Bulletin Article -September 2006

FOLLOWING THE NORTH STAR
by Betty Lyons

In the mid 1800's, slavery was an important element on southern plantations. Men, women and children were bought in slave markets and forced to work for their owners. It was hot and heavy work with an uncertain future. Often, when slave owners sold some of their workers to another plantation, families would be separated. The slaves' only hope for a better life was to run away and try to reach Canada, which would grant them freedom so that they could never be returned to their owners. If they managed to escape to any of the other states, even the northern ones which did not believe in the slavery system, they still could be captured and returned. Slave hunters were a feared force and received a great deal of money for the return of slaves. Private citizens could also collect money for reporting the presence of the runaways in northern communities.

Since it was difficult to escape detection, the runaways had to travel as individuals or families because small groups would soon be detected. They had to carry identification and to show that would immediately send them back to their owners. Many discussed the possibility of running away and decided that they should follow the North Star which would point them in the right direction.

There were many avenues through which they could choose to escape. None of them was easy. Depending upon whether it was a single person or a family with children, they had to choose carefully. Often, at the last minute, plans had to be changed. Some crept onto filled wagons and rode a short distance. A moving train was another possibility during the darkness of the night. Catching a boat and crawling under a canvas, hoping no one would look, was a possibility. Walking through forests at night or finding a rowboat and rowing on streams and rivers helped them move steadily northward. But there was always the possibility someone would see them or hear them. The best time for them to try to escape was in very bad weather when those seeking to stop them would be happier inside their homes.

By word of mouth, they were told of people along some of the routes who would help them. These people would provide food, a place to sleep during the day, perhaps different clothing so they couldn't be detected so quickly. Sometimes they were ill and their benefactors were able to give them medicine. Rides of any sort were really appreciated.

As they came up from the south, the runaways could choose two routes of going farther north -- Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Those who came to the Garden State usually appeared by water in the Salem or Cape May area where families, mainly Quakers, would watch out for them, hurry them into a safe outbuilding and then plan the next leg of the journey.

As they neared our area, most of them came in the vicinity of Woodbury, where there were many Quakers who were interested in their welfare. Since at any one time there were usually only several runaways, including the children, places could be found for them to stay for a day or two.

There have long been legends that Haddonfield was one of the places on their route. Perhaps the book, Secret Passage, by Betty Cavanaugh, helped this legend along. She wrote that the runaways went to the Indian King where they were taken down into the cellar. The story told about a passage under the street to the Guard houses which the runaways would use. Though interesting, this tale is just about the opposite of what would have happened.

Today some people claim that their house was the site of an underground railroad. Certain houses had indentations in the walls where fruit and vegetables were kept over the winter, and often these are pointed out as niches where slaves could sit or stand. The niches were usually open so if jailers were to go into a cellar, they would see them immediately. Outhouses are pointed out as places runaways stayed.

The worst thing that could have happened would have been to take the runaways into the center of a village where they would be instantly recognized as non-inhabitants. Anyone who saw them might have reported them to the authorities and the bounty hunters would have sought them out. Those who helped them would have been heavily fined. It was dangerous not only to be a runaway but also to be a helper in any village.

Since escapees tried to do so without any fanfare, and the helpers were afraid of getting into trouble, there were not many notes or journals covering that type of action. Thus, until well after the time slaves were moving, that information was not available to anyone, sometimes even close family members.

The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad. It was simply a secret journey to the north for African Americans who were looking forward to a flight north to freedom in Canada. One colonial house in the neighborhood was an authentic Underground Railroad station. Built in 1748 by Isaac Kay, it was the mill house on Evans Pond occupied by the Kay family and later by Thomas and Abigail Bispham Evans and their two sons Charles and Josiah.

Charles died in a skating accident on the pond in 1827. In 1840, Joshua married Hannah Gardiner of Evesham and they moved into this home, called Edgewater, while the parents moved to 309 Kings Highway East.

Joshua and Hannah, their four children and Hannah's three sisters lived together at the mill. All of these occupants and the extended Evans family were members of the Religious Society of Friends known as Quakers as well as being members of the Abolition Society. There were a number of outbuildings on this secluded spot, ideal for bringing in runaways and transporting them to the next Underground Railroad Station which was Mount Holly.

It has been passed down through the family that one of the slave runaways was Joshua Sadler who was caught while hiding in the Evans’ home. Thomas Evans bought him and gave him his freedom. The thankful man worked for him and later established a small village for African Americans now known in Westmont as Saddlertown.


The story of the Underground Railroad is unfortunately made up of many legends because the facts are not available. The best book on the subject is by William Sill who lived in Philadelphia after being able to get there from the South. Many of the runaways followed the North Star and eventually did find freedom in Canada. Some stopped along the way in places like Lawnside where they were able to find freedom at the end of the Civil War. Many more were caught and returned to their masters after tasting freedom for a few days or weeks. Whatever their stories, it was never easy following the North Star.