RUNNING A THOUSAND MILES FOR FREEDOM. William Craft

under her British Majesty's protection, Ellen became the mother of several children, (having had none under the stars and stripes). These they spared no pains in educating for usefulness in the world. Some two years since William and Ellen returned with two of their children to the United States, and after visiting Boston and other places, William concluded to visit Georgia, his old home, with a view of seeing what inducement war had opened up to enterprise, as he had felt a desire to remove his family thither, if encouraged. Indeed he was prepared to purchase a plantation, if he found matters satisfactory. This visit evidently furnished the needed encouragement, judging from the fact that he did purchase a plantation somewhere in the neighborhood of Savannah, and is at present living there with his family.

      The portraits of William and Ellen represent them at the present stage of life, (as citizens of the U.S.) — of course they have greatly changed in appearance from what they were when they first fled from Georgia. Obviously the Fugitive Slave Law in its crusade against William and Ellen Craft, reaped no advantages, but on the contrary, liberty was greatly the gainer.

      Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom

       Table of Contents

       PREFACE

       PART I

       MILTON

       INDICTMENT

       PART II

       JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL

      "Slaves cannot breathe in England: if their lungs

       Receive our air, that moment they are free;

       They touch our country, and their shackles fall."

      COWPER

      PREFACE

       Table of Contents

      Having heard while in Slavery that "God made of one blood all nations of men," and also that the American Declaration of Independence says, that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;" we could not understand by what right we were held as "chattels." Therefore, we felt perfectly justified in undertaking the dangerous and exciting task of "running a thousand miles" in order to obtain those rights which are so vividly set forth in the Declaration.

      I beg those who would know the particulars of our journey, to peruse these pages.

      This book is not intended as a full history of the life of my wife, nor of myself; but merely as an account of our escape; together with other matter which I hope may be the means of creating in some minds a deeper abhorrence of the sinful and abominable practice of enslaving and brutifying our fellow-creatures.

      Without stopping to write a long apology for offering this little volume to the public, I shall commence at once to pursue my simple story.

      W. CRAFT.

       12, CAMBRIDGE ROAD, HAMMERSMITH, LONDON.

      PART I

       Table of Contents

      "God gave us only over beast, fish, fowl,

       Dominion absolute; that right we hold

       By his donation. But man over man

       He made not lord; such title to himself

       Reserving, human left from human free."