B. McKiernon to William Still, August 6, 1851

    Source citation
    William Still, The Underground Rail Road (Philadelphia: Porter & Coates, 1872), 34-35.
    Author (from)
    B. McKiernon
    Type
    Letter
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Transcriber
    Sayo Ayodele
    Transcription date

    The following text is presented here in complete form, as it originally appeared in print.  Spelling and other typographical errors have been preserved as in the original.

    SOUTH FLORENCE ALA 6 Augest 1851

    Mr WILLIAM still No 31 North Fifth street Philadelphia

    Sir a few days sine mr Lewis Tharenton of Tuscumbia Ala shewed me a letter dated 6 June 51 from cincinnati signd samuel Lewis in behalf of a Negro man by the name of peter Gist who informed the writer of the Letter that you ware his brother and wished an answer to be directed to you as he peter would be in philadelphi. the object of the letter was to purchis from me 4 Negros that is peters wife & 3 children 2 sons & 1 Girl the Name of said Negres are the woman Viney the (mother) Eldest son peter 21 or 2 years old second son Leven 19 or 20 years 1 girl about 13 or 14 years old. the Husband & Father of these people once Belonged to a relation of mine by the name of Gist now Decest & some few years since he peter was sold to a man by the Name of Freedman who removed to cincinnati ohio & Tuck peter with him of course peter became free by the volentary act of the master some time last march a white man by the name of Miller apperd in the nabourhood & abducted the bove negroes was cant at vincanes Indi with said negroes & was thare convicted of steling & remanded back to Ala to Abide the penalty of the law & or. his return met his Just reward by Getting drownded at the mouth of cumberland River on the ohio in attempting to make his escape I recovered & Braught Back said 4 negroes or as You would say coulard people under the Belief that peter the Husband was accessery to the offence thareby putting me to much Expense & Truble to the amt $1000 which if he gets them he or his Friends must refund these 4 negroes are worth in the market about 4000 for thea are Extraordinary fine & likely & but for the fact of Elopement I would not take 8000 Dollars for them but as the thing now stands you can say to peter & his new discovered Relations in philadelphia I will take 5000 for the 4 culerd people & if this will suite him & he can raise the money I will delever to him or his agent at paduca at mouth of Tennessee river said negroes but the money must be Deposeted in the Hands of some respectabl person at paduca before I remove the property it weld not be safe for peter to come to this countery write me a line on recpt of this & let me Know peters views on the above

    I am Yours &c B. MCKIERNON

    N B say to peter to write & let me Know his viewes amediately as I am determined to act in a way if he dont take this offer he will never have an other oppertunity

    B MCKIERNON

    How to Cite This Page: "B. McKiernon to William Still, August 6, 1851," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/744.