So Abram and Richard put their heads together, and resolved to try the Underground Rail Road.  They concluded that liberty was worth dying for, and that it was their duty to strike for Freedom even if it should cost them their lives.  The next thing needed, was information about the Underground Rail Road.  Before a great while the captain of a schooner turned up, from Wilmington, Delaware.  Learning that his voyage extended to Philadelphia, they sought to find out whether this captain was true to Freedom.  To ascertain this fact required no little address.  It had to be done in such a way, that even the captain would not really understand what they were up to, should he be found untrue.  In this instance, however, he was the right man in the right place, and very well understood his business.

Abram and Richard made arrangements with him to bring them away; they learned when the vessel would start, and that she was loaded with tar, rosin, and spirits of turpentine, amongst which the captain was to secrete them.  But here came the difficulty.  In order that slaves might not be secreted in vessels, the slave-holders of North Carolina had procured the enactment of a law requiring all vessels coming North to be smoked.

To escape this dilemma, the inventive genius of Abram and Richard soon devised a safe-guard against the smoke.  This safe-guard consisted in silk oil cloth shrouds, made large, with drawing strings, which, when pulled over their heads, might be drawn very tightly around their waists, whilst the process of smoking might be in operation.  A bladder of water and towels were provided, the latter to be wet and held to their nostrils, should there be need.  In this manner they had determined to struggle against death for liberty.  The hour approached for being at the wharf.  At the appointed time they were on hand ready to go on the boat; the captain secreted them, according to agreement.  They were ready to run the risk of being smoked to death; but as good luck would have it, the law was not carried into effect in this instance, so that the “smell of smoke was not upon them.”  The effect of the turpentine, however, of the nature of which they were totally ignorant, was worse, if possible, than the smoke would have been.  The blood was literally drawn from them at every pore in frightful quantities.  But as heroes of the bravest type they resolved to continue steadfast as long as a pulse continued to beat, and thus they finally conquered.

The invigorating northern air and the kind treatment of the Vigilance Committee acted like a charm upon them, and they improved very rapidly from their exhaustive and heavy loss of blood.  Desiring to retain some memorial of them, a member of the Committee begged one of their silk shrouds, and likewise procured an artist to take the photograph of one of them; which keepsakes have been valued very highly.  In the regular order of arrangements the wants of Abram and Richard were duly met by the Committee, financially and otherwise, and they were forwarded to Canada.  After their safe arrival in Canada, Richard addressed a member of the Committee thus: