The Flight from Washington (August, 1842)

The Flight from Washington (August, 1842) is inspired by the story of 15 people who escaped from slavery in Washington, led by little-known antebellum abolitionist, Rev. Charles T. Torrey (1813-1846). Torrey is credited with having led nearly 400 people out of slavery in his lifetime. He died of Tuberculosis while incarcerated in a Baltimore City jail.

Movement-specific notes:
I. Dusk

“About the latter part of August, 1842, the beloved friend, Torry, who is now no more, was about to leave Washington for the North, and I desired he would take with him about fifteen persons,–men, women, and children.. until the morning of the day preceeding the night on which friend Torry was to start with the fifteen, we had strove to hire a conveyance, but could not succeed, notwithstanding those persons had all been notified to meet at a certain place on that night, which notice could not be revoked, therefore the people were on the spot at the appointed time. But we were not ready, therefore we had to conceal them in various places in the City..“
  From A Narrative of Thomas Smallwood pp. 21-22

II. Shadows

Ships That Pass in the Night
  By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing;
      I look far out into the pregnant night,
Where I can hear a solemn booming gun
      And catch the gleaming of a random light,
That tells me that the ship I seek is passing, passing.

My tearful eyes my soul’s deep hurt are glassing;
      For I would hail and check that ship of ships.
I stretch my hands imploring, cry aloud,
      My voice falls dead a foot from mine own lips,
And but its ghost doth reach that vessel, passing, passing.

O Earth, O Sky, O Ocean, both surpassing,
      O heart of mine, O soul that dreads the dark!
Is there no hope for me? Is there no way
      That I may sight and check that speeding bark
Which out of sight and sound is passing, passing?

III. Flight

“..the beloved Torry started that .. evening after the setting of the sun with fifteen persons, men, women, and children, for the North. And here I must notice the remarkable interposition of the Lord in preserving them from capture; first, if we could have got ready they would have started the first night mentioned and the early pursuit which was made after them would have resulted in their capture; but, on the contrary, notwithstanding our untiring perseverance we could not get ready; the result was their pursuers had gone a day ahead; and when they were going, some of their pursuers were returning on the same road, and but for another fortunate accident which happened they would have been met on the road and captured by them; but just as they came to a thick bush, within a convenient distance of the first place of deposit, the waggon, without exhibiting any previous weakness whatever, suddenly gave way and they had to turn aside into the bush: while they were thus snugly secreted in the bush those who were hunting them passed by without seeing or hearing any thing of them, this also served as an excellent delusion and put an end to all pursuit in that direction..“
From A Narrative of Thomas Smallwood (pp. 23-24)