The Declaration at the End of the Underground Railroad Conference, Albany, NY, 2/24/2007.

Fugitives From Slavery Who Passed Through Albany

Miss Harriet Jacobs was repeatedly lied to and abused by her enslaver. She escaped and hid in a crawl space in a shed on her free grandmother’s property for seven years. She finally escaped north but continued to be pursued. She came to the Albany area while working as the caretaker of a wealthy woman’s child. Harriet Jacobs, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

William and Catherine Harris and their child escaped slavery in South Carolina. Their journey took them through Philadelphia, New York and Albany. They met tragedy along the Erie Canal with the death of their child, but continued on to Canada to find their freedom. William and Catherine Harris, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Harriet Tubman, while a fugitive, assisted others to freedom despite having a bounty set for her capture. She did this work in spite of seizures that plagued her because of being struck in the head by a slave overseer as a child. She visited Troy and helped rescue Charles Nalle from capture in 1860. Harriet Tubman, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

John Williams and Martha Williams escaped enslavement and come as far north as Hudson. They found employment at the home of Charles Marriott in Hudson. After the “Prigg” decision of 1842 they considered it unsafe to stay in New York and went farther north to the Rokeby Farm in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. John and Martha Williams, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Miss Leah Brown, fugitive from slave owner Mrs. Mc Donald who held the rest of her family in bondage, had a bounty of $100 set for her recapture. Miss Brown’s pursuit of her freedom brought her into Albany, and thence on to Canada. Miss Leah Brown, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Mary Anne was a fugitive from Dr. Stewart, who sought her return to bondage. She was assisted by friends to escape her enslavement. Her passage to freedom took her through Albany. Mary Anne, we remember you as . . .
· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Miss Sarah Smith escaped her violent and cruel enslavement in New Orleans, coming to Albany with her husband, daughter of 4 years and an unborn child. Sarah and your family, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Elizabeth Castle, a dressmaker, along with Minerva Polly, Marianna, Marianna’s daughter and an unborn child, were fugitives from Baltimore, Maryland. They sought relief and assistance in Albany, but, being pursued by slave catchers, they were forced to go on to the Dawn Mills settlement in Canada where they could live a life of freedom. Elizabeth, Minerva, Marianna, and Marianna’s daughter, we remember you as . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Eliza Wilson came to Albany. She had been beaten with sticks, stripped and beaten with a cat of nine tails repeatedly and washed with salt brine to make the pain worse. She was badly scarred. She was kept illiterate and was made to work as a field hand. She escaped this treatment and fled north to Canada through Albany. Eliza, we remember you as . . .

· All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice

Joe and Rosa from the Shenandoah Valley, near Blue Ridge, in Virginia were slaves of Mr. Ridgley. They fled when they were to be sold to Georgia. They connected with Underground Railroad operators and traveled north through Albany. Joe and Rosa, we remember you as . . .

All: one of the people of courage, people of hope, seekers of justice