This is the second in a series of sketches about the men and women found in my book, Inspired By Their Voices: Poetry From Underground Railroad Testimonies, published by Mammoth Books in December of 2021.
“Here are introduced a few– out of a very large number– of interesting letters . . . the originals, however ungrammatically written or erroneously spelt, in their native simplicity possess such beauty, and force as corrections and additions could not possibly enhance.” So wrote William Still in his milestone book, The Underground Railroad, published in 1872. The subtitle aptly describes its content: Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., Narrating the Hardships Hair-breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in their efforts for Freedom, as related by Themselves and Others, or Witnessed by the Author. The self-published book was the only first-person account of Railroad activities written by an African American, and went through three editions before being exhibited in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. The stories— from more than 1,000 interviews— highlight the agency, courage and persistence of the runaways and the community that supported them.
It was written by a remarkable man.
William Still was born near Medford, New Jersey to a father who had purchased his own freedom, and a mother who had escaped from her owner and was still considered enslaved by the laws of the country. William was the youngest of eighteen children born to Charity (originally named Sydney) and Levin Still (originally named Steel). The family— even though they had changed their name — lived under the very real threat of being recaptured by Charity’s enslaver— a potato and corn farmer from Maryland’s eastern shore named Saunders Griffin. Charity had already run away twice— the first time she brought her four children, but was captured and returned to her enslaver. The second time, she brought her two daughters and successfully escaped to join her husband, but had to leave her two young sons behind. William had heard the heartbreaking account of the moment she said her goodbye. They were sold further south and lost to the family. In New Jersey, the Stills kept a farm, and when old enough, young William found work in the area as a wood cutter. In the meantime, he taught himself to read and write. His literary abilities would later enable him as a compelling spokesperson for abolitionist and social justice causes.
In 1844, the twenty-three year old moved to Philadelphia— the second largest city, and home to the largest, and wealthiest, free Black community in the country. Its location across the Delaware River from the slave states of Delaware and Maryland, and its active Underground Railroad, made the city a beacon of freedom to escapees. Three years after his arrival, William found work first as a janitor, and then as a clerk with the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery. An organization with a venerable history, it was founded in 1775 by early Quaker abolitionists and still exists today. While working for the Society, Still married Letitia George in 1847. The couple had four children: Caroline Matilda, William Wilberforce, Robert George, and Frances Ellen. It was during this time that Still began his involvement in the Underground Railroad.
One of the most extraordinary stories from this period of Still’s life opens his book. The story starts as a tribute to a man named Seth Concklin, whose “noble and daring spirt” was unmatched in the effort to deliver the oppressed. After reading in the Pennsylvania Freeman about a man named Peter, who had been torn away from his mother at the age of six and remained enslaved for forty years, Seth became interested in his plight. Peter sought to be reunited with the family he lost. He had saved the sum of five hundred dollars to purchase his freedom so he could begin the search for his lost mother and brothers, knowing only the vaguest details of their lives. In doing so, he had to leave his own wife and children in bondage in Alabama.
Concklin read that Peter had made his way to Philadelphia and the offices of the Society for the Abolition of Slavery. There he was interviewed by William Still. As the two conversed it became clear that William was one of Peter’s long-lost brothers. Their joy in finding one another was only overshadowed by concern for Peter’s family. Alabama’s 1833 slave code prohibited an enslaved person from purchasing his or her own freedom. Slave owners could not free their enslaved within the borders of the state. This meant that, even should the brothers find a way to raise funds, they could not purchase the freedom of Peter’s wife Vina and their children.
Learning of the Still brothers’ dilemma, Seth Concklin decided it was up to him to rescue Peter’s family. In his book, Still goes on to describe the danger and ultimate tragedy of Concklin’s mission. The story, told through letters written by those involved, and William’s first-hand experience, is gripping. It is this authenticity that makes Still’s contribution to our understanding of the Railroad, its operatives, and its freedom seekers, so meaningful.
All of the letters and narratives that Still published had been gathered during his direct involvement in the Underground Railroad. Beyond his work at the Society, and the use of his home as a safe house, Still was elected chairman of Philadelphia’s Vigilance Committee after the draconian Fugitive Slave Law — nicknamed the Bloodhound Act— was passed in 1850 and signed into law by then President Millard Fillmore. The Committee worked in a variety of ways to support freedom seekers and those that aided them. Still also joined the fight to desegregate Philadelphia’s public transportation system, publishing letters in the local papers and authoring pamphlets.
After the Civil War, Still carried on as a businessman, channeling his resources toward philanthropic and social justice causes. Those resources were considerable: Still enjoyed great success as a businessman. His early purchases of real estate throughout Philadelphia soon after his arrival generated significant income, as did his coal yard and delivery enterprise, and stove business. He also sold his book using agents, public advertising and his considerable business acumen.
He died a wealthy man.
Still’s ongoing contribution to the welfare and education of Black youth, literacy among the Black population, and extensive involvement in the advancement of his community influenced his children. Caroline (1848-1919) became a pioneer in the medical field, graduating from Oberlin College and the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia. William Wilberforce (1854-1932) graduated from Lincoln University and practiced law in his native city. Robert (1861-1896) was a journalist and owned a print shop. Frances (1857-1943) became a kindergarten teacher.
The testimonies in Still’s watershed book resonate today. In 2017, an oratorio composed by Paul Moravec called Sanctuary Road featured a libretto by Mark Campbell drawn from Still’s book. In it, the character William Still sings, “Write it down. Write it. Write. Record. Recount. Chronicle. Write. Write it down, every word. Every word they say, every detail. . .
From cities and plantations,
rice swamps and cotton fields,
kitchens and mechanic shops,
from cruel masters and kind masters,
they arrived.
By steamer, by skiff,
by train, on foot,
shipped in a crate,
they arrived.”
The message of the oratorio, and Still’s book, can be summed up in this line: “Our stories cannot be forgotten.” It was in this spirit that Still’s narratives are included in poems found in Inspired By Their Voices.
We cannot forget.
To Learn More:
Siebert, Wilbur H. The Underground Railroad from Slavery To Freedom, 1898.
Still, William. The Underground Rail Road: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c. Narrating the Hardships, Hair-breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in their Efforts for Freedom, as Related by Themselves and Others or Witnessed by the Author; Together with Sketches of Some of the Largest Stockholders and Most Liberal Aiders and Advisers of the Road. Philadelphia, 1872.
Hall, Stephen G. To Render the Private Public: William Still and the Selling of the Underground Rail Road. Historical Society of Pennsylvania. http://still.hsp.org/still/essay/render-private-public-william-still-and-selling-underground-rail-road#_ftn12