The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-04-09
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD,
OR "REMINISCENCES OF SLAVERl
TIMES.
BY THE LATE LEVI COFFIN.
THE MICHIGAN RAID.

friends he found, and quite mum ber
of runaway slaves. thinking they
would be safe in Michigan, stopped
there instead Of crossing over to Can
ada. At a place called Young's
Prairie, in Cass county, Michigan,
where there was a settlement Of
Friends, and a number Of Eastern
people, ali stanch abolitionists, there
had accumulated quite little colony
of colored fugitives, who secured
homes in the neighborhood. Some
families owned small patches of
ground, on which they had erected
comfortable little log houses, and by
industry and thrift managed to live
very comfortably.
But they were not secure in these
humble, vine-clad homes, for Southern
blood-hounds in human shape were on
their trail, and had scented out their
places Of retreat. Spies sent out to
hunt for fugitive slaves in various
neighborhoods in Ohio, Indiana, and
Michigan. discovered the colony at
Young's Prairie, and ascertained that
most Of the fugitives had come from
Kentucky. Among these spies was a
young Kentuckian, who professed to
be Yankee and stanch abolitionist.
He claimed to be an agent for some
anti-slavery papers which he carried
with him, but his speech betrayed
him. A Yankee living in Michigan
said: "You are not from New En-
gland; you are no Yankee; if you
were, You would say keow and not
coao You are here for no good pur-
pose, and%the sooner you leave this
neighborhood the better it will be for
you"
Several of the colored families
spoken of were from Boone county,
Kentucky, and their masters learned
of their whereabouts. In that coun-
| ty there was a company organized for
the purpose of capturing fugitives.
with funds for hiring pursuers. A
plan was formed to seize the negroes
at Young's Prairie and bring them
back to slavery; and about thirty men,
with several two-horse wagons for
transporting the negro women and
children, started to Michigan. Part
Of the company on horseback went
ahead of the wagons to ascertain the
exact location of the fugitives, and to
have all things arranged for stimuli
taneous raid upon the different negro
cabins. scattered around the edge of
the prairie, and in small groves in the
neighborhood They were to make
their headquarters at Niles, a few
miles distant, in an adjoining county
and scatter out through Young's
Prairie in small parties, under pre-
tense Of looking for land to purchase.
or buying stock By this means they
could obtain all necessary information
in regard to the location Of the colored
people, without exciting suspicion as
to their real mission. Then some of
the company were to meet the teams,
and conduct the wagons to different
localities in the neighborhood, where
they would camp until late hour at
night. This arrangement appeared to
contain the elements Of success, but it
did not succeed. Slaves often have
friends living in slave States-people
whose principles are unknown to the
shareholders. One of this class, a
man living in the neighborhood of
the Kentucky shareholders, became
apprised Of their plans for capturing
the fugitives in Michigan, but was
misinformed in regard to the time they
were to start. He wrote to aconfden-
tial friend in Cincinnati, informing
him of all the plans of the raiders,
but stated the time of their starting
incorrectly tly-they started several days
earlier
His friend came directly to me and
gave me all the information he had
received [ at once set about to in
tercept their plans. was well ac-
quainted at Young's Prairie, Michi-
gan. There was a settlement of
Friends there many Of whom had en-
igrated from Wayne county, Indiana,
and were among the early settlers Of
that neighborhood. Some had for
merly been my eighbors in Indiana.
had been at Young's Prairie, and vis-
tied several families of fugitives in
that settlement. Friends had estab-
lished a school among them, and they
seemed to be prospering. decided to
send a messenger at once to apprise
them and their friends Of their dan
ger. At that day, letters were often
eight or ten days in reaching Young's
Prairie, and | knew it would not do to
risk sending message by mail; it
would not reach them in time.
A young man then boarding with
us, an active and energetic abolition
ist, volunteered to go if his expenses
were paid. / agreed to pay his ex-
penses, and started him at once. As
there were no railroads or stage lines
then, we had to depend on private
conveyance for the journey. | gave
the young man letters to my friends
in the various neighborhoods in
Indiana, through which he would
pass, requesting them to furnish him
with fresh horses on the stages of his
journey. This was promptly done on
his way through Wayne, Randolph
and Grant counties, Indiana, and
greatly facilitated his journey to
Michigan. But his laborious and en-
ergetic effort proved too late; the raid
was over. The Kentuckians had
started several days earlier than the
time named in our informant's letter,
and their plans had been put into ex
ecution. On the night of the raid
they divided their company, and each
party made simultaneous attack on
the negro cabins. They seized the
unsuspecting inmates as they slept,
bound them, and placed them in the
wagons. There were desperate strug-
giles at many of the cabins, and a
number of the fugitives were bruised
and wounded, before they were over
powered and bound. A certain place
on the prairie had been agreed upon
as a rendezvous, and thither the differ
ent companies made their way. In
one Marty of maranaerS was q Ban, iSt