Dear Journal,

We arrived at the plantation today and, oh my goodness, was the massa's house a sight! Shining white pillars, tall black doors. Even Massa Henson's house wasn't as incredible as this.

From the wagon, I watched as the fat man named Sims spoke with the massa, whom he addressed as Master Riley. His wife and he were both dressed elegantly, and I envied Missy Riley for her lovely pink gown.

When Sims returned to me and the other slaves, he led us from the wagon to an old frail slave woman nicknamed Granny. Sims flung the young ones, including Willie, into the care of her bony and uncaring arms. Willie screamed for me and I reached out to grab him and pull him back, but I could not.

Next, Sims brought me to my new cabin. It was old and ugly looking from the outside, and the inside looked even more awful. Girls my age bordered the single room. Some slept on the cold, hard dirt floor with nothing more than a dirty rag draped across their back to keep them warm. Others sat solemnly, their backs against the splintery wooden wall, simply staring.

I searched the floor for an empty space where I might be welcome. My eyes stopped on a particular girl. She was covered with scars and had a hunchback and I couldn't help but stare. She nodded to me and whispered an introduction as Liza. I sat down beside her.

Julilly

Dear Journal;

The only girl who talked to me yesterday was Liza. The others are quiet and keep mostly to themselves.

When I first came into the cabin, Liza talked to me softly. When I cried for Mama Sally, she just sat and waited.

She told me what a bad place this plantation is; that they treat you like pigs here.

She noticed me starin' at her scars and hunched over back and explained that a while back, she had tried to escape, but Sims had caught her and whipped her till she got that way.

While Liza and I was talkin', a bell rang, and she took me outside. As she led me to a huge black pot, I saw an awful sight. Little children were crowdin' around a trough, suckin up food. Liza led me on, but I still can't get it out of my head!

I shared a gourd of collard greens and pork fat from the black pot with my new friend, for I did not have one yet. When the food was gone, Liza took me back to the cabin where she gave me a cracker sack to wear so that I could wash my dirty and raggedy clothes. Then she took me out to the boilin' pot of water and showed me how to beat the dirt from my clothes with a stick. Then we hung our rags to dry, and once again returned to the cabin.

When night came again, all was quiet, and I thought of Mama Sally before I fell asleep.

When morning came, another bell rang. I followed Liza and the other slaves outside, where I was given my breakfast : a corn cake and water, and my lunch : a corn cake and a piece of bacon. Then I got a sack and I knew it was cotton-pickin time..

We picked from then till sunset. I watched Sims whip the older slaves, and when he came near Liza and I, I covered Liza's bent body with my own, and picked the high cotton she could not reach.

Tonight, Liza and I talked. She told me I was a real friend, and I told her of Canada. I was surprised when she told me she already knew. The two of us talked about it before she fell asleep. I'm still thinking about it.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

The days go by, each the same as the last. Sims keeps right on whippin and Liza and I keep right on dreamin about the freedom land of Canada. The other girls rarely join in on our conversations, but when they do, they've got nothin to say but awful lies! They say their former massa told 'em, but its no mystery that those men was tellin' fibs. My mama tells only the truth!

When I woke up this morning there was definitely a good feeling in the air. For the first time in all my days here, I actually saw Liza with a smile on her face.

The cotton pickin was harder than usual in the heat, but I knew that any less than one hundred pounds meant the cat-o nine-tails, so I tried to keep up to my normal speed.

The heat surrounded me like a bubble that wouldn't pop. The pesky bugs bothered me too, and I didn't know how I would make it through the day.

All of a sudden the cotton pickin' slowed and heads turned. Walkin down the road was Massa Riley and beside him a large, strangely dressed white man. He looked like a preacher, with his long-tailed, button-up jacket and crisp white shirt. I noticed, as the stranger walked down the road towards Sims and the cotton rows, that his eyes moved from row to row, slave to slave, focusing very hard, as though he had some sort of special interest in us.. Perhaps he was another slave trader, come to take us away. I knew he could not be a preacher, but this man's eyes were kind and gentle looking. He was no slave trader. The three men stood only feet away from Liza and me, I listened as carefully as I could while trying to give the impression I was picking my cotton ans nothing more. I heard Massa Riley introduce the stranger to Sims as Alexander Ross from Canada. My eyes opened wide when I heard this. So did Liza's. The men kept talking, while I carefully eavesdropped. Apparently Mr. Ross was an arneethiligist or somethin' like that. Well, he had come to the south to study birds, and he needed a couple of slaves to guide him. I was still starin' when Sims turned and looked at me.

"Get to work," he shouted, and threw his whip down on my back. Before he could whip me again, Massa Ross grabbed his arm and stopped him.

Sims had angered me. I picked my cotton even faster then, as I watched Massa Ross go off to find two slaves.

Julilly.

Dear Journal,

There's somethin about Massa Ross that I just can't put my finger on. I can't talk to Liza about it for fear Sims will hear, but I watched Massa Ross yesterday as he tried to pick two slaves to help him. Finally, he had picked Lester and Adam.

I've decided to talk to Lester on Sunday and find out about this Canadian bird catcher. I often speak with him on Sundays. I told him of Canada once. He had looked excited then, and told me not to tell anyone else except for Liza.

It was dark when Lester and Adam returned with Massa Ross. They helped bring baskets of cotton to be weighed, as Massa Ross and Sims spoke together.

As all the slaves was walkin' back to their cabins tonight, Liza and I among them, we saw a huge pot over a fire, bubblin' with greens and pork. There had never been greens for us at this plantation! We ladled some out and ate it before goin back to our cabins.

Tonight all the girls in my cabin shared what they knew about Canada. Liza said the most and all her words were good ones. The others' words were not as good.

When all the other girls had drifted off to sleep, Liza and I kept talking. There was a spark in her eye, and I knew that she was thinkin' of running away again. I asked her and her answer was that she was planning on escaping. So the two of us vowed that one night soon we're gonna slip away together. We're both a bit afraid, but we're goin' to do it!

Julilly

Dear Journal,

At the Henson plantation, Sunday was always a day to look forward to. But here its just cookin' and cleanin' day, that's it. No excitement! But today was different. As I was beatin' the dirt from my raggedy clothes, Lester looked at me and made a motion with his hands for me to come. I went to him. He seemed nervous, and anxious to get whatever he was doing over with. He looked me in the eye and explained to me that Mr. Ross was no birdcatcher. He had come to help slaves escape to the free land of Canada.

Liza and I were to listen for three calls of the whippoorwill that night, and then meet Lester by the cypress trees. There was to be a meeting!

Lester went away then, and I rejoined Liza. Being sure no-one was listening, I whispered it all to Liza. And then, for the first time since I had met her, Liza looked truly happy.

That night we listened for the call. When it came, we crept from our cabin and to the cypress trees where Lester met us and silently led us into the piney woods. We walked until we came to a clear open spot where Massa Ross and Adam were waiting. The five of us all huddled and listened attentively while Massa Ross spoke.

We had been chosen for the escape because we all had courage and desire and Massa Ross believed we could make it.

He apparently was an abolitionist. He went on for a while about how he thought slavery was an awful thing, and I couldn't believe I was hearing it from a white man! Then we all spoke our thoughts, and when we were through, we were told that when we heard the whippoorwill call on Saturday night, we would once again meet Lester by the cypress trees. We were told that Ben might be there, but he hadn't made up his mind yet.

Before Lester led us back to the cabins, Massa Ross told us that our hair would be cut before we left on Saturday night, and we would have to wear boys clothes for slave catchers would be looking for two girls, not two boys.

We then left, bursting with excitement and happiness.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

For days, Liza and I went with one less hoecake, putting bits of food away in our cracker sacks for the day we would finally leave. We were to leave the following Saturday. We would meet Lester by the Piney Woods when we heard the whipoorwill call..

All Liza and I could do was wait. Somehow Liza was able to contain her excitement in such a way that I thought perhaps she had completely forgotten the plans to escape, but I was bubblin' over! I wanted to talk of it with Liza after the others were asleep, but Liza told me to get my sleep.

Finally Saturday arrived. I worried, for the sky was turning grey and cloudy, like a storm was brewin', but when I saw Lester nod to me in the field that day, my heart leaped like a frog on a burnin' rock! We would go!

Liza and I listened for the call of the whippoorwill that night and it came. It was faint, but we heard it. I grasped Liza's hand in my own. I would stay with her all the wy. I would help her when her back hurt her, and if she got caught, i would make it my duty to be caught with her. She was a true friend, and she deserved that.

Liza and I crept from the cabin, and made our way to Leaster, who stood by the cypress trees. He led us through the trees to Massa Ross and Adam. Ben wasn't there, but I didn't think he would be.

Massa Ross greeted us. He then began to give instructions. He had given Lester a watch, and we would leave at midnight. We would have to wade through the swamp ahead, for bloodhounds lost their scent in water. Then we would follow the Mississippi River north all night long, sleeping in the daytime when we got to Tennessee. Massa Ross would meet us. We were to listen to Lester, for he was our leader.

Massa Ross gave a pair of pants and a shirt to Liza and to me. He told us to leave our old clothes on top of the swamp, so it would appear that we was dead. Massa Ross gave us some money, food, and a knife before wishing us luck and walking away.

Soon we left. We walked to the swamp and right through it. When we came to dry land, Liza and I changed our clothes and threw our old ones into the swamp. Lester then cut our hair short so we looked like boys.

We kept walking till we came to the Mississippi River. It was quite a sight! It was long and wide and brown and it smelled of fish!

Liza's back was painin' her, so we stopped to rest and eat. After that we walked along the river, right until the darkness began to creep up. We then stopped beside a small stream and ate once again.

We organized shifts, for someone had to be on guard all the time. Lester and Adam guarded first. Then came mine.

All went well until I suddenly heard the sound of dogs barking. I shook Lester, and he woke the others. We packed our things and waded away through the stream.

Jullily

Dear Journal,

Each day was exactly the same until today. We would wade in the swamps when we heard dogs and slave catchers, and when we ran out of food, we would hunt for rabbits and fish fir catfish.

Last night I realized that we'd been travellin' so long that Tennessee had to be near. I asked Lester how we would know it when we finally reached the border, and that's when things changed from borin' to excitin'! Cause Lester told us that he could read! We was all amazed! I'd never heard of a slave that could read! Lester told us the story of how he learned. Then he told us that when we came to the border, there would be a sign sayin' TENNESSEE, and that's how we would know. We would have to hide ourselves and wait one or two nights for Massa Ross to come. He would give three calls of a whippoorwill, and then we would meet him. If Massa Ross couldn't come, he would send someone else in his place. This person would say the password, "friends with a friend," and that would mean that he really had been sent by Massa Ross and was to be trusted.

The night went on. Liza was getting weaker, and I worried. Finally we came to a sign which Lester read out as TENNESSEE. We hid ourselves and waited. When two men rode by on horses we were silent. One man looked like Sims.

Soon after the men had gone by, a wagon drove up and stopped. The driver gave three whippoorwill calls and I emerged from where we was hidin'. I asked the driver who he was and his reply was our password. He wasn't Massa Ross, but he had been sent by him. By this time the others were by my side.

Massa Ross was in prison, so this man had come instead. After hearing of this, we told of the men on horseback. The man quickly told us to hide beneath some hay in the back of his wagon, then threw a canvas over it. We were not to make a sound.

The wagon started moving, but before long we were stopped by the two men we had seen earlier. They asked the driver many questions, but he spoke smoothly. However, they still decided to see what was in the wagon. They threw back the canvas, but seeing only hay, they decided to leave.

We were to stop in a deserted barn when morning came. Until then, I couldn't stop thinking of something I had heard the men on horseback say to our driver. Slaves could now be hunted in the free states of the north!

Jullily

Dear Journal,

The most awful thing happened today! Things started out fine. We rode in the cart driven by the Quaker until morning, and soon after daybreak we arrived at the barn. There was a beautiful stream in front of it, but Liza was so stiff i had to lift her from the wagon to see it. I carried her right into the barn.

The Quaker seemed nervous as he gave us directions. He gave us a little round object he called a compass. It has a needle in it that always points north. However, we are to go east to the Cumberland Mountains, and through them to Kentucky before turning north towards Cincinnati, Ohio. The Quaker told us that Levi Coffin, the president of the Underground Railway lives there. (But I do not understand. Is there a railway underground that can lead us to Canada? Will I be able to ride a train?) After telling us that, the Quaker quickly left.

The barn is beautiful in comparison to the dingy cabin at the Riley plantation. There was a new bundle of food waiting for us. We opened it and ate a little bit. Then Adam banged on a pail and I danced to the beat.

After that, Lester and Adam decided to go fishing in the stream. They left so quickly that I guess they didn't hear me when I advised them not to cross the stream, for no sooner had Liza and I started to fix up the barn like a home than I heard the barking of dogs and soon afterwards the shouts of slave catchers and the moans of Adam and Lester.

Liza and I were terrified. We quickly grabbed the food and compass, messed up the hay we had made into a bed in the corner, broke down our table made from an old board, and fled. We ran up the stream to kill our scent, in the opposite direction of the slave catchers, Adam and Lester. Finally, we left the strem and began walking east through the forest.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

We didn't start our journey until late on the day of Lester and Adam's capture. We walked through the tangly paths until morning, then stopped to eat and drink. By then, we could tell that the mountains were near, for we seemed to be climbing up and up. We started moving north, and found a cave to sleep in. I let Liza sleep, telling her I would keep watch. I was mighty ashamed when i fell asleep during my watch!

Both of us woke up at the same time. We was so hungry! But the food was all gone. We had some money, though. We decided to ask someone for a bit to eat in exchange for a dollar . We descended the mountain to the valley filled with houses below. I knocked on a door, and when it opened I held out the money and gave my request, but the woman who had answered was holdin' a gun and hollerin' at us, so we just turned around and ran!

We had had a good scare, but we were still hungry. It was Liza's turn to ask for food now. But before we saw a house, we saw a herd of cows. We decided upon followin' the cows to the farm house when someone came to take 'em to their barn.

The two of us sat for a while, and I guess we just didn't notice when a man came up behind us. He came around to face us, then he walked away and motioned for us to follow. We did so. We followed him into what looked like a little village, where people were bustlin' around and no one seemed surprised to see us.

People were speakin' in strange words that I couldn't understand. The man told us it was Germin? We then followed a woman into a neat little white cabin where a big kettle steamed with warm water. She told us to take off our dirty clothes and to get in the water and scrub ourselves clean. So we got in and scrubbed every speck of dirt away. We'd never had a bath before, so boy was it excitin'!

After we was cleaned up, we was served some delicious food--bread with butter, slices of meat and glasses filled to the top with fresh milk. Once we had eaten as much as we could, we slept on mats laid out for us on the floor. I sang as I lay there, loud and clear and proud like my Mama Sally.

When we got up, we ate some more. Then we put on our clothes, for we had been wearing long shirts lent to us by those people. Our own clothes had been washed and mended, and looked much nicer.

As we were being sent on our way, I asked if the people were abolitionists. They were not. They called themselves Mennonites, and they built this place away from other people and called it Felsheim, Tennessee.

I did not know how to thank them, for they had been kinder than any other white people had ever been to me. Neither Liza nor I knew how to express our gratitude. So we simply left, quite silently, not knowing even what to say to one another.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

After we left Felsheim, it was very scary walking along the mountain paths in the dark night. One night a storm came. It started with the howlin' wind, then came the thunder and lightning and the pounding rain.

The two of us dug a cave in the ground, below a rock, just big enough to shelter us and our bundles. We slept through the rest of the storm, and when we woke in the morning, although the ground was a mess of fallen trees limbs, leaves, and anything else the wind had happened to blow there, it was a calm day.

We ate a bit and then began walking, even though it was day. We knew no one would be out lookin' for us in a mess like that.

By the morning that followed, we had left the mountains behind us. We met a little black man with a cart hobblin' along the road and I knew he would bring us no harm, so I went to him and asked him what town we was comin' to. He told me it was Lexington, Kentucky that was comin' up, and that we could follow the railway tracks there all the way to Covington. He said there was a black man that could help us called Jeb Brown. Then he handed me half a loaf of bread and I thanked him kindly, for he had give up his meal. Then I fled, and Liza and I watched sadly as his massa came along with a whip, hollerin' at him to get to work.

We hid in the cornfield by the road all day long. When some men passed by, we lay down flat on the ground until they were out of sight. That night we found the tracks and began following them. The night after was too bright to travel so we hid in the woods. As we was buildin' a fire, a dog came along, and with it a black man. We climbed into the branches of the nearest tree, then I called down to him, "Is you Jeb Brown?" He said no, but he told us where Jeb Brown lived and as soon as he had left with his dog, we climbed down and went there. We knocked on the door and said the password and an old black man opened the door. He said he was Jeb Brown. His wife was Ella. They was real nice folks and as we was gettin' settled in a cozy little hiding place they had set up for us, Ella looked at our faces and realized we were girls. And then she told us something that we sure wasn't expectin'. She said that Lester and Adam had been there! We were son excited! They told us all about it as we ate a hearty meal. Then they told us about the Underground Railroad--what it was. Its all pretty confusin' to me. It ain't a railroad, and it ain't underground. Oh, well, no use rackin' my brain tryin' to figure it out when I'm on my way to freedom!

Julilly

Dear Journal,

Trouble came tonight. Pal smelled slave catchers and Ella had to come and wake us. She had us roll up our mats and then she showed us a rope ladder leadin' up to a roof window. She gave us instructions to climb up on the roof and lay flat as we could.

When we got up there, we did just that. We could hear the town sheriff below, comin' into the house. He shouted threats at Jeb and Ella, pushin' furniture away to see if we was there. Finally he gave up and I heard him leave. Liza and I climbed down into the secret room.

Ella was there. She was worried that the sheriff would be back, and said that her and Jeb wanted to get us across the river right away.

We listened to Jeb make an owl call 'cross to the other side of the river to see if anyone was there, and sure enough, the call came back. Ella took us outside then. Jeb was there with is rowboat, ready to take us across.

Liza and I got in the boat and scrunched up like a cotton ball. Before long, jeb was rowin' thriugh the blackness and we was at the other side. When we got there, a white man was waiting for us. He pulled us ashore and led us to a horse and cart. He tucked us inside a drawer in the side of the cart, big enough to hold both of us.

The cart began to move on bumpily, and the driver leaned down to tell us that if we got stopped, we were to stay silent. We were riding on.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

Liza and I was asleep when the cart finally arrived in Cincinnati. It was rainin' when we got out of the drawer. Our driver took us to the door of a big house, and knocked three times. Then he muttered the password.

A Quaker man opened the door for us. He was huge! (He turned out to be Levi Coffin.) He spoke with our driver in the Underground Railroad code that they all used. Then he called to someone in another room, and that person, a woman, emerged and led us to their diningroom. She wrapped shawls around our shoulders and seated us. Liza and I was both surprised to see four others sittin' there. I guess they was runaway slaves too.

The woman, who was called Aunt Katie, brought us some food from the kitchen. As soon as we had eaten, Aunt Katie and the cook cleared our dishes from the table quickly--they didn't want anyone suspectin' anything.

Once that had been done, Aunt Katie took Liza and me to a bedroom. There'd been noise at the front door and it was clear now that it was the sheriff.

Aunt Katie threw back the covers of the bed in the room and made a space for us to lie. We lay there quietly as the bed was made over top of us and listened to the sheriff talk to Levi Coffin. Mr. Coffin led the sheriff to the room we was hidin' in, but us course, since Aunt Katie was there, the sheriff was embarassed out of his mind to be bargin' in on a lady!

After that the sheriff left without delay. However, Levi and Aunt Katie wanted to get us on our way again as quick as possible. Our next stop would be Cleveland.

Aunt Katie brought us to a room with basins of hot water to bathe in. We put our dirty clothes in a basket and bathed ourselves. Afterwards, Aunt Katie got us some new clothes to wear, and they is the most beautiful clothes I ever saw! Winter's comin', so they're warm ones.. Soft too.

Liza's happy again. Her frowns keep disappearing!

Julilly

Dear Journal,

After washing up and getting into our new clothes, Levi coffin took us to a carriage outside. He put us inside, and after giving us his blessings, shut the door.

We was the only ones in that carriage. The driver drove it a little ways, then stopped. We heard him say the password, and then spoke more to the man whom he had said it to.

A man tossed two sacks into our carriage and gave us instructions to climb inside. We did so. Then the driver picked us up in those sacks and took us to a train, for we was at a train station. We could hear slave catchers shouting, but we were safe in our sacks. The man who had brought us into the town told us that we were going to Cleveland where someone would be waiting for us.

He left and the train began to move. I was so thirsty. Liza was so sore.

When the train finally jerked to a stop, I felt Liza's body fall against me. She said she couldn't sit up. I was worried, but just then the door to our car opened and to my surprise and delight...

I heard the voice of Massa Ross! I was amazed! He took us to a carriage before giving each of us a drink of water. He spoke to us, and told us why he was not in jail.

Then I thought of Lester and Adam and I asked about them eagerly, but what Massa Ross had to say was sad. Lester and Adam had both reached Canada safely, and Lester had a job and was waiting for me and Liza. But adam had died one day into freedom.

The carriage stopped soon after and Massa Ross let us out. We hid our hands and faces as we walked. We were by a huge body of water, different from the Mississippi I had not so long ago walked alongside of.

There was a big boat that seemed to be awaiting us. Massa Ross called it the Mayflower. It was the boat that would take us to Canada. He could not come with us. However, he took us to the boat and introduced us to the captain as his children, after saying the secret password.

Then the captain took the two of us - I and Liza - aboard the ship. Oh, how I had longed to thank Massa Ross for all he had done, but I knew I could not. We followed the captain down to the lower level where he showed us our bunk. He said he knew we was girls, but for the trip we would pretend to be boys. Then he showed us how to lock our door, and told us only to open the door when we heard three knocks and the password. We will hopefully reach Canada by daybreak.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

The ship hadn't even started off when the captain came to our door, knocked and gave the password. He told us that some slave-catchers was comin' aboard. He hurried us to a smaller boat that was hangin' from the side of the boat. It had a heavy canvas over top of it. We had to hide inside the boat, beneath the canvas. There was food and water and blankets for us, and there was an opening in the canvas that we could look through to see what was goin' on.

We watched two men shove their way towards the captain, then talk to him angrily. They must have been the slave-catchers. The captain led the men to the cabins to search for runaway slaves, but of course, they returned empty-handed. The captain pushed them to the shore.

It was late when the boat left the dock. Liza and I ate and drank, and then slept through the rest of the trip.

We woke when the boat landed. I could hear the captain shouting, "all ashore!" and I felt the greatest rush of happiness and exitement I ever had in all my life! "We're in Canada now!" I kept thinkin. "We isn't slaves anymore!"

Liza and I, along with the captain, rushed from the Mayflower and stood for the first time on free soil. I couldn't believe that we had made it all the way to Canada!

I wanted to give something to the captain, for he had risked his job and life to take us to Canada. But I had nothing.

He told Liza and I that a black man in a cart was waitin' down the road to take us to Lester in St. Catherines.

I hope with all my heart that Mama Sally has also made it safely to Canada.

Julilly

Dear Journal,

I just can't believe it! I just can't believe it! We is free! We is free at last! I can go to school, I can shop in stores, I can walk down the street and hold my head up high and proud, cause I have my freedom! But best of all, I can share that freedom with Liza and Lester, and even Mama Sally!

Me and Liza came in the cart of the black man whom the captain had told us about in St. Catherines. It had taken two and a half days, but with Ezra, our driver for company and blankets for warmth (and of course food and drink) it went nicely, especially since we was looking forward to somethin' wonderful.

Durin' the long ride, Ezra had told us that Lester was workin' as a porter in the Welland House Hotel, that had been built partly by black folks. We came to the hotel not long after entering St. Catherines. It is a beautiful place! Lucky Lester to be workin' there!

Lester was waiting for us on the porch when we arrived. He was lookin' all grand and handsome in his uniform and I couldn't believe it was him! But it was! I ran to him and Liza tried to run with me, but could not. So Lester went to her.

After we had all hugged, Lester began to say something about ... what was it? ... Me wanting to see someone in the kitchen? But as soon as he had finished, I saw an old, wrinkled, gray-haired and limping woman walking towards me. It was Mama Sally! Tall, proud, Mama Sally! We hugged and hugged and hugged some more.

Then I introduced her to Liza and she said Liza can live with us! She's buyin' us a little house and she's gonna show it to us!

I just can't believe that we is all free! Free at last!

Happily,

Julilly