Beginning Date
Thursday, August 9, 1855
Starting Point
Freedom Seekers Mentioned By Name
Joseph
Slaveholders Mentioned By Name
Thomas Rodney
Mid Points
End Point
An enslaved man named Joseph fled from slaveholder Thomas Rodney in August 1855, boarding the Illinois Central Railroad at Cairo and riding the train to Chicago. Joseph was never recaptured, but an irate Rodney sued the railroad in Illinois state court, but lost.
Escape Attributes
Railroad Escape
Court Hearing
Escape Numbers
1
Outcome
Freedom
Notes on Sources
Dexter, Bondage in Egypt, 323