1818-05-14 Freedom Seeking: Charles
- Identifier
- NJS-EVE-00795
- Source
-
Runaway ad for Charles, by William Mershon Griggs
-
Runaway ad for Charles, by William Mershon Griggs, "Twenty Dollars Reward," Trenton Federalist, June 15, 1818, p. 1.
- Event Description
-
On 14 May 1818, Charles escaped from his enslaver, William M. Griggs, near Princeton, NJ. Griggs submitted a runaway advertisement seeking Charles with a reward of 20 dollars for his return.
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Transcript of the source document:
"Twenty Dollars Reward.
RUNAWAY from the Subscriber near Princeton, New Jersey, on Thursday the 14th of May, a NEGRO MAN named Charles, about 26 or 27 years of age, five feet ten or eleven inches high, a slovenly swinging walk, treats his shoes crooked, had a cut on the toes of the right foot so that his middle toes are crumpled up or on the top of the others, and very fond of smoking the pipe; stout build, broad shoulders, dark complexion and of but few words. Had on and took with him one fur hat, one long blue coat, one black gray linsey coatee, one waistcoat of the same, one yellow with black stripes and white bone buttons, one pair of old bottle green velvet pantaloons, one pair of new striped tow trowsers, one pair of old lace boots. Whoever will take up said negro and deliver him to the subscriber, or secure him in any gaol so that I may get him again, shall be entitled to the above reward and reasonable charges paid.
WILLIAM M. GRIGGS.
May 14th, 1818. 7.3wpd." - Event Type
- Freedom Seeking
- Date
- May 14, 1818
- Location of Event
- Princeton
- Primary Participants
-
Charles (b. ca. 1791)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-01951
Role: Runaway
Age: 26
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- William Mershon Griggs (1789-1848)
Verbatim description from source:
"a NEGRO MAN named Charles, about 26 or 27 years of age, five feet ten or eleven inches high, a slovenly swinging walk, treats his shoes crooked, had a cut on the toes of the right foot so that his middle toes are crumpled up or on the top of the others, and very fond of smoking the pipe; stout build, broad shoulders, dark complexion and of but few words" - Additional Participants
-
William Mershon Griggs (1789-1848)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-01940
Role: Enslaver, Advertiser - Record Contributor
- Kate Jackson