{"id":2000,"date":"2019-10-03T14:02:19","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T14:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/?p=2000"},"modified":"2022-08-12T20:20:42","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T20:20:42","slug":"the-pearl-stampede-1848","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/the-pearl-stampede-1848\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pearl Stampede 1848"},"content":{"rendered":"

DATELINE:\u00a0 WASHINGTON D.C., APRIL 18, 1848<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Emily

Mary and Emily Edmonson (Courtesy of Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>\n

Daniel Drayton\u2014captain of The Pearl\u2014<\/em>his accomplice Edward Sayres, and 77 freedom seekers fled Washington D.C on Saturday, April 15, 1848, in what Mary Kay Ricks describes as \u201cone of history\u2019s most audacious escapes.\u201d [1] The goal of this escape was to sail from Washington D.C., down the Potomac River to freedom. [2] However, strong winds would disrupt their pursuit of freedom. [3] On April 18, 1848, The Pearl<\/em> and its participants were captured.[4] After three days of being on the sea, Mary and Emily Edmonson\u2014among 77 freedom seekers\u2014 returned home. Their new fate was what many freedom seekers feared most: being separated from their family and sold in the deep South.<\/p>\n

Once back in Washington D.C., The Edmonson sisters and the other 75 freedom seekers\u20144 of whom were their brothers<\/em>\u2014walked through the mob of proslavery protesters, who anticipated their arrival.<\/p>\n

\"Slave<\/a>

Slave Pen (Courtesy of the Library of Congress)<\/p><\/div>\n

While in jail, the sisters were separated from their brothers. [5] Knowing the tragic fate of the Edmonson children, a brother in law saw them, \u201cfainted away, fell down, and was carried home insensible.\u201d [6] Mary and Emily Edmonson\u2019s free sister also tried to visit them, but could not enter the jail.\u00a0 Looking through the iron gates, Mary and Emily \u201csaw their sister standing below in the yard weeping.\u201d[7]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STAMPEDE CONTEXT\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Historian Stanley Harrold calls the 1848 Pearl<\/em> stampede the “most influential mass escape\u201d in antebellum American history.[8]\u00a0 At first the escape was not explicitly referenced as a stampede. However, senators debating the event on nearby Capitol Hill made allusions to the Pearl <\/em>escape using language that described the event as a mass escape. Shortly after the capture of the freedom seekers and during the riots incited by a proslavery mob, senators were forced to dispute the future of slavery in the District of Columbia. Referencing The Pearl,<\/em> one pro-slavery senator from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun, denounced \u201cthese piratical attempts, these wholesale captures, these robberies of seventy-odd of our slaves at a single grasp.” [9] He even declared that \u201cthe crisis has come, and we must meet it, and meet it directly,\u201d foreshadowing the debates over the Compromise of 1850. [10] Four years later, in the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator<\/em>, the term stampede appeared in the same column as the report of the pardoning of The Pearl<\/em> participants Daniel Drayton and Edward Sayres. \u00a0The report read, \u201cthat in the border States, there is very frequently a stampede among the negroes \u2013 large number going off together.” One year later, when President Millard Fillmore –who had originally signed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 into law– issued a pardon for the two abolitionists involved in the escape in 1853, a Georgia editor explained that they had been involved in “the great slave stampede.”[11]<\/p>\n

MAIN NARRATIVE\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the evening of April 15, 1848, Daniel Drayton and Edward Sayres successfully left Washington D.C., setting sail down the Potomac River. Onboard The Pearl,<\/em> Mary and Emily Edmonson were accompanied by their four brothers. After The Pearl\u2019s<\/em> departure, Captain Sayres decided to anchor in Cornfield Harbor, near Point Lookout, after strong winds did not allow them to \u201cascend the bay.” [12]<\/p>\n

\"stampede<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in Washington D.C, slaveholders noticed their enslaved people missing and frantically searched for them. The next day a steamboat\u2014the Salem\u2014<\/em> departed from Washington D.C.\u00a0 in pursuit of The Pearl<\/em> and the freedom seekers. Captained by Samuel Baker, the men on board the Salem <\/em>were \u201carmed with muskets and other weapons.” [13] Meanwhile, The Pearl <\/em>was still anchored on the river.<\/p>\n

On the morning of Monday, April 17, 1848, at around 2 am, the Salem <\/em>finally caught The Pearl. <\/em>[14] As the heavily armed men entered onboard, one of the Edmonson siblings reportedly said, \u201cDo yourselves no harm, gentlemen, for we are all here!” [15] Overpowered, the freedom seekers surrendered without a fight and awaited their new fate.<\/p>\n

\"newspaper

Boston, MA Daily Atlas, April 22, 1848 (Genealogy Bank)<\/p><\/div>\n

The next day, a large mob formed at the wharf in Washington D.C., awaiting the arrival of Edward Sayres, Daniel Drayton, and the captured freedom seekers. [16] As they walked off the boat, a report described \u201cseveral small collections of blacks [with] tears rolling down many cheeks.” In particular, \u201cone gray headed old woman\u201d yelled, \u201cO, my son, \u2026 must I see thee no more forever!” [17]<\/p>\n

News of the capture caused pandemonium from the streets of Washington D.C. to the senate chambers on Capitol Hill. \u00a0On the night of Wednesday, April 19, 1848, a mob of pro-slavery protesters “gathered at the National Era newspaper [an antislavery newspaper] office and threatened to destroy it.\u201d [18] Simultaneously, a \u201cheated debate\u201d in Congress\u2014sparked by the capture of The Pearl<\/em>\u2014 occurred between pro-slavery and antislavery advocates about the future of slavery in Washington D.C. [19]<\/p>\n

Shortly after Mary and Emily Edmonson\u2019s escape attempt, their father Paul Edmonson solicited the help of abolitionist William Chaplin.\u00a0 Eventually, both men helped raise enough money to purchase the Edmonson sisters\u2019 freedom. On Tuesday, November 7, Mary and Emily Edmonson were freed. [20] Their release gained national attention, as the Boston Daily Bee<\/em> reported that the Edmonson sisters “were restored to liberty and their family. [21]<\/p>\n

\"1848<\/p>\n

One year later, in March of 1849, Daniel Drayton and Edward Sayres were tried by the court for their participation in The Pearl<\/em> escape. Both were found guilty and \u201cconvicted of transporting slaves on seventy-four separate indictments.” [22] However, after three years in prison for \u201cnot being able to pay the fines\u201d for their conviction, President Fillmore pardoned them, granting their release. [23]<\/p>\n

AFTERMATH<\/strong><\/p>\n

Newly freed Emily and Mary Edmonson joined the abolitionist movement. In 1850, they were most famously known for attending a public protest against the Fugitive Slave Act in Cazenovia, New York. [24] Eventually, both sisters seized the opportunity to become educated. They first moved to New York to enroll in Central College during the fall of 1851, and then went on to study at Oberlin College, with the help of abolitionist and writer Harriet Beecher Stowe. [25]<\/p>\n

However, while studying at Oberlin College, Mary Edmonson\u2014only twenty years old<\/em>\u2014died of tuberculosis. [26] After the death of her sister, Emily Edmonson left Oberlin to be with her family. Once settled at home in Washington D.C., Emily wrote to a family friend assuring them she was safe. Still mourning her sister\u2019s death, Emily wrote, \u201cSome days it seems as though I could not live without her\u2026 but when I think of how happy she is in heaven, I feel like wiping away all my tears.\u201d [27]<\/p>\n

\"Emily

Rochester, NY Frederick Douglass’ Paper, January 4, 1855 (Genealogy Bank)<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite her sister\u2019s passing, Emily Edmonson sustained her involvement in the antislavery movement, working closely with abolitionist Frederick Douglas. In his 1855 newspaper, it reported that Emily Edmonson gave a talk at Corinthian Hall about her experiences as an escapee on The Pearl<\/em>. This abolitionist paper described her account as \u201cnew and thrilling\u201d as people heard it \u201cfrom the lips of one of the suffers.\u201d [28]<\/p>\n

Now older, Emily Edmonson married her husband Larkin Johnson and had four children\u2014 Emma, Ida, Fannie, and Robert. [29] Emily and her small knit family finally moved near the Anacostia River where she lived until her death on September 15th<\/sup>, 1895. [30] Today, a memorial statue of Mary and Emily Edmonson stands in Alexandria, Virginia as a constant reminder of their legacy.<\/p>\n

\"Edmonson<\/a>

Statue of Edmonson Sister in Alexandria, Virginia (Courtesy of Smithsonian)<\/p><\/div>\n

[1] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 1<\/p>\n

[2] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 30<\/p>\n

[3] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 62<\/p>\n

[4] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 82<\/p>\n

[5] Harriet Beecher Stowe, A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin <\/em>(B. Tauchnitz, 1853) 113: 2) [Google Books]<\/p>\n

[6]Harriet Beecher Stowe, A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin<\/em> (B. Tauchnitz, 1853) 112: 2) [Google Books]<\/p>\n

[7] Harriet Beecher Stowe, A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin<\/em> (B. Tauchnitz, 1853) 113: 2) [Google Books]<\/p>\n

[8] Stanley Harrold, Border War: Fighting Over Slavery Before the Civil War <\/em>(Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2010) 131<\/a><\/p>\n

[9] Cong. Globe<\/em>, 30th Cong., 1st sess., 501<\/a> (1848), accessible at American Memory Project<\/a>, Library of Congress.<\/p>\n

[10] Cong. Globe<\/em>, 30th Cong., 1st sess., 502<\/a>. (1848).<\/p>\n

[11] \u201cInsubordination of Negroes\u201d Boston, MA The Liberator<\/em>, October 1, 1852<\/a>; “Reminiscences,” Macon (GA) Weekly Telegraph<\/em>, August 2, 1853.<\/a><\/p>\n

[12] Daniel Drayton, Personal Memoir of Daniel Drayton <\/em>(New York: B. Marsh, 1855) 32<\/p>\n

[13] \u201cCapture of Runaway Slaves\u201d Washington D.C. Daily Atlas, April 22, 1848<\/em><\/p>\n

[14] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 78<\/p>\n

[15] Harriet Beecher Stowe, A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin<\/em> (B. Tauchnitz, 1853) 110: 2) [Google Books]<\/p>\n

[16] 1848-04-22 Boston, MA Daily Atlas– Captured of Runaway Slaves [GB]<\/p>\n

[17] New Lisbon, Ohio Anti-slavery bugle<\/em>, May 5, 1848<\/p>\n

[18] Daniel Drayton, Personal Memoir of Daniel Drayton <\/em>(New York: B. Marsh, 1855) 42<\/p>\n

[19] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 5<\/p>\n

[20] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 195<\/p>\n

[21] Boston, Massachusetts Boston Daily Bee<\/em>, November 11, 1848<\/p>\n

[22] House Executive Document, 34th Congress 1st Session (1855-1856) [WEB]<\/p>\n

[23] House Executive Document, 34th<\/sup> Congress 1st<\/sup> Session (1855-1856) [WEB]<\/p>\n

[24] \u201cEdmonson Sisters\u201d, women and the American Story,<\/em> New York Historical Society [WEB]<\/a><\/p>\n

[25] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 230, 236<\/p>\n

[26] Samuel Momodu, \u201cThe Edmonson Sisters (1832-1895),\u201d blackpast.org, September 28, 2016, [WEB]<\/a><\/p>\n

[27] Emily Edmondson to Mr. and Mrs. Cowles, June 3, 1853, Henry Cowles Papers, Box #3, Record Group 30\/27, Oberlin College Archives. [WEB]<\/a><\/p>\n

[28] Rochester, New York Frederick Douglass’ Paper<\/em>, April 01, 1855<\/p>\n

[29] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 209<\/p>\n

[30] Mary Kay Ricks, Escape on the Pearl: Passage to Freedom from Washington<\/em> (New York: Harper Collins, 2009) 349<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DATELINE:\u00a0 WASHINGTON D.C., APRIL 18, 1848 Daniel Drayton\u2014captain of The Pearl\u2014his accomplice Edward Sayres, and 77 freedom seekers fled Washington D.C on Saturday, April 15, 1848, in what Mary Kay Ricks describes as \u201cone of history\u2019s most audacious escapes.\u201d [1] The goal of this escape was to sail from Washington D.C., down the Potomac River […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20768],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-escape-narratives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3333,"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000\/revisions\/3333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}