Historical Documents - 1850s

   Five slaves made their escape into Ohio from Jamestown, Ky., on Sunday night. On the same night there was a stampede of negroes in Hopkins county. Eight of Col. Wm. Bradley's negroes, one of Mr. C. Earl's, a widow lady named Mitchell lost several, and it is reported that Gen. White also lost several. They had not been captured at latest dates. 

   SERVILE STAMPEDE.––Last Sunday night, 11 slaves escaped from Loudon county, Va., three of whom belonged to Gen. Rust. 

   A slave stampede took place in Loudon county, Va., on Saturday night last. Eight grown persons and three children are known to have disappeared.

   A stampede of Negroes, as stated by the Richmond Enquirer, took place in Loudon county Saturday night or Sunday, 14th. Gen. Rust loses three, Gabriel Vanderventer three, Charles Douglass one woman and her children. Eight grown persons, and we believe three children. More may be gone but all the facts are not ascertained. 

           ANOTHER STAMPEDE.

                 Negro Stampede.

   NOT YET CAUGHT.––A report being in circulation that the runaway negroes of Mr. BUSH had been taken, we are authorized to contradict it, as they are still at large. Mr. BUSH we learn has increased his reward to $1,000; and $1,000 is offered by Mr. ANDERSON for the apprehension of the preacher ISAAC, who enticed them away. A good speculation [illegible]

    A slave stampede recently took place in Loudon County, Va.

                                                                Negro Stampede.

   We learn from the Hannibal Democrat of the 23d, that Mr. John Burt of Marion Co., lost by flight on Sunday night last, six negroes. The Democrat states, they were enticed away by a negro preacher of the Methodist Church, named McDaniels. 

   Heretofore, if has been usual where negroes run away from their master, in Marion county, to accuse citizens of Quincy with running them off, when, in point of fact, we suppose that not a soul in this city knew of their flight. Those stampedes nearly always occur from agencies and causes existing right in the midst of the slave owners themselves.

   WHOLESALE STAMPEDE.––A few nights since, fourteen slaves escaped from Kenton Co., Ky., and about the same time, twelve others were missing from the vicinity of Maysville.

   NEGRO REVOLT.––We have a letter of November 2d, from Mr. Graves, a postmaster at Halletsville, Lavaca county, (says the Galveston Civilian of the 11th) in which he says that most of the men implicated by Davidson in the proposed negro stampede, were not found guilty––or at least his testimony was regarded as of no value, from conflicting with his former statements. The parties accused, however, were released on condition that they should leave the county in forty-eight hours. Davidson received one hundred lashes and orders to leave the county in twenty-four hours. One of the parties attempted to be implicated by Davidson, named Heffernan, was not included in the order to leave, and is not suspected. The others were men of doubtful character. 

    STAMPEDE OF FREE NEGROES.--The free negroes at Murfreesboro, took a compulsory stampede from that place last week. Their depredations had become insufferable to the citizens, and their pernicious influence among the slave population made them a serious grievance. Self-preservation compelled the whites to stringent measures to get rid of them and a general stampede ensued during last week. 

    An Excitement.--Some little excitement was raised in Nanjemoy district last week, in consequence of the arrest of two negro men suspected of plotting an insurrection among the blacks.--We understand, however, from persons who were present at the examination that nothing reliable in the way of evidence was obtained that should cause fear in the minds of our citizens. There is nothing, we presume, like an insurrection to be apprehended; but it would be well for the organized patrol parties to be vigilant, lest a "stampede" in some quarter might take place. There is some reason to suspect that two white men have been tampering with negroes in the district named; but we learn that, finding public feeling so strong against them, they thought it prudent to leave the State. 

                STAMPEDE OF FREE NEGROES.

   The free negroes at Murfreesboro, took a compulsory stampede from that place last week. Their depredations had become insufferable to the citizens, and their pernicious influence among the slave population made them a serious grievance. Self-preservation compelled the whites to stringent measures to get rid of them and a general stampede ensued during last week.--Nashville Patriot, Dec. 2. 

   Stampede of Free Negroes.--The Nashville Patriot, of the 2d Inst., says:

   The free negroes at Murfreesboro, took a compulsory stampede from that place last week. Their depredations had become insufferable to the citizens, and their pernicious influence among the slave population made them a serious grievance. Self-preservation compelled the whites to stringent measures to get rid of them, and a general stampede was the consequence. 

THE POOR DARKIES.––Christmas is the great, if not the only holiday allowed to the slaves of the Southern States; it comes but once a year to them, in a double sense, and it must be looked forward to with an anxious longing which free laborers can have no conception of. But this year, it would seem, from the notices we have seen in the Southern papers, that the slaves have been denied this customary Christmas holiday, because their masters have been alarmed at the reported insurrections, and were fearful of the poor darkies availing themselves of a day's freedom from toil to attempt a general rising or a general stampede. It is difficult for the people of the North to properly understand the feelings of the slaveholders towards their property, or to commiserate sufficiently the embarrassments and troubles which the masters endure in managing their negroes.

   THE POOR DARKIES.––Christmas is the great, if not the only holiday allowed to the slaves of the Southern States; it comes but once a year to them, in a double sense, and it must be looked forward to with an anxious longing which free laborers can have no conception of. But this year, it would seem, from the notices we have seen in the Southern papers, that the slaves have been denied this customary Christmas holiday, because their masters have been alarmed at the reported insurrections, and were fearful of the poor darkies availing themselves of a day's freedom from toil to attempt a general rising or a general stampede. It is difficult for the people of the North to properly understand the feelings of the slaveholders towards their property, or to commiserate sufficiently the embarrassments and troubles which the masters endure in managing their negroes.

   SLAVE STAMPEDE––Eleven negroes confined in Harris Edmondson's jail and awaiting transportation south, escaped from confinement Saturday night and have not since been heard of. The police have been notified there is but little doubt but that the runaways will soon be apprehended.––[American.

   JACK FROST TURNED ABOLITIONIST.––The Cincinnati Gazette of the 6th instant says:

   The recent freeze-up of the river has afforded unequalled facilities to negroes disposed to migrate to a more northern clime. Six "Chattles" belonging to one family, set out from Covington to Canada a few nights since, and numerous other stampedes have taken place along the line of the river. Many persons sent their negroes to the interior for safe keeping. We fear our Southern neighbors will soon be voting the Ohio river a nuisance, and pass resolutions of indignation against Dame Nature for aiding and abetting the Abolitionists. 

   In spite of that high price of breadstuffs for some years past, of which the Virginia planters, by reason of their nearness to tide-waters, have been able to reap advantages so superior to those of the Western farmers; in spite of the introduction of the use of guano as a means of fertilizing their worn-out lands; in spite of efforts to excite the industry and revive the prosperity of the State by an extensive system of internal improvements for which large advances have been made from the State Treasury, in addition to heavy subscriptions by private citizens; in spite even of an unprecedented rise in the market value of slaves––the leading product of Virginia––which seems to be rapidly bringing up the price to the mark fixed by Governor Wise; in spite of all these things, that alarming decline, a remedy for which the State doctors of Virginia have long been in search, still continues to go on unabated, and still continues to draw forth endless jeremiads from the n

            DR. JETER'S LETTER.

   Dr. JETER, it will be remembered, did not take any very active part in the Palmyra and Quincy Railroad scheme, and was absent from the House when the vote was taken on it. His conduct in reference to this matter, having been censured by the Palmyra press, he has since written a letter to B.H. JONES, Esq., editor of the Sentinel, in which he denies the charge of negligence brought against him, and proceeds to give a statement of the influences which led to the defeat of the project.––These influences are likely to operate in all future time, and the friends of the project had as well abandon it at once. 

   Dr. JETER, speaking of what he terms the illiberal course of the Missouri Legislature toward the Quincy and Palmyra Railroad says:

         Incidents of the Inauguration 

      (Illustrated with Cuts, by Scrope.)

   Not to be out-done by our city contemporaries, we this week give to our readers an illustrated statement of the general ceremonies of the late Inauguration. Knowing the lively interest in the occasion, we, regardless of expense, sent on Mr. SCROPE, one of our artists, to be present and take such sketches of the affair as would not be likely to get into other papers. Accordingly a few days prior to the 4th of March, that respectable individual put his shirt into a port-manteau and took the cars for Wheatland, where he arrived in time take the following sketch of

   WETLAND, FROM THE BACK WINDOW OF THE HOTEL.

      Horse Thieves About.

        From the South-Side Democrat.

         THE FUTURE OF VIRGINIA.

THE CHARLESTON MERCURY AND THE NEW YORK HERALD.

   WHAT SHALL BE DONE FOR VIRGINIA?––

   SLAVES IN VIRGINIA.––The present price of negroes is altogether too high to justify the application of such costly labor to the exhausted lands of Virginia. Accordingly, the papers informs us of a negro stampede from all parts the state––the negro trade being exceedingly brisk, and many masters moving off with their force to escape Virginia executions, and all in hopes to apply their black labor more profitably to a less exhausted soil. 

  STAMPEDE OF SLAVES.––On the 11th inst. three slaves belonging to Dawson V. Hammond, Esq., near New Market, and two belonging to Dr. Abdiel Unkefer, of Liberty Town, Frederick county, Md., absconded for parts unknown. 

   SLAVES IN VIRGINIA.––The present price of negroes is altogether too high to justify the application of such costly labor to the exhausted land of Virginia. Accordingly, the papers inform us of a negro stampede from all parts of the states––the negro trade being exceedingly brisk, and many masters moving off with their force to escape Virginia executions, and all in hopes to apply their black labor, more profitably to a less exhausted soil.

   THE SLAVE STAMPEDE.––The Hagerstown Herald states that the five slaves who escaped from that county on Saturday have not been captured. The horses and vehicles were recovered at Chambersburg, Pa., but the slaves took the cars for Harrisburg. 

   THE SLAVE STAMPEDE.––The Hagerstown Herald states that the five slaves who escaped from that county on Saturday have not been captured. The horses and vehicles were recovered at Chambersburg, Pa., but the slaves took the cars for Harrisburg. 

   On Saturday night last a regular stampede took place among the negroes in this neighborhood. We learn that two negroes belonging to Mr. Wm. Heyser, near town, one of Mr. Joseph Rench's, and one of Mr. John Booth's, in town, and it is supposed a number of others of whom we have not yet heard, started for the land where negroes have the privilege of keeping. They took with them a horse belonging to Dr. E. Weis, and one of Mr. H.K. Tice's, together with a carriage of Mr. F.J. Posey, and Mr. Jos. P. Mong's buggy. They were pursued, however, and arrested at Chambersburg, Pa., on Monday.––Hagerstown Chronicle. 

   Negro Stampede.––The Natchez Courier says that no less than thirty-one negroes have disappeared from the neighborhood of Fort Adams within the past month. They have either run away or been stolen. 

                                  From the Cincinnati Times.

    TERRIBLE RIOT AT CAIRO.

Attack on Free Negroes by a Gang of

          Desperadoes!

Fire Arms Used & Several Persons

           Wounded.

      BUILDINGS FIRED!

Organizations of a Vigilance Committee.

Several of the Desperadoes Arrested!

  GREAT EXCITEMENT IN CAIRO!

                      CAIRO, July 26.

   DEAR TIMES.--Our city is no in a state of great excitement. Riot and lawlessness ran rampant last night; blood was shed, and the city had a narrow escape from conflagration. I hasten to give you the details, so far as I can gather them.

A Slave Stampede occurred at Washington, D.C., a few days ago.  Over a dozen negroes, male and female, having received permission to go to a camp meeting in Montgomery county, Md., embraced the occasion to seek a more permanent camp in Canada. 

   A Slave Stampede occurred at Washington, D.C., a few days ago. Over a dozen negroes, male and female, having received permission to go to a camp meeting in Montgomery county, Md., embraced the occasion to seek a more permanent camp in Canada, among Col. Prince's constituents, no doubt attracted by his representations of the Elysian laziness up there. 

      Runaway Negroes Caught.

   The five negroes we mentioned in our last paper, as having run off from this city last Thursday night, were captured the next night in the prairie bottom opposite this city. They were over hauled a little after dark, on the plank road leading out to the bluff, and after a short scuffle, four of them were arrested, the fifth escaping. The next morning he was pursued and caught. They were captured by Messrs. JORDAN HYDE and NEAL FOUKS, and are now lodged in the calaboose in this city. 

   Stampede of Slaves.--The Washington Star, of the 25th ult., says:

   On Saturday a number of slaves belonging to various citizens of the District, obtained a covered wagon, under the pretence of going to the camp meeting in the adjoining county. They departed, but have not returned, and their owners have reason to believe that they have emigrated by the underground railroad. Some fifteen slaves are missing, most of them belonging in this city and county. Among the losers are Messrs. Linton, Randolph Harbaugh and Isaac Scraggs. Officers have been in search of the fugitives, but up to this time none have been recovered. 

   STAMPEDE OF SLAVES.--On Saturday a number of slaves, belonging to various citizens of the district, obtained a covered wagon, under the pretense of going to the campmeeting in the adjoining county.--They departed. But have not returned, and the owners have reasons to believe that they have emigrated by the Underground Railroad. Some fifteen slaves are missing, most of them belonging in this city and county. Officers have been in search of the fugitives, but up to this time none have been recovered.--Washington Star, Aug. 25. 

   THERE was a general stampede of negroes from Dover, Delaware, last week by the underground railroad. Capt. Hugh Martin, Mr. John Chipman, Mr. Philips, and Mr. Horsey have each lost valuable negro men, and Mrs. Spice of Sussex county, a woman slave estimated to be worth $600. 

   STAMPEDE OF SLAVES.--On Saturday night about fifteen slaves left Washington, D.C., in a covered wagon under pretense of going to a camp-meeting, but as they have not since been heard from it is supposed they have made tracks for a free State. Officers have gone out in pursuit. 

   STAMPEDE OF NEGROES FROM NORFOLK.

   NORFOLK, VA., Sept. 5.--Twelve negroes have run off from this city for the North in a few days. 

SLAVE STAMPEDE––THEIR RECAPTURE AND BANISHMENT TO THE COTTON FIELDS

                WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 1857.

   For the last 10 or 12 days those of our citizens who were prevented from some cause or other from sojourning at the springs, and yet were determined to go somewhere, have been enjoying themselves at the Camp Meetings. Fights and other fancy scenes took place, and a general stampede of slaves followed. Three valuable slaves belonging to Mr. Johnson, of Montgomery, obtained permission to attend Camp and started for Canada. Whether they have reached the promised land is not yet known, as the late Canada papers in which the arrivals of such distinguished strangers are regularly published, have not yet printed their names. 

   SLAVE STAMPEDE--THEIR RECAPTURE AND BANISHMENT TO THE COTTON FIELDS.--A correspondent of the Cleveland Herald, writing from the Washington City, under date of the 6th inst., says that a few days previous about 17 slaves, including both sexes, were permitted by their masters, residing in that city, to attend a camp-meeting towards the north part of the State, (Maryland.) After getting their spiritual strength renewed, they concluded to turn their faces towards the land of the Free, and had almost succeeded in reaching a place of safety, when the stampede became known. A drover in Baltimore offered to capture the Fugitives for a share of the sale money to the cotton plantation of the South. The owners having agreed to his proposition, he went in pursuit and brought back nine of the party, who were yesterday put en route for the cotton fields.

Slave Stampede––Recapture––Sent to the Cotton Fields

                WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 1857.

 Funeral--Death of Jordan Branch--

      Stampede of Slaves, &c.

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE RICHMOND DAILY DISPATCH.

                            PETERSBURG, Sept. 10th. 

   The funeral of the late David Donman, Sr., was solemnized this morning at the Tabb street Presbyterian Church, attended by an immense throng of persons. An impressive discourse was delivered on the occasion by the Rev. A.W. Miller. The remains of the lamented man were escorted to Branford Cemetery by the St. Andrew's Society, and accompanied by a numerous train of carriages, forming on the whole a most importing cortege. 

          Slave Stampede.

   Norfolk, Sept. 5th.––Twelve negroes have run off from here to the North within the last few days. 

           Stampede of Slaves.

   On Saturday night about fifteen slaves left Washington, D.C., in a covered wagon under pretence of going to a camp-meeting, but as they have not since been heard from it is supposed they have made tracks for a free State. Officers have gone out in pursuit. Among the losers are Messrs. Linton, Randolph, Harbaugh and Isaac Scraggs. 

   ANOTHER STAMPEDE OF SLAVES.--On Sunday last no less than eight slaves, belonging to F.M. Carter, Margaret McCarty, Joseph Isden, Dr. A. Gibson, Wm. Dodd, and Thos. Hoge, made tracks from Loudon county, Va. 

   NEGRO EXODUS.––The Washington Star says:

   "Last Saturday, several slaves owned in and around Washington, left home by permission to join their colored friends at the camp-meeting in Montgomery county, who have not since been seen or heard from.––Others disappeared from their owners' residences here on the same day. Diligent search having been made, both at the camp and elsewhere, it is probably [probable] that they have joined in a stampede to the free States."