Washington District of Columbia
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Washington Navy Yard
Reward Notices for Runaway Apprentices and Runaway Slaves
Furnished by : John Sharp ©
| Runaway Apprentice Reward Notices |
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In the early United States the formal apprenticing of children was the method used for nearly two hundred years to train the young for useful occupations.
The apprenticeship system of the District of Columbia, provided for formal indentures or contracts, in which young people were legally bound to labor
for a set number of years in given trade or occupation, and in return for their service they would receive trade or occupation instruction and tutelage
from their master. While most apprentices entered into their apprenticeship voluntarily with the consent of their parents some other young people
(orphans and poor children) were placed unwillingly while other from dislike of their chosen trade or more often disagreements with their master
ran away. Perhaps the most famous of these was Benjamin Franklin who broke his indentures by running away from his brother James in 1723 for
New York City. Since the apprenticeship was legal contract the law gave the master the right to take action to recover errant apprentice and if
necessary take the apprentice by force. The Washington Navy Yard was for nearly two centuries the District of Columbia's largest employer and
had has many as 50 apprentices working at the Navy Yard prior to 1814.
The following letter gives some idea of how Department of the Navy regulated apprentice labor. |
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| Runaway Apprentice Reward Notices |
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The following three reward notices document the efforts of young apprentices to escape their labor and their masters to reclaim them.
Sources: All Runaway Apprentice Reward Notices are from the Washington DC Newspapers listed below. The Board of Naval Commissioners 1 May 1817 letter quoted above is from the National Archives and Records Administration RG 45 Benjamin Franklin Essays, Articles, Bagnatelles, and Letters Poor Richard's Almanac Autobiography Library of America edited by J.A. Leo Lemay 1987 Provine Dorothy S. District of Columbia Indentures of Apprenticeship 1801 -1893, Willow Bend Books Inc Louisville VA 1998
Sharp, John G. History of the Washington Navy Yard Civilian Workforce 1799-1962. |
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Five Dollars Reward [Runaway Apprentice] Daily National Intelligencer May 29, 1816
Ran away from the subscriber a House Carpenter and Joiner, an Indentured Apprentice named William Green five feet six or seven inches this swarthy
carpenter answers back when spoken to being fond of the company and of traffic particularly of Negroes together with every bad principal. He is
a complete hand at drinking whiskey. He has been I am told employed by George Lake to go by water and by Robert Brown a house carpenter both
of Navy Hill. The above boy has been seen lurking about the shops at Navy Yard where he has a father and I have reason to believe makes his home.
Note: William Green was indentured in John Mulloy March of 1815 and ran away from his master and his apprenticeship one year later. "Apprenticeship Number 574 (Volume II, 109) William Green to John Mulloy Recorded 18 April 1815 William Green, with the consent of his father, Simon Green, binds himself to John Mulloy for a term of 4 years 2 months 23 days, to learn the trade of house carpenter and joiner (Dated 30 March 1815; Simon X Green; John Mulloy)." District of Columbia Indentures of Apprenticeship 1801 -1893, Dorothy Provine 1998 p. 72 |
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Six Cents Reward [Runaway Apprentice] Daily National Intelligencer June 3, 1820
Ran away from the subscriber the 16th inst an apprentice to the Blacksmith Business Thomas Quade between 18 and 19 years of age |
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Reward [Runaway Apprentice] Daily National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser March 30, 1810
From the subscriber on the 20th inst an apprentice by the name of William Addrey about
20 years of age any person return said to the subscriber shall receive a reward of six cents from Benjamin King
Note: We know by October 1812, William (Addrey) Ardrey, was back at the Washington Navy Yard blacksmith shop working once again for Master Blacksmith Benjamin King. In October 1812 he and nine other WNY blacksmiths signed a petition to the Secretary of the Navy, Paul Hamilton, complaining of the "insolence of negros employed in the Navy Yard" they also requested higher wages and the right to get periodic "refreshment" (liquor). Source: Dudley, William S., et al. eds. The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History." Vol. 1. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1985. Page 524 ALS, DNA, RG45, CL, 1812, Vol.3, No. 102 and petition. |
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REWARD NOTICES FOR RUNAWAY SLAVES:
From our nation's founding slavery was an integral and legally recognized part of the new United States and slaves made up a significant but generally unacknowledged part of the District of Columbia's antebellum workforce. Many of Washington DC residents owned slaves. Some of these slaves worked as household servants while others worked at various trades or were leased out to employers with a need for more labor. One of the more insidious images is that slaves were generally happy, with only a few instances of rebellion. Records in newspapers such as the National Intelligencer or Washington Gazette are replete with accounts of runaway slaves and rewards for their capture. These reward notices show that many slaves were willing to risk all to gain their freedom and that the picture of a contented slave population is fiction. As these accounts suggest many slaves in Washington DC and the surrounding areas who sought their freedom were some were the most trusted house servants. In 1820 according to the US Census the total population of Washington DC was: 33, 039 of that figure 23, 164 were enumerated as white while 4, 048 were listed as Free Negro and 6, 277 were listed as slaves. The relatively large population of free blacks made the District of Columbia an important destination for fugitive slaves, here, slaves could attempt to find help and to blend in with the free black population. Another attraction for blacks fleeing slavery was large number of merchant ships moving about the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers where runaways might try to get work or even passage with a sympathetic ship-owner. Today these accounts written exclusively by slave owners often make difficult reading but they are important both as a historical and genealogical record. Through these short summaries we can glimpse African- American resistance in the District of Columbia to slavery which was largely unrecorded in the 19th century press and we can also occasionally learn about particular individuals and their families. Sources: Bolster W. Jeffrey Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail Harvard University Press 1998 Brown, Letitia Woods Free Negroes In the District of Columbia 1790-1846 Oxford University Press New York 1972 Franklin John Hope & Schweninger Loren Runaway Slaves: Rebels on the Plantation Oxford University Press New York 2000 Green, Constance McLaughlin. The Secret City: A History of Race Relations in the Nation's Capital. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967. ____. Washington: A History of the Capital 1800 -1950. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1962.
Hibben, Henry B. Navy Yard Washington: History From Organization, 1799, to the Present Day. Washington, DC: Government
Printing Office, 1899.
Sharp, John G. History of the Washington Navy Yard Civilian Workforce 1799-1962. Stockton, CA: Vindolanda Press, 2005.
The Diary of Michael Shiner Slave and Freeman at the Washington Navy Yard
1813-1869 Relating to the History of the Washington Navy Yard |
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Ran away from the Subscriber [Runaway Slave] National Intelligencer January 15, 1807 living near the Eastern Branch bridge, a negro women of about 32 year of age of a middle stature, rather blacker then common. Somewhat pitted with small pox about the nose; she has liberty at different time to choose a master, she has a suckling child and I believe has contracted an acquaintance with a certain Cato Day, a black man who worked some years past in the Navy Yard in the city of Washington. I have reason to believe she is either harbored or concealed or rather conveyed from this place under him; she has a change of clothing, therefore cannot be well described by her dress. Whoever takes up the said negro and secures her so I get her again shall have TEN DOLLARS reward and all reasonable expenses if brought home.
JOHN MASTERSJune 8 It is more than probable she taken the route towards Baltimore. All persons are warned against harboring or concealing her at their peril. J.M |
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Note: John Masters is listed on the 1800 Census for the District of Columbia, formerly Prince Georges County ( Source US Census1800 District of Columbia Roll 5; page 910 image 45), as owning 15 slaves. Although Masters posted a $10 reward notice, he never lists the name of his fugitive female slave. Did he even know her name?
Cato Day is listed in a 12 May 1808 letter as a ship caulker. The 1808 letter is from Commodore Thomas Tingey , Commandant of the Washington
Navy Yard, to the Secretary of the Navy. Navy Secretary, Robert Smith, had requested the names, status (free or slave), occupations and wages of
all blacks at the Washington Navy Yard. Commodore Thomas Tingey replied that Cato Day was "free black" ship caulker, and earned $ 1.75 per day.
Cato Day apparently later moved to Baltimore Maryland and is listed as a free African American in the 1819 Directory for the City of Baltimore,
compiled by Samuel Jackson. The runaway who fled toward the Washington Navy Yard was making a logical choice for the yard had significant numbers of black employees both free and enslaved who may have provided help. For those blacks who were fortunate enough to find work as freemen, the caulking trade while difficult and onerous often provided them an opportunity to work at competitive wages and to gain some measure of independence. Among the other Washington Navy Yard black caulkers listed on the 1808 report with Cato Day are Moses Liverpool and Nicholas Franklin. In 1807 Nicholas Franklin and Moses Liverpool along with George Bell another caulker founded the first school for African-American children in the District of Columbia. |
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Fifty Dollars Reward [Runaway Slave] Daily National Intelligencer November 11, 1817 Absconded from the Subscriber, living near Bladensburg, Prince George's county, MD on the 27th of May last a Negro man named JOE, who calls himself Joe Mason. He is rather of a small size, 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, a little bow legged, and has lost one of his jaw teeth next his middle teeth. He is of a dark or distant appearance, but speaks orderly in conversation, but low. His clothing, when he went away, were a black hat, nearly new, a dark colored coat, a little worn, with yellow buttons, a dark colored vest, a common coarse pair of linen trowsers and old boots. The above slave I purchased two years ago of the administrators of Ann Ray, who formerly kept him hired out in the city of Washington and Georgetown, & a considerable time at the Navy Yard, a part of which time he lived with Capt. John Cassin as waiter and is very well known by the great part of the inhabitants of that quarter of that city and has many acquaintances in every part of the city and Georgetown. Joe is a handy fellow, a tolerable waiter and good laborer, and has been a litle by water, and I have some apprehension he may endeavor to get off in that way, having in his possession some money. If he is taken ten miles from home I will give ten dollars, if twenty fifteen dollars, and if out of the District of Columbia and State of Maryland, I will give the above reward , if secured in jail so that I get him again. All masters of vessels and other persons are cautioned against employing and carrying away the above slave.
OFFA WILSON June 13 |
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Fifty Dollars Reward [Runaway Slave] Daily National Intelligencer December 23, 1817 Runaway from the subscriber, living near the Falls Church, Fairfax County, VA on the 14th Aug a negro man named Jack Proctor, aged about 23 years. He is a mulatto, about 5 feet 8 inches high, has a down look when spoken to. He had on when he left home a osnaburg shirt and trowsers, an a seersucker coat much worn. Jack was raised and has lived in about the City of Washington for several years past - he was hired last year to Henry Burford near the navy yard, and worked in his brick yard. He has a number of relations in the city and Georgetown, and it is possible is now lurking in one or another of the said places, as he was seen in Georgetown but a few days past. N.B. - Jack has been seen on Fell's Point in Baltimore, but a few days past, and no doubt is now in Baltimore or its vicinity. If secured in any gaol so that I can get him again, I will give $ 50, and all reasonable charges paid if brought home. JOHN A. SOMMERS
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40 Dollars Reward [Runaway Slave] National Intelligencer April 25, 1818 For apprehending, and securing so that I get him again, my Negro man Henry; well know in this city by the name of Henry Carroll. He ran away in June last, and had been sometimes well fixed, probably as a thief, or receiver of stolen goods, in New York. He was sent from thence by the municipal authorities on board the sloop Eagle, - Wright master, and arrived at Alexandria yesterday; when, by an unaccountable carelessness or delinquency, he was suffered to escape. As he cannot be far off, but may be in part of the district or its vicinity, where unknown - he is about 5 feet 8 inches high, yellow complexion, rather large round and full eye, and when spoken too sternly gets easily alarmed; and at such times hesitates, or rather stammers in his speech. All persons whatever are forbid harboring him, under pain of having every nerve of the law strained to obtain satisfaction.
Thos. Tingey Navy Yard, Washington |
| Note: See Diary of Michael Shiner for his 1828 account of Thomas Tingey's treatment of his slave. |
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35 Dollars Reward [Runaway Slave] City of Washington Gazette March 22, 1821 Ran Away from the subcriber in May last a servant woman by the name of Minty, about 4 feet 11 inches high , very black with a rough skin and bushy hair and a very scary countenance. I purchased her in September 1819 of James Friend, near Navy yard of this city. She formerly belonged to Major Forrest of the marine corps , who now owns her husband. She has been seen near Nottingham, Prince George's County. Md and has been lurking there ever since she absconded - Whosoever takes up said negro women and secures her in the Washington County jail shall receive the above reward by applying to C. Tippett.
WM THUMBLERT |
| Note: C. Tippett was the Washington County Jail turnkey. |
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Reward [Runaway Slave] Daily National Intelligencer August 16, 1821 Whereas my servant Surrey calling herself Sukey Dean is strolling about the city, or in the vicinity sometimes attempting to hire herself out as a free women asserting she has my assent to do so; neither are true. She is short thick women of a yellow complexion now advancing to forty years of age, is a very good family cook, washes and irons well and understands the management of same - in short if her tongue were safely extracted she would be a most excellent servant. She has been a short time at the residence of Samuel H. Smith Esq. but finding that I assented to her remaining there immediately left. But whosoever will secure her in jail or otherwise of the three days advertisement in the city newspapers sells her at public venue for cash shall have on fourth of what she sells for in full cash less any charges.
Thos. Tingey Navy Yard, Washington |
| Note: The term "servant" was routinely used in the District of Columbia in reward notices, newspapers and in letters of the anti bellum era as a euphemism for slave. |
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