The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-08

to get away from the place of danger,
but / was pursued by two men on
horseback, with guns. I hid behind a
tree; one of the men passed within a
few feet of me, but he went on, either
not seeing me, or being afraid to tackle
me, and l again escaped capture
When L got to the Mississippi river,
I stole a canoe al night and went across.
As stepped out of the boat, on the
east shore of the Mississippi, L began
for the first time to feel like a free man;
/ was on the free soil of Illinois, but
this feeling lasted but a few seconds.
/ had landed on a Sandbar, and as my
feet struck the sand, 1 went down, down
in the quicksand, clear up to my arms.
Here I struggled for my life, for fifteen
or twenty minutes. l. very strong,
and somehow I got out, though very
much exhausted. i was wet and very
cold and covered with sand. felt,
however, that / was free man. The
people in the free state of Illinois would
surely be my friend, but L was very
much mistaken.
AT noon that day / ventured to stop
at a farm house, and asked a white
man for something to eat He told me
to go into the house, that he did not
live there I saw at least a dozen men
who were eating in the house, and this
frightened me some, so L said / would
not go in, and started on 1 had only
gone a few rods, when the man I had
spoken to followed to me to stop. He
came up; he began to ask me questions;
put his hand into a rear pocket as
though to draw a gun. became certain
that he suspected that 1 was a runaway
slave and was going to try to capture
me for the reward. l suddenly broke
away and began to run. Whereupon
he set a half dozen or more dogs after
men. They came barking and bowling
at my heels, but 1 drew my knife, the
one 1 had carried all this time, and by
striking backward at them occasionally,
1 kept them off. Again got away from
my pursuers, but 1 was weak, and wet,
and hungry; had but one shoe, and
not any too much clothing.
THAT night I reached BellevilIe rot
many miles east of st. Louis. 1 wander
ed around between the point where 1
crossed the Mississippi river and Spring.
field, ILL.,. for three weeks. Some 40 miles
east of st. Louis met a German aboli-
zionist who told me where to go and
what to do; he explained to me that I
was in nearly as great danger in south
ern Illinois 7 had been in Missouri.
At Springfield, ILL.,, / was told by some
cClOred people to see a man by the name
of Flrastus Wright. He was connected
with the underground railroad. I stayed
with him two weeks From Springfield
/ went north by the underground rail-
road to within few miles of Chicago.
where 1 found it safe to seek work and
remain. After nearly three months of
hardship had finally escaped and was
a free man."
AS soon as President Lincoln called
for his volunteers Mr. Wansley respond
ed but at that time they would not take
him. 1t was 1863 before he got into the
army. He remained until the close of
the war, and then went back to south
western Missouri to hunt for his father
and mother and brothers and sisters. He
He followed them to Kansas. and has
lived here ever since. He owns good
farm on the Kansas river bottom, land is
most reliable and industrious citizen.