There they had escaped by night and gone to the house of an old friend of their former owner who lived north of the city on the river shore.

He had taken pity on them and brought them across the Mississippi and started them on the north road with a letter to Elijah Lovejoy of Alton and a supply of food.
Since then they had been hiding days in the swamps and thickets and had traveled by night.

Mr.Lovejoy had sent them to Erastus Wright of Springfield, and Mr.Wright had given them the name of Samson Traylor and the location of his cabin.

From there they were bound for the house of John Peasley, in Hopedale, Tazewell County.
Lovejoy had asked them to keep the letter with which they had begun their travels.

Under its signature he had written: "I know the writer and know that the above was written with his own hand.