Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-03
ROMANCE OF THE WAR
Winnie Davis Wedding and the Fam.
GUS Rescue Of Black Jerry
RELATED IN A REMARKABLE WAY.
Grandson Of One of the Leaders In the
Event is the Groom.
PHE OLD SLAVE Is STILL ALIVE

| ASOoE, august Z.-Ine engagement
OF Miss Winnie Davis, the Daughter Of
the Confederacy," to Mr.. Alfred Wilkin.
son, the grandson Of the Rev. Samuel j.
May, has been announced BY the press oi
the land. The engagement has been ftly
called the crowning act of the Rebellion
for, when consummated, it will unite two
families who have been heretofore the most
lmplacable foes, and to whose efforts the
herceness and fervor Of the great conflict
have been largely due.
No incident or event for years has brought
to the surface so many curious and really
wonderful facts as the announcement of Miss
| Wlnnie's engagement. The preacher, teach
er and orator can find in the betrothal ma
terial for rhetorical and impassioned dis
courses, for significant and suggestive les
sons, and for Pindaric flights and outbursts
! OF feeling: tor Hymen is about to do what
Mars could not do, heal the wounds of the
North and South through the ministrations
of Cupid.
NOVEL AND ROMANTIC.
The romancer. too, can find material in
the "wooing O. it" tor an intensely interest
ing novel. Indeed, the history of the court
| ship, which covers some five years, reads
like fairy tale. Particularly is this the
case with the curious circumsta noes that led
to Miss Winnie's first visit North. She
had come to Syracuse to visit the son OF her
fathers dearest friend, who was his chum
during college days at West Point. Little
did she dream of the fate in store for ner,
nor OF the remote possibility that even in
matters OF love, as in war, the North might
again be the conqueror.
he Mt aInnananf of off
Davis himself with the daughter of Zachary
Taylor half century ago, lends spice to
the story, and shows that it was a tradition
In the Davis family for matrimony to be
reached only through the realms of ro-
nance. But the remarkable thing about
the whole matter is the recent revelations
that have come to light regarding the men
and things OF the past generation which
have made present events possible. This
part of the story turns on the far-famed
Jerry Rescue" which has as important
bearing on the early phases of the "Re-
bellion" as John Browns Raid" had on
the later phases.
STORY OF THE RESCUE.
The liberation of this slave, it will be re-
mem bered, created the greatest sensation
through the country, and brought to the
front among others the Rev. Samuel j. Nav,
stars in the abolition sky. An account in
detail here of the Jerry Rescue" cannot
fail to be intensely interesting and instruct
i've, for the affair is not only commemorated
in Syracuse by business block on the site
OF the rescue, known as the Jerry Rescue
Block, but the anniversary of the historic
occasion was celebrated for many years
afterward.
In October, 1850. many of the best citizens
OF Syracuse publicly declared that the fugi-
tive slave law should not be enforced here,
and Vigilance Committee was appointed.
A large number OF persons made an agree
ment to stand by each other In resisting the
law. A rendezvous was fixed upon; and it
was agreed that any member of the associa-
tion who might hear of person in danger
should toll the bell of an adjoining meeting
house in particular manner, and, on hear
Ing that signal, all the rest should hasten to
the spot. On the 1st day OF October, 1851,
Just as Mr.. May was about to rise from din
ner, he heard the signal bell, and hurried to
the appointed place, mile from his house.
On the way he learned that Jerry McHeury
had been arrested as fugitive slave, and
taken to the Office of the Commissioner.
Proceeding to the courtroom, Mr.. May
found the prisoner manacled, and not
allowed to state his case nor to refute the
"a duteTSdEy.
PREPARING TO USE FORCE.
Not being very closely guarded, Jerry |
soon slipped out of the room and ran for his |
liberty. He got off nearly half mile be- |
fore he was retaken, and then surrendered |
only after furious fight, in which he was |
injured. He was thrown into
wagon, two policemen sat upon him, and
so they rode through the central streets of |
the city back to the Commissioners Office
The people were very much excited, and
told Mr.. May that if he would speak the
word they would have Jerry out. But he
advised them to wait until it became dark.
The Chief of Police asked Mr.. MAY to
ak with Jerry, who needed to be soothed.
In the course of the interview Mr.. Nav
to make Jerry understand that he
lad friends who did not mean that he should
De taken back to slavery. Mr.. May then
vent to the Office OF Doctor Herman Hoyt,
where he found 20 or 80 picked men, in
luding Gerrit Smith, who happened to be
n town attending a liberty convention.
The plan of rescue was discussed, and all
he arrangements for it were made with skill
nd dispatch. Strict injunctions were given
lot to injure the policemen intentionally.
nd Mr.. May said: IF anyone is to be
urt in this fray, I hope it may be one of
ur party"
What followed is told by one of the par
icipants.
ATTRACTED GREAT CROWDS.
"The affair in the mean time had pro-
uced the widest excitement. The spec
acle OF bleeding. halfnaked man driven
through the streets like hog, worked the
opulace into frenzy; all the more so, when
became known that Jerry was a negro
nd, unlike the common run of his class,
7as educated and a skiliful mechanic. He
ad come from Georgia by the Underground
galway, and supposing all in the North
Tere his friends, had obtained work in q
ooper's shop at Liverpool, a suburb of !;
yracuse. The news spread through Gen.
raj New York like wild-fre. Dispatches :
egan to fly. and horsemen were sent in I
very direction, carrying the news to the /
county that sn escaped slave !
'as arrested, and would be taken back to !
ondage. Plans hurriedly made, though !
yracuse was in blaze of excitement.
"Car loads OF eager men came into the !
lty from surrounding towns, Oswego, !
Auburn and Utica furnishing the majority. q
peeches were made in the afternoon of
ature not calculated to allay the agitation. :
n arrangement had been entered into that
lie signal for the commencement of the les- \
ne should be throwing stone through the i
indow of the police station. To mislead
lie officers the small boys were given leave 4
} throw pebbles at the window from time
} time. The center of interest was the !.
alton, and the fact that the Commissioner o
ad arrived was passed from mouth to n
outh. Suddenly shrek broke the still .
ess. A cobbe-stone was hurled at the n
indow, and six men disguised as negroes
th,I- IL l. L.