| Traveler's Names | George Lewis |
|---|---|
| Age | 40 |
| Description | – |
| Alias | – |
| Origin- Town/City | Seaford |
| Origin- County | Sussex Co. |
| Origin- State | Delaware |
| Destination | Canada |
| Birthplace | – |
| Slaveowner's Name | Samuel Laws |
| Chapter Title | Arrival from Sussex County, 1858 |
| Page Number | 489 |
| Other Travelers | Jacob Blockson, George Alligood, Jim Alligood, George Lewis |
| Other Conductors | – |
| Additional Names | – |
| Method of Travel | – |
| Additional Resources | – |
| Items in Possession | – |
| Full Narrative | GEORGE LEWIS had more years than any of his companions, being about forty years of age. He had been kept in as low a state of ignorance as the ingenuity of a slave-holder of Delaware could keep one possessed of as much mother-wit as he was, for he was not quite so ignorant as the interests of the system required. His physical make and mental capacity were good. He was decidedly averse to the peculiar institution in every particular. He stated, that a man named Samuel Laws had held him in bondage ? that this " Laws \vas a man of no business? just sat about the house and went about from store to store and sat ; that he was an old man, pretty grey, very long hair. He was a member of a church in the neighborhood, which was called Radical." Of this church and its members he could give but little account, either of their peculiarities or creed ; he said, however, that they worshipped a good deal like the Methodists, and allowed their members to swear heartily for slavery. "Something told" George that he had worked long enough as a slave, and that he should be man enough to take the Underground Rail Road and go off to a free country. Accordingly George set out. When he arrived at the station he was so highly delighted with his success and the prospect before him, that he felt very sorry that he hadn't started ten years sooner. He said that he would have done so, but he was afraid, as slave-holders were always making the slaves believe that if they should ever escape they would catch them and bring them back and sell them down South, certain ; that they always did catch every one who ran off, but never brought them home, but sold them right off where they could never run away any more, or get to see their relatives again. This threat, George said, was continually rung in the ears of the slaves, and with the more timid it was very effective. |
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[Author (if known)], Abstracts from William Still's Underground Railroad, [Date (if known)], Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva’s Black History, Nabb Research Center, Salisbury University.
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