Through New Castle to Freedom: James L. Smith in May 6-9, 1838.
Commemoration of his escape from slavery in May 2022.
James L. Smith grew up as a cruelly treated slave in Virginia's Northern Neck.
As described in his remarkable autobiography
he escaped in May 1838 and sailed with two
companions up the Chesapeake to the tiny settlement of Frenchtown (just south
of Elkton & I-95. Details of their subsequent route are not clear.
He mentions walked on roads but he also says he was
frightened by a railroad engine.
Frenchtown has never been much of a place. It was just a wharf, tavern/store and a house. People traveling north or south
switched there to stage coaches or the New Castle Frenchtown Railroad (constructed in 1832.)
A group led by Rev. Adam Bowles of the Castle Church of Norwich, CT undertook a recreation of the
trip between May 5 and May 9. As they will describe elsewhere, the trip started with a visit to Heathsville, VA,
Smith's birthplace. They then boarded a boat at the Coans river marina and entered the Chesapeake bay opposite Point Lookout.
Unfortunately a northeaster storm with gale force winds made a boat trip up the bay to Frenchtown impossible. So,
they drove a rental car to New Castle and walked parts of the FT-NC route the following day. Most of the route is now
highway, or railroad or subdivision. There are two one mile stretches of the route in Maryland which have been paved over, but still
have the characteristic structure of the railroad grade: they are only one lane wide, and are higher than the land on either
side. One is on
W. Lewis Shore Rd, the other on
McDaniel lane
Rev. Bowles wrote:
This May, in a feat never before accomplished, a team from Norwich,
Connecticut, will retrace James Lindsey Smith's escape from slavery using his autobiography
as a guide. The purpose of "James Lindsey Smith -- The Journey Toward Freedom," is to
feature Smith's humanity, particularly his spirit of resilience in the face of
tremendous risks and obstacles, and stir empathy for such struggles today.
On day three of the four-day journey, the team will approximate his walk from Frenchtown MD to New Castle, DE.
This portion of the trip features the moment Smith nearly gave up.
Nevertheless, he pressed on toward freedom.
Smith's journey was very different from that of 'conductor' Harriet Tubman who led many more people to freedom
or 'stationmaster' Thomas Garrett who managed to provide temporary haven for many more people in the
Wilmington DE area, but Smith's very readable autobiography provides an insight into the kindly help many people provide him
and the ultimate home and life he achieved. Rev. Bowles church is in the area where Smith ultimately lived and
Smith's home serves as stop #6 on the Norwich Freedom Trail
James Meek, Matthew Alexander, New Castle DE
Rev Adam Bowles, Castle Church, Norwich CT