Historical Romance of the American Negro

by Charles Henry Fowler

But although the grand and high-soaring resolutions of heart and soul worked wonders—I had almost said miracles—among the pilgrims of this exodus; still, none of us are made of iron, and the strain proved too much for the bodies of some of those devoted people, for they died soon after reaching the Canaan of their hopes: they died in the consecrated soil of Kansas, and the angels of heaven came down and carried them home. A result like this was to be expected, and the only wonder is that more of them did not perish, even while they were on the way. The Lord knows those that are His; we shall meet them in heaven!

There was no time to be lost. News travels fast in the days of electric telegraph, and even of railroads and steamboats. The news of the tide of the exodus from the murderous sections of the Sunny South was swiftly wafted all over the land, and even crossed the broad Atlantic to mother England. Swift as the fleet winds, Christians and philanthropists were on their feet at once, and a relief association was organized. "They give twice who give quickly." A dear Quaker lady named Mrs. Comstock (whose name is written in the Book of Life) immediately put herself at the head of affairs, and aided by "The Kansas Freedman's Relief Association," she was just the right and proper person to manage the raising of money, clothing and relief in every shape and form. The name of Governor St. John, of Kansas, must be associated with this glorious work of swiftly relieving the pilgrims in the day of their distress. He will ever stand before the world as a Christian and a gentleman for his willing help at this time. We too often hear people speaking of "this bad world," but this world contains millions of friends—all ready for the day of trial!

The pilgrims from the South were not long in turning round after they reached the friendly and welcoming lands of Kansas. They felt safe now, and had no more to fear. They soon became self-sustaining, because they were willing, and had a mind to work. All their past sorrows were now happily forgotten; they took hold, and were most enthusiastic, industrious and frugal. The relief association at first gave them a supply of stoves, teams and seeds. In a little over a year about $40,000 were used, and 500,000 pounds of clothing, bedding, and so forth. "Old England" sent 50,000 pounds of goods, and $8,000 in money, which chiefly came from Mrs. Comstock's friends in "the tight little island" beyond the seas, who had known her there by her good works. Much of the remainder had come in small sums, and from the Christian women of America. The most noble and loyal Quakers furnished one-third. The State of Ohio gave more than any other State. The funds of the State of Kansas were not drawn upon.

The freedman at once set to work, and during the first year entered upon the cultivation of 20,000 acres of land, and they ploughed and fitted 3,000 acres for grain-growing. They also built 300 cabins and dugouts, and amassed $30,000 in money. We have heard of one Henry Carter, a colored man of Tennessee, who set out from Topeka in 1878, and made his way on foot for Dunlap, which was sixty-five miles away; he carried his own tools, whilst his plucky wife carried their bed clothes. In 1880 he had forty acres of land cleared, and had made the first payment for the same. He earned that money by working on sheep ranches, and making himself generally useful. He built for himself and wife a good stone cottage, sixteen feet by ten, and then owned a horse, a cow and other things besides. Not only did the white people assist the pilgrims, as good friends and neighbors, far and wide, over all the broad lands of Kansas, but colored families pulled and hauled together, lent and borrowed, and most willingly assisted one another in every conceivable way. "Good Samaritans" sprang up in all directions, thicker than the grass of the field. These blessed eyes of mine, dear reader, were privileged to look upon many letters at the time, giving lovely accounts of the way, the doings and sayings of the good folks of Kansas. With what warmth of feeling did they praise all their neighbors, colored and white alike, and pressed upon all "to come out!" There were, of course, many who arrived at first at Topeka, and other large towns, in a sadly destitute condition, needing clothing, food, medicine and all things. But they were at once assisted upon their feet—they turned round at once like swift winds, and all were soon most industriously at work. None were ever arrested for stealing, and very few were found drunk. All at once "made tracks," as we say, for the Church of God, and the bible and the school-house. The colored children were at once admitted into the public schools, as the color of the skin was too paltry a matter to be noticed by the great-minded people of the State of Kansas. Industrial schools were also set going for all those who needed such institutions. May God forever bless the State of Kansas for her unsurpassed humanity and hospitality to our oppressed people in the days of their distress! This is a most uncommonly prosperous and well-to-do State. The Lord has smiled upon them, and remembered all their loving ways.

John M. Brown, Esq., was the general superintendent of the Freedman's Relief Association, and in February, 1880, he read a very interesting report before the Association, of which the following is an extract:

"The great exodus of colored people from the South began about the first of February, 1879. By the first of April, 1,300 refugees had gathered around Wyandotte, Kansas. Many of them were in a suffering condition. It was then that the Kansas Relief Association came into existence, for the purpose of helping the most needy among the refugees from the Southern States. Up to date, about 60,000 refugees have come to the State of Kansas to live. Nearly 40,000 of them were in a destitute condition when they arrived, and have been helped by our association. We have received to date $68,000 for the relief of the refugees. About 5,000 of those who have come to Kansas have gone to other States to live, leaving about 55,000 yet in Kansas. About 30,000 of that number have settled in the country, some of those on lands of their own or rented lands; others have hired out to the farmers, leaving about 25,000 in and around the different cities and towns of Kansas. There has been great suffering among those remaining in and near the cities and towns this winter. It has been so cold that they could not find employment; and if they did, they had to work for very low wages; because so many of them were looking for work that they were in each other's way.

"Most of those about the cities and towns are with large families, widows, and very old people. The farmers want only able-bodied men for their work, and it is very hard for men with large families to get homes among the farmers. Kansas is a new State, and most farmers have small houses, and they cannot take large families to live with them. So when the farmers call for help, they usually call for a man and his wife only, or for a single man or woman.

"Now in order that men with large families may become owners of land, and be able to support their families, the Kansas Freedman's Relief Association, if they can secure the means, will purchase cheap lands which can be bought at from $3 to $5 per acre, on long time, by making a small payment in cash. They will settle the refuges on these lands, letting each family have from 20 to 40 acres, and not settling more than sixteen families in any one neighborhood, so that they can easily obtain work from the farmers in that section or near by. I do not think it best to settle too many of them in any one place, because it will make it hard for them to find employment.

"If our Association can help them to build a small house, and have five acres of their land broken, the women and children can cultivate the five acres and make enough to support their families, while the men are out at work by the day to meet the payments on their land when they become due. In this way many families can be helped to homes of their own, where they can become self-sustaining, educate their children, and be useful citizens to the State of Kansas.

"Money spent in this way will be much more profitable to them than so much old clothing and provisions. They will no longer be objects of charity, or a burden to benevolent people."