Beginning Date
Wednesday, July 15, 1857
Starting Point
Around 12 enslaved people escaped from eastern Missouri, taking refuge in Cairo, Illinois. When white Missourians arrived in pursuit, black residents resisted with force, shielding the freedom seekers from recapture.
Escape Attributes
Violence
Escape Numbers
12
Outcome
Freedom
Notes on Sources
Blackett, The Captive's Quest, 153; Davenport Iowa Quad-City Times, August 5, 1857 (NP)