The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-01-29
4'4 FROM ,hc New York Da.ly lines.
Narrative cfthe Seizure and Recovery Of
Solomon Northrup.
INTERESTING DISCLOSURES.

We have Obtained from Washington the
suhIoined statement OF the circumstances AZ
tending the seizure and recovery Of the ne
gro man, Solomon Nor;hrup. whose case had
excited 50 high DECREE OF interest The ma
ierial facts III the history OF the transaction
have already been yiycn, but this narrative
will be found 4 NOR. complete and authentic
record than has vet Appeared:
Solomon Northrup. the subject of the fol-
lowing narrative, is a free coiorrd citizen of
the United Safes was born IN Essex coun-
", New Y"r!; ahont the year 1905; hryame
carly 4 reside, o: N'n>l:"-:r: C.u:,.y, 7:.!
married there in lH.a. lis father and moth
cr resided III the County of Washington
about fifty wears. until their dccca>c, and
were both free. With his wife and children
he resided at Saratoga Springs in the winter
of 1871, and while there was employed by
two gentlemen 10 drive a team South at the
rate Of 4 dollar dav In tulflmcnt of his
employment he proceeded to New York, and
having taken ont free papers. TO show that he
was a citizen, he went on TO Washington G.
". where he arrived the second day Of April.
the same year, and put up at Gad>hy's hotel.
Soon after he arrived lie felt unwcll and went
to bed
While suffering with severe pain. some
persons came in, and seeing the condition he
was in, proposed to give him some medicine,
and did so That is the las. thing of which
he had any recollection until he found him
self chained to the floor Of Williams slave
pen in This city, and handcuffcd In the
course Of a few honrs James IL Burch a slave
dealer. came in, and the roored man asked
him to take the irons off from him, and want
ed to know why they We're put on Burch
told him it was none of his business The
colorotl man said he was free. and told where
he was born. Burch called in man hv the
name Of Ehcnezer Rodhurv, and they two
stripped the man and laid him across a
bench, Rodhurv holding him down bv the
wrists. Burch whipped him with a paddle
until he broke that. and then with a cat o
nine tails, giving him a hundred lashes, and
he swore he would kill him if he ever stated
to any one that he was a free man. From
that time forward the man saws he did not
communicate the fact from fear. either that
he was free man. or what his name was ,un.
I'll the last summer. He was kept in the
slave pen about ten davs, when he, with 9TH
ers was taken out OF the pen in the night, b,
Burch. handrufcd and shackled, and taken
down the river by steamboat, and then &c
Richmond, where he, with torty-eight others
was pat on boar! the brig Orleans There
Burch left them. The brig sailed for New
Orleans, and on arriving there, before she
was fastened to the wharf, Theophius Free
man, another slave dealer, belonging in the
city Of New Orleans, and who in 1888 had
been a partner with Burch in the slave trade
came TO the wharf and received the slaves as
they were nded,under his direction This
man was immediately taken sick with the
small pox Immediately after getting there
and was sent to hospital where he lay two or
three weeks. When he had sufficiently re-
covered to leave the hospital, Freeman de-
clined to sell him to any one in that vicinity,
and sold him to Mr. Ford, who resided IN
Rapdes parish, in Louisiana, where he was
taken and lived little more than year, and
worked as cy-pcr.er. wcrs:n; 'v;:h Frr3 az
~ r;.,.ne.