Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-10
One OF .as Underground Railroad Con-
dusIOrs,

One OF SaS Underground Railroad Con-
| dustors,
To the Editor Of the Globe-Republic:
About Sc years ago, there was born, not a
| hundred miles from Columbia, s. c., . black
boy, whom his nanny named John Hamil-
ton; for his father, who was a slave on a
neighboring estate. John was 1.-the, spry
| fellow, fond of shirking work, to prowl
through the woods and explore swamps.
When be was twelve years old there was q
great deal of hushed talk, among the slaves,
| about the Union soldiers. Many OF them be-
lieved the soldiers no better than caunibals,
and indeed they were spoken of as canaon-
balls. John was skeptical and curious. He
wanted 10 have look a. the monsters, who,
it was reported, were sometimes seen in the
swamps. So he haunted the swamps, and
was rewarded by discovering a poor halt
starved Union soldier who had escaped from
the PRISON, at Columbia, and whose bleeding
feet had compelled him to rest until they
should heal up. John bound up his feet and
brought him TODD, and when he was able to
60 on piloted him safely to the Union lines,
travelling only by night through the swamps
of South Carolina and the fastnesses Of the
Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina.
Coming back, he met more Union soldiers;
and for seven months he kept traversing
swamps and mountains, escorting Union SOL
diers who had escaped from Columbia prison
to the Union lines. At length he enlisted in
the Union army, the First Colored Heavy
Artillery, Company A-Colonel, MCGOWAN;
Major, johnson: Surgeon, Cummins; Cap
tain, A. B. Elliot.
After the war he was mustered out of the
ser vice, and took service in the quartermas-
ter's department under Jonas Drury, the
weather reporter OF this paper, whose duty at
that time was removing the remains of Union
soldiers who had been killed in skirmishes to
the Care at Chattanooga. During the great
food in go the house John Ii. ed in was car
ried of, and he lost everything. including bis
discharge, copies OF which he paid the motor
ious Charlie Berry to obtain for him; and
which, it is needless to say, he has not yet
received
He has lived in and about Springfield for
six years. He is married to likely woman,
whom Mrs. James Anderson, of South Mar
ket street, can highly recommend, she having
worked for this lady almost weekly for three
years. John has worked for Azell Smith,
the well known brick-msson, and for Mr..
Houck, the brick-mnker. Since last Septem-
Der John has been out of work The first
three weeks after the brick-yard was closed
be walked IS miles thro1g the country looking
tor work, without success. His wife was
confined, and had long sickness, getting up
before she was able, she suffered q relapse,
and, before she was able to 60 about to work,
all their little savings were exhausted; and
for the first time in his life John was
compelled to ask for help. Daily has he
gone the rounds OF the shops asking for
work, and then followed coal-carts to see if
be could get a job of putting in coal.
But going out in the bitter weather, cold and
hungry, gave him a severe illness. His
second child was ill at the same time, and the
poor mother could give them very little at
teution; for she had to wash to get food.
Now, Christian people, is there no one
among you, living in town or in the country,
who wish to employ man and wife to work
Rhoda is good washer, good mixer and
butter maker, and John can do all kinds OF
labor. Any OF the residents of this city
named in this will take pleasure in testifying
to the characters of these people.