Rochester (NY) Frederick Douglass' Paper, "Stampede of Slaves," June 22, 1855

STAMPEDE OF SLAVES.––The negroes had been worked and paid no wages for many years on the plantation of Mr. Byrnes, of Bourbon county. They had been observed on several evenings to mysteriously absent themselves from their owner's premises, and on Wednesday night they were watched by a son of Mr. Byrnes, who saw them in a secluded spot, about half a mile from the house, in conversation with a couple of white men, with whom they were talking for upward of an hour. Informing his father of this occurrence the latter became alarmed and dispatched the son to a friend, who resided ten miles from his plantation, for assistance; the negroes, meantime, suspecting something, stole off and were followed by Mr. Byrnes who, observing that they had bundles with them attempted to prevent their leaving. This they resisted and their master in the melee was severely handled, being left unconscious on the sward. The slaves, meantime, made tracks for the Ohio River, where they crossed about ten miles below this city and are supposed by this time to be out of the influence of the Fugitive Slave Law. Mr. B., Jr., [illegible] here yesterday morning but came to the conclusion that he was too late to effect any good.––Cleveland Inquirer.