The Autobiography of John Parker

John Parker: Unplaced story

One of the most serious encounters, which involved practically every friend of the slave in Ripley, came out of a clear sky figuratively speaking, but actually out of a black sky. It was thus wise. One of the colored freemen came knocking at my door -very- so much excited he could hardly talk. What I got out of him was that there [were] eight run aways -on the- on the Kentucky side immediately opposite the town. -How he knew- He had been scouting along the shore and through sheer luck had come on to the crowd. He was perfectly willing to take on as many as his skiff would hold, but the runaways could not or would not agree as to who should go first. -The- As the night was passing and th clamor of the crowd was growing louder he determined to -come to- go to Rev John Rankin, -the- an old abolition presbyterian minister who lived on the hill above the town. He sent the man to me. By this time is was so near day break I decided to hold a conference with Tom Collins as what was best to be done in this desperate situation.

Dressing hurriedly the freeman and myself went to the Collins house. -Much to my- We made our way into the -house- sitting room. I felt there was some thing wrong, -- instinctively I felt the presence of people in that room. -I- -Ordinarily there was a light burning in that room all night- Sure enough as I lighted the candle there were two men sitting together in one corner. For a moment I was scared out of my wits, it was only for a moment, as I recognized Rev Rankin and -- Tom Collins. It seemed that Rev Rankin was so greatly disturbed over the helpless group of runaways, he made his way down the hill to confer with Collins. Without knowing it I had come of to this conference. I sent the freeman outside to keep watch while we three held

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a council of war, the only one I ever sat in on during my long years of helping runaways. We came to the conclusion that it was so near day break all we could do was for the freeman and myself to go back and hide the crowd. -Fortunately the- This we did hiding them in a -ravine- wooded ravine in the midst of a corn field. They plead with me to take them away but light was breaking and I knew too well what would happen not only to the slaves but to me if the attempt to get away was made. It was in August the runaways had nothing to eat nor a receptacle for holding water. All I could do was to herd the crowd down to the river for a drink and then scare them so badly they would no go to the river no difference how thirsty they go[t] during the day. -I m-

I must confess I left the crowd with great misgivings. Fortunately the -next- day now greaking was Sunday. There would be moving around in that section of the cornfield. But a crowd of sight would leave a trail back of them that would lead to their undoing. There was nothing else to do but leave them to their fate. -wh- It was growing light when I ...the Collins house and found Tom and Rev Rankin waiting for my report. I told them what I had done. Collins was -quiet- silent but I could see Rev Rankin was very much wrought up over the situation. Tom Collins told me afterwards that when Rev John Rankin -p- made his usual prayer at his morning service, he deliberately referred to the crowd in hiding, so that he knew what he was talking about. Of course the congregation -knew was innocent- did not know.

During the day the freeman came to my home and told me that the slave catchers of the town knew that there was a crowd of run aways in hiding, furthermore that I was to runaway the crowd during the night. There was a crowd of hell hounds who made a living by capturing -escap- fleeing slaves -rel- for the reward paid by the masters for their return. Only a short time before

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one of these slave catchers -raided- headed a group of Kentuckians in a raid on the house of Theodore Collins, a brother of Tom's, who lived on a hill East of the town. They searched the house and barn without a warrant over the violent protests of Theodore. The next week the Ripley Bee had a signed statement by Theodore Collins, giving a detailed statement of what had occured []ing by name the Ripley man who headed the raid. As a matter of fact the slaves the crowd was looking for, had not yet arrived at the Collins -p- farm, but did so the next night and were rushed on without stopping.
-Going back-Having in mind the Theodore Collins incident I knew I was up against men who would not hesitate to kill me, if they could get the rewards for the eight slaves. So I casually called upon Tom Collins during the day and arrnaged the following scheme to elude the Ripley crowd. I was to slip out of my house take my skiff and quietly row up the river to Charleston bottom about five miles. In the mean time he was to arrange with two of the freemen to row across the river to where -he- we had left the fugitives the night before. Two of the Ranking boys heavily armed were to meet the crowd at the river's edge in front of the Collins house and fight if necessary. -These Rankin- There were six of these Rankin boys, every one sturdy and always ready for a fight.

-Our p When it was- About ten o'clock I stole out the back way of my house, made my way down to my boat, started up stream. I knew full well that I was watched and would be followed along the bank tracked to where I would cross the river.-Ev...- Our plan worked as I learned afterwards -there were- two brothers followed me, and then waited for me to come back until after day light. In the mean time I had quietly followed -along- down the Kentucky shore. But the runaways were already awa, so I rowed over -to-

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in front of Tom Collins house to see the crowd headed by the Rankin boys hurry up the street without stopping.

Perfectly contented with my night's work I went home to sleep. Early the next morning I was awaked by a freemen who excitedly -had- said that the slave masters of the runaway slaves had surrounded the Rankin house on the hill had -...- killed Rev John Rankin and his six sons. I tried to quiet the man but he insisted that his story was correct. About this time I heard firing on top of the hill, which rather verified the tragedy. Hurriedly dressing I went up town to find the streets filled with excited people. -All this while I could hear the rifle fir- I could see the house was still standing, so that fact of the story was untrue. What I did learn was that early in the day the two men from Ripley chagrined over their defeat had signed a search warrant to the effect that the run aways were harbored by Rev John Rankin. This warrant was given to a local constable who with the irate masters and the two town accomplices -were- went to the Rankin house to search the Rankin house. But Rev John Rankin had a different notion. He not only refused to let the house be searched but he called upon his six stalwart sons, who with rifles in hand were ready to repulse any effort to do so.

The constable was for backing away from the enterprise, but the masters wanted their slaves, and the two hunters wanted their reward. -So- As near as I could find out the masters surrounded the house, had sent back for reinforcements from Kentucky determined to burn down the house, -and- and kill who ever resisted. All the while the rifle fire went on around the Rankin house. Seeing Tom and Theodore Collins and Tom McCague, Senator Campbell in the crowd, I went to all of them suggesting that we ... and reinforce the Rankins. Bu they wisely -counci-

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counseled otherwise at the same time advising me to keep away from the scene of the encounter, as I would be killed -off- on sight. What really did happen was some time in the afternoon under a lag of truce it was agreed -betwee- between -the- Rev Rankin and the slave owneers, that William Harrison, a marble worker in Ripley should be permitted to search the house and his report was to be f... Mr Harrison who was an est...atable citizen of the town did search the house and of course found nothing, and so reported to the masters. They left the hill swearing revenge on Rev Rankin, threatening to return and burn the place the next time any -slaves wer- of their slaves disappeared. The house still stands.

[The following is all crossed out] I might add that this is the same Rev John Rankin who split his congregation in two, heading the abolition group into a church that preached anto slavery, and did it wh... to bring on the Civil War. His -...- letters on slavery was printed by [Arrien?] the printer in 1826, and was the text book for abolition until William Lloyd Garrison took up the firey cross

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I did my last bit for the freedom of slavery, to which I had devote the best years of my life.

My last episode of real adventure however -- was the one under Mill Run bridge, which I have already narrated. Occasionally as I walk down the curbs of the streets through sheer force of habit, I meet white haired men, bent and stooped with age driving to their ear ... , we nod and pass on. These are the few survivors of a group whom I knew in their youth and vigor, who answered my rappings in the dead of night, and took charge of helpless fugitives. The men of the town are all gone, lying peacefully in the burying ground under the hill.

These personal and a multitude of other memories crowd themselves into my mind as I ... away the silent witnesses of the past. The town in its simple way goes on unheeding its valiant men and their deeds. In a measure it is not to blame, -since- for when these men stood alone in their fight against slavery, they could dare not -speak- talk, besides -- they were a sturdy group, modest and unasuming. With their stories untold they passed on and were forgotten. But these men were real martyrs to their cause.

These echoes coming to me now and then take me back to the days and nights when my blood ran fast, my years were few, and -youth- hatred of slavery, -which- of which I was a victim, prompted me to do what I could to serve my unfortunate brothers. No [night] was too dark, or too cold for me to issue forth on a mission of relief and ... to those who came knocking at my door. A pair of rusty pistols, and a hunting knife grown -dul- dull, as old friends whose presence I have not felt for years, with their work finished, they like their owner will soon be forgotten.

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