When he was a young boy he use to take slaves on the run and bring them into his father's barn to sleep until he could help them on to a place of safety.
Then later on when he had his own place, he was known for having 26 slaves at a time in his home, feeding and caring for them.
I will feel honored to meet him in the next life.
I don't usually post blogs twice, but I felt compelled to with this one......
This may just look like an old man from the 1800s to you.
Enos Lewis
1799-1889
He is my Great Great Great Grandfather Enos Lewis.
Enos' son Morgan Berney Lewis, is my Great Great Grandfather.
Morgan's daughter, Lella Lewis is my Great Grandmother.
Lella's daughter, Lella LeMaster is my Grandma.
Her daughter, Gaynor Lea Slinkard is my Mom.
Okay, you got that?
Now I want to tell you what I found out about this man Enos Lewis.
I found the info below in an old book first published in 1903.
(thanks to my sister Heidi)
From Morgan M Lewis about his Uncle Enos:
"He was one of the first to take a stand against American slavery and wielded a power that was felt both in his public speeches and through his financial aid. The writer well remembers going to his house and seeing a company of splendid looking colored fugitives, some twenty-six in number, who were being sheltered and fed. Uncle Enos never seemed so happy as when he was doing some act of kindness to his fellowmen.
"He abhorred intemperance and profanity and was a shining star to those who might look for the light and in him could find an example that would be safe to follow.
"He loved children and nothing pleased him more than to teach them, and his lessons were of a high order. He believed in a future and a just and impartial God who never created a soul to be lost."
Enos Lewis' daughter said,
"Father's sympathies were enlisted at an early age in behalf of the poor downtrodden slave. I have hear him tell how, when they lived in Ohio, he aided the fugitives who were fleeing from bondage in quest of liberty, by hiding them in his father's barn before he could get a chance to help them on to a place of safety. On one occasion he had three or four of them secreted in the hay mow. His brother Hervy (who was then too young to share the secret, but who afterward became a strong supporter of the anti-slavery cause) went to the barn to hunt eggs and walked all around over the fugitives, but did not happen to discover them. When night came, and the family were all in bed asleep, father took his father's horses and wagon and carried his charges toward the land of freedom to a place of safety, returning to his bed in time to not be detected. He continued in that work until slavery was abolished. He was always in support to those needing help and mother always sustained him in his good words.
So I started to wonder where Enos got his strong objections to slavery and sense of duty to his fellow man. Than as I read further I found this:
From the death notice of Enos Lewis:
"...He was an early and active opponent of slavery. His parents having left their Virginia home on account of that curse existing there, left a lasting impression on his mind that governed his whole life..."
7 comments:
This was all new to me. Thanks for posting!
This is amazing and inspiring. It is also a reminder that doing what is right is sometimes bigger than the laws of the land.
Yes, thanks Jill for sharing this! He was quite an extraordinary man..Many of the relatives on mom's side were Quakers and they were strong opponents of slavery. Another of our relatives on this side who was famous for helping with the Underground Railroad was Levi Coffin. I think he is almost a direct relative but not quite. I'll have to look that up. There was a book about him I read from my local library.
Heidi
So Levi Coffin was the President of the Underground railroad and he helped about 3,000 fugitive slaves obtain freedom. He was Hepzabeth Coffin's first cousin. Hepzabeth is mom's mom's mom's mom's mom's mom's mom. Levi and Enos Lewis are connected through Grandma Lella's mother. Enos was her grandfather on her dad's side and Levi was related on her mom's side.
Heidi
This is very interesting. Your account of history makes for good reading and having a photo sure adds a special touch to your family's story. A treasure to have. pjc
Something about what Heidi wrote sounded familiar. I have a book about one of my ancestors who was instrumental in the Underground Railroad movement here in our Michigan county. The farm home where my maternal great-grandparents lived has a tunnel in the basement. Unfortunately, they died before I was born. Many years ago, I toured the home and took pictures of the very narrow opening of the tunnel.
Here is an excerpt from the book that you may find exceptionally interesting. I tried to copy it directly but could not so I will write what is in the book.
'I secured transportation from General O.O. Howard to Atlanta, Georgia, and again left my dear ones at home for that field. I spent a few days with my dear friends, Levi and Catharine Coffin, at Cincinnati......Levi Coffin proposed that I should go to work over the river, in Covington and Newport, Kentucky, as there were a few thousand freedmen congregated in those towns.'
Levi is mentioned again in another chapter. I will send the excerpts via email to Jill to share. And just in case Heidi's book about Levi mentions his encounters with my relative, her name was Mrs.(Joseph)Laura Smith Haviland from Adrian, MI. I amfrom the Smith side of the family. pjc
Pam, exceptionally interesting for sure. So it looks like your relatives could have been good friends with our relatives! That's trying to soak in to my brain. I'm calling Heidi today about this. Glad you remembered the name Levi Coffin.
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