A Failed Rescue in Chautauqua County
Chautauqua Lake is stategically located in southwestern New York. Several probable routes on the underground railroad followed the lakeshore. |
| From the History of Chautauqua County: Among the runaway slaves [who came up through Pennsylvania] was Harrison Williams, who escaped from Virginia, arriving foot-sore and exhausted at the farm of William Storum, a free colored man, in Busti, in February or March of 1851. Storum kept him several months, supplying his wants and helping him back to health. He was a mere boy of seventeen. Early one morning in September he was kidnapped by his former master, who had learned his hiding-place. This man and some others, dressed as women, drove to the farm, went around to the rear of the house where Williams was milking, seized and bound him, and put him in the bottom of their wagon. They drove rapidly north through Jamestown by way of Forest avenue, Roosevelt Square and North Main street, to Fredonia, and thence to Buffalo. The alarm quickly spread, and a man on horseback, outspeeding the captors, arrived before them in Jamestown. A crowd quickly gathered in the Square, but there was no time to organize any effort, and the captors dashed through the crowd and up Main street without being stopped. "Guinea" Carpenter addressed the excited crowd, urging action, and a pursuing party was quickly made up. But valuable time had been lost, and the captors, with relays of fresh horses, got safely to Buffalo. Here the owner established a legal claim. In the crowded court room a lane was opened through the crowd, and an effort was made to induce Williams to make a dash for liberty. The crowd intended to close behind him until he should reach the carriage which was waiting at the door to take him to a place of safety. Either he failed to understand, or lacked the necessary courage, for he didn't make the effort, and was taken back to Virginia. |