History draft; handwriting of , John L. Smith, Jonathan Grimshaw, Robert L. Campbell, , , and ; 101 numbered pages plus several inserted pages; CHL. This manuscript covers the period from 1 March 1843 to 31 December 1843.
From I learned that a Special <term of> Court was called & my trial would come on in about 15 days— the night following this visit— some men came to the grates of my dungeon & asked <honor bright> if I wanted to get out I told them no— as I had been informed that day that I should have a trial in a fortnight— they replied honor bright, if you wish to get out, we’ll let you out in a few minutes— I replied that I would rather remain has [as] my trial would come on so soon— next morning one of the men came, put some money in the cleft of a stick & put it thro the hole to me— he refused to tell his name, but I knew by his voice that he was <one of> the men who came to me in the night
The trial came on according to my last notification— I was tried for breaking Jail— & altho the law <of > reads that in order to break jail a man must break a lock, a door, or a wall, still ruled that it was breaking jail to walk out when the door is open— & <under this ruling> the jury brought in a verdict of “five minutes imprisonment in the County Jail” but I was kept there four or five hours & during which time several attempts were made to get up some other charge against me
About 8 p m in the Ja <on the 13 Decr.> took me out, & told me I must take across the country <on foot> & not walk on any travelled road, unless it was during the night, as they would be apt to follow me & again take me, as they did not care on what grounds, so they could make me trouble— I accordingly started, accompanied by my Mother, and went to the house of Widow * * [blank] where I obtained my first supper in freedom for <more than> nine months— we then travelled two miles & obtained 4,00— & I then I took thro the woods <to the road> <while>passing thro which, <where> I heard two men riding on horseback I hid behind a shady tree & overheard one of them say “he has not been gone many minutes & we shall soon overtake him”— <he <I> travelled in the fields by the side of the road & went round the houses—> the moon was in its first quarter & I travelled during the night about 25 miles— the <I carried a little food with me, &> next day I <travelled on the road &> walked past — to [blank] Taylor’s with <all> the skin of[f] my feet— a neighbor offered t◊◊◊ to take me in for the night if I would <go> back two miles— I did so— found his wife very cross with her husband who said “stranger you see my wife is very cross, I have got some whiskey, lets drink, my wife will soon have something to eat’— when supper was eaten she became good tempered, I staid in peace thro the night, the next morning I ate breakfast with them & gave them fifty cents, when the man brought out a horse & sent a little boy with me 14 miles which was a very great relief to my weary feet— the balance of the day next night I stopt near where the massacre took place— the third day I walked till the middle of the day <noon> & then hired a man to carry me the remainder of the day for —75 & staid at a house where I was well acquainted, but the people did not recognize me, & I did not make myself known— paid —50 for supper, lodging breakfast & being sent 12 miles on horseback the next morning & <then> continued my journey about 30 miles & <where I> rested three days to recruit my feet— I was then carried 25 miles on horseback— & walked the same day 25 miles— the day following I walked 40 miles and <then> waited another day & <when I> engaged a man to carry me to where to which place I was three days in going I immediately crossed the <to > in the a small boat & came straight to the — [p. [7]]