100 to

help buy Addison, is quoted as having said that Addi-

son White was "the only man in whom she ever had any

interest." When the money had been paid, the City of

Mechanicsburg was given the deed for the property.

This deed of manumission for Addison White is one

of the most interesting documents to be found in the

History of the Underground Railroad        251

Champaign County Court House, at Urbana, Ohio.⁸²

It reads as follows:

Deed of Manumission:

"Know all men that I, Daniel G. White of Fleming County,

Ky., in consideration of the sum of nine hundred dollars on hand

paid to me by John A. Corwin of Champaign County, Ohio, in be-

half of Addison White, a negro man aged about thirty-five years

who is my slave under the laws of Kentucky, and who had left my

service, do hereby free, acquit, release, and manumit the said Ad-

dison White, my slave as foresaid, and give and assign him to

freedom to go and to do as he pleases during his life, without con-

straint or obligation of any nature by and to me at any time or

place or under any circumstances whatever, and I hereby covenant

and agree with the said John A. Corwin and the said Addison

White to visit, or reside in the State of Kentucky or elsewhere, and

shall be free and unrestrainted, except by the laws of Kentucky or

the laws of the place where he may be and sojourn, and without

any claim of mine or any other person upon his services. In wit-

ness whereof I have hereunto fixed my name and seal this 12th

day of November A. D. 1857, at the City of Covington, in the

State of Kentucky."

Daniel G. White.

Alexander Cowan,

W. W. Johnson.

There was certainly personal feeling of hostility

manifested in the series of personal suits following in

the wake of the government trials. For example, Mr.

Frey, editor of the Weekly Republic of Springfield, was

sued by Deputy B. P. Churchill for $500 damages for

saying that he would not regret to see him (Churchill)

handled according to the "law of lynch" for his connec-

tion with the Addison White case.⁸⁴

Among his other accusations that he made in his

newspaper, Mr. Frey accused William G. Boggs, post-

83 Springfield Republic, June 12, 1857.

84 Weekly Republic, May 20, 1857.

85 eekly Republic, June 5, 1857.

252      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

master of Springfield of having tampered with the

mails and of being the informer who notified Mr. White

of the whereabouts of his slave. For this, Mr. Boggs

entered suit for $5,000, a suit which Mr. Frey counter-

acted by a suit against Mr. Boggs for $6,000.

That the whole state of Ohio was stirred to deep

feeling and intense excitement by the Addison White

case may be readily seen in the meetings at Mechanics-

burg and South Charleston, and the discussions of the

case in practically all of the Ohio newspapers. One of

these, for example, compared Addison White's action in

fighting off the United States marshals to Patrick

Henry's immortal declaration, "give me liberty or give

me death!"86

But to imagine that the excitement over the Addison

White case was confined to the limits of Ohio would be

erroneous. The New York Tribune and the Commer-

cial Advertiser (New York) ran frequent articles dis-

cussing the questions involved in the trial in Cincinnati.

The whole United States, from North to South, and

from East to West, cast an anxious eye toward this im-

portant case. But, like all issues that stir the very souls

of men into backbiting factions, parting friends by

seeming insurmountable barriers and causing great

discussion, the Addison White case lost its caustic bit-

terness as expressed in lawsuits and counter suits, and

was gradually dropped from the dockets of the courts.

But it had left its impression on the individual and po-

litical thinking of the people as a tornado's impression

on a seemingly peaceful community.

86 Citizen and Gazette, Urbana, June 5, 1857.

87 Citizen and Gazette, Urbana, June 12, 1857.

History of the Underground Railroad  253

The activities of the Underground Railroad, and the

Addison White case in particular, probably had more

to do with arousing the sympathies of Ohio to the sla-

very cause than any other influence--not even making

exception of the Dred Scott case. People who would

probably have never realized the conditions of slavery

were favorably impressed by the determined fight of

these colored people and their supporters who so ab-

horred slavery that they would risk that which is most

dear to any individual--life itself--to avoid its tor-

tures.

The North saw, also, in connection with the Under-

ground Railroad, only the stern hand of the law wielded

by marshals who were not always ethical in their ex-

ecution of the law. This naturally aroused sympathy

for the negroes, who were hunted down like quarry

beasts before the pack.

Nor was the Underground Railroad instrumental in

arousing the psychology of war in the North alone; for

the Southern slaveholder looked upon the participants

in the illicit traffic as thieves who were stealing their

very means of earning their bread and butter.

Neither was the antipathy of the Southern planta-

tion owner merely a personal hatred for the "agent" of

the Underground Railroad, but it is also manifested it-

self in antagonism to the Federal Government, which

the slaveholder believed was not taking necessary meas-

ures to enforce the legal rights of the plantation owner

as specified in the Compromise of 1850. This antag-

onism to the government finally manifested itself in the

action of South Carolina in seceding from the Union.

But for the less impulsive individual who respected