Flight-No Room for Fright
by Renee' Cunningham
Here's the story of my family's flight to freedom told by me, Edward Taylor, son of Owen and Mary Ann Taylor. This incident happened in the latter part of March, 1856. I was not very old at the time the actual event occurred but Ma and Pa used to talk about it often, so here I am recounting the events for you.
Pa, Otho, and Benjamin all worked for a man by the name of Henry Fiery. It was nice for them to be owned by the same man because they were brothers, this meant that they were able to see each other on a semi-regular basis. However, they did not often see each other at the same time and when they did it was for short periods. They also could not get together on Sundays and if they wanted a small bit of time to themselves then they would have to work over a period of nights to get that small privilege. They did not like working in this kind of situation, where someone else determines how you are to live your life. No person should own another.
Ma says, "It was like living in a prison-house rather than a home."
Pa was a very important slave to Mr. Fiery. He was what you would consider a Jack-of-all-trades. He was good at anything he put his hands to, and boy did Mr. Fiery have him working! He worked in the blacksmith shop, was a wheelwright, and made brushes and brooms. Needless to say he was useful to Henry Fiery. Pa was worked hard with few privileges; for instance the clothing that he had was of poorest texture and it was only sparingly furnished. Pa and the others had been thinking escape for a while.
The day was set and everybody was ready. Easter Sunday came on with anticipation and a little bit of fear. The women were preparing themselves and the children for the days ahead. Everyone knew that we wouldn't be able to take much; just what one could carry. I should explain who all went. Let's see there was Benjamin, Otho, his wife, and two children, and my family. Pa and Benjamin harnessed two of the horses and helped the women and children into the carriage.
Pa said, " It was the least Fiery could do, furnishing us with these horses and all."
With no further remarks we were on our way to Chambersburg. This was a very long night, always thinking that at any minute one of the Fiery's might be right on our trail. (Henry Fiery's son was the one who owned all the women and children). We were trying to get as much distance between that plantation and us as we could. If Fiery were to have caught us he would probably start shooting and then ask questions later, there was no telling what he would do if he caught us alive and actually were to bring us back to the plantation. Often if a slave were caught and brought back then there would be an example made of him or her so that no one else would dare try. Everyone knew the risks that they were taking for themselves and their family.
Pa says, "We left at a rate that allowed no grass to grow under the horses' feet."
We arrived in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania safely. Pa went to a hotel and then put up the horses. This is where we had to bid our faithful beasts good-bye and move on with our voyage by another means of traveling. Our next destination was Harrisburg, where we were able to talk with the Committee. The Committee sent us on to Philadelphia to talk with the Committee there because they knew which route would be the safest.
I must interject here and appraise you that at this time Henry Fiery and his men were hot on our tails. They found the horses but to their dismay the horses could not give them further assistance as to what had happened to their riders. So Fiery went heading into a dead end but he was not yet ready to face defeat, so he would keep pursuing the Taylors.
At this point we had been to the Committee in Philadelphia and were on our way to freedom. Each day we were getting closer to Canada and knowing that we would not have to be under the domination of another human being again. If not for the determination of Ma and Pa I would not have been able to grow up as a free black in Canada. I am also not sure if I would have been able to go to school and learn how to read and write, giving you this story now.
This story is based on a true occurance of life on the underground railroad.
- Who told this story?
- Why did the Taylor's want to leave their home?
- How would you feel if you had to leave your home?
- Why did the Taylor's make their first stop on their journey?
- Why would they be afraid of Mr. Fiery?
- What other means of traveling could they have used once they didn't have their horses anymore?
- How else could Mr. Fiery have pursued the Taylor's?
- How do you think the Taylor's felt when they finally reached Canada? How would you feel if it was your first day in freedom? Describe why you feel this way.
OUTLINE
I. Close family
A. Parents were slaves
B. Owen's brothers were slaves
C. Owen was a Jack-of-all-trades
II. Close Call
A. Easter Sunday
B. Stole horses
C. Went to Chambersburg
- Stopped at hotel
- Ditched horses
D. Went to Harrisburg
E. Went to Philadelphia
III. Close to Canada
A. Fiery on trail
B. Talked to Committee in Philadelphia
C. Went to Canada
PROPS: Outfit of what they might have worn on their journey, bag with few possessions and food
ANSWERS:
- Edward Taylor, the son of Mary and Owen Taylor.
- They did not want to be owned anymore.
- Answers will vary
- They stopped so they could get another mode of transportation, one where they would be less likely to get caught.
- Mr. Fiery would probably take their life and make life unbearable if he were ever to get them back to his plantation.
- Answers will vary -by foot, wagons, etc.
- He could have went and talked to some of the people on the committees or kept on asking people if they had seen people that fit the description of the Taylors.
- Answers will vary -excited, relieved, exhausted, thankful, etc. It was a long trip and their dreams had finally come true, they would not be beholden to another man, they had actually made it to the end of their goal -freedom.
SOURCE: Internet "Owen and Otho Taylor's Flight With Horses Etc. Three Brothers, Two of Them with Wives and Children". From William Still. The Underground Railroad. Philadelphia: People's Publishing Company, 1879, 320-324.
World Website address: "http//jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU/vshadow2/UGRR/still2.html"