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We are currently collecting the stories of fugitive slaves who escaped their masters in Virginia.
Our primary source is William Still's excellent work, The Underground Rail Road (1872).
To date, we have collected more than 100 Virginia narratives, which are listed below. You may click on the page number under the Still column to read the narrative presented in The Underground Rail Road.
| Escapees |
City/County |
Destination |
Mode of Escape |
Year |
Still |
| John Henry |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
City of Richmond |
1853 |
41, 191 |
| Mary Wever |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
unknown |
1856 |
41 |
| Mary Epps |
Petersburg |
Canada |
schooner (Bayliss) |
1855 |
74 |
| Jackson Turner |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
unknown |
1857 |
117 |
| Isaac Turner |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
unknown |
1857 |
117 |
| Edmondson Turner |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
unknown |
1857 |
117 |
| John Henry |
Petersburg |
Philadelphia |
Philadelphia steamer |
1857 |
153 |
| Hezekiah Hill |
Petersburg |
Toronto |
Philadelphia steamer |
1854 |
200 |
| Robert Jones |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| Eliza Jones |
Petersburg |
Hamilton |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| Harriet Mayo |
Petersburg |
Canada |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
305 |
| John Judah |
Petersburg |
Canada |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
305 |
| David Edwards |
Petersburg |
Canada |
unknown |
1855 |
311 |
| Beverly Good |
Petersburg |
Toronto |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1855 |
311 |
| George Walker |
Petersburg |
Toronto |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1855 |
311 |
| Valentine Spires |
Petersburg |
Philadelphia |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
319 |
| Henry “Box” Brown |
Richmond |
Boston |
boxed and shipped |
1856 |
81 |
| Joseph Robinson |
Richmond |
St. Catharines |
schooner (Bayliss) $100 |
1855 |
74 |
| Robert Robinson |
Richmond |
St. Catharines |
schooner (Bayliss) $100 |
1855 |
74 |
| John Thompson |
Richmond |
Syracuse, NY |
unknown |
1857 |
43 |
| James Mercer |
Richmond |
St. Catharines |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1854 |
54 |
| Wm. Henry Gilliam |
Richmond |
St. Catharines |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1854 |
54 |
| John Clayton |
Richmond |
St. Catharines |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1854 |
54 |
| Joseph Henry Camp |
Richmond |
Canada |
steamer to Philadelphia |
1853 |
66 |
| James Hambleton Christian |
Richmond |
Canada |
unknown |
1853 |
69 |
| Jack Scott |
Richmond |
Montreal |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
104 |
| Anthony Loney |
Richmond |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1857 |
122 |
| Richard |
Richmond |
Canada |
vessel (?) |
1857 |
123 |
| William N. Taylor |
Richmond |
Canada |
unknown |
1857 |
134 |
| Jeremiah W. Smith |
Richmond |
Canada |
Richmond steamer |
1854 |
141 |
| Julia Smith |
Richmond |
Canada |
Richmond steamer |
1854 |
141 |
| Charles W. Thompson |
Richmond |
Canada |
unknown |
1857 |
146 |
| Jack |
Richmond |
Canada |
Philadelphia steamer |
1857 |
153 |
| Samuel Washington Johnson |
Richmond |
St. Catharines |
steamer or schooner |
???? |
158 |
| Elijah Hilton |
Richmond |
Toronto |
unknown |
1857 |
161 |
| James Hill (bro. John Hill) |
Richmond |
Boston |
boat |
1861 |
202 |
| William B. White |
Richmond |
unknown |
City of Richmond |
1854 |
211 |
| William Henry Atkins |
Richmond |
St. Catharine's |
City of Richmond |
1854 |
213 |
| Charles Gilbert |
Richmond |
Philadelphia |
Philadelphia steamer |
1854 |
235 |
| John Hall |
Richmond |
Hamilton |
Capt. Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
250 |
| Frances Hilliard |
Richmond |
Toronto |
steamer |
1855 |
287 |
| Daniel Payne |
Richmond |
Canada |
unknown |
1855 |
305 |
| Richard Bradley |
Richmond |
Canada |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
305 |
| Lewis Giles |
Richmond |
Canada |
schooner (paid $25) |
1855 |
308 |
| Verenea Mercer |
Richmond |
Toronto |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1855 |
309 |
| George Sperryman |
Richmond |
Philadelphia |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
319 |
| Lewis Cobb |
Richmond |
Toronto |
vessel |
1857 |
377 |
| Nancy Brister |
Richmond |
Canada |
vessel |
1857 |
377 |
| Charles Hall |
Richmond |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1856 |
383 |
| Joseph Winston |
Richmond |
Philadelphia |
vessel |
1857 |
389 |
| Clarissa Davis |
Portsmouth |
New Bedford |
unknown |
1854 |
60 |
| William Davis |
Portsmouth |
Canada |
City of Richmond |
1853 |
64, 66 |
| Willis Redick |
Portsmouth |
Canada |
City of Richmond |
1853 |
64, 66 |
| Sheridan Ford |
Portsmouth |
Boston |
steamer to Phil. |
1855 |
42, 67 |
| Stebney Swan |
Portsmouth |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
97 |
| John Stinger |
Portsmouth |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
97 |
| Robert Emerson |
Portsmouth |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
97 |
| Anthony Pugh |
Portsmouth |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
97 |
| Isabella |
Portsmouth |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
97 |
| Moses Wines |
Portsmouth |
Philadelphia |
City of Richmond |
???? |
230 |
| John Atkinson |
Portsmouth |
St. Catharines |
Richmond steamer |
1854 |
299 |
| Charles Thompson |
Portsmouth |
Canada |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
316 |
| Charity Thompson |
Portsmouth |
Canada |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
316 |
| Nathaniel Bowser |
Portsmouth |
Canada |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
316 |
| Thomas Cooper |
Portsmouth |
Canada |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
316 |
| Anthony Blow |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
City of Richmond |
1854 |
61 |
| Isaac Foreman |
Norfolk |
Toronto |
City of Richmond |
1853 |
64 |
| Emanuel T. White |
Norfolk |
Syracuse, NY |
Richmond steamer |
1857 |
154 |
| Solomon Brown |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
City of Richmond |
1851 |
163 |
| Alan Tatum |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Daniel Carr |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Michael Vaughn |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
169 |
| Thomas Nixon |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
170 |
| Frederick Nixon |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
170 |
| Peter Petty |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
170 |
| Nathaniel Gardener |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| John Brown |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Thomas Freeman |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| James Foster |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Godfrey Scott |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Willis Wilson |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Nancy Little |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| John Smith |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Francis Haines |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| David Johnson |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Phillis Gault |
Norfolk |
Boston |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
171 |
| Alice Jones |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Ned Wilson |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Sarah C. Wilson |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
Capt. F. schooner |
1855 |
168 |
| Woman |
Norfolk |
Canada |
unknown |
1853 |
173 |
| Archer Barlow |
Norfolk |
Boston |
Richmond steamer |
1853 |
203 |
| Samuel Bush |
Norfolk |
unknown |
unknown |
1853 |
204 |
| Susan Brooks |
Norfolk |
Canada |
City of Richmond steamer |
1854 |
211 |
| Daniel Wiggins |
Norfolk |
Canada |
unknown |
1854 |
225 |
| Edward & Harriet Peaden |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1854 |
226 |
| Celia Peaden |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1854 |
226 |
| Harrison Bell |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
Philadelphia steamer |
1854 |
228 |
| Harriet Ann Bell |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
Philadelphia steamer |
1854 |
228 |
| Sam Nixon |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
schooner |
1855 |
254 |
| Henry Washington |
Norfolk |
St. Catharine's |
schooner |
1855 |
259 |
| Henry Stewart |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
schooner |
1855 |
259 |
| William Nelson |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
262 |
| Susan Nelson |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
262 |
| William Thomas |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
262 |
| Louisa Bell |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
262 |
| Elias Jasper |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
262 |
| Susan Bell |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
263 |
| Louisa Bell |
Norfolk |
St. Catharines |
Bayliss schooner |
1855 |
263 |
| Maria Joiner |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
Fountain's schooner |
1855 |
265 |
| Henry Bohm |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
schooner |
1855 |
268 |
| Ralph Whiting |
Norfolk |
Canada |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| James H. Foreman |
Norfolk |
Niagara Falls, NY |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| Anthony Atkinson |
Norfolk |
Canada |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| Arthur Jones |
Norfolk |
Canada |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| Isaiah Nixon |
Norfolk |
Canada |
Philadelphia steamer |
1855 |
268 |
| Robert McCoy |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
steamer |
1854 |
274 |
| Eliza McCoy |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
steamer |
1854 |
275 |
| Elizabeth Frances |
Norfolk |
New Bedford |
steamer |
1854 |
275 |
| Anthony Brown |
Norfolk |
Hamilton |
stole masters' boat |
1856 |
292 |
| Albert Brown |
Norfolk |
Hamilton |
stole masters' boat |
1856 |
292 |
| Jones Anderson |
Norfolk |
Hamilton |
accompanied Browns |
1856 |
292 |
| Isaiah |
Norfolk |
Hamilton |
accompanied Browns |
1856 |
292 |
| Washington Somlor |
Norfolk |
Canada |
Pennsylvania steamer |
1855 |
304 |
| Joseph Hall, Jr. |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
???? |
313 |
| Rebecca Jones & children |
Norfolk |
Boston |
vessel |
1856 |
326 |
| Caroline Taylor & children |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
vessel |
1856 |
328 |
| Winnie Patty |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
Lambdin's schooner |
1855 |
387 |
| Elizabeth Patty |
Norfolk |
Philadelphia |
Lambdin's schooner |
1855 |
387 |
| Joseph Viney |
Alexandria |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
101 |
| Israel Whitney |
Alexandria |
Hamilton |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
105 |
| Alfred Hubert |
Alexandria |
Hamilton |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
105 |
| John Thompson |
Alexandria |
London, Canada |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
105 |
| Lewis Burrell |
Alexandria |
Toronto |
unknown |
1856 |
385 |
| Peter Burrell |
Alexandria |
Toronto |
unknown |
1856 |
385 |
| William Jackson |
Alexandria |
Canada |
unknown |
1857 |
396 |
| Oscar Ball |
Alexandria |
Oswego, NY |
unknown |
1857 |
399 |
| Montgomery Graham |
Alexandria |
Oswego, NY |
unknown |
1857 |
399 |
| John Logan |
Berkeley Co., VA |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1856 |
384 |
| George Coleman |
Fairfax Co. |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1857 |
390 |
| William Robinson |
Fauquier Co. |
Canada |
walked to Philadelphia |
1854 |
225 |
| James Stewart |
Fauquier Co |
Philadelphia |
obtained passage |
???? |
229 |
| Cordelia Loney |
Fredericksburg |
Canada |
Vigilance Com. |
1859 |
112 |
| Abe Fineer |
Georgetown |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1855 |
386 |
| Sam Davis |
Georgetown |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1855 |
386 |
| Henry Saunders |
Georgetown |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1855 |
386 |
| William Henry Thompson |
Georgetown |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1855 |
386 |
| Thomas Parker |
Georgetown |
Philadelphia |
unknown |
1855 |
386 |
| Daniel Davis |
Hedgeville, VA |
Philadelphia |
walked to Greenville, PA |
???? |
228 |
| Adam Nicholson |
Hedgeville, VA |
Philadelphia |
walked to Greenville, PA |
???? |
228 |
| Reuben Bowles |
Hedgeville, VA |
Philadelphia |
walked to Greenville, PA |
???? |
228 |
| George Freeland |
St Stephens |
St. Catharines |
City of Richmond |
???? |
232 |
| David & wife & daughter |
Leesburg |
unknown |
carriage to Harrisburg, PA |
1856 |
215 |
| Daniel Green |
Leesburg |
Philadelphia |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
319 |
| Barnaby Grigby |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
master's horses |
1855 |
124 |
| Mary Elizabeth Grigby |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
master's horses |
1855 |
124 |
| Frank Wanzer |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
master's horses |
1855 |
124 |
| Emily Foster |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
master's horses |
1855 |
124 |
| Robert Stewart |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
vessel |
1856 |
128 |
| Vincent Smith |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
vessel |
1856 |
128 |
| Betsey Smith |
Loudon Co., VA |
Toronto |
vessel |
1856 |
128 |
| David Bennett |
Loudon Co., VA |
St. Catharines |
vessel |
1855 |
259 |
| Martha Bennett |
Loudon Co., VA |
St. Catharines |
vessel |
1855 |
259 |
| George & child Bennett |
Loudon Co., VA |
St. Catharines |
vessel |
1855 |
259 |
| Dan Bennett, wife, children |
Loudon Co., VA |
Philadelphia |
vessel |
1855 |
308 |
| Sauney Pry |
Loudon Co., VA |
Philadelphia |
vessel |
1856 |
382 |
| Hannah Peters |
Marshall Hope |
Philadelphia |
skiff, Robert Lee |
1857 |
101 |
| Robert Brown |
Martinsburg, VA |
Philadelphia |
horses |
1856 |
121 |
| Cornelius Scott |
Stafford Co., VA |
Philadelphia |
Traveled as white |
1857 |
122 |
| Pete Matthews |
Temperanceville |
Canada |
unknown |
1855 |
295 |
| David Greek |
Warrington |
Philadelphia |
Fountain's schooner |
1856 |
319 |
| George Solomon |
Washington, DC |
St. Catharines |
unknown |
1856 |
79 |
| Jane Johnson |
Washington, DC |
Philadelphia |
brought to Philadelphia |
1855 |
94 |
| James Burrell |
Williamsburg |
Toronto, Canada |
unknown |
1854 |
223 |
| William Peel |
Baltimore |
Canada |
Erricson Steamer |
1859 |
46 |
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