Slave Life in Georgia - African American History

Slave Life in Georgia 111
A word now on the origin of the "underground railroad to Freedom," the
projector of which, like many more benefactors of the human species, fell a
victim to his philanthropy. His name--and long will it and his memory live, in
the hearts of the
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friends of humanity--was Charles Turner Torrey. He was born in Scituate,
Massachusetts, November the 1st, 1813. At the tender age of four, he became an
orphan, but was received by his maternal grand-parents, and subsequently
educated at Exeter Academy, Yule College, and Andover Seminary. He finally
settled in the ministry at Providence, Rhode Island, but did not long remain
there. He continued his labours in various places, until in 1842 we find him in
the prison of Annapolis, Maryland. The Reverend Mr. Torrey's uncompromising
views as an Abolitionist were well known. He had urged them with all the
energy of his strong mind and earnest convictions. With his fine talents,
improved by learning and observation; his clear and intensely active intellect;
and a heart full of sympathy and genial humanity, he could not but be an
energetic and zealous advocate of any cause; and devoting himself, as he did, to
that of Abolition, no wonder its friends held him in more than ordinary esteem,
or that the pro-slavery party marked him as a man to be feared and to be
punished if the opportunity presented itself; as indeed it soon did. In 1842, the
slave-holders of Maryland convened a meeting at Annapolis, for the purpose of
making what further
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aggressions they could devise, upon the rights of the free-coloured people of
this State. (A similar meeting has recently been held in Virginia, Carolina Co.
for a similar purpose, which has resulted in the passing of resolutions, that, if
carried out, will reduce this class of its citizens to slavery.) Mr. Torrey, ever
active, repaired to the place of assembly at Annapolis, and took his seat in the
gallery, where he was soon observed, taking notes of the proceedings; his
intention being to publish a report of them in an anti-slavery paper. For this
offence, in a free country with a free press, he was incarcerated for a week.
During his imprisonment, his busy thoughts were directed to devising some plan
by which slaves might be assisted in effecting their escape. The idea all at once
occurred to him, that if a number of persons resident in the Free States, and
located at convenient distances from one another, could be induced to pledge
24.03.2006