WILLIAM STILL’s Account (336):
ANNA SCOTT and husband, Samuel Scott. This couple escaped from Cecil Cross-Roads, Md. The wife, in this instance, evidently took the lead, and acted the more manly part in striking for freedom; therefore, our notice of this arrival will chiefly relate to her.
Anna was owned by a widow, named Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Lushy [Lusby], who resided on a farm of her own. Fifteen slaves, with other stock, were kept on the place. She was accustomed to rule with severity, being governed by a "high temper," and in nowise disposed to allow her slaves to enjoy even ordinary privileges, and besides, would occasionally sell to the Southern market. She was calculated to render slave life very unhappy. Anna portrayed her mistress's treatment of the slaves with much earnestness, especially when referring to the sale of her own brother and sister. Upon the whole, the mistress was so hateful to Anna that she resolved not to live in the house with her. During several years prior to her escape, Anna had been hired out, where she had been treated a little more decently than her mistress was wont to do; on this account she was less willing to put up with any subsequent abuse from her mistress.
To escape was the only remedy, so she made up her mind that she would leave at all hazards. She gave her husband to understand, that she had resolved to seek a home in Canada. Fortunately, he was free, but slavery had many ways of putting the yoke on the colored man, even though he might be free; it was bound to keep him in ignorance, and at the same time miserably abject, so that he would scarcely dare to look up in the presence of white people.
SAM, apparently, was one of the number who had been greatly wronged in this particular. He had less spirit than his wife, who had been directly goaded to desperation. He agreed, however, to stand by her in her struggles while fleeing, and did so, for which he deserves credit. It must be admitted, that it required some considerable nerve for a free man even to join his wife in an effort of this character.
In setting out, Anna had to leave her father (Jacob Trusty), seven sisters and two brothers. The names of the sisters were as follows: Emeline, Susan Ann, Delilah, Mary Eliza, Rosetta, Effie Ellender and Elizabeth; the brothers Emson and Perry. For the commencement of their journey they availed themselves of the Christmas holidays, but had to suffer from the cold weather they encountered. Yet they got along tolerably well, and were much cheered by the attention and aid they received from the Committee.
SYDNEY GAY provides additional details about the escape. The couple started out on foot connected with an Underground Railroad agent in Middletown, Delaware. Later, they boarded a train and Gay saw them in New York City the day after Christmas, 1855. Gay adds one more piece of information, by stating that Samuel Scott escaped from James Magee, contradicting Still’s claim that Samuel Scott accompanied his wife despite his being free. The detail in Still’s report and his commending Scott for endangering his own freedom to accompany his wife lends credibility to Still’s version. Perhaps Samuel Scott was previously held in bondage by James Magee and Gay wrote the name into the record.
ADDITIONAL LOCAL INFORMATION:
Gay recorded the name of Ann Scott’s enslaver as “Lesbie,” but added a question mark to indicate his uncertainty. In Still’s book, the name was incorrectly spelled as “Lushey” (it may have been a misprint, with an h replacing a b). Ann E. Lusby’s two adjacent properties are on the 1858 Martinet Map of Cecil County below. She is located west of Cecilton [Cecil Crossroads was the previous name], and just west of John Town, and on the road crossing Pearce’s Creek. The distance from Lusby’s properties to Middletown, were the couple received help, would have been roughly 15 miles.