Slave Escapes
Information on Slave Escapes in Richmond, VA during the Civil War.

Written Accounts

1864-09-03, Richmond Dispatch; Mayor's Court cases reported on September 3, 1864
1864-10-31, Richmond Sentinel; two females who had been serving for two years under Gen. Early were found out and put in Castle Thunder; details on two other prisoners: one male slave and one white female
1865-01-09, Richmond Whig; two market carts carrying escaping slaves captured on Nine Mile road
1865-01-12, Richmond Whig; travel along Meadow Bridge, Mechanicville, Nine Mile and Williamsburg roads has been cut off, to prevent “the large emigration of negroes” – paper laments the effect this will have on the city’s supply situation
1865-01-14, Richmond Whig; 6 runaway slaves have been caught over the past ten days – paper estimates 500 have made good their escape
1865-01-16, Richmond Whig; important description of the large number of escaping slaves, fearing they are to be put into the Confederate Army
1865-01-27, Richmond Whig; frequent arrests of “underground raiders and conductors” of negroes to the Yankees. All those now in Castle Thunder for this charge will be examined before the Mayor this morning
1865-10-07, Anglo-African; Union spy Mary Jane Richards, using pseudonym 'Richmonia Richards,' describes wartime Richmond to an audience in New York.
1889-08-15, National Tribune; part two of a two-part memoir by Capt. J. W. Chamberlain, 123rd Ohio, describing at length his imprisonment in Libby Prison
1891-12-29, National Tribune; Excellent set of letters from Libby Prison, recounting treatment and life in prison. Mentions purchasing one of the Rees images from the prison guards, and sending it North.

Page 7 of 7

Go to top