Ohio History Journal

A QUAKER SECTION OF THE UNDERGROUND

RAILROAD IN NORTHERN OHIO

BY PROFESSOR WILBUR H. SIEBERT,

of the Ohio State University

One of the main lines of the Underground Railroad

which traversed Ohio from south to north, began at

Ripley in Brown County on the Ohio River and ran

through Highland, Fayette, Madison, Franklin, Dela-

ware, Marion, Morrow, and Richland counties to Green-

wich in Huron whence branches ran to the lake north

through Erie County and northeast through Lorain and

Cuyahoga counties. This line of slave travel from Ken-

tucky had, of course, its switches and loops and at fre-

quent intervals its short-line connections with other

more or less parallel routes to the east and west.

Early in December, 1926, General Edward Orton

and the writer drove to the Alum Creek Friends' Settle-

ment, or Marengo, in Peru Township, Morrow County,

which was for many years an important station for har-

boring fugitive slaves on the line roughly traced above.

General Orton had his camera with him and acted as

the official photographer of the "expedition," taking pic-

tures of certain houses in the settlement where fugitives

had been secreted until they could be sent on to neigh-

boring stations on their way to Canada and freedom.

The first settlers on Alum Creek were Cyrus Bene-

dict, his wife, and their three children, who removed

(479)

Underground Railroad in Northern Ohio  481

scendants living within sixteen miles of her, besides two

daughters and their families who had remained in Peru,

New York. Among the children of the second Aaron

were Aaron L. Benedict and his sister, Esther L., who

married Griffith Levering. Aaron L. had a son, Livius

A., who was a mere lad in the early 1850's. Another

small boy of the settlement at that time was Mordecai

J. Benedict, who was the son of Daniel and was born

in 1845. There was also a third Aaron Benedict who

was born in Alum Creek settlement in 1817, grew up

to be an abolitionist, engaged in underground railroad-

ing, and risked his life several times in assisting fugi-

tive slaves to gain their freedom. His father's house

in the settlement was an underground station. He died

in 1905 at the age of eighty-eight years.

When General Orton and the writer visited the set-

tlement in 1926 Mordecai was the only member of it who

had personal recollections of the fugitive slave days. He

was then a vigorous man eighty-one years of age, dwelling

in a neat two-story frame house in which he had lived as

a boy. He readily recalled having seen the floors of the

sitting-and dining-rooms covered with the forms of

sleeping Negroes when he came downstairs of a morn-

ing, and he named various underground stations to the

south and north of Marengo and the prominent op-

erators of most of them. He also produced a family

scrapbook containing newspaper clippings and other local

memorabilia, including a clipping that gave an account

of a station a few miles out of Marion, Ohio, to which

slaves were sometimes conducted from the Alum Creek

settlement. And, finally, he loaned the writer a pamphlet

entitled The History of Peru Township, Morrow

Vol. XXXIX--31.

482      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

County, Ohio, containing the "Early History of the Set-

tlement and Reminiscences by Aaron Benedict and Oth-

ers," compiled by A. S. Benedict and printed in 1897 by

the Sentinel Printing House of Mt. Gilead, Ohio.

From these sources chiefly, the following account and

incidents of the section of trunk line of the Under-

ground Railroad extending from Columbus to Lake

Erie have been derived.

The route through the Alum Creek settlement had

its initial station at Ripley on the Ohio River and led

through numerous stations to Jason Bull's place at Clin-

tonville, thence to Ozem Gardner's two miles north of

Worthington, and so to Joseph Eaton's, northeast of

Delaware, on or near the southern boundary of Morrow

County. Mr. Eaton conducted the fugitives through

the woods to Daniel Benedict's, the southernmost house

of the Alum Creek settlement. A little farther to the

northeast and off the main road was Aaron Benedict's

house. He was active in caring for the refugees, but

his wife was a Virginian and did not relish the idea of

assisting  in  the  escape  of  southern  chattels.

Sometimes a party of the runaways would be taken to

the home of Aaron L. Benedict on the main road. In

1857 he built a large brick house and there continued

to receive underground passengers, but in case of danger

he concealed them in a barn and out-buildings across the

creek. A half-mile west of Aaron L. lived his brother-

in-law, Griffith Levering, who disliked to hide the fugi-

tives. But, nevertheless, under pressure of pursuit, they

were put in his cellar, and he wisely kept silent. Once

the danger was past, they would be brought back to

Aaron L.'s place. East of Marengo was Gardner Ben-

488      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

northern Ohio. It received loads of passengers not only

from the Marengo Friends' settlement, but also from

the Olentangy River and doubtless more western routes,

some of which issued from Cincinnati. Mr. Morris for-

warded some of his numerous charges by intermediate

stations to the Friends' settlement at Adrian, Michigan,

whence they were carried to station keepers at Detroit

and sent across the river to Windsor, Ontario. It is evi-

dent from the above account that most of the under-

ground operators on the Marengo line and the routes

and branches with which it was connected were Quakers.

The following incidents will show something of the

methods of the operators of the underground system at

Marengo and similar stations. In 1835 a slave-owner,

on his way from West Virginia to Missouri, camped on

the bank of the Scioto River near Franklinton. He was

accompanied by four slaves, a mother and her threee

children. They were abducted and hidden away by col-

ored citizens of Columbus, who soon conducted them to

Ozem Gardner's farm, twelve miles north of the city.

Mr. Gardner took them to Daniel Benedict's house at

Alum Creek settlement, where they remained several

days. The master and two hired helpers were able to

trace them to the settlement, found two of the slave boys

in Daniel's yard, and started away with them. As quar-

terly meeting was in session at Marengo, Daniel Bene-

dict was entertaining some visiting Quakers from Lo-

gan County. Daniel and his guests halted the slave-

catchers at the gate and sent to the meeting-house for

help. They also summoned Barton Whipple, a justice

of the peace, who read the law on kidnapping to the

slave-owner and the large group of Friends that had

Underground Railroad in Northern Ohio  493

The Rankin house on the hill at Ripley was a much-

patronized station of the Underground Railroad for

many years before the Civil War, and was continually

receiving fugitives from across the river, sometimes by

pre-arrangement with operators on the other side.

About a fortnight later, Green returned, with his fam-

ily, from a sixty-mile trip into Kentucky, and made his

signal as agreed upon. Mr. Rankin and Aaron Benedict

rowed across the river and brought them back. On the

following night Mr. Benedict and his party started

northward and in due course by night journeys, their

days being spent with friends along the way, arrived at

Marengo. Green and his family remained in the settle-

ment, occupying a cabin not far from the place of his

employer, Aaron Benedict.

About six weeks later several men arrived in a

wagon from Delaware late at night, entered the cabin,

took the woman and children from their beds, and drove

off with them. Green at the time was not at home, be-

ing in the woods with Mordecai J. Benedict hunting for

raccoon. They were summoned by the blowing of a

horn and emerged only in time to hear the wagon being

driven rapidly away. It returned to Delaware. Mor-

decai and Green soon followed on horseback, obtained

a warrant after some delay, but failed to find the sheriff.

At length they secured the services of a constable near

Bellepoint on the Scioto River and followed the kidnap-

pers to West Jefferson on the National Road, fourteen

miles west of Columbus, where they were found drink-

ing in a tavern. The constable would neither serve the

warrant nor surrender it, and Mordecai and Green could

do nothing but return home. It was no longer safe for

494      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

the Negro to stay at Marengo and he soon took passage

on the Underground Railroad for Canada. Later he

married there, having heard that his wife had died in

Kentucky two years after her capture. After the Civil

War Green returned and lived for a brief time in Ash-

ley  He then went to Kentucky and brought back with

him a daughter and her husband. They settled in Van

Wert County.

The following incident is concerned with an exciting

rescue and the transportation of the refugee to Canada

by the Underground Railroad. In 1838 a Negro ran

away from his master at the Kanawha Salt Works in

West Virginia and arrived at Marion, Ohio, where he

became the hostler in a stable connected with a tavern.

He was soon recognized by some one from his old

neighborhood, who informed on him. The master came,

had him put in jail, and returned home to obtain wit-

nesses to prove his property. The fugitive was kept in

prison forty days. Shortly before his trial the sheriff's

wife, who had previously lived in or near the Alum Creek

settlement, sent word to the Quakers of the approach-

ing hearing. Nine of them went to Marion, of whom

one was admitted to see the prisoner. In the conversa-

tion between the two it was revealed that the master

had come back, bringing six witnesses with him and

that three of them had been owners of the prisoner.

One was a lawyer (a Mr. Goshorn), who had come to

assist in recovering the slave.

The Quakers conferred together and decided to re-

sort to strategy. They also took into their confidence a

Negro who had tried to liberate the prisoner by under-

mining the jail. Their plan was to have the Negro and

Underground Railroad in Northern Ohio  495

the prisoner make a dash from the court room as soon

as the judge had rendered his decision, run through a

neighboring corn field, and make their escape on fast

horses that would be in waiting for them. The Quakers

were to block the stairway and thus prevent pursuit.

The next day the prisoner was given his hearing, the

witnesses testified, and bills of sale were produced show-

ing that the slave had passed through the hands of

several masters, being finally acquired by John Smith,

the claimant. However, Judge Bowen remanded the

prisoner to jail, and postponed his decision until the

following morning. That evening one of the Quakers

visited the prisoner and gave him full instructions.

In giving his decision, Judge Bowen called attention

to the fact that one of the bills of sale designated John

Smith as the owner while the witnesses had testified

that Mr. Smith was the owner. The judge maintained

that these might be two different persons and therefore

decided in favor of the prisoner. Nevertheless, the

master seized hold of his slave, flourished his bowie-

knife, and declared that he would have his nigger if he

had to go to hell or Canada after him. A rush and

scramble followed. The slave had hold of the arm of

one of the Quakers, from which the master could not

disengage him, while the Southerners brandished their

pistols, knives, and clubs. Thus they reached the street.

The sheriff called out the militia, who succeeded in

shutting the Negro into a building, although the door

was promptly battered in by the attacking party. How-

ever, the fugitive and his colored friend fled from the

rear end of the building, while the Quakers and West

Virginians were indulging in a scrimmage in the front.

496      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

One of the Quakers passed through the corn field and

awaited the coming of the two colored men. When

they arrived they mounted the horses provided for

them and were told where to meet their friend. They

reached Alum Creek settlement the same night. A few

nights later the rescued Negro was accompanied by

Aaron L. Benedict, Griffith Levering, and one of their

neighbors to the Owl Creek Friends settlement, two

miles north of Fredericktown, and after a day's rest,

they proceeded to Greenwich in Huron County, which

was another Quaker settlement. Thence they passed on

the next night to Oberlin, where the refugee was placed

in safe hands. He soon landed in Canada.

The following incident is one in which the master

of escaped slaves and a deputy United States marshal

were tricked into imprisoning the wrong persons. It was

shortly after the Fugitive Slave Law was enacted in 1850

that three Underground passengers came to a station at

Sunbury, Ohio, late in the afternoon, and were hidden

away. At dusk their master with a search-warrant

and a deputy United States marshal arrived in the

place and by chance or otherwise questioned the keeper

of the station. He unhesitatingly admitted that he had

seen that afternoon the three fellows described to him,

and said that he knew a man who secreted runaway

slaves. He suggested that the master and the marshal

put up at the tavern and keep their business secret until

he had tried to find the fugitives. The slave-hunters

complied with the advice given them, while the station

keeper made good use of the time thus afforded him to

forward the Negroes by rapid stages. He also decided

to play a practical joke on the intruders by getting

Underground Railroad in Northern Ohio  497

three of his anti-slavery friends to blacken their faces

and hands and occupy a stable near the jail. It was now

dark, and the station keeper went to the tavern and

led the slavehunters to the house of a man who, he

said, had seen three black men enter the stable. Several

visitors were at this man's house, presumably to see the

fun. They all went to the stable, the supposed fugi-

tives were apprehended by the deputy marshal, and

placed in jail, the master claiming them as his property.

Early in the morning the deputy marshal and gratified

owner made their appearance to get the chattels. The

jailer kindly brought a basin of water for them to wash

their faces and hands in, and they emerged from their

cell white men, to the marked discomfiture of the claim-

ant and his companion. Although the Southerner at

once disclaimed ownership of the released prisoners,

he was warned that he had laid himself liable to arrest

by causing the imprisonment of these white citizens.

The warning had the desired effect of hastening the

departure of the master and the marshal.

About the time of the last incident another ruse was

practiced on two masters who, with a warrant and a

deputy marshal had pursued their eight slaves, men,

women and children, as far as Oberlin and then had

passed to a place beyond where slave-owners were ac-

customed to lie in wait for their runaways. These

slaves had been forwarded from the Alum Creek set-

tlement. The anti-slavery men of Oberlin understood

the situation, and were anxious to get the fugitives out

of danger. They therefore took eight free negroes who

tallied pretty well with the description of the runa-

ways, and conveyed them by wagon to the masters'

Vol. XXXIX-32.

498      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

waiting place. The deputy marshal apprehended the

Negroes and put them in jail. Meantime, the real fugi-

tives were sent by the same route to Milan in the wagon-

bed underneath a load of hay, and so probably to Huron.

On his return in the morning the driver informed the

marshal that he had seen eight Negroes depart by ves-

sel for Canada that morning.

Another instance of the outwitting of pursuers oc-

curred near Seville in the southern part of Medina

County, on the farm of Halsey Hurlburt, who is de-

scribed as an abolitionist of the Joshua R. Giddings

school. In May, 1852, a Negro, his wife, and their

three boys were brought to Hurlburt's house. As the

man was the property of one master and the woman

and children, of another, they had made their escape

and come by the Underground Railroad to Hurlburt's.

They had spent but a single night there when the two

masters, a deputy United States marshal, and the

sheriff and his posse surrounded the house and de-

manded admission. While Mr. Hurlburt parleyed with

them his daughter Julia led the slaves through the cellar

and by way of a corn field and piece of woods to a

swamp near Chippewa Lake. Thence they were able

to reach a small island and take up their abode in a

hunter's cabin thereon. There they were kept and fed

until all danger was past. They were then sent in a

skiff up the lake to a place near the Milan road, placed

in a covered wagon and carried to Milan, where they

were put in charge of the captain of a vessel friendly

to fugitives, sailed down the Huron River and across

Lake Erie to the shore of Ontario. Mrs. Hurlburt had

supplied girls' clothes for the boys and men's garments

Underground Railroad in Northern Ohio  499

for the women. As the steamboat was about ready to

leave for Canada the master and an officer came on

board, but through the shrewdness of the captain were

unable to discover the objects of their search. As the

vessel approached Maiden the captain put his colored

passengers into a small boat and had them landed on

the Canadian shore. This was a common occurrence

in anti-slavery days, for the underground system main-

tained its lake traffic and could entrust its passengers to

the captains of a goodly number of the vessels plying

on Lake Erie.

'Squire Hull skillfully threw a slave-owner off the

scent at his farm seven miles west of Delaware near

the Scioto River. While a slave woman and her three

children were stopping at his house he learned that

their master, provided with a warrant, was looking for

them in the neighborhood. He put them under the

floor of his barn, spread wheat in the straw on the

floor, and set his horses to tramping it out to prevent

the voices of the children being heard. The master

came and searched the premises in vain. After he had

departed the 'squire took the fugitives to the Alum

Creek settlement.  Passengers arriving at the Hull

farm  appear to have come usually from  Marysville,

which was connected with stations at Mechanicsburg,

Urbana, Springfield, and places farther south. 'Squire

Hull frequently drove them to the Alum Creek settle-

ment, a distance of about twenty-five miles. He was

afterwards president of a bank at Bucyrus.

Some of the cruel features of slavery are exhibited

in the following incidents. About 1850 an old colored

man and his wife were brought to Daniel Benedict's

500      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

house at Marengo. They had belonged to a kind mas-

ter in Kentucky, but at his death had been sold with

his other slaves to a trader in Louisiana, who sold them

in turn to a sugar-planter. Their new master was so

cruel in his treatment of them that they fled to a cane-

brake. Bloodhounds were set on their trail and so man-

gled the woman's limbs that she was unable to travel

for two months. At length they made their way back

to Kentucky, were concealed by relatives and friends,

and conveyed by them across the Ohio River. Thence

they traveled by the Underground Railroad, stopped at

the Alum Creek settlement, and were sent on their way

to Canada. On their long journey from Louisiana to

Kentucky they experienced many hardships, privations,

and hairbreadth escapes.

One traveler who came to the settlement, was a

young mulatto who rode his master's race-horses as a

jockey. In fact, he had one of the horses with him,

on which he had escaped from Chillicothe, where his

master was attending a race. The slave was well

treated, except when he failed to win a race. Then he

was severely whipped. He made up his mind to stand

such abuse no longer and to flee the next time they were

on Ohio soil. At Chillicothe his master's horse won in

nearly every heat, and its owner indulged himself in a

spree in his hotel room. The jockey provided himself

with false whiskers cut from a black sheepskin, put his

master to bed in a sodden condition and donned his

clothes, took the race-horse from its stable, and started

for Canada. With the help of Underground station

keepers he reached the Alum  Creek settlement, and

after a short stay went through safely.

Underground Railroad in Northern Ohio  501

It has been affirmed by a former Underground op-

erator at Marengo that Eliza and her child, the famous

characters in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's

Cabin, came there after the young mother's thrilling

adventure in crossing the Ohio River to Ripley on float-

ing cakes of ice with her infant in her arms. He also

said that she undertook the hazardous adventure in

order to avoid the pangs of separation from her child,

which had been sold to a slave-trader by her master,

and added that they were sent safely on to Canada.

The number of station keepers in the Alum Creek

settlement was six at least and probably nine or ten.

One of these, Daniel Osborn, kept a record of the num-

ber of fugitives received by him during five months,

namely, from April 14 to September 10, 1844 (for the

facsimile of this record see the writer's volume entitled

The Underground Railroad, pp. 344-345). It amounted

to forty-five. Most of these fugitives were from Ken-

tucky, but two colored boys were from Virginia. Un-

der date of August 16 Daniel notes that a colored man

had gone from Gilead (probably Mt. Gilead) back to

Kentucky and returned with his wife and child and

his wife's sister. Eight days later he records that a

colored woman, who had been to Canada, returned to

the same state and brought back four of her children

and one grandchild. The last item of the memorandum

is dated September 10 and is to the effect that a yellow

man from Kentucky had been caught near Cratty's

house and carried back to slavery. It seems likely that

during this period of five months all the station keepers

in the Friends' settlement on Alum Creek had cared

for not less than two hundred runaway Negroes. The