Mullatto girl #1323
$ 8.00
Caption from poster__
SEVENTY - FIVE DOLLARS
REWARD !
Ran away from the subscriber,
living in Damascus, Montgomery county,
Md., on the night of the 13th instant,
A MULATTO GIRL,
who calls herself CHARLOTTE GAITHER.
Charlotte is about 17 years
of age, low of stature, and rather
inclined to be fleshy. She left in company
with a free negro, who calls himself
JIM TAYLOR. Jim has taken her
either to Baltimore or Washington D.C.
I will give $50 for the apprehension and returned of
Charotte, or secured in jail so that I get her again, and
$25 for the apprehension and conviction of Jim in a
court of Justice.
P.M. SMITH, Jr.
November 14, 1861.
Runaway Advertisements
and Notices
Runaway Advertisements and Notices of Committal are some of
the most rewarding sources for ascertaining the movement,
motivation, and destination of enslaved persons who have taken
flight. Runaway ads were placed by slave owners or their represent-
atives in newspapers. The selection of the press in which to post
such ads was aimed at the capture of the fugitive. So often,
ads were placed in papers outside of the slave's farm or
plantation site. Out-of-State owners (especially Virginians)
advertised in Maryland's press, for the state represented the last
obstacle to the "free" North. Committal Notices were announce-
ments of capture and detainment of persons suspected of being
fugitives from slavery. Not being able to prove their free status,
persons so detained faced return to their masters (if they were
fugitives), or sale into slavery at the benefit of the county, if no
owner claimed the detainee. Only those able to prove their free
status, by document or corroboration of status from white persons,
were released. Owners seeking fugitives knew that it was to their
advantage to give as complete a description of the person being
sought as possible. Names and aliases, gender, age, physical
features, distinguishing marks, clothing and apparel were the
most basic components. Often a biographical sketch was included.
This gave highlights about the fugitive's friends and familial
connections in other parts of the state or region. The picture
that emerges is one of a slave community that was not necessarily
bounded by the farm or plantation property lines. Many times,
advertisers would give hints as to why the enslaved person
may have taken flight. While such insights reflected masters'
perceptions of the enslaved's world, and are frequently biased,
the descriptive quality, nonetheless provides researchers with
valuable tools for understanding slave psychology, as well as. The
give and take relationship between members of Maryland's
slave society.
