The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-01-17
From tive Liberty Pcll FIR 1852
THE VIRGINIA MiROHNS.

TIE VIRGINIA MARO3NS. /
n the West India Islands. but more eSpec-
iarv in Jamaica, Cufl and St. Domingo, dur
ino the rrisn Of Slavery it was common for
Fnnitivc Slaves to seek shelter and security
in the mountainous and secluded portions of
those Islands, where they con"rcgatcl in
small communities and maintained their free
dom at the cost of much privation, and proba
ty. frequent suffering. They were at con-
slant war with the planters, and were hunted
with as little mercy as are the roval tgcrs in
the ungrs of Bengal. They not untrequcnt
", however, rctaliated upon their pcr>ecut-
ors the same measure of vengeance which
was mctcd ont to themselves.
Hunting the Maroon>,as they were termed,
was matter of common occurrence, when
their dcpredationS upon any particular local
Nv became troublesome: for their notions OF
m"um and fu,Oa were. of course. very similar
was the state Of things in jamaica. previous
to "mam'iprtion. and such is now substantial
" the case apnrchcndIin Cuba, an1.indced,
in all ,lavrholding communities II is not.
think. generally known, however. that our
Southern States contain many communities
Of greater or less numbers, very similar to
,hn>c Of ,Jamaira and Cnha. thou9il not dcs-
isna:rl bv the name of Mlroons, but a" gangs
of runaway negroes"
The Atlantic Slaveholdirg States. where
these ganr> are most frequent do not afford
anv mountainous regions to which the Fugi
tive can resort and set at nauGht the efforts
Of his prr>uerS NcrcSSitv however. here
as elsewhere is the mother Of invention; and
in lien Of almost inaccessible mountainous re-
gonS. the Fugitive avail, himself Of the nu-
mcrouS and extensive swamnS and low
grounds which abound in the old & many Of
the newer Slave States.
These swampS are. for the most part, sub
MERGED with water the wear round, Int con-
tain many Islands of drv land. slightly clcvat-
ea above hi.h water marx: and here The Fu-
gitve erortS his hut. cultivatc<. to the hest of
his very limited means, patches Of corn and
sweet n"''to"S. and not unf""qnrn'lv rrar> a
larg" f,mi'v of rhi'd"cn O 'ra>;onallvwhrn
necessity presses ha".l. hn mikes forav bv
n'-Nf upon the nearest nantlfion or settle
mcn', AMI help, himself without leave asked
or grl":rl. Wicn nnvryrr. t',..v seek rc,.
u-r in 'wampS of >nall dimensions and are
noi 'ilhrnlt to penetrate. they are Frequently
hunted out and captured or slain Gcncral-
", the latter f,tc over,akcS them. part of
the Grnr h"in@ Killed on the spot. and .hc re.
mlInArr "> apiag for tn" time. to cn"ounter
at SoN.e tutur" time tn" doom of their fellows
III" "rcat Dismal Swamp. which lies neal
t'e eastern shore of Virrinia, and ,ommcnc
inG near Norfolk. stretches quite into Nor'}
carolina, contains 4 Iarrc colony of NEGROES
Who ongna'ly obtained their freedom bv tht
grace OF God, and their own determined en-
cry, instead of the consent OF their owners
How long this colony has existed, what j,
is amount OF population, what portion of til,
'7!0''>'$ are now Fugjtiyes. and what III,
de~crnd1n;> Of Fu.i:iyr.. are question, no
easily "ctermin"d nor can we re,d;lv ava;
ourselves Of the better knowl,l 70 un1ouhtcd
y tS'S''n" IN The vicinity Of the co'orv. b,
sea|on Of the decided objections of those bes
'"'''ca I" crafty our curiosity. to some ex
tent at least TO furnish anv information what
ever lest 1t ml@ht be used bv Abo!itioni>t
l'F 'hrlr purposes, as one of them very frank
" sad when questioned about the matter.
nevertheless some facts. or. at least. n
approximation towards the truth of them. ar
Known respecting this singular communit
o OarkS. who have won their freedom an
established themselves securely in the mid,
4" the largest slavchoding State of the Soutl
'or from tins extensive swamp they are yer
seldom, II at all, reclaimed The chivarv o.
virginia, SO Tar as know, have never V,
'rAturcd on slave hunt in the Di>m;
swamp. nor Is it probably in the power o
.'i"' State to capture or expcl these tugi'iv,
IRON IT. This MAY appear extravagant. b.
when 1t is known how long much less nun
Der t.. Indians held the everglades of FlorC
against the forces OF the United States. an
how much blood and treasure it COS, TO exp
Them finally. We may lind a sufficient rcasc
Tor the forbcarance Of the Ancient Dominic
''"ards this community Of fugitive, dontici
- - - mid, Trr.r7 H.. c',,-...o. {