Biography: The Underground Railroad

by William Still

Subject

Abolitionists -- United States -- Biography
Antislavery movements -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Underground Railroad
Fugitive slaves -- United States -- History -- 19th century

CONTENTS.

SETH CONCKLIN
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD LETTERS.
From Thomas Garrett—G.A. Lewis—E.L. Stevens—Sydney Howard Gay—John Henry Hill—J. Bigelowe—Ham and Eggs—Rev. H. Wilson—Sheridan Ford—E.F. Pennypacker—J.C. Bustill—Slave secreted in Richmond—G.S. Nelson—John Thompson—Wm. Penn

WILLIAM BOX PEEL JONES
Came boxed up viâ Erricson line of Steamers.

WESLEY HARRIS ALIAS ROBERT JACKSON, CRAVEN MATTERSON AND TWO BROTHERS.
CLARISSA DAVIS
Arrived in Male Attire.

ANTHONY BLOW ALIAS HENRY LEVISON
Secreted Ten Months—Eight days on the Steamship City of Richmond bound for Philadelphia.

PERRY JOHNSON, OF ELKTON, MARYLAND.
Eye knocked Out.

ISAAC FORMAN, WILLIAM DAVIS AND WILLIS REDICK.
Hearts full of joy for Freedom—Very anxious for Wives in Slavery.

JOSEPH HENRY CAMP
Sold, the day he escaped, for Fourteen Hundred Dollars—Slave Trader loses his Bargain.

SHERIDAN FORD
Secreted in the Woods—Escapes in a Steamer.

JOSEPH KNEELAND ALIAS JOSEPH HULSON
Young Master had a "Malignant Spirit".

EX-PRESIDENT TYLER'S HOUSEHOLD LOSES AN ARISTOCRATIC ARTICLE.
EDWARD MORGAN, HENRY JOHNSON, JAMES AND STEPHEN BUTLER.
"Two Thousand Dollars Reward" offered.

HENRY PREDO
Daniel Hughes, Thomas Elliott, and five others betrayed into Dover Jail.

MARY EPPS ALIAS EMMA BROWN, JOSEPH AND ROBERT ROBINSON.
A Slave Mother Loses her Speech at the Sale of her Child ... Bob Escapes from his Master, a Trader, with Fifteen Hundred Dollars in North Carolina Money.

GEORGE SOLOMON, DANIEL NEALL, BENJAMIN R. FLETCHER AND MARIA DORSEY.
HENRY BOX BROWN
Arrived by Adams Express.

TRIAL OF THE EMANCIPATORS OF COL. J.H. WHEELER'S SLAVES, JANE JOHNSON AND HER TWO LITTLE BOYS.
THE ARRIVALS OF A SINGLE MONTH.
Sixty Passengers came in one Month—Twenty-eight in one Arrival—Great Panic and Indignation Meeting—Interesting Correspondence from Masters and Fugitives.

A SLAVE GIRL'S NARRATIVE.
Cordelia Loney, Slave of Mrs. Joseph Cahell, (widow of the late Hon. Joseph Cahell, of Virginia)—Cordelia's Escape from her Mistress in Philadelphia.

ARRIVAL OF JACKSON, ISAAC AND EDMONDSON TURNER FROM PETERSBURG.
Touching Scene on Meeting their Old Blind Father at the U.G.R.R. Depot.

ROBERT BROWN ALIAS THOMAS JONES.
Crossing the River on Horseback in the Night.

ANTHONY LONEY ALIAS WILLIAM ARMSTEAD AND CORNELIUS SCOTT.
SAMUEL WILLIAMS ALIAS JOHN WILLIAMS.
BARNABY GRIGBY ALIAS JOHN BOYER, AND MARY ELIZABETH HIS WIFE, FRANK WANZER ALIAS ROBERT SCOTT, EMILY FOSTER ALIAS ANN WOOD.
WILLIAM JORDAN ALIAS WILLIAM PRICE.
JOSEPH GRANT AND JOHN SPEAKS.
Two Passengers viâ Liverpool.

WILLIAM N. TAYLOR.
"One Hundred Dollars Reward".

LOUISA BROWN, JACOB WATERS, AND ALFRED GOULDEN.
ARRIVAL FROM BALTIMORE.

Kindle Edition

Published June 22, 2019

About the author

William Still is youngest child of Levin and Sidney Steel. He lived as a slave with his parents and seventeen brothers and sisters. Levin, Still's father escaped slavery in Maryland for freedom in New Jersey. Still's mother escaped later with the children, changing the family name to Still. She changed her first name to Charity.

When Still was 23, he left the family farm in New Jersey for Philadelphia, to seek his fortune. He arrived, friendless with only five dollars in his possession. Still taught himself to read so well, that in three years he was able to hold the position of secretary in the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. Still provided the all-white society with his views on how to aid fugitive slaves since, he had been one himself. He was such an asset to the group, that he was elected chairman in 1851. Still held the position for the next ten years. He also became chairman of the Vigilance Committee in 1852.

During this time, Still used his house as one of the busiest stations on the Undergroung Railroad. He was awakened hundreds of times during the night to provide fugitives with the food and clothing he supplied for them. Still interviewed the fugitives and kept careful records of each so that family and friends might locate them. According to his records, William Still helped 649 slaves receive their freedom. In 1872, he published his records in a book entitled, The Underground Railroad.

In Philadelphia, Still founded an orphanage for the chidren of African-American soldiers and sailors. In 1860, he went into the stove business. Due to his success, he branched out into the coal business, earning the fortune he had moved to Philadelphia to seek. Still was later elected to the Philadelphia Board of Trade. In 1880, he was one of the organizers of the first African-American YMCA. After a long and prosperous life, William Still died in 1902.