Brooklyn (NY) Evening Star, "Negro Stampedes," January 22, 1859

   NEGRO STAMPEDES.--What is called the Panhandle of Virginia, consisting of Hancock, Brooke, Ohio and Marshall Counties, twenty years ago, had one thousand slaves. There are now in Hancock County none, 18 in Brooke, about 100 in Ohio County, nominally, and 20 in Marshall, being less than 140 in the four counties. The balance have run away or been set free, and those that remain, being mostly burthens on their masters. The Wellsburgh, Va., Herald, in noticing these stampedes, and the prevailing disposition among the slaves to leave their masters, without permission, says:--

   Our "Mountain county" exchanges bring us frequent reports of stampedes among the negro population, and sometimes affect desperate wrath; we recollect when such occurrences were frequent hereabouts, and whenever they happened, there would be considerable fuming, fretting, and some swearing among the victims of misplaced confidence in negro flesh; but gradually it would wear off, and they become reconciled to their losses. So it will have to be in the border counties. Although the Panhandle is almost stripped of its slave property, we cannot say that the general wealth is any less than it ever was, or that the people live less contentedly, or get rich any slower than they did when every family, almost sported its darkey or darkies. The fact is, we have become reconciled to our privation, and are rather disposed to congratulate ourselves, as upon a happy riddance. The Panhandle is, perhaps as free now of African element, either bond or free, as any other section of the Union, without exception.