Before leaving the South he was hired in the family of Ex-Governor Gregory.  Of the Governor and his wife he spoke very highly,—­said that they were kind to him and would readily favor him whenever he solicited them to do so.  He stated that after making his arrangements to start, in order that he might be away several days before being missed, he told Mrs. Gregory that he would be glad to spend a week with his mother, (she lived some distance in the country).  As he was not feeling very well she kindly acceded to his request, and told him to ask the Governor for a pass and some money.  The Governor was busy writing, but he at once granted the prayer, wrote him a pass, gave John five dollars, adding that he was sorry that he had no more in his pocket, &c.  John bowed and thanked the Governor, and soon got ready for his visit; but his route lay in a far different direction than that contemplated by the Governor and his lady.  He was aiming for the Underground Rail Road.  As has already been intimated, he was not owned by the Governor, but by the Ferrell heirs—­five children who had moved from Virginia to Alabama years back.  “Every Ferrell that lives is down on slaves; they are very severe,” said John.  Yet he had not suffered as many others had who belonged to them, as he had been a dining-room servant.  At one time they had owned large numbers of slaves, but latterly they had been selling them off.  Contrary to John’s wishes his Alabama owners had notified him as well as the Governor, that in a short while he was to be taken to Alabama.  This induced John to act with great promptness in leaving at the time that he did.

After passing several years in Canada as has been already noticed, he returned to Richmond and paid a visit to his old home.

He found that the governor and his wife had both departed, but two of the daughters (young ladies), still lived.  They were both glad to see him; the younger especially; she told him that she was glad that he escaped, and that she “prayed for him.”  The elder remarked that she had always thought that he was too “good a Christian to run away.”  Another thing which she referred to, apparently with much feeling, was this:  On his way to Canada, he wrote to the governor, from Rochester, “that he need put himself to no trouble in hunting him up, as he had made up his mind to visit Canada.”  She thought that John was rather “naughty,” to write thus to her “papa,” nevertheless, she was disposed to forgive him, after she had frankly spoken her mind.

John found Richmond, which so long had held him in chains, fully humbled, and her slave power utterly cast down.  His wondering eyes gazed until he was perfectly satisfied that it was the Lord’s doings, and it was marvellous in his eyes.  He was more than ever resolved to get an education, and go back to Virginia, to help teach his brethren who had been so long denied the privilege.  It was not long before he was at Oberlin College, a faithful student, commanding the highest respect from all the faculty for his good deportment and studious habits.