The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-04-14
HISTORICAL EVENT.
TO Celebrate Anniversary OF Chris
tlaisa Riot.

!: The Lancaster County Historical
Society is preparing toNcelebrate this fall.
The anniversary Of the famous Chris
tiana Riot" of sixty years ago. In 1909
the society celebrated the Robert
Fulton centennial at the birthplace. at
Fulton House, of the man who first sue
cessfully established steam navigation.
Last year the bi-centennial of the FIRST
settlements in the county by the Swiss
Mennonites was observed, and boulder,
with bronze tablet suitably inscribed, was
erected as memorial by the society.
The Christiana Riot occurred on Sep-
tember III, 1851. In the Chester valley.
about mile west Of Christiana. and ia a
section largely settled by anti-slavery
| Quakers. through which there ran line
of the famous underground railroad. "
Being within about twelve miles Of Mason
and Dixon line bordering the slave states.
it was not very difficult for fugitive to
get into the region; and once sheltered
there, he was passed from one friendly
hand and tospitable root to another.
through the great Chester valley. until it
crossed the Schuylkill river, and the
runaway was safely started on his way to
Canada and freedom.
Edwin Gorsuch, Of Baltimore county,
Nd, had suffered the loss Of several slaves
whom he suspected of being harbored
about Christiana. He resolved to exhaust
the processes Of federal lawto recapture
them. Armed with the necessary legal
warrants and aided BY deputy marshals,
as well as accompanied by his own son
and several other relatives, he and his
posse circled around the cabin Of free
negro where the fueitives were protected
and made an early morning assault upon
them. In the melee that ensued Gorsnch
was killed; his son was desperately
wounded and the deputies were put to
flight. while the slaves escaped
Nearly all the negroes in the neighbor-
hood and many Of the residents in the
vicinity mostly with abolition sym
pathies--were either involved in the
fracas or suspected Of completely. The
tragic outcome created intense excitement.
and was the subject of angry political
discussion over the whole country.
United States officials, force of deputy
marshals and body Of marines were
buried to the scene. The governor Of
Maryland called on the president of the
United States to redress the indignity put
upon a,sovereign state, and the governor
of Pennsylvania was bitterly assailed for
his alleged indifference to the murder Of
4 stranger in his commonwealth on a |
lawful errand.
Some forty whites and negroes Of the
neighborhood were indicted for treason at
Philadelphia-the trials coming on in
November before Judges Grier and Kane
in the United States circuit court.
The charge against castner Hanway
was selected as the first for trial and a
test case. He was conspicuous white
man. prominent citizen. who had
hurried to the scene. and. it was charged,
had refused TO assist the marshals. Dis
trict Attorney Ashmead and the late
Judge Ludlow represented the United
States, and Maryland sent its attorney
general and eminent associates 10 aid in
prosecution.
Besides w. Arthur Jackson, the prisoner
was represented by four of the ablest law
yers and most prominent men in the
state-John M. Reed. Joseph ]. Lewis.
Theodore cuyler and Thaddeus Stevens. |
The other defendants were all in court,
the negroes being chained together; and
Lucretia Mott. who had knitted them red,
white and blue neckties. sat with them. |
The trial ended in the court finding that
no treason had been committed, practical |
ly directing an acquittal Of Hanway and |
discharge Of the o.her accused.
Pete Woods. an old negro. who was in
the fray and was imprisoned and indicted.
still survives, and will be conspicuous
figure at the celebration. A monument
or marker will be erected somewhere in
the valley over which the march and |
fight Of the opposing parties covered
several miles.
Governor Crothers. of Maryland, and
Governor Tener, of Pennsylvania have
accepted invitations to be present at the |
celebration.