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GRAVES OF RUN AWAYSLAVES HERE RECALLA CIVIL WAR TRAGEDYRude Marker* and' Mounds Short Distance Northof Town Are Reminders of Death That Caught“Underground Railway” FamilyDEATH IN UNION ENDED THE FIGHTThree rude headstones and three deserted graves, isolated among hardy birches and maples a few miles north of Kndieott—these today remain as the only material reminders of a Civil War tragedy which is part of the old village of Union tradition,, but about which now there is little known save by old timers. *The graves are of a father, mother €-------------------and child, Negroes, who fled fromslavery in the South by way of “the underground railway/* and who died here as the result of exposure incurred by the long, hazardous journey while the war was on.The tale of the three victim# is vouched for by Harold Briggs of Vea-tal and was told to him and others long ago by Manny Thomas, whose home now is a ruin near the place where the seone markers and little humoocks mark the Negroes' graves.Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were Negro residents of the old Village of Union at the time of the Civil War, and Thomas left to serve with Broome county Union troops.In the early days of the war, the Negro father, mother and child made their way to this section and were given succor at the old Washingtonian Hall, a station on the “undergroundFOR THESE GUYSApproaching Spring Carnival Sharpers i in Ambush for UI;iccording to the story told to Briggs. I bepr.But it was seen at once that they WhileWith the open air carnival seaaon now appearing in the offing, and with not all the surrounding communities as sensibly opposed to imposters as is Endicott, a few pointers may not be out of place for those numerousunwary ones who still are not immune to the lure of something for nothing—even if it's onl y a teddy1:ould not continue their jourrwy north, and they were sent to the modest home of Mra, Thomas in Union for rest and recuperation.They had already suffered too much, however, and all three came iown with penumonia. Within a few lays father, mother and child were dead. Kindly neighbors likl them at rest in the wood a short distance north of the village and erected the grave markers which atill remain in place.The grave* are undisturbed. Few local residents know their exact location. Boy Scouts arc the ones familiar with them. The scouts in Summer frequently have compfires a little way, from the burying ground, though they never -have broken^Jhe, sanctity of the sppt hallowed byfiHe dust o£:fihe ma#yW*to the c*t%e of freedom of the slaves.prohibit travelling carnivals here, neatby vicinitie# won’t. Heace the following low-down on what may beunscrupulousmay have-aome value locally.To begin at the entrance, the habits of the tickte seller are sometimes peculiar. It is he who, among the questionable shows, is the short change artist. He has several tricks of trade. One is, when he is counting change fqr a dollar for a ticket costing ten cents, is to lay the ticket on the counter, saying, “Ten.” Then counting dimes, he continues, “Twenty, thirty, forty, flity, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety—and the ticket is one dollar,” which accounts for a dime gorie. A method of making change inbills is to fold on* of the bills so that# *both ends appear at the end of thestack which is being counted. That's*edom of the slaves. .. ia dollar dene. Only the boldest ofThe most recent visitors at the f gborfc-chpnge Dtear to make any►urying ground were members ofScout Troop No. 5, who made a pilgrimage there last week.eflfort/to i$a!m change; their principal desire, it appears, is to avert a squawk.
Newspaper Details
Endicott Bulletin
Endicott, New York, US
Fri, Feb 17, 1928
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Diana K.
USA 17 May 2023
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