The road to Washington was doing about this time a marvellously large business.  “William Penn” and other friends in Washington were most vigilant, and knew where to find passengers who were daily thirsting for deliverance.

Rebecca Jackson was a woman of about thirty-seven years of age, of a yellow color, and of bright intellect, prepossessing in her manners.  She had pined in bondage in Georgetown under Mrs. Margaret Dick, a lady of wealth and far advanced in life, a firm believer in slavery and the Presbyterian Church, of which she was a member.

Rebecca had been her chief attendant, knew all her whims and ways to perfection.  According to Rebecca’s idea, “she was a peevish, fretful, ill-natured, but kind-hearted creature.”  Being very tired of her old mistress and heartily sick of bondage, and withal desiring to save her daughter, she ascertained the doings of the Underground Rail Road,—­was told about Canada, &c.  She therefore resolved to make a bold adventure.  Mrs. Dick had resided a long time in Georgetown, but owned three large plantations in the country, over which she kept three overseers to look after the slaves.  Rebecca had a free husband, but she was not free to serve him, as she had to be digging day and night for the “white people.”  Robert, a son of the mistress lived with his mother.  While Rebecca regarded him as “a man with a very evil disposition,” she nevertheless believed that he had “sense enough to see that the present generation of slaves would not bear so much as slaves had been made to bear the generation past.”

* * * * *

ARRIVAL FROM HONEY BROOK TOWNSHIP, 1858.

FRANK CAMPBELL.

Frank was a man of blunt features, rather stout, almost jet black, and about medium height and weight.  He was not certain about his age, rather thought that he was between thirty and forty years.  He had been deprived of learning to read or write, but with hard treatment he had been made fully acquainted under a man named Henry Campbell, who called himself Frank’s master, and without his consent managed to profit by his daily sweat and toil.  This Campbell was a farmer, and was said to be the owner of about one hundred head of slaves, besides having large investments in other directions.  He did not hesitate to sell slaves if he could get his price.  Every now and then one and another would find it his turn to be sold.  Frank resolved to try and get out of danger before times were worse.  So he struck out resolutely for freedom and succeeded.

* * * * *

ARRIVAL FROM ALEXANDRIA, VA., 1858.

RICHARD BAYNE, CARTER DOWLING AND BENJAMIN TAYLOR.

Richard stated that a man named “Rudolph Massey, a merchant tailor, hard rum-drinker, card player, etc.” claimed to own him, and had held him, up to the time of his escape, as with bands of brass.