Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-07-24
EXTENSIVE STRIKE FOR FREEDOM.

= Il
Owing to the dangerous and incendary doctrine,
promulgated by reading the Declaration OF lndc-
pendence on the last glorious fourth, or from
some other cause about hundred slaves from 4
counties in Mary land, undertook in a body to seek
the enjoyment Of their right to 'life, liberty, and
the pursuit Of happiness On their way To- Penn
sylvana, they passed near Washington CITY, when
the alarm being given, Col. IIenderson's Il. 5. Ma
rineS were put under arms, and dealt out arms to
the fire companies, to start in pursuit! (Wha
have WE to do with slnvcryO Theecitizens having
armed themselves aud started in pursuit, Il com.
pany Of so or 40 were ovcrtaken near PolsviIlr
and on their refusal to surrender, voiley was fir.
ed up6n them, eight or ten killed and others NOR
tally wounded, when they surrendered aud were
marched back in irons through The the capital o.
The nation, to be putto the torture at home, sold
to the far south! 1t was supposed the remainder
would be captured.
The following, from the correspondent of the
New York Herald, shows the brutal manner il
which the fugtives were treated.
learn from gentleman who was present at the
vile Mary land, that they were treated in the mos
brutal manner by their capors. When surround
ed by the Rockville volunteers, they were com.
manded to surrender, and because one cat for.
ty showed determination to resist. Il I&Ye vol
ley of balls from rifles aud pistols was poured in
discriminatory among them. Those wounded
are Ferdinand, slave of VIM. Browner, n ball ii
the left side of the neck, which will probably prove
fatal; James, slave of Edwin Jones, rifle ball ir
his back, which will cripple him for life; David,
slave of John Hamet, part of his cheek torn away
and bail in his back; David, another slave Of j
Hammet, his right arm completely shattered with
a musket ball; James, a slave of Barnes estate
perfectly riddled with balls in his side and neck
and part of his cheek torn away; Mark, do, pis
tol ball in the back of the neck; James Gray be-
longing to c. Rye, severely wounded on the side
of his face; Lewis Dey, slave of Col Miller,
struck with ball on the side of his face; Henry,
slave Of General Chapman, bali in his back.
Had their arms been loaded with fine shot, or even
a little coarse salt, it would have answered every
purpose; but instead of that, the deadly bullet
must be used, and aim taken in every instance, as
will he seen by the direction Of the shot at the
head and shoulders, instead Of the eXtremities.
They could not have fallen in with more brutal
and cowardly set Of people in the world than the
citizens of Rockville.
Unless they have greatly improved of late, there
are but two or three sober men in the whole town
and they are tavern keepers 1t used to be SAID
more whskey was drank daily in little Rockville
than in any other town in the State, and from the
v6lor displayed by them ON this occasion, il il evil
dent that they must have been aroused to the bat
tie from their bacchanalian orgeries. What no.
BILE debt of gratitude is due to them, for giving to
our State such character for brutaltvl Some Of
them on their return, even regretted TINT they
could not make he damn Dggers resist, so they
might have had the pleasure Of shooting them all
down. They were all marched with OK chains,
hand cuffs, &C., and driven through Washington
yesterday on their way to their homes, more like
a drove Of hogs than human beings. In less than Il
week, those that escaped the balls of their cap
tors, will be on their way to the cotton fields of
Louisiana, while some at least of the wounded