Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-05-14
ESCAPING The LASH.
Ante Bellum "reminiscences Of the
"UndergrOund Railway
How Fugitive Slaves Were Aided in
Their Run for Freedom.
The Route Through Michigan and Who
Kept the Stations.
From the Detroit Post.


were mere full of inter est than those
having reference to the operation of
what was then called the underground
railway" and those associations were
made more Interesting by the secrecy
which always surrounded the movements
of that mysterious body who thus desig-
mated their organization. There are but
few men now living who were active
participants therein. and probably the
only one now living in Michigan il the
Hon. Erastus Husspy, ex-may0r of Battle
Creek and at one time a member OF the
Michigan Legislature.
Mr.. Hussey is now a venerable patri-
arch, but his memory of ante-bellum
events. particularly those referring 20
the organization named, is acute. 1t
was he who kept the famous station at
Battle Creek from the time of its iHsti-
tuition 10 the issuing of the emancipa-
tioH proclamation. During that time he
fed and gave protection to over 1000 flu
gitives and assisted them on to Canada
INTERESTING RECOLLECTIONS.
At the request of Post correspondent
Mr.. Hussey consented to give historical
summary of the organization from the
time of its inception in Michigan to its
close. The summary can BIO best told in
his own words: John Cross of Indiana
organized the underground railway
through Michigan. There were several
branches. / was connected with and
kept the RBattle Greek station for the
Central Michigan route. One day when
| was in Detroit on business, Cross came
to my house in Battle Creek and wanted
to see me. Not finding me at home he
took his departure, and so secret was his
mission that he would not even tell my
wife what he wanted. was in Detroit
three or four days. When l returned
home received letter from Cross, in
which he Informed me that he was es-
tablishiRg route from Kentucky to
Canada. through which escaped slaves
could be run without mOlestatiOn. and
wanted me to take charge of the Battle
Creek station. This was the FIRST that
had ever heard of the underground rail
road. This was in the midst OF the Har
risOn campaign in 1910. / did not meet
Cross until eight years afterward-at
the great Free Sell convention in Buffa-
10. consented to undertake the task.
-Four weeks from that time the first flu
gitives arrived. These were two eolored
men, VIM. Coleman and Stephen Wood.
The latter was wounded in his attempt
to escape and physician took thirteen
fugitives came through under fictitious
names after that. The majority of fugi- |
tiyes did the same thing.
WHY 1T WAS so NAMED.
"The underground railroad was so
because of the secret manner in |
which the slaves were carried through;
they did not come in sight of men In
their transit, but went through very Sc
cretly, as if carried ia hollow tube.
Men brought the slaves across the Ohio
river in row boats, but ultimately came
together on the main line on this side
and were conducted through Indiana and
Stations were established
every fifteen or sixteen miles. The fu-
gitives were sscreted in the day time and
spirited through in the NIGHT. | gener-
ally drove them through from Battle
Creek to Marshall, but very often got
others to 90 for nae. | used my own
horse and buggy. At the time opened
he station here there were only FIVE an
;i-slavery men in Battle Creek: SiIas
". Dodge, Abel DensmOre. Henry Willis,
Theron A. Chadwick and cOlOred man
~ the name of Samuel Strauther. 9th
'rs came in afterwards, however.
"The mon who Kept these stations were
n no way recOmpensed for their labOrs.
L was all without money and without
rice; all out of sympathy for the cOlored
,eople and for principle. We were work
ng for humanity. We had system Of
and conducted everything
'ery secretly. The most common pass
word was, Can you give shelter and pro-
ectiOR to one or more persOns?' This
vas addressed to the agent by the person
oOking for place of safety. Some of
he fugitiyss were frightened when they
Irriysd here, while others were full of
courage, From one to four generally
anne together. Once there was forty
I've in a body. That was after the slave
ealers made their famous attempt Ito
apture the slaves in the Quaker settle
nent in Cass county, but the Quakers
ent the fugitives on here under guard
f nine white men. 1t was quite task
or us to care for them, as we only had
wo hours notice, but provisions were
made.
KNOWN AS HEADQUARTERS.
"The Quaker settlement in Cass cOun-
y and the station at Battle Creek were
veil known all through the south as
for escaped slaves. never
rot into trouble and escaped all legal
We always had great
many cOIOred people in Battle Creek. In
$50, when the fugitive slave law was
'assed, they all went to Canada except
our.
"The Battle Creek station of the un-
erCrOuud railroad was on the present
lite of the Werstein e. Halliday block,
N East Main street, opposite the Will
Jams house. Here was wooden build
ng, the front of which / occupied as
tore and the rear end and upstairs as a
L.. .AuL a