Redemptioners And Slavery In Delaware County.

John Hill Martin says, "John Crosby (the judge) owned the last two negro slaves in Delaware County, 'Old Aunt Rose' and her husband, 'Sampson.' After they were freed by law, this ancient couple lived in an old log cabin on the left-hand side of the road running from the old Queen's road, northwest from near Jacob Hewes' residence, below Leiperville, then called Ridley, to 'Crosby's mill.' They died at an extreme old age."¹

After the war of 1812, when the system of servile labor, which previous to that struggle had grown into almost general disfavor in the Southern States, was found to be a source of enormous wealth in raising cotton, the acreage devoted to the cultivation of that staple increased rapidly, so that slaves more than doubled in price, while the demand exceeded largely the supply. To meet this want arose a class of desperate, lawless men who made the kidnapping of free negroes in the Northern States and spiriting them away to the sunny South a regular trade, having designated stations, hiding-places, and accomplices in the nefarious business. Although Delaware County was on the border, very few attempts, so far as I have learned, were made to kidnap negroes within our territory. The first case I find occurred on Sunday, Jan. 7, 1835. John Paschall, a farmer, residing on the highway leading from the West Chester road to Darby, in the evening of that day was foddering his cattle in the barn, assisted by a black boy about twelve years old. When Paschall returned to the house he missed the lad, and diligent search was immediately made for the boy, which was continued during the greater part of the night without success. Shortly before noon the day following the boy returned, and related that two men, one of them a negro, had seized and tied him in the barn, after which they put him in a wagon and carried him to a house in Chester, where his captors and the people in the house drank until they became grossly intoxicated. While they were in that condition the lad managed to get a knife from his pocket, and with his teeth opened it. Then cutting the cords which bound his hands and feet, he escaped from the window, fled to the woods, where he remained all night, and made his way to his master's house the next day.

On Sunday, Aug. 12, 1844, the quiet of Chester was broken by a hue and cry in pursuit of four colored men who had, it was said, murdered George Sharp, of Wilmington, Del., at the "Practical Farmer," about seven miles distant. A number of horsemen and footmen joined in the chase. Within a mile of Darby three of the fugitives were overtaken, and brought to the jail at Chester. The truth appeared the next day. No murder was committed, but in attempting to arrest one of the colored men as a fugitive slave a struggle took place, and the man broke from the grasp of Sharp, who fell to earth. The latter had died of heart-disease. The three men were, however, held in custody; but on Wednesday, the 28th, when the owner of the slave came to claim him, it was found that they all had escaped. The incarcerated men bad taken the pump-handle and spear, and had tied them together, and with their blankets had made a rope, with which they scaled the prison-yard walls, and decamped. They were never recaptured.

In August, 1852, a colored camp-meeting was held at Cartertown, where it was noticed that a negro from Delaware, in company with two worthless white men, had been acting in such a way as to excite suspicion that his intention was to kidnap some of the colored persons present. A committee was appointed to watch his movements, and, being convinced that his purpose was as mentioned, he was taken into the woods, where he was strapped to a tree and "beaten with many stripes." When released he fled hastily away, never to show himself again in the neighborhood.

On the evening of the 25th of January, 1853, Richard Neal, a colored man in shackles, was brought in a carriage to Chester, and the intelligence that he was so detained spread, creating unusual excitement in the ancient borough. It soon became known that the man was charged by one Capt. Mayo, of Anne Arundle County, Md., with having excited his wife and children, slaves of Capt. Mayo, to run away. Neal was a freeman, but had been arrested on a requisition from the Governor of Maryland, and Capt. Mayo proposed to take the prisoner to that State in the midnight train. While awaiting the cars here a habeas corpus was served on the officers, which the Marylanders at first were disposed to resist, drawing their pistols and swearing they would not recognize the writ. Townsend Sharpless, conspicuous by his height and a light-colored overcoat he wore, coolly held the writ, and defied the angry men to disobey the order of the court. Neal was finally placed in the lock-up, where be remained all night. The following morning several hundred persons, residents of Chester and the neighborhood, assembled at the depot, determined that the law should be carried out. When the south-bound train stopped, an officer got off and read a warrant commanding the appearance of Col. Mayo and his party in Philadelphia to answer the writ. The whistle sounded, and the train at length started on its way to Baltimore, amid the shouts of the populace. The officers then removed the shackles from the prisoner, and he was taken to Philadelphia. It was subsequently learned that Neal had formerly been a slave, had been manumitted, and had married a slave of Col. Mayo. He afterwards came to Philadelphia, where he was employed by