The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad is a way African slaves escaped from the Southern states in the 1800s in The United States of America. These escapees would travel with a conductor who knew where to go. The conductor was also an escaped slave who attained freedom in the Northern States where the group was headed. This group of people would also stop at safe houses, which were places where the slaves would get food and shelter. This story is about a young woman who escapes her horrid life as a slave. It is about her journey on the Underground Railroad.

CIRCA 1843 

“GO! STOP MAKING HER CRY! You lazy woman!” shouted Mrs. Grenner. I quickly scrambled up and ran to baby Angelica’s room. I picked her up and paced the room until she was silent. If this continued, I would die from exhaustion. Angelica was a pain to look after. She would always cry throughout the night. Master always thought it was my fault. 

After Angelica went to sleep, I sat down on the floor. Mrs. Grenner came to check on me.“Good, you at least managed to that,” she smirked. “Go outside to sleep. If she cries again, I’ll handle it ‘cause you can’t do much anyway.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I responded.

As I was walking out to my room where all the other slaves slept, I thought if I could somehow escape this miserable place. That night, I decided to talk to my best friend, Thomas. 

Thomas and I had been friends since we were born. I was born on July ninth and I am older than Tom by three months. We were the only slaves that had been born at the same master’s house. When I was fourteen, my father passed away from a fever. I didn’t know what it was exactly and Mother usually gets too sad to talk about it. I had heard about a phenomenal woman named Margaret James from Richard Abbot, another slave in our overcrowded house. He said that she would take slaves and they would have freedom in the Northern Colonies. I was thinking of going with Margaret James, but I was scared about what would happen if I left. I needed to talk to my best friend.

 I was getting really tired of working this hard day and night. My eyes had dark circles under them. My hair was a mess and my clothes were in tatters. Just yesterday, my mother said that my beautiful blue eyes were not seen with the anxiety in them. I was going to talk to Thomas about leaving this job and if he would come with me. I hoped he would because I didn’t want to be lonely.

I quietly opened the hut’s door and crept in. It was very dark, but I could make out my spot on the floor. 

“Thomas,” I whispered.

“Huh...Aaa-” he shouted. I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth. 

“Shhhh, I’ve been thinking about what I’ve heard,” I said.

“About what?” he asked.

“ You know… About Margaret James…” I responded.

I saw his eyes widen, “ You actually thought about that? You would leave the only place you can call home?”

“If it means getting freedom, yes.” His dark tanned skin looked beautiful in the pale moonlight. I could make out his sharp jawline and his jet black hair. 

“Mary, if you go, do you know how we’ll all be punished? Do you know how hard it will be? Your mother is not fit enough to travel far North. Where would you go? You will be all alone,” he said gravely. I could see the concern in his eyes.

“Tom, I love everyone here, but you could come with me. We could have a better life. We could be happy, and most importantly, free.” He looked so torn, between freedom and his family, what would he choose?

“ I-I-I could never leave my family.” I couldn’t hide my disappointment. I thought we could’ve been together for a long time to come. I knew I was going.

“ When do you plan on going to the North?” he asked looking into my eyes.

“ I’m not sure. The next time Margaret James is around this part of North Carolina.”

“ If you really want to go, then I’m not stopping you. Our people need you. I need you. You are the closest person I know. I don’t think I could live without you. You make me happy and keep me going. Your future is in your hands. If you want to go, then go. It’s just that I don’t think I can come with you,” he said sadly. His gaze fell to the floor. I could feel my eyes stinging. Those words meant a lot to me.

“ I need you too, Tom,” I said, smiling. Those were all the words I could manage without choking up. I gave him a hug and he hugged me back. 

“Goodnight, Thomas,” I whispered. I lied down and drifted off to sleep.

FIVE DAYS LATER

“ You have everything you need?” Mother asked me. Her eyes looked so sweet at night. Her hands were trembling. It was a clear night over the never-ending fields. The moon shone brightly and shined on our faces in the dark night. She pulled me close and kissed my forehead. 

“ Oh, Mary. You are our dream come true. We love you so much. Just do-don’t forget me and Dad. You will always be with us,” she sobbed. I felt the tears roll down my cheeks. I was regretting leaving them. I would never see them again. I gave Mother one final kiss and looked into her eyes for the last time. I took the sack from her hands.

“ I love you, Mother.” Then, I turned around and walked away. I didn’t want to look back. Dad was already gone, now Mother is too. 

As I reached the main entrance of the farm, I saw a person standing there. I couldn’t tell who it was. I hid behind a large tree. I slowly crept closer and closer to where the person was. I realized it was Thomas. 

“Hello, Mary.” I came into sight from behind the tree.

“ Thomas! Why are you here? Where is Benjamin, who watches the entrance?” I asked.

“ Oh, him… Right, I convinced him to sleep and told him I could take his job for the rest of the night. Also, happy eighteenth birthday,” he said smiling.

“Tom! I didn’t remember. Thank you. I didn’t say bye because I thought it would be too painful.”

“ I couldn’t have you go without saying goodbye,” he said. I looked into the depths of his dark brown eyes.

“ Well, I guess this goodbye then,” I said sadly.

“ Yes, I suppose it is.” I gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek.

“ Goodbye Thomas Benjamin Anderson. I will miss you.”

“ Goodbye Mary Anne Smith. I will remember you forever.” My eyes started watering and I looked away from his gaze. I smiled and walked away. 

“ I love you,” I whispered under my breath.

I could see Margaret waiting for me behind a bush. I walked up to her and she took my hands and looked me in my eyes. Her face was beautiful, but she could be fierce and strong as well. Her hands felt rough as if they had been rubbed against rocks. On her forehead, there was a bump, which I didn’t want to know how it got there.

“ Mary Anne Smith?” she asked.

I gulped, “ Y-y-yes,” I responded nervously.

“ We will be on the move right after I talk to you. You mustn't say a word or have a conversation with anyone. If you would like to, then you may die. Do you understand?”

“ Yes, I understand.” She turned around and started to walk.

“ Well, then let’s get mov-”

“ I-I-I’m scared.” She turned around and looked at me. She took my hands and looked into my eyes again.

“ I know running away is never an easy thing. Once you go, you can never come back, along the way you can never regret your choices, you can never ever look back. I almost made the mistake of doing that, but I survived and I was alone. You have others to protect you as well. You are not alone. Always remember that. Never fall into self-pity. I am here for you,” she said confidently. She gave me a moment to collect my wits.

“ Now, shall we continue?” she asked. I nodded. I made a mental note that she was good with words.

THREE DAYS LATER

“ Run!” Margaret shouted. Everyone scattered in all directions. I tripped over the root of a tree and I saw a man running in my direction. I could tell my foot was hurt and I couldn't run very far. I quickly scanned my surroundings. There was a huge tree in front of me with branches low enough to climb. Behind me, there was a wheat field, with no white men nearby. I briefly thought about which was more convenient. I chose the tree. The man, I could tell was bulky and would have a difficult time climbing. I scrambled up the tree, how a squirrel would, and I didn’t stop.

Below me, I could hear the man screaming curses. I stayed in the tree for an hour or so until I was sure they left the area. I slowly climbed down; not putting weight on my hurt foot.

I couldn’t see or hear anyone around me. I thought everyone was hiding in the bushes or in trees as I did. I walked around silently and in the shadows. I couldn’t hear or see anyone. I could feel the panic rising in my chest. 

“ No, no, no, no… Where is everyone?” I asked myself. I looked around until dawn, I found nobody. I was forced to come to the conclusion that I was alone, and Margaret James left a slave behind. I was worried that I would be caught, about where I would sleep, and about all the others and if everyone managed to come out alive. 

I had no food or water to survive on. I decided to go to the fields which I had seen earlier. The fields were so big, I couldn't lose sight of them. I carefully climbed the fence, trying not to put weight on my hurt foot, and crept into the fields. I realized they were cornfields. At least I have something to eat, I thought to myself. Now, I just needed to find somewhere to sleep. 

I roamed the fields for the next few hours until another slave found me. She was a girl. She looked around my age. I was painfully reminded of my sister, who was bought and working at another Englishman’s home. She gasped when she saw me and her eyes widened.

“ Oh my lord, who-who are you?” she asked in disbelief.

“ My name is Mary,” I responded.

“ Why-why are you here,” she said, inching closer to me, “ I have never seen you around here before.” I didn’t have a response to that statement, what should I tell her, I thought. I looked at her face and could see she had hair just like mine, brown curly locks, and her eyes were a milky brown. Her hair was styled with a cloth to hold it up and there was a blue feather in her hair. The rags she wore were much more torn than mine.

“ Did you-did you get lost?” she questioned.

“ Sort of,” I said. She had a basket of corn propped up on her hip and she was holding a piece of metal in her hand. It was too small to see. She smiled at me.

“ My name is Elizabeth,” she said. I felt a jolt of pain in my heart, the name of my sister was too painful to hear. 

“ Come with me, we can blend you in as one of us. You can pretend to be my sister.” She turned and started to walk. I felt like I could trust her. She wanted us to pretend to be sisters when her name and her looks were just like my real sister.

As we walked through the fields I could see that the slaves here were in much worse condition than the slaves back at home. These slaves were thinner and had worse clothes to wear. Their jobs must have been much more difficult. I pitied how Elizabeth worked in the fields when I at least had a nice sheltered place to stay. 

I couldn’t concentrate on much that was happening around me because I was worried about Margaret and the others on the Underground Railroad. In about 20 miles or so, we were going to make a stop at a safe house, one of Margaret's close friends. 

Elizabeth led me to a small hut about one-fourth of the size of our hut back in North Carolina. 

“ My family has this hut. We all sleep in here. You can as well.” 

“ Thank you so much for your hospitality,” I mumbled. The pain in my foot was making my vision blurred. I couldn't stand the throbbing anymore. I blinked and everything went black. 

My foot felt like it was in quicksand. I looked down and saw that my foot was bandaged. I looked around until I saw an old woman holding a bowl of soup. 

“ Hello,” she said calmly, “ I am Elizabeth’s mother. I bandaged your foot and I hope it heals nicely. Do not worry she has told me everything. Lizzy is talking with Master at the moment and she will be back. I have prepared soup for you and please do drink it.” She placed it down beside me and I finished it in a heartbeat. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I had some cornbread and water and when I finished Elizabeth walked in.

“ Oh thank goodness that you’re alright,” she sighed with relief.

We sat and talked for a little until she had to go back out to work. She took me with her and taught me how to work in the fields. I learned how to do it almost immediately. It was just a little difficult because of my hurt foot. That night we had supper together and we talked about our lives. She had no friends other than the small little kids. 

“ So is this how every day is for you?” I asked Elizabeth.

“ Yes, sometimes a little different,” she responded. We talked for about thirty minutes more until someone burst into the cottage. In the dark I couldn’t tell who it was, I was afraid it was a white man and he had come to take me away. Then the person spoke.

“ MARY!” she shouted. I trembled in the darkness and I was scared out of my mind, but I managed to stand up. As soon I stood, I realized it was Margaret James. I felt elated. Then I realized she would be extremely angry.

“ Where, in the name of God, have you been!?” she yelled. I didn’t have a response. I was too stunned to say anything. Thankfully, Elizabeth’s mother, Charlotte, saved me.

“ Ma’am, my daughter, Elizabeth, found her. She was hurt and lost. We took her in and blended her in as one of us. Not a soul noticed that she was a stranger. She has been with us since this morning. I’m terribly sorry for frightening you.” Margaret looked stunned. I could see the rage evaporating from her face.

“ You-you survived on your own. I am impressed, Mary. I cannot hide the fact that I am angry with you, but I am impressed,” she said, suppressing a smile, “ If you want to stay here, I cannot allow that. No one can know about our job,” she said, hesitating. I felt my self-esteem crumbling. It’s fine, I told myself, I will be safe, we will all be safe.

“That is fine,” I responded. I looked at Elizabeth and she smiled. 

“ Mary, You’re the closest friend I have. If you have to go, I am okay with that,” she said sadly. I felt horrible leaving her. I’m always leaving the people that I really like. I went up to her and gave her a hug. She hugged me back and I enjoyed the moment how it was. I left her grasp and went to hug her mother.

“ Thank you so much for looking after me when I was hurt,” I said. She smiled and looked a little flushed. These kind and generous people deserve a better life, I thought to myself.

“ Why don’t you guys come with us?” I asked. Elizabeth’s eyes widened and Charlotte hung her head. Margarets’s eyes darted around the hut. After a few moments, Charlotte spoke.

“ Margaret had offered some time ago. We-we didn’t want to leave our family and friends behind.” I nodded and smiled. 

“ You’re very brave to go on this adventure,” Charlotte said in awe, “ I know that I wouldn’t have been able to go if I was your age. Make us proud, Mary.” I smiled and hugged everyone one last time and then I left the hut with Margaret. We walked in silence for five minutes.

“ You know, I was very worried about you. We didn’t know where you were and I spent a lot of time looking for you. I am very happy that you were safe and used skills that I never taught you. They seemed to help you survive.” Margaret suddenly stopped. She looked around and motioned for me to be quiet. She crept behind a bush and I followed. We waited for a moment and nothing happened. I crouched a bit lower and a twig snapped beneath my foot. Suddenly, we were surrounded. 

“ Margaret James, surrender!” the white man shouted, “ You are surrounded!”

I panicked and Margaret punched the first white man in the face and he crumpled to the ground. The second man advanced behind Margaret and I kicked him in the groin. He stumbled backward and hunched over in pain. I felt proud of myself until I saw the other three men. Margaret was fighting fist to fist with one of them. The other two were advancing on me. Margaret signaled for me to leave and run. I shook my head. That moment it took to communicate with me could have cost her her life. She got punched in the stomach and she collapsed. I felt the fury inside of me and I ran up to that man and I kicked him so hard in the chest he crashed into the tree behind him and hit his head. He collapsed on roots and lay still. 

There were still two men left to fight and I knew I wouldn’t hold out for that long. My ankle’s pain was coming back since I used my feet. My sight was drifting from blackness to the men and I almost collapsed. Margaret was stirring and I prayed that she would get up. If she got up then we would all be saved, but these men were not going to stay knocked out for long. The first man was already moving and about to get on his feet. He sat up and a low branch from a tree hit his head. Lucky for me, Margaret was able to stand on her feet. Just as I put my arms over my head to protect myself, Margaret yanked a branch off one of the trees and hit the remaining two men with it. Then we ran until we reached the group.

“ We… Got… Into a bit of trouble,” Margaret wheezed and panted. We drank some water and headed on our way.

The next few days were mostly uneventful and we stopped a safe house. It felt amazing to eat good food. I received medicine for my ankle and it got better in no time. That piece of metal Elizabeth was holding was a heart. She slipped into my pocket just before I left. I knew that I would keep it forever. The lady who lived at the house had a daughter, a little younger than me, and I thought we could be friends. Unfortunately, she and her mother didn’t see eye to eye. She never told others about her mother’s second life, but she did resent her. I realized all the people aren’t going to be your friends. Some white people may be nice, but all won't be. I was slightly glad that we left there and headed on our way to New Jersey.

TWELVE DAYS LATER

“ It has been an amazing journey with you all. I know you will all live amazing lives in New Jersey. Be safe and no one can know our secret. I am sorry but this is where our journey ends. Have a splendid time and I may come to visit you in the future. Also, please go in different directions so it does not look suspicious. Some of you may become safe houses in the future. Thank you and I’ll see you soon. Don’t worry, your splendid time with me will be an unforgettable experience for me and for you.” Margaret ended our last moments. I noticed, over time, that Margaret was different from others. She was brave, courageous, kind, and fierce all at the same time. I was inspired. But I knew I had to focus on starting a life here in New Jersey. 

Over the last couple of weeks, Margaret had told me some very important things. To be financially in a good place I would most likely have to get married. But to whom? I knew nobody in New Jersey and I was only eighteen. I still looked like a child. Who knows if there were any other escapees like me around here? I decided to not travel far and poke around in the places where I thought slave escapees may be hiding. Fortunately, I didn’t have to. Margaret whispered to me that she wanted me to come with her. She said that since I was young and had traveled alone, she knew someone who might be able to take me in. 

We walked for a few more miles and reached the subtle little cottage. A few miles may seem like a long distance, but after coming from North Carolina on foot, it seemed like nothing. She knocked on the door and from inside we heard a person say, “ Who is it?”. 

“ It is the eagle,” Margaret calmly responded. The eagle? Who is the eagle I thought? The door opened and we stepped over the threshold and Margaret shut the door behind us. A woman stood before us. She had beautiful hazel eyes and long wavy brown hair streaked with white. Her eyes had wrinkles around them as if she smiled a lot. She wore a simple dress with a bonnet in her hair. She was barefoot. She ran up and threw her arms around Margaret.

“ Oh, how I’ve missed you,” she said smiling. “ And who might this be,” she asked nodding in my direction. 

“ I’ve missed you too, Anabelle. This is Mary. She’s from the South.” Anabelle nodded as if that explained exactly why I was in her home. 

“ So I’m assuming you want me to look after her?” she asked.

“ That would be splendid if you could,” Margaret responded. Anabelle smiled and nodded. 

“ Excuse me for a moment. Let me gather everyone so I can introduce them to you,” she said leaving out the back door. I could hear her yelling outside and I looked around the house. Although I knew this was going to be my new home, I still felt like a burden. 

She came back with two children and one adult behind her. One of the younger girls was arguing with the boy who was the adult. They didn’t seem like siblings. Only the two younger ones looked very alike. They must have been twins, I thought. Anabelle gave them a stern look and they fell silent.

“ Please forgive my children, they tend to argue a lot,” she said apologetically. “ This is Harriet,” she said gesturing to the one arguing with the boy, “ And her twin sister Clara. The boy is Charles and he is eighteen years old. I’m thinking around your age?” she asked me.

“ Yes, I recently turned eighteen,” I responded.

“ Wonderful, he now has some company!” she exclaimed. I smiled to be polite, but inside, I didn’t want to get to know him better. He looked sad, but I wanted to know what happened to him at the same time.

“ Oh Margaret, please do stay the night. We could really use the company. Besides, you both have been traveling for the past month or so. You both need the rest.” I couldn’t argue with that. So we split off into a couple of groups and went through the rest of the afternoon. Margaret went to catch up with the girls and Anabelle sent Charles back outside to do the work and she said that she would make me more familiar with this place.

She led me to one of the rooms in the cottage. I had never seen a black person own a cottage this big

“ So this is where you will be sleeping. You’ll be sharing a room with the girls. Is that okay?” she asked. 

“ Of course I don’t mind,” I replied. She patted on one of the beds and said this would be mine. I was grinning from ear to ear. She looked uncertain and I quickly said that I had never actually slept on a bed before and she looked shocked. 

“ Well, then today will be a new day for many firsts. You’re free and you’ll get new experiences!” she smiled enthusiastically. I suddenly remembered my parents and my mood went down immediately. Thankfully, Anabelle didn’t notice.

We walked outside and into the garden. We sat down under a tree and told she told me about herself. Anabelle was from Georgia. A very harsh colony is what I had learned. She said she ran away with Margaret when they were twenty. She met her along the way and they continued here. They were friends and Margaret went on to be a conductor on the Underground Railroad while she started a family. She said she never saw the pleasure of being in constant danger. 

Conductors on the Underground Railroad are like Margaret. They gather up the slaves and help them escape from their homes. They keep them safe and bring them to the North.

She met a man named Benjamin and she started a family with him. They argued about him going back to Pennsylvania, where his family was. Finally, she let him go. He never returned back and she had two little girls to look after. 

Soon, Margaret brought back a boy from Virginia. Anabelle took him in and sheltered him from harm. She watched him grow up. He was only fourteen when Margaret brought him. His parents said they didn’t want him. She was sustaining this full household by herself. She said she was thinking of getting remarried to another man but was unsure. Then she asked me to tell her about myself.

At first, I was a little reluctant to tell a person whom I met today about my whole life. Then I got to the part where I said goodbye to my Father and everything started coming out. I cried and we cried together. She lost her parents when she was seven years old. That’s why she felt like she could take in other children like how she did with Charles. I told her about Tom and Elizabeth and Charlotte. She looked at my foot and said it had healed alright. I told her about all the fights we had with the white men and I told her about how much I missed my parents. I told her about how much I missed my sister and Tom. I let everything out and I didn’t realize how many emotions I kept bottled up. I didn’t notice we had talked for one hour already. We decided to head back inside and check on everyone else. 

That night I had some of the best food that I had ever tasted. She cooked chicken amazingly well. Her mashed potatoes melted in my mouth and her tomato soup felt so good running down my throat. And the blueberry pie for dessert was just amazing. It was the right amount of everything. I told her that her cooking was magnificent and she said, “ This? This is nothing. You should see what I do for Thanksgiving and Christmas.” I almost started jumping up and down with joy.

That night I also said goodbye to Margaret. 

“ I have never met any eighteen year old as brave as you. You came all the way from North Carolina all by yourself. You got separated from the group yet you still managed to defend yourself. You fought many battles and I am proud to say that you are a veteran from the Underground Railroad. You inspire me and others around you. Thank you for being there. I hope your new life here is just what you want.” I was at a loss for words. I just gave her the biggest hug and she hugged me back. 

When she let go, I realized what I had done. I fought people, I made friends, and now I have a new family. Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem. I know there are people out there that are waiting for me and people who love me. Whether it’s Elizabeth, my sister, my mother, my late father, or Tom, they’re waiting for me, and I will come home.

THE END