| Traveler's Names | Sarah Jane Bell |
|---|---|
| Age | 25 |
| Description | was two shades lighter then Anna |
| Alias | – |
| Origin- Town/City | – |
| Origin- County | Kent Co |
| Origin- State | Maryland |
| Destination | Canada |
| Birthplace | – |
| Slaveowner's Name | Massey |
| Chapter Title | Arrival from Maryland |
| Page Number | 508 |
| Other Travelers | Two Young mothers, each with babes in their arms--Anna Elizabeth Young and Sarah Jane Bell--whipped till the blood flowed |
| Other Conductors | – |
| Additional Names | – |
| Method of Travel | – |
| Additional Resources | – |
| Items in Possession | – |
| Full Narrative | The appearance of these young mothers at first produced a sudden degree of pleasure, but their story of suffering quite as suddenly caused the most painful reflections. It was hardly possible to listen to their tales of outrage and wrong with composure. 'Both came from Kent county, Maryland, and reported that they fled from a man by the name of Massey; a man of low stature, light-complexioned, with dark hair, dark eyes, and very quick temper ; given to hard swearing as a common practice; also, that the said Massey had a wife, who was a very tall woman, with 1)1 ue eyes, chestnut-colored hair, and a very bad temper ; that, conjointly, Massey and his wife were in the habit of meting out cruel punishment to their slaves, ?without regard to age or sex, and that they themselves, (Anna Elizabeth and Sarah Jane), had received repeated scourgings at the hands of their master. Anna and Sarah were respectively twenty-four and twenty-five years of age ; Anna was of a dark chestnut color, while Sarah was two shades lighter ; both had good manners, and a fair share of intelligence, which afforded a hopeful future for them in freedom. Each had a babe in her arms SARAH had been a married woman for three years ; her child, a boy, was eight months old, and was named Garrett Bell. SARAH had fared no better than Elizabeth, according to her testimony. "Three times," said she, "I have been tied up; the last time was in planting corn-time, this year. My clothing was all stripped off above my waist, and then he whipped me till the blood ran down to my heels." Her back was lacerated all over. She had been ploughing with two horses, and un-fortunately had lost a hook out of her plough ; this, she declared was the head and front of her offending, nothing more. Thus, after all their suffering, utterly penniless, they reached the Committee, and were in every respect, in a situation to call for the deepest commiseration. They were helped and were thankful. |
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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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