Yours truly in the love of freedom,

    HIRAM WILSON.

The man who came to us as Wm. Nelson, is now known only as “Thomas Russell.”  It may here be remarked, that, owing to the general custom of changing names, as here instanced, it is found difficult to tell to whom the letters severally refer.  Where the old and new names were both carefully entered on the book there is no difficulty, of course, but it was not always thus.

Susan Bell, the wife of William, was about thirty years of age, of a dark color, rather above medium size, well-made, good-looking, and intelligent—­quite equal to her husband, and appeared to have his affections undividedly.  She was owned by Thomas Baltimore, with whom she had lived for the last seven years.  She stated that during a part of her life she had been treated in a “mild manner.”  She had no complaint to make until after the marriage of her master.  Under the new wife and mistress, Susan found a very marked change for the worse.  She fared badly enough then.  The mistress, on every trifling occasion for complaint, was disposed to hold the auction-block up to Susan, and would likewise influence her husband to do the same.  From the fact, that four of Susan’s sisters had been sold away to “parts unknown,” she was not prepared to relish these almost daily threats from her irritable mistress, so she became as anxious for a trip on the Underground Rail Road as was her husband.

About one hundred miles away in the country, her father, mother, three brothers, and one sister were living; but she felt that she could not remain a slave on their account.  Susan’s owner had already fixed a price on her and her child, twenty-two months old, which was one thousand dollars.  From this fate she was saved only by her firm resolution to seek her freedom.

Louisa Bell was also of Wm. Nelson’s party, and a fair specimen of a nice-looking, wide awake woman; of a chestnut color, twenty-eight years of age.  She was the wife of a free man, but the slave of L. Stasson, a confectioner.  The almost constant ringing in her ears of the auction-block, made her most miserable, especially as she had once suffered terribly by being sold, and had likewise seen her mother, and five sisters placed in the same unhappy situation, the thought of which never ceased to be most painful.  In reflecting upon the course which she was about to pursue in order to free herself from the prison-house, she felt more keenly than ever for her little children, and readily imagined how sadly she would mourn while thinking of them hundreds of miles distant, growing up only to be slaves.  And particularly would her thoughts dwell upon her boy, six years of age; full old enough to feel deeply the loss of his mother, but without hope of ever seeing her again.

Heart-breaking as were these reflections, she resolved to leave Robert and Mary in the hands of God, and escape, if possible from her terrible thraldom.  Her plan was submitted to her husband; he acquiesced fully and promised to follow her as soon as an opportunity might present itself.  Although the ordeal that she was called upon to pass through was of the most trying nature she bravely endured the journey through to Canada.  On her arrival there the Rev. H. Wilson wrote on behalf of herself, and the cause as follows: