THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Mrs. Samuel Tibbets Contributes Interesting Reminiscenses
The Madison Courier - Madison, Ind., Feb. 11, 1880.
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Editor Courier:
The very interesting article of Miss Auretta Hoyt in the last number of THE COURIER has called up so many soul-stirring memories of the past, the days when the struggle to liberate four million of men, women and children held in slavery, was known and felt by some, but publicly
confessed by few, that my humble pen desires to add some items of interest to her truthful narrative.
We, as a family, were personal actors on many of the events she enumerates. She closes her statistics in May, 1845. The society continued its organization until it was merged into the Republican party, when the principles of liberty for the oppressed in our land began to assume
a political position outside the church and a conscientious one inside of its sacred portals. The individual work, however, of the veteran worthies named by Miss Hoyt, still went on, as occasion required. And notwithstanding the cruel law, (then a disgrace to our statute books) that we should not
feed or comfort the stranger, if he were a colored man or woman who had become tired of being bought and sold like bales of cotton or any other merchandise, the work went silently on, and my own wardrobe has responded to the benevolent call of dear "Aunt Lucy Nelson" when the stranger was in her house and required the
raiment necessary to help them out of our boasted America to the dominions of good Queen Victoria, where the bondsmen of our soil could be free; also, the new boots were quickly removed from my husband's feet when "Uncle James" (as he was familiarly called) said he knew a man who needed them more
than he did." No questions were asked nor the particulars given in those days, concerning the work so imitative of Him "who went about doing good," only it was quietly and religiously done.
But as years passed on and the call became more and more imperative for greater concert of action among Christians in the Church, the burden was harder to bear by those whose consciences had become enlightened by the blessed Bible, which says, "love worketh no ill to his neighbor,"
and they felt they must act. Meanwhile, outrages of shocking cruelty were continually perpetrated upon the poor slaves and those who were willing to help them. The lives of many noble and good men were sacrificed, if they dared to speak, write or preach against the sin of America slavery.
As time passed on a scene occurred that determined our course with regard to the Church. A poor slave living in Louisville was about to be sent South (a fate they dreaded worse than death) and being urged by his wife and four children for their sake, hoping sometime to see him again.
He did make the attempt, but being a timid man he was by his shying about, soon discovered by the Conductor to be a runaway slave. He at once stopped the train and put him off near Vienna, Ind. The poor frightened man (yes, man) passing on soon came to a house where a minister of the Gospel was repairing
a chimney for a newly married daughter, when the clergyman at once halted him with "come here yon 'n_____,' " "I don't want to, massa," was the reply of the friendless stranger. "Then, clear out, or I'll shoot you." The poor man took the advice, and quickly passed on he knew not where. The minister as
quickly hastened to the house of a professed Christian in another church, who owned three dogs, and soon the minister, with the addition of a knife in hand, with the brother and his three dogs, went on the hunt of the panting fugitive. But other parties in the neighborhood had somehow got wind of it, and,
eager to get the money, for a reward of one hundred and fifty dollars had now been offered, went in pursuit, and soon overtook the bewildered, tired and hungry man, when he fell on his knees and "besought them for his wife's and children's sake, not to take him back into slavery." But, regardless of prayers
and tears, without any official authority, they took the poor man back to his doom of hard and bitter bondage. Some lookers on said "it seemed enough to melt the heart of a stone to hear the poor man's cries and witness his distress." But it did not reach the heart of his captors. The disappointed minister
did not get the money, but the offence he committed led to a carefully written, earnest, appeal to the church of which we were members, asking them to say, if the minister referred to (giving his name at that time) could be fellowshipped or invited to occupy our pulpit as was our custom with visiting brethren.
The church was unwilling to speak out, though some good brethren and sisters felt the crushing weight of such unholy and unscriptural conduct. Whereupon four of us felt the time had come to take a decided stand in the way of reform, and called for letters of dismissal, which we recieved. At the close of this
painful but necessary duty, some good members came to us and said, "we think just as you do, but have not the courage to act it out." A few years later a prominent brother and wife came up to stay all night with us, and said, "We have come to say to you that we have advanced as far as you were when you called
for your letters from the Church, and if it were to do over again, it would not be neccessary, for your request for action in that case would be granted." We rejoiced and thanked our Heavenly Father for the advancing light of truth. It was a painful struggle to separate from the Church we so dearly loved,
but duty and the principle of liberty required.
But another and greater trial awaited us a few years later. Our youngest born, a dear son, a noble boy, not having yet seen eighteen summers, felt he must go at the call of his country and offer his young life (if need be) upon the altar of freedom. And after willingly and heroically sharing
for a short time only the hardships of our late and terrible war, he fell mortally wounded in his first battle and now sweetly and silently sleeps in the Chattanooga cemetery.
Thus, I have briefly, given some of the struggles through which we have passed in aiding the veterans in their noble work of human liberty, most of whom from that neighborhood are now "resting from their labors," awaiting "the resurrection of the just," and we too will soon follow them, indulging
the hope that when Jesus comes we shall awake to a glorious immortality and receive "the gift of eternal life."
Volga, Ind., Feb. 6th, 1880.
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The Mrs. Samuel Tibbets who authored this letter, was the wife of Samuel Tibbets 1806-1882. Her maiden name was Mary Ann Dolph and she was the daughter of the Methodist minister Rev. Edward L. Dolph. Sheila Kell
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Sheila Kell - kfurballkell@aol.com