Narrative
Joseph Bustill was a teacher and an Underground Railroad agent from Harrisburg who helped create a “Fugitive Aid Society” in Pennsylvania’s capital city during the 1850s.  He is one of the few agents who left behind operational letters, including this one to William Still from 1856 that refers to the escape of four adult slaves and two children (“four large and two small hams”).

Life & Family
The Bustill family were prominent black Quakers from Philadelphia. Joseph Bustill was the great uncle of legendary singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson.

Sources
Important primary sources include three letters that Bustill sent William Still in 1856. These letters were later published in Still’s  Underground Rail Road (1872). You can also read them on House Divided – March 24, 1856 ; April 28, 1856 ; May 31, 1856.

Places to Visit
Few structures associated with the Underground Railroad in Harrisburg remain, but there are historic markers, such as one for Tanner’s Alley (where Bustill lived), which describe the local black community and their role in helping slaves escape to freedom.

Images
The slideshow below includes images related to the Underground Railroad: