The life and travels of John W. Bear, "the Buckeye blacksmith".

Chapter I

I WAS born in the year 1800, in Frederick County, Maryland, near New Market, of poor but respectable parents, and was the eldest son. At the early age of ten years I was put out to service with an old gentleman by the name of Hagan, who kept a tavern and had several grown sons and a number of slaves; so I was at once deprived of all moral influence. It would be folly for me to describe a country tavern in those days ; suffice to say that all the old bloats of the neighborhood would gather there on Saturday and Public days to run horses, fight chickens, drink bad whisky and black each others eyes. Many were the knock downs and bloody noses I saw in the three or four years I lived there. You can well imagine that my moral training was very poor, as I was only a lacky boy for any who chose to avail themselves of my services, and many was the sound flogging I got for not coming up to time*

In the fall of the year when election time came on it was the habit of wealthy politicians to get all the poor white voters they could a day or two before election and furnish them rooms in the upper part of their houses and supply them with plenty of the best the market could aflbrd, and plenty of whisky, and cards to play with, and keep them there until the morning of the election, (this they called cooping,) and then men and measures they knew nothing about, that I made up my mind that if ever I became a man that I would do my own thinking and voting, so I determined to take Mr. Clay's advice and go to a free country where I could improve my mind and as he said become a man. I said nothing about the matter to any person, but intended the following summer when the weather got warm to bid farewell to my native land. So one cold Sunday in March i went home to see my mother, when she gave me a new pair of stockings that she had knit for herself but were too small for her, and she also gave me a nice apple. I went home to Hagan's and hid my apple in the barn intending to give it to a young girl of my acquaintance the next day, but on Monday morning before day one of the young Hagans went with me to the barn to see that I fed the horses right, when I showed him the apple; he took it away from me and began to eat it. I commenced fighting him for it when he slapped me in the mouth until the blood started when I saw the blood, it at once kindled the fire of indignation in my bosom and I determined to have revenge, so I seized a flail (an article used for thrashing out grain) and swinging it around at him struck him on the head just above the ear, and laid him out, as I thought dead; at any rate he stopped eating my apple.

I felt of his face and found him laying quite still; supposing him dead I thought now is the time for me to leave, so I went quietly to the house, got my new stockings and a shirt that I had and left by the back door, as I supposed never to return. This was my first experience in pugilistic affairs. I had often been told that if a perteou committed any crime and run away from his master and could avoid detection for a year and a day he would de declared free. Now the question with me was how could I get away, for I had but seventeen cents to travel on, and it w^as cold weather. I had many fears that I should freeze or be caught, but go I must and go I did. There was a stream of water close by, it was frozen over but not sufficient to bear rae — I waded through, cold as it was and made for the Sugar Loaf* Mountains. It was a fearful undertaking for a boy not fifteen years old, to undertake such a hazardous journey all alone, without money, education or friends to protect me; but here I was in a cold mountain at daylight in the morning, probably a murderer, and I so young. One thought consoled me, he had struck me first, and I had a right though poor boy as 1 was to take my own part. I had no knowledge of the country, or where to find freedom, which was a great drawback to me. I had never read a newspaper or book and only knew what little I had gleaned from the conversation of those who had occasionally conversed in my presence, I knew where the Potomac river was, so I made for it, and when I got there the trouble was to cross; it was frozen over, but would the ice bear me; if I fell through I should be drowned. But as luck had it there was no current at that place in the river, so the ice was strong enough to bear me, so after great anxiety and caution, with the aid of a small rail to hold me up if I fell through the ice, I succeeded in safely making my way across.

I must now take a look back at home and see what is going on there. As soon as matters became known at the hotel that there had been a fight between me and young Hagan and that I was missing, they sent a messenger to my mother. After hearing the story that we had been fighting and that the barn floor was pretty well smeared with blood, and I was not to be found she became very much alarmed and at once caused a thorough search to be made; they dragged every spot in the creek where the ice was broken and also searched several old wells in the neighborhood and in fact every place where a person could be concealed, supposing of course that Hagan had murdered and concealed rae. Finally when all hope of ever finding me was gone they gave me up as lost. They even went a long distance to consult a fortune teller about me; she ^ told them that I was dead, and they believed her, (what an old liar she was.) Almost every person through the whole country thought that young Hagau had made way with me. Hagan's mother however always said that I would sometime turn up all right, which the reader already knows I did.

We will now return to the South side of the Potomac river. I was now in Virginia, I knew that but it was not a free country and to a free country I was determined to make my way. Mr. Clay had said that I ought to go west, this seemed to impress itself on my mind, so I concluded to take the first road runing west and keep as much out of public roads as I could, and to go to no white peoples house if I could help it. I knew the negroes were like myself, they could not read and I did not fear any detection frcm them. The Hagans had always told me that if I ran away from them and they caught me that they could sell me the same as if 1 were a negro. So I had great fear of detection on that account in addition to the fears of being caught as I feared for killing Hagan.

The first idea that struck me when I started, was what name I should go by and what I should tell the people when questioned. I finally concluded to tell the colored people that I had ran away from a hard master and was trying to get to a free country, and promise them when I got there, and became a man, I would help them to get free too, and in this I have been very successful. I also concluded to never tell white people anything, and never give them the same name nor the same place of destination. I had been so badly treated by the Hagans that I had lost all confidence in white people. The only friend I had while at Hagans was an old black woman. She often hid away a cake or piece of pie for me, so I had all confidence in the colored people.

When I left the Potomac river I took the Winchester '

road and traveled all day without eating anything and at night stopped at a negro quarter and asked an old woman to give me something to eat and let me stay all night; I told her and her husband all about my affairs, they pitied me very much and I heard them talking after they thought me asleep. They agreed to give me something to take with me to eat, and start me early in the morning a safer road. "The poor little fellow" the old woman said 'T will give him all the money I have got to help him along." So before day in the morning they gave me the best they had to eat and some to take with me and a few pennies in money; the old man took me across the country a mile or more, and put me on an old unfrequented road that led to Romuey, a small town in the mountains bordering the south branch of the Potomac river. Nothing occurred during the day to mar my progress. I had plenty to eat with me, but when night came the trouble was to find a place to stay. I saw a small house some distance from the road, supposing it was occupied by negroes, I went there but found it occupied by white people. The man was drunk, well this was nothing for me to see, so I asked him if I could stay all night. He said certainly 1 could, and said, you d d little rascal I expect that you have run away from some place — well I dont care if yuu have. Can you sing? I love to hear a good song. I said I could sing Blackeyed Susan, like a bird. Says he that is the exact thing, my wife's name is Susan and she is the best old gal living. Well I was a pretty good singer, and knew several good Irish ditties and other songs, so I amused him for a long time by singing for him; he had plenty of w^hisky but no meat in the house, but he had a pretty fat pig in a pen. So next morning he concluded that I must stay with him that day and butcher his pig for him. I done so and we had plenty to eat. Next morning when I was ready to start they filled my little bundle with plenty of bread and pork to last me two days; so I went away full of spirits. But I had not traveled more than two hours when a young man on horseback overtook me and called out to me, Avhere are you going you young rascal? I believe you are a run away.

Well, that was an insult I felt bound to resent. So I told him it was none of his business. He up with his horse whip and struck me two or three times across the shoulders; that was too much for me to take from any man, for I began to consider myself some on the muscle since my encounter with Hagan. 80 I dropped my bundle and up with a good sized stone and hurled at him with such good aim that he began to retreat, and it was well for him he did, for I could throw a stone equal to any man in the country. Now the trouble was he was going the same road that I would probably go, get help, and arrest and put me in jail and that would be the end of me. I finally concluded to die game, so I went ahead and in a few miles came to a store and tavern. I saw his horse tied there and when I came up opposite the tavein he and several young men came out and commenced to laugh. As soon as they did so I stooped and began to gather up several stones and told them to come on, when several of them said that's right my lad, take your own part, and if you can't do it with your fist, do it with stones. They seemed to greatly enjoy my pluck, as did also the fellow who I had stoned.

Nothing of interest occurred for several days. I traveled slowly and whenever I could, staid all night with colored people. At one place I stayed with the owner of a mill. The miller's wife treated me very well but asked me more questions than I cared to answer ; I told her at last that I was running away to overtake a young girl to marry her — her parents had sent her away to her uncle to keep her out of my way. This was a choker for her. I told her I was in disguise — that my people were rich. She at last gave me some credit for my perseverance, and at that we parted, never to meet again, though I promised to write to her when I got married, and let her know^ how I managed to git her. Well, she has had a long time to wait, as I have never overtook the girl yet.

I continued on my journey for several w^eeks getting along pretty well, the farther I went the less fears I had of being detected ; I passed up thiough Romney, Clarksburgh, and then turned towards Kentucky. I thought that would be a good place for me ; I cared but little which way I went, so that I kept out of towns land got to a free country. I went by the Kanawha salt works and from them to the nearest point in Kentucky, but w hen I got there I found it was a slave state. I stayed several days with a very nice family, it being weather not fit to travel ; I found these people verykind to me and wanted me to stay with them, and to do a good part by me, but I was bound to go to a free country and told [hem what Mr. Clay had said to me about it ; they then advised me to go to Indiana. So after a good rest I started and traveled through the interior of Kentucky until I reached the Ohio river, twenty miles below Louisville, where I found some trouble in getting across. I began to think that although in sight of the ' Promised Laud ' I was never to reach it.

There was a man by the name of Duncan, who had a boat but refused to put me over ; he said I w^as a runaway and he would be put to trouble if it was known that he sent me cut of the State. He concluded to have me arrested and kept confined for a time and advertise me as a stray boy. He kept me all night and in the moruing while he went to see a Squire, his wife pitied me and a neighbor calling they concluded for the man to take the boat and set me across the river and let me go; she said she would tell her husband that I had got away. When I stepped my foot on Indiana soil the man who put me over the river said to me that I was now on free land and was safe from arrests ; he gave me a shilling and wished rae good luck and hurried back before Duncan's return. I never heard what he said when he did return, neither do I care, and if I had ever come across him in a free State, I would have learned him how to advertise a runaway boy.

As soon as I got into Indiana I felt comparatively safe and began to think about finding a home ; at that early period there were very few people in Indiana. — 1 very shortly found a place for a few days, and while resting myself I learned that there was a good settlement on the White river, near where Indianapolis now stands, and there being a young man going there I concluded to go with him. When I arrived in the White river settlement I soon found a home with a widow by the name of Miller, who had a son somewhat older than myself and one younger. She was a very kind lady and treated me as a mother. She said she would give me two dollars a month to help her sons clear up land, so I went to work with a will ; at the end of two months a neighbor of her's offered me four dollars a month, for I could almost do a man's work. I told her what I had been offered and she agreed to give me the same, as also some old clothes of her sons. I had told her that I had run away from home and wanted to take my money back to help get my mother and father and family to a free country, for which she gave me great credit as also did the neighbors. I remained with her until November, when I concluded to make my way to the east part of Ohio, where I have an Uncle ; there was a young man in the neighborhood who seemed to be acquainted with the people around there, who said he was going on to Ohio, and I prepared to accompany him when he went. I had sixteen dollars in silver and gold and Mrs. Miller made me a little belt to carry it in, and in this way I carried it around my body for five or six months, without any person knowing it but Mrs.

Miller. Well, this man, I have forgotten his name, and myself started on foot through a wilderness country, for there was only a small settlement every few miles ; we had plenty to eat with us the first and part of the second day. The second day at night we came to a small river called Whitewater ; it was very much swollen by recent heavy rains, there was no bridge and the question was how shall we cross. This man said he knew where there was a boat a short distance below, and we would go down there and cross and then stay all night with a friend of his. I had some fears that all was not right, but went with him ; I could do nothing better, for there were no houses on that side of the river. Well, we traveled several miles, and at last come to the boat; it was a small affair and I was afraid to get in it, for I could not swim, but he coaxed me into it, and when we got into the middle he turned down stream, saying he knew the owner of the boat and it was all right. I was frightened almost out of my senses, I expected to be drowned every moment, but he only laughed at me. We passed over a small mill dam but the water being so high it was nearly smooth over the dam. At last we saw several fires burning in a field, there we landed and tied up the boat, and went to the nearest fire, when he told me to stay there until he went to the house and got something for us to eat. I sat down by the burning log heap and commenced to think matters over. Here I was in a strange land, with a doubtful companion.

Just think of it young men, me a boy but fifteen years old, seven hundred miles from home, sitting all alone in the dead hour of night for it was at least two o'clock, not knowing what moment my companion might return and murder me. He might know that I had money, and had therefore coaxed me this lonesome route. I sat there in an awful suspense, until tired nature gave way and I fell asleep. How long I slept I do not know, I only awakened when he called me to get up and get something to eat. How or where he got it I never knew. He said the people on that farm were his friends; but when I asked him why he did'nt stay there till morning, he said he wanted to get to Eaton, Ohio, that day. Well we eat some bread and meat and turnips we found in the field and pushed on and arrived in Eaton, Ohio about two o'clock that afternoon. When we got there we found a number of men playing ball against the Court House. The Court house was not finished the walls only being up. I very soon saw several men eyeing us very closely so much so that I felt somewhat alarmed. At last one of the men who I learned afterwards was the high sheriff of the county commenced talking with me and asking me questions about this man, where I first got acquainted with him and how long I had known him. Well I came to the conclusion that my impressions of the night before were correct that I had a suspicious companion. So I told this gentleman all I knew about him, he told me that he should arrest him on suspicion, which he did. They all had a conversation with me afterwards and came to the conclusion that I was only a boy and was innocent of any connection with him in his crimes, therefore they let me go free. A gentleman (a carpenter) took me home with him and treated me very kindly, and gave me much good advice which I did not soon forget. During that night some officers of an adjoining county, came there and found this man in prison arrested and took him away

The next morning I told some gentleman that I was trying to get to my uncle's in the eastern part of the state, and they gave me a little money, and got a gentleman who lived in Dayton, who was going home that day in a little wagon, to take me that far with him. When I got to Dayton, this gentleman took me to a Mr. Hoffman's house, who, he said wanted a boy. I stayed all night with him, he was a merchant and kept a dry goods store and was rich. He owned a farm ten miles up Mad river and wanted me to w^ork with his hired farmer, and agreed to give me four dollars a month. I stayed a few days with him until his farmer came down, and then went home with him to go to work till Spring; but when supper was ready I found that I was to eat in the kitchen by myself, his wife being too important to eat with a hired boy, although her husband was a hired man himself. She was a Virginia lady, one of those poor devils that have more hair on their head than brains in it. So next morning I took Scutch leave of that place, and made another start for the East. I stopped all night with a farmer, by the name of Maddox, who took a notion that I must stay with him, I stayed a few days but found a chance to go East with a drove of cattle, the gentleman offering me twenty cents a day and board I started and went as far as Mt. Pleasant in Jefferson county, Ohio, w^hen I heard from my uncle, who lived but a few miles north of there. So I concluded to leave the drove, and go to ray uncle's, which I did, and found them very much surprised to see me, so much so that I found it necessary to tell them all.

I would state that here at my uncle's w^as the first place that I had ever told my real name ; I had a different name every place I stopped and intended to do so until the year and a day was out ; but by the time I reached my uncle's I had learned considerable of the manners and customs, as well as laws of the country, and was not half so superstitious as I was when I started. I stayed at my uncle's until the middle of March and engaged myself very much with my cousin, a young girl near my age, who took me to every party in the country and there were plenty of them. I became quite a beau among the younger girls and many was the boy that was jealous of me, and was glad when I went away ; but the girls were all sorry, even the older ones, for I had become quite a gay boy, and could sing like a nightinggale, which, I suppose, made me popular. But the time arrived for me to start ; my uncle sent me to the Ohio river on horseback, I crossed and started on foot for Washington, Pennsylvania, and reached a small town called Hickory, where I stayed all night with a farmer who lived on the edge of the town. He wanted me to stay with him and break flax for him, which I agreed to do at twenty-five cents a day, provided he would find me an old suit of clothes to work in, as I had a new suit I earned while at ray uncle's. He had a young daughter who was foolish enough to fall in love with me the first week I was there and the result was that he discharged me to get us apart. Here I was again on the road all alone, making a fresh start for home ; the year was now out and I was bound to go home and face the music.

When I left Hickory I went to Washington, Pa., and struck the turnpike road that led East, there I expected to fall in with a wagon going to Baltimore or some place East so that I could have company. — I had great fears of falling in with traveling footmen since the only one 1 had tra\reled with proved a dangerous companion for a boy. While 1 was looking around for a chance a drove of horses came up to the hotel where I was going to stay all-night ; I at once made a bargain with the owner to go with him for ray board to Frederick, Maryland, where I would be near my home. We started next morning and in three days were in Cumberland, Md., where the owner sold out his horses to a stage company. Here I was again adrift alone in the world, in a strange land, but 1 had got used to disappointments and vexations, so it had but little eftect on me, for I was only a little over a hundred miles from home and I could soon get there. I was standing talking with boys when a man came up and said he wanted two hands to go to Georgetown, D. C, on a boat loaded with flour, for which he would give fifty cents a day with board, there and back. I told him that I wanted to go there and would go for fifty cents a day without being paid for my time coming back, but that I had never worked on a boat but could learn. He said he would take me, for any person could help pull an oar ; so the next morning found me a boatman on the Potomac.

The first day out we had a fine time at it. I soon learned to pull an oar, but the second day just before dark we got on a rock and had to stay there all-night without anything to eat, for we had no place for fire, to cook with, and we all expected to be drowned before we got through with the scrape we were in ; but as luck had it, next day the water raised and we got off; we went ashore and built a fire, cooked and eat until we were filled. When we made a second start we went on smoothly until we got within four or five miles of Georgetown when we brought ourselves up on another rock ; here we were in for another nights peril, but we managed some how next morning, about ten o'clock, to get off, and in one hour more we were safely landed at the wharf ; we had eat but little for twenty -four hours, so we went to a tavern kept for boatmen, and such a breakfast I never eat before or since as I eat there. We had slept but little, so we all went to bed and got a good sleep ; the next morning the Captain paid me off and I started for home which was about thirty-three miles. I started full of hopes and fears, for I had never heard a word from home since I left, which was then some fourteen months, but go I must and go I did. When I got within four miles of my mothers house I stayed all-night, for I wanted to hear the news and get home in the morning. The family I stayed with knew me and told me all about the affairs at home and was glad to see me alive. I waited the next morning until after breakfast and then started for home. I avoided the neighbours as much as I could, as I had a desire for my mother to be the first to know that I was still alive, and I think the longest mile I e ^er traveled was the mile that brought me home. I went to the bouse the back way and when there walked around to the front door and there stood my mother washing her breakfast dishes ; I shall never forget the scene that then occurred ; she gave one loud scream and then caught me in her arms and fell on her knees and thanked God for my sufe deliverance to her. She could scarcely believe her owe; eyes, I had grown considerably and been gone so long that she thought it almost impossible that I was the same. Poor mother! although near fifty years have rolled around since then, and more than forty years have passed since you were called to that land where sighing and sorrow never comes, your image is still impressed indelibly on my mind, and I never will forget the many blessings you heaped upon my head the day I returned home when you thought me dead.