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Permission for posting this letter from the Siebert Collection was granted by
the Ohio Historical Society on April 21, 2001.  The reference is as follows:

     MIC 192  Wilbur H. Siebert Collection, Letter from N.B. Sisson, 16 September
     1894:  Ohio Historical Society.

[NOTE:  the spelling, grammar, and punctuation were copied exactly as appeared
in the original document.  The only change was to capitalizing all surnames.MH]

                   [Ohio- Gallia County]
                       also Vinton County and Athens County¹

                   Reply of N. B. SISSON of Pine Grove, Ohio.

                               To the U. G. R. R. Circular

                                                Porter, Pine Grove P.O.,

                                                                Gallia County, O.,

                                                                                  Sept. 16, 1894.

Hon. W. H. Siebert-

                             Dear Sir: -

     The Kanawha Valley was usual outlet in those days for persons escaping
from slavery.  After crossing the Ohio river the most direct route was by way of
Bethel Church, three miles from Point Pleasant, W. Va. (north) and thence direct
to Porter seven miles farther north².  There was some divergence from danger
signals at times and then the line of travel would be easterly to Kygerville³ eight⁴
miles east of Porter, and four from the Ohio river.  The latter would be the line
when the crossing was above Pt. Pleasant and sometimes three miles west of Porter.

     Porter was the oldest general station and the other lines came into this central
line either about four miles north of Porter -station-keeper was Howell JAMES and
wife Martha (active workers) or at Dr. Henry EATON's, five miles northwest of Porter,
or at Wilkesville with Henry Ogle and others for keepers, concealers and carriers to
Albany or Amestown⁵ (ville), Athens Co.  Thus the general and central route completely
organized was- Porter, Wilkesville - now Vinton Co. and Albany, Athens Co.; with
frequent stopping places on the direct line, and from shrewdest policy, on each
side of the line, two others one and four miles each side.  At and near Kygersville
station-keepers were David TATE and other names which will be furnished you by
James TATE of Kygersville  Alvin HARDING same place.  Judge BRADBURY of the
Supreme Court may furnish names, or H. R. BRADBURY of Gallipolis, Ohio, station-
keepers, concealers and carriers of Porter - Dr. Julius A. BINGHAM, George J. PAYNE,
William CLARK, Daniel CLARK, George HANGER, N. D. ROSE.  West and northwest of
Porter:  West two miles Gabriel JARRETT - colored:  northwest Frederick HANGER,
John D.  PORTER:  four and a half miles northwest Hiram DAVIS: northeast of Porter
James EBLEN:  north three miles Howell JAMES:  north five miles Dr. Henry EATON:
north seven miles J. D. HEACOCK, in a Quaker settlement:  and beyond these places
you will receive information from persons living in and near Wilkesville and Albany.
(Near Wilkesville marked #- some dead:  # Abe MORRIS, #Abel KENT, #James
CASTER, #Ben HAW.  Hon.  Samuel HOLCOMB, deceased, near Vinton, 0.  A son
Edward HOLCOMB, now living at Vinton, 0. in Gallia, County.

     Period of activity:  From 1840 to 1860 and the greatest activity from 1845 to
1856.  During the latter period it is estimated by the only surviving person who
was most intimate with Dr. J. A. BINGHAM and George J. PAYNE (the last two are
now dead) that two hundred persons traveled this U.G.R.R. every year.

     Method of operation:    Messengers sent from post to post or from station to
station.  Ample provision was made for transfer from station to station and to
places of safety and concealment by horses, buggies, express wagons, and
sometimes on foot through woods, cornfields and caves, cellars, barns, in holes
under the floors of houses.

     Messengers, signals, and perhaps a limited cipher method- the latter limited to
BINGHAM, J. G. PAYNE (PAYNE was very cautious) and very few others.  If any
persons can give this it must be John K. PAYNE of Knoxville, Tennessee, or N. D.
ROSE of Lakeside, Bourbon Co., Kansas, or George HANGER of Eaton,, Nebraska.

     Memorable Incidents:  About the year 1847 It was learned by the kidnappers
that a fugitive was at the house of John GLENN, on Little Raccoon Creek in
Huntington Township, Galli  County, Ohio, and the men in pursuit went to the house,
and all the men were absent.  When they came to the gate the stopped and asked
if there was a colored woman in there, and being answered evasively or negatively,
said they 'would search the house, whereupon they were informed they could not
and should not do so.  There being three or four women present and two loaded
guns in the house and the women being brave and used to guns, two of them took
position in the door, and with guns leveled and ready said: "The first man that comes
through that gate is a dead man." And after talking a short time the leader seeing
fire In their eyes said:  "Boys let us leave, those d---d fools will shoot."

     About year 1850 two fugitives were concealed in a barn in Morgan Township,
Gallia County, O. - one a middle aged Baptist preacher, the other young.  The owner
and kidnappers coming upon them they ran and were pursued by the gang.  The
older man outran the younger and all the pursuers, except one, who coming close
up to the fleeing preacher, who in desperation turned on his pursuer and with ready
revolver said "I do not wish to kill you but If you come a step farther you are a
dead man." The kidnappers had been notified to be on their guard as the preacher
was a brave and determined man.  The gang and owner stopped pursuit.

     About the year 1845 five fugitives were run from George J. PAYNE's, hotly
pursued, to Frederick HANGER's two miles - and thence to Hiram DAVIS' three miles.
The owner, Gen. MCCANSLAND of W. Va. and his gang of kidnappers - three or four
from W. Va.-and half a dozen more picked up in Ohio, were in hot pursuit but were
delayed on the road long enough, to give Davis time to conceal the fugitives in a
hole under the house in the chimney corner used in winter to keep potatoes.  The
fugitives were packed in the hole, the floor laid down, an old rag carpet thrown
carelessly over it and then an old fashioned loom set on the carpet, and by the
time this was completed, the gang arrived and demanded the niggers and were
refused.  They were then told by DAVIS that neither men-stealers, slave-holders
nor their hounds should come into his house; nor no other man unless he wished
him to enter.  DAVIS took position at a window by the side of the door, and being
six feet high, a large strong determined man looked out upon the McCansland crowd
and told them In phrases more decisive than polite that God had given him the
strength to defend his own house and Ohio had given him the right, and with sharp
drawn ax told them if any man touched his door he would kill him so help him God.
During the day more than two hundred men and women were gathered about the
house, both friends, neutrals and foes, DAVIS defied the kidnappers and held the
fort. Some kind of a search-warrant obtained from a J. P. and given to a constable
but while this was being done a Mrs. GRIFFIN had come with two guns and
ammunition, and marched through the crowd into the house.  Such was the
excitement that three or four women kept kettles of boiling water ready and pans
to dash it the faces and on any who should attempt in any way to enter without
DAVIS' consent.  After Mrs. Griffin arrived she suggested that cornmeal should be
added to the boiling water thus forming a gruel and this was done.

     When the constable came he started to the door.  DAVIS told him that if he
touched that door he would kill him.  The constable knew his man and retired.
DAVIS with drawn ax and others with guns on the inside kept their positions.
When the constable retired the McCansland gang knew they were defeated.
About that time DAVIS told McCansland, Hon. A. HOLCOMB and Lemuel PERRY
(an eminent lawyer) into his house and they could look around and report.  They
went in, looked about, punched in a pile of oats upstairs and went out and
reported they not find any fugitives or signs of any.  The gang humiliated and
defeated began to disperse and thus ended one of the most exciting of days.

(To be continued under Nos.  1, 4, 5, and 7)^6,7 [Sisson Notes Page]
 [over⁸]
 
 

(1)  The route.  The colored people of Gallipolis were the first depot.  The next
five miles north was a depot kept by Ruben BLODGETT, next 5 miles at a small
town called Porter, kept by Geo.  J. PAYNE (my wife's brother) next depot at Vinton
six miles north of Porter, kept by Hiram DAVIS, next station Wilkesville, six miles
distant, kept by OGLE.  Next was Albany in Athens County.  There the fugitives
were handed over to the other end of the route of whom they consisted I know not.

(2) Period of activity.  From 1842 to 1860.

(3) Method of operation.  One method was silence.  We took those who Gallipolis
sent and trusted in their honesty.  We took them personally to the next station.

(4) Memorable incidents.-⁹ [Sisson Notes Page]

(5) Your own connection.-¹⁰ [Sisson Notes Page]

(6) Names and present addresses.-

(7)  Biographical Sketch.  Now I will explain why we did not organize into a body.
We were fearful of betrayal, we did not know whom to trust.  With keepers of
stations we had tacit understanding.

For myself, I was born in Granville, Licking co., Ohio, in 1815, joined the
Congregational Church there under the pastorate of Rev. Jacob Little, on
New Years day, 1832, where I  lived till 1838, when I removed to Gallia,
County, Ohio where I resided during my connection with the Underground Railway.

N. B. Sisson¹¹
 

     Memorable incidents (continued).  An incident to which I wished to refer,
occurred In the forties.  John S. GILES a white man (the latter name is correct and
most likely the initials) was decoyed or abducted from near Rutland in Meigs County,
taken to jail at Pt.  Pleasant, W. Va. and confined.  Some time afterward five
underground railroad men went from near Porter, Gallia County, broke open the jail
and brought back the imprisoned under R.R. conduct to Ohio.  (Write to L. D.
STEVENS, Rutland, O. and to B. CHASE - same place.  I can give the name of one
of the men concerned- James EBLEN.  A son of his, living here, gave me the name.
The names of the rescuers were carefully concealed for many years and perhaps
can never all be known.

     Elijah ANDERSON (born and lived four miles from Porter, Gallia County, Ohio) a
colored preacher, was thought to be guilty of aiding fugitives, was decoyed from
Cincinnati, Ohio, across the River into Kentucky, arrested and put in jail.  After some
effort on the part of friends to secure his release they were notified to come and get
him.  They were poor but got help and went after him and when they reached the jail
he was dead and boxed up.  In that condition he was brought home with Instructions
not to open the box on account of decomposition; but some one wanted the box
opened, and on examination a large bullet hole was found In his head.  He had been
murdered in jail.

The ANDERSON family was good and worthy and smart.  (On this case write to Daniel
ANDERSON, Pine Grove, Gallia County, Ohio.)

FOOTNOTES:

¹This line was handwritten.
²"west" was tagged on to "north" to = Northwest"
³"ville" was crossed out.
⁴"Eight" was crossed out and "nine" was written above.
⁵"town" was crossed out and lines were drawn connecting "Ames" to "ville."
⁶"These items were continued in another section by Dr. Sisson.  Go to the "Sisson
Notes Web Page" to view them.
⁷"Over" was handwritten.
⁸Although Dr. Sisson continued his notes on another page, he also listed additional information below.
⁹Go to the "Sisson Notes Web Page" to view additional "Memorable incidents".
¹⁰Go to the "Sisson Notes Web Page" to view additional "Your own connection".
¹¹Dr. Sisson's signature.

RETURN TO MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION.
RETURN TO N.B. SISSON'S NOTES.