1. Background

2. Incident

3. Immediate aftermath

4. Trial

5. Fate of those involved

6. Historical markers

7. References

The Christiana Riot, also known as Christiana Resistance, Christiana Tragedy, or Christiana incident was the armed resistance by free Blacks and escaped slaves to a legal raid led by a Federal Marshal in the early morning hours of September 11, 1851 at the house in Christiana, Pennsylvania, United States, of William Parker, himself an escaped slave, to prevent the recapture of several escaped slaves owned by Edward Gorsuch of Maryland which resulted in the death of Gorsuch and the subsequent treason trial and acquittal of a white local, Castner Hanway, in November and December of that year.^[1]

Background

In the years before the abolition of slavery in the United States, a major issue from the viewpoint of slave-owners was the recovery of escaped slaves especially given that in the free states many individuals or even state laws protected fleeing slaves.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 permitted slave owners to pursue fugitive slaves in free states and to require the aid of state officials in the recapture of the alleged slaves. Those aiding an escaping slave could face six months' imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.^[2]

In 1849 Edward Gorsuch who farmed in Monkton, Maryland owned twelve slaves.^[1]{{rp|4}} He considered himself a good owner who did free his slaves when they turned 28 and then offered the freed slaves paid seasonal work; however, economic concerns may have driven this manumission as slavery was becoming uneconomical in Maryland. He did not sell his excess slaves to the deep south as many other Maryland slave owners of the time did.^[1]{{rp|6}} Five bushels of wheat went missing and it was reported to Gorsuch that some of his slaves though not which ones had stolen it.^[1]{{rp|10-11}} Four of his older male slaves, Noah Buley, Nelson Ford, George Hammond, and Joshua Hammond, fled north to Pennsylvania, a free state. Gorsuch believed that they had been enticed away and would willingly return if he only talked to them.^[1]{{rp|13}}

Christiana in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, is 20 miles north of the border with Maryland and was a refuge for fugitive slaves as well as being a place where many free Blacks lived. Being near the border it had often been raided by slave-catchers especially after the passage of the 1850 act and the local Blacks had been organized for self-protection for two decades which at times prevented the capture or rescued those captured.^[1]{{rp|46-47}} Others chose to flee to Canada.^[1]{{rp|46}} The leader of the resistance in 1851 was William Parker, himself an escaped slave and about 29 years old.^[9]{{rp|161-166}}^[1]{{rp|47-49}} In Philadelphia where warrants for the arrest of fugitive slaves in Pennsylvania were usually acquired after the 1850 act was passed, another group, the Special Secret Committee, had organized to gather information and warn those being hunted.^[1]{{rp|53}}

Incident

Edward Gorsuch, heard that his four escaped slaves had taken refuge in Lancaster county. On September 9, 1851 in Philadelphia he requested a federal warrant under the Fugitive Slave Act for the arrest of George Hammond, Joshua Hammond, Nelson Ford, and Noah Buley. Henry Kline a deputy Federal Marshall was authorized to make the arrests.^[1]{{rp|52}} Gorsuch then hired John Agan and Thompson Tully, Philadelphia police officers, to assist in the arrest.^[1]{{rp|53}}^[9]{{rp|277}} All three were to meet with Gorsuch and some additional men at Penningtonville (now Atglen^[1]) on the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad.^[2]

From Philadelphia the group had been watched by a member of the Special Secret Committee, Samuel Williams, who followed Kline and then warned the Black community around Christiana.^[1]{{rp|53}} Kline, Agan, and Tully were aware of Williams following them and knew that secrecy was gone; Agan and Tully returned to Philadelphia feeling the danger was too great. Kline had been delayed from the Penningtonville meeting and eventually tracked down the Gorsuch party on the morning of September 10 in Sadsbury so the actual party were Henry Kline, Edward Gorsuch, Dickinson Gorsuch (his son), Joshua M. Gorsuch (his nephew), Dr. Thomas Pierce (his nephew), Nicholas T. Hutchings, and Nathan Nelson.

Shortly after midnight on September 11 the Gorsuch party set out on the actual raid with a hired, disguised white guide. The first house he took them to supposedly had one of the slaves, but, it was decided to go onto another place that had two before returning for the first. Edward Gorsuch feeling that if he had two slaves in hand the third whose wife was still one of his slaves could be persuaded to return. The group continued and just before dawn arrived at William Parker's house where the guide told them that two other slaves were. The guide then left. It is unknown whether the guide had deliberately led them to the center of resistance in Lancaster county.^[1]{{rp|54-55}}

William Parker knew the group was hunting slaves and besides himself the residents included his wife, Eliza; her sister, Hannah; Hannah's husband, Alexander Pinckney; and Abraham Johnson. Two visitors were also there: Joshua Kite also known as John Beard who was one of Gorsuch's escaped slaves, probably Nelson Ford, and Samuel Thompson who was also another of Gorsuch's escaped slaves with a new name. Sarah Pownall, white neighbor and wife of Parker's landlord, stopped by the evening of the tenth to warn that if the raiders came they should escape to Canada.^[1]{{rp|57-58}}

The party on the lane up to Parker's house, which was on a hill, ran into Joshua Kite, possibly returning home or possibly acting as a lookout, and recognized him as one of the escaped slaves. Kite in return recognized his former owner and fled back to the house yelling out a warning. At this point it becomes unclear what happened over the next two hours since accounts are contradictory.^[1]{{rp|58-59}} Parker and his house hold moved to the second floor with their guns and were in a good position to defend themselves. Kline and Edward Gorsuch surrounded the house and announced their legal authority to seize Nelson Ford. Parker and his household refused to give up Nelson and there was some debate. Eventually Eliza Parker blew the horn that was meant to signal local Blacks that help was needed. Shots were then fired either first by the posse at Eliza Parker or first by the household at Edward Gorsuch when he attempted to enter the house; no one was seriously injured at this time.^[1]{{rp|62}} Dickinson Gorsuch and Kline then recommended retreat and getting a larger force; Edward Gorsuch refused. The household asked for time and were given it to discuss having the two escaped slaves surrender.^[1]{{rp|58-62}}

Parker may have been delaying so reinforcements could arrive which they did in large numbers including Noah Buley, another of Gorsuch's escaped slaves. Also arriving were several neighboring Whites including Elijah Lewis, a local shopkeeper on foot and Castner Hanway, a local miller on horseback. Gorsuch assumed that the white men though unarmed were leaders of the 75 to 150 Blacks, many with guns, who arrived over the next 30 minutes. Kline seems to have assumed that the white men would join them carrying out the law. He identified himself as a US Marshall and talked with them; Hanway refused to help him in arresting anyone. Hanway apparently told Kline and his group to leave before blood was shed. Hanway, according to Lewis, also begged the Blacks not to shoot. Kline then apparently warned Hanway and Lewis they were committing a federal crime by not helping. Edward Gorsuch seems to have confronted his former slave, Samuel Thompson, who clubbed him on the head; Gorsuch fell and was shot multiple times. His son, Dickinson, went to his aid, was shot multiple times, and staggered away to eventually be aided by a white man either Joseph Scarlett (according to Dickinson) or Levi Pownall (according to Parker). Dickinson was taken to the nearby Pownall house where, though initially expected to die, he survived. Lewis left as soon as the violence started as did Kline who joined up with Nicholas Hutchins and followed Lewis. Joshua Gorsuch and then Thomas Pearce fled when they realized that Edward Gorsuch was being attacked and took refuge by Hanway on his horse who was also trying to get away. Hanway may have initially shielded the two men with his horse but left at a gallop when possibly told he would be shot if he didn't get out of the way. Joshua Gorsuch and Thomas Pearce continued to flee, were shot, but got away (or were let go).^[1]{{rp|62-73}}

Immediate aftermath

Parker, Gorsuch's former slaves, and some others fled north to the eventual safety of Canada.^[1]{{rp|76}} Parker at the last step before Canada took refuge in the house of Frederick Douglass whom he had first known when both had been slaves; he arranged for them to catch the ferry to Canada.^[1]{{rp|78}}

Trial

The United States charged 38 of the Christiana local residents with treason though some such as Parker in absentia. Castner Hanway, one of the four white men charged and alleged to be a ringleader, was the first to be tried with his trial lasting from November 24 until December 11, 1851 in Philadelphia and with Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Grier and U.S. District Court Judge John K. Kane presiding. The prosecution was headed by John W. Ashmead who was joined by lawyers from Maryland. Thaddeus Stevens presented the defense. Hanway was acquitted by the jury after 15 minutes of deliberation.^[27]

The 38 men charged, except for the first four charged all were Black:

• Castner Hanway, White, miller, number 1 in the indictment
• Joseph Scarlet, White, farmer, number 2 in the indictment
• Elijah Lewis, White, storekeeper in Cooperville, number 3 in the indictment
• James Jackson, White, farmer, number 4
• George Williams, number 5
• Jacob Moore, number 6
• George Reed, number 7
• Benjamin Johnson, number 8
• Daniel Caulsberry, number 9
• Alson Pernsley, number 10
• William Brown, 2nd, number 11
• Henry Green, number 12
• Elijah Clark, number 13
• John Holliday, number 14
• William Williams, number 15
• Benjamin Pindergast, number 16
• John Morgan, number 17
• Ezekiel Thompson, number 18
• Thomas Butler, number 19
• Collister Wilson, number 20
• John Jackson, number 21
• William Brown, number 22
• Isaiah Clarkson, number 23
• Henry Simms, number 24
• Charles Hunter, number 25
• Lewis Gates, number 26
• Peter Woods, number 27
• Lewis Clarkson, number 28
• Nelson Carter, number 29
• William Parker, had already fled to Canada, number 30
• John Berry, number 31
• William Berry, number 32
• Samuel Williams, number 33, was tried in the Federal District Court for "interfering with the execution of warrants for the arrest of Noah Buley and Joshua Hammond, runaway slaves" and found not guilty on February, 4, 1852{{rp|98-99}}
• Josh Hammond, one of Gorsuch's escaped slaves, number 34
• Henry Curtis, number 35
• Washington Williams, number 36
• William Thomas, number 37
• Nelson Ford, one of Gorsuch's escaped slaves, number 38

Fate of those involved

William Parker was joined in Canada by Eliza, his wife, in November 1851 and eventually their children and settled in Buxton, Ontario. He died sometime before 1881 and Eliza in May of 1899.^[3] Some of their descendants still live in Canada.^[4]

Castner Hanway moved in 1878 to Wilber, Nebraska and died there in 1893.^[5][6]

Historical markers

In 1998, a historical marker for the Christiana Riot was placed in Lancaster.^[7] It was one of several historical markers in Lancaster County, to mark significant events including the Underground Railroad.^[8] Another historical marker is at Gorsuch Tavern in Glencoe, Maryland on the York road where Edward Gorsuch and some of his relatives and friends met to plan the raid.^[9][10]

References

• Jacob Ba
• Jacob B. Aaron
• Jacob b. Aaron of Karlin
• Jacob B Aaron Of Karlin
• Jacob Bagersted
• Jacob B. Agus
• Jacob Bailey
• Jacob Bailey (disambiguation)
• Jacob Bakker
• Jacob Ballas Children's Garden
• Jacob Banda
• Jacob Banks (The Bill)
• Jacob Bannon
• Jacob Baradeus
• Jacob Barnet
• Jacob Barnet affair
• Jacob Barnet's affair
• Jacob baronets
• Jacob, Baron von Washington
• Jacob Baror
• Jacob Bar Salibi
• Jacob Baruch Landau
• Jacob Bassevi von Treuenberg
• Jacob B. Bakema
• Jacob B. Bull