Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway
While the Choptank River could pose a troublesome barrier to those without a boat, others used the river as a path to freedom.
Josiah Bailey, an enslaved logger and shipbuilder, rowed six miles up the river. His destination was Poplar Neck, where he alerted Harriet Tubman's father, Ben Ross, that he wanted her help to escape.
In November 1856, Harriet arrived to lead Bailey, his brother Bill, and friends Peter Pennington and Eliza Manokey to Canada. Hotly pursued, Bailey made good his escape despite a reward for his capture.
With Tubman's guidance, her brothers, Ben, Henry, and Robert, also escaped from Poplar Neck. Using coded messages, Harriet notified her brothers of her plan to rescue them from their parent's cabin. On Christmas Day 1854, she met them and several friends and guided them to Philadelphia and on to Canada.
(Inscription next to the photo at the bottom left) RIGHT: Tupin Wright, William Hugiett and John C. Henry posted a $2,000 reward for the capture of the three men. Advertisements like this one provide scholars with considerable information about the appearance and clothing of those who freed themselves.
| HM Number | HM1I21 |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Friday, November 28th, 2014 at 9:02pm PST -08:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 417265 N 4281862 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 38.68150000, -75.95120000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 38° 40.89', W 75° 57.072' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 38° 40' 53.4" N, 75° 57' 4.32" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 410 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 21843 Water St, Preston MD 21655, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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