Aaron Cornish (b. circa 1822 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-8022
Fled from slavery, Dorchester County, Maryland, 1857
Biography:
On October 24, 1857 Aaron Cornish began a successful flight from slavery accompanied by twenty-eight other slaves from the Cambridge District of Dorchester County. Prior to his escape, Cornish was owned by William D. Travers of Cambridge, who owned at least fifteen slaves. According to Aaron Cornish's interview with William Still, Travers had expressed dismay over his daughter's marriage to Reverend Levi Travers, who was her cousin and his nephew. Travers informed his slaves that he would rather set them free than transfer ownership to Levi upon his death. After Travers died in May of 1857, however, a will never surfaced and Levi D. Travers "inherited" the majority of his uncle's slaves. According to William D. Travers' estate inventory, Aaron Cornish ran away soon after the death of his master. Slaves often fled slavery at times of confusion such as the master's death.
Joseph
Cornish, a possible relative of Aaron Cornish, escaped in 1855 with
information from the notable Underground Railroad agent, Harriet Tubman.
Joseph was owned by Samuel W. LeCompte, who also owned members of the 1857
"Cambridge Party," including Caroline Stanly and her children. Many
others fled, including Kit
Anthony, Joseph Viney
and their families, who all belonged to Samuel Pattison. Therefore,
the flight of the twenty-eight fugitives from Cambridge was the result
of a network of information among various slave plantations in the Cambridge
District.
Rev. Levi Travers placed a runaway ad in the Cambridge
Democrat requesting information about Aaron and his wife, Daffney,
immediately following their escape on October 24th. Daffney
Cornish and her five children were owned by Reuben E. Phillips, who
also lived in the Cambridge District. Before their escape, Phillips allowed
the family to live with Aaron on the Travers' property. The timing of their
flight was quite unfortunate as powerful storms pounded the mid-Atlantic
region. The group, who were heavily armed for the perilous journey, even
had a violent encounter with "several Irishmen" in Delaware. One of the
white attackers was severely injured from either a stabbing or bullet wound
from the determined fugitives. By the time Aaron Cornish and his family
reached free-soil, many were sick and nearly starved. In Philadelphia,
William Still and other Vigilance Committee members nursed the weary travelers
back to health. They also provided further direction and connections to
make it to Canada, which many of the Cambridge fugitives did. However,
there is no documentation of Aaron and Daffney Cornish's family in the
new country. In fact, he may have been forced to return home, as an Aaron
Cornish does appear back in Dorchester County in 1870.
Return to Aaron Cornish's Introductory Page
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