Review of the Week

A fearful fugitive slave riot occurred the 11th inst., at Christiana, Lancaster County Penn., about 65 miles from Philadelphia. The owner and several officers had proceeded from Baltimore, for the purpose of arresting a fugitive, who had received previous notice of their approach, and who was defended by about 80 negroes, armed with guns, &c. The negroes secreted themselves in the neighboring woods and cornfields, and fired upon the party as they passed, and killed Mr. Gorsuch the claimant outright, mortally wounding others. The officers were driven from the ground, and the fugitive escaped. More details are given in a telegraphic dispatch from Baltimore, found in the Boston Atlas: The following are the names of the parties who when from that county, to arrest the fugitive slaves, whose rescue occasioned the dreadful riot in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Edward Gorsuch, the owner of the slaves, who was shot dead, in the encounter; Dickinson Gorsuch, who was likewise shot, and died therefrom; Joshua Gorsuch, mortally wounded; Dr. Thos. Price, shot and badly beaten – it is feared he will die; and messrs. Nicholas, Hutchinson, and Joshua Nelson, who managed to escape to Philadelphia. Two or three of the negroes were also shot. The crowd of blacks and whites numbered about 200, and none interfered to save the lives of the sufferers, who were amongst the most respectable citizens of Baltimore County. The murderers have not been arrested.

Later explanations of the fugitive slave riot in Pennsylvania, give us to understand that the blacks were counselled not to resist; that they were assembled in the house where the fugitive slave was supposed to be, not laying wait in the woods. When the arresting party approached the house, they were warned off by the blacks, but the whites broke open the door – a horn was sounded from an upper window, and a company of blacks, armed, gathered on the spot. The spokesman of the blacks parlayed with the whites and told them they would die rather than go into slavery, or any of their number; that they should not fire, but if the whites fired, they should return the fire. The slave owner, his son and nephew fired revolvers, wounding a number of the blacks. The fire was returned, and the slave owner fell dead, and his son was mortally wounded. A posse was ordered by the U.S. officers, but in vain. There were twenty-five in the colored party, and fifteen whites. Several of the whites were wounded.