On the other hand, allowing suspicious travelers aboard could result in worse consequences if they turned out to be fugitives. Port regulations require documentation for…
“Wilm and then onward. ” “Ah, I’m stopping in Wilmington myself, visiting family. ” The woman paused, studying Ellen with open curiosity. You’re traveling for…
Confirmation, encouragement, a sign that escape was possible. William looked away, unable to give him what he wanted. Any gesture of solidarity could expose them…
The platform began to slide away, and with it, Baltimore, Maryland, the last city in slave territory. Ellen sat frozen in her seat, watching through…
Lincoln was worried that this would upset the border states, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, states that had slavery but had not succeeded. He feared that if…
They huddled together for warmth using the stone walls as a windbreak. General Butler appointed a man named Edward Pierce to organize the contrabands. Pierce…
It was a different kind of music than the spiritual sung at night. It was the sound of a key turning in a lock. He…
No harbor master, no officials demanding papers, just the ordinary chaos of departure. They boarded without incident, and as the vessel pulled away from Charleston’s…
A man across from him, older and scarred, watched William with calculating eyes. You traveling with the sick one in first class? He asked quietly?…
Was it the same officer from yesterday? Had they posted someone specifically to watch for them? She forced herself to walk steadily toward the ticket…


