little girl, who, when I was placed in the waggon screamed and cried as if
she would fall into fits, telling her father to have me brought back, for
these men intended to murder me. The waggon drove to the railway depot,
and I was placed in the cars, and at three o'clock we started for Buffalo,
where I was placed on the steam boat "Milwaukie," for Chicago, Illinois,
on Lake Erie. The next night I arrived in Cleveland, and was taken from
the boat, and placed in prison, until my master was ready to proceed.
While in prison a complaint was made that a fugitive slave was placed in
irons, contrary to the law of the state of Ohio, and after investigation,
my irons were ordered to be taken off. On the Monday following I was taken
on board the steam boat "Sultana" bound for Sandusky, Ohio, and on my way
there, the Black people, in large numbers, made an attempt to rescue me,
and so desperate was the attack, that several officers were wounded, and
the attempt failed. I was placed in the cabin, and at dinner time the
steam boat started, and had about half a mile to go before she got into
the lake, and, on the way, the captain came down to me, and cautiously
asked me if I could swim--I answered I could, when he told me to stand
close by a window, which he pointed out, and when the paddle wheels ceased
I must jump out. I stood ready, and as soon as the wheels ceased I made a
spring and jumped into the water, and after going a short distance, I
looked up and saw the captain standing on the promenade deck, who, when he
saw I was clear of the wheels, waved a signal for the engineer to start
the vessel. I had much difficulty in preventing myself from being drawn
back by the suction of the wheels, and before I had gone far I saw my
master and heard him shout, "Here, here, stop captain; yonder goes my
nigger," which was echoed by shouts from the passengers; but the boat
continued her course, while I made my way as fast as possible to Cleveland
lighthouse, where I arrived in safety, and received by an innumerable
company of both blacks and whites. I was then sent to a place called
Oberlin, where I remained a week, and from there I went to Zanesville,