Underground Railroad in Westfield & Washington Township - Rhodes Family Incident

Sam, Maria and Amy Burk were enslaved in Kentucky by John Tipton.  In October 1835 Tipton moved to Illinois, just outside of St. Louis and apparently lost track of time. He bought land, registered to vote and thereby after six months ensured his enslaved people were going to be free. Instead of losing his "investment" he quickly sold them to a slave trader from St. Louis a Mr. Hendricks on April 26th 1836. Quickly because had heard talk in his village that people though the Burks were supposed to be free, so he started before daylight and went to St. Louis. Hendricks sold them to SIngleton Vaughn from Western Missouri for $1100 (about $40,000 in today's money) with whom they stayed until April 1837 when they freed themselves.

According to the chapter in Augustus Finch's 1901 Hamilton Co History book (which has somewhat conflicting facts to the court records) Maria was going to be sold to a southern Enslaver and separated from Sam and Amy which was a common occurance in those days.  

John & Luann & and their child Lydia (using their new names from now on as they chose them themselves) embarked on the dangerous and exhausting trek east. They took some supplies and an ax, saw and hammer. We don't know exactly why they chose going east, and not north to Canada. Maybe it was because they were familiar with Illinois from when they lived there for almost a year. Maybe they remembered the route they took when being forced west and knew what lay that way. Maybe they felt going north in April was not a good choice with the weather. Maybe they had heard of friendly helpers going east in Missouri. 

It was a monumental journey. From Miami, Saline County Missouri, through St. Louis to Westfield is a journey of about 452 miles (according to Google Maps)! On foot, though densely wooded areas, open fields, crossing over numerous creeks, rivers and the mighty Mississippi! Nature was dangerous enough but fellow men of course was even more dangerous. John built a raft for them to float across the mighty river. And not a moment too soon, as when they were 1/3 across slave hunters arrived at the western bank in pursuit of them. the Rhodes family escaped into unoccupied land on the Illinois side. The slave hunters followed and advertised a large rewards which did get the Rhodes captures and put in Jail waiting to be taken back into enslavement.

Since that area of Illinois had a large number of abolitionists, help was close by. They called meetings and freed the Rhodes family and supposedly then transported them on the Underground Railroad across Illinois into Indiana. They stopped around Deming and after recovering were planning to go on to Canada, but locals ensured them they would be safe here and so they decided to stay. They were able to use an old log cabin by one family, while others brought items for them to start their home. John worked for many farmers in the surrounding areas and eventually purchased his own land and built his own log cabin. 

It was very secure, with only one sturdy door and only a small also secured window. They never felt totally safe, and for good reason.

According to Augustus Finch's Hamilton Co history from 1901, a Mr. Meritt, who lived in Indiana heard about the Rhodes family story from a nice man called Abel Gibson, originally from Mooresville, Morgan County (Where Asa Bales resided for a while as well) who moved to Adams Township. Mr. Merritt by chance moved to western Missouri, close to Singleton Vaughns plantation and when Vaughn told him about the family that escaped him, they put two and two together and made their way to Indiana to recapture them.

Merritt spoke to Gibson again, pretending to want to purchase furs from John Rhodes, and got directions to his cabin. He did go there during the day to talk business to him, but really just went to examine their home for the attack.

Vaughn got a paper from a "Squire" Tyson, Justice of the Peace in Strawtown, and with some extra hired men attacked the Rhodes family cabin in the middle of the night of April, 20th 1844.

As previously mentioned the cabin was constructed with safety in mind. The attackers (7 or 8 according to Asa Bales' letter to a newspaper see below) couldn't get through the very sturdy door and John was waiting with a large ax for them. Luann was securing the children behind some furniture and keeping a hot fire in the fireplace to make sure they couldn't get through the wood stick and clay chimney. When they started to dismantle the chimney she was ready with hot clay and wood to throw at them. The Rhodes' refused to come out, the enslaver and his helpers couldn't get in. The shouting back and forth and their yells for help was heard by neighbors and Owen Williams and Jesse Baker were the first to respond. Another version of the story, told by Asa Bales in newspaper articles (Asa Bales to Anti-Slavery Chronicles May 1st 1844 ) showed a different version of events. The court papers (see below) also stated that John and Luann surrendered and while packing items up to go with them John mentioned his neighbor owned him $50 for work performed. (Circa $2500 in Year 2025 value). Either way it went, they were slowed down by either version. They had breakfast at a neighbors house (most likely Mr. Anthony on what is now Anthony Road), which took two or three hours and then the Rhodes family was put in a horse drawn carriage and started towards the county seat Noblesville to have the recapture made legal.

Enough time had passed to assemble a large number of people at the intersection of where the road towards Noblesville continued and one branch went off to Westfield. School No. 1 in Washington Township was erected at that intersection later and it's now the intersection of SR38, Anthony Road and East St (used to be Grassy Branch). Estimates were that about 150-200 people assembled to stop the recapture. Vaughn and his slave hunters were insisting to going to Noblesville while the supporters of the freedom seekers were pointing out that Westfield was much closer. Knowing of the reputation of Westfield Vaughn didn't want to go there and according to Bales they pointed guns at the assembled crowd to make them move. They did not and Asa Bales let them know this was not the way to deal with this. Bales, who knew about the history of the Rhodes and their time in Illinois was ok with going to the Judge as he felt they would receive justice. Eventually the horse drawn wagon with the Rhodes family started towards Westfield (either forced by a teenager or because it was agreed upon), while the slave hunters were going to Noblesville to talk to a judge.

Most of the party going to Westfield rode ahead and by the time the wagon arrived in Westfield, according to Bales "the load had entirely changed color - all in it being white". The Rhodes family had gone into hiding.

Asa Bales was central to the activity after the attempted recapture. He described his version of what happened in letters to Anti-Slavery Chronicles newspapers.

The next day word came to Westfield that a man was arrested in Noblesville for trying to incite a riot while trying to recruit people to raid Westfield and search every house. People from Westfield were summoned to come to Noblesville to identify the man (Singleton Vaughn). This and the different court proceedings in local courts take up half of the 2nd article we have from Asa Bales to Anti-Slavery Chronicle July 5th 1844 Page 1 Page 2.

 
The first article described the activity of the day more briefly: Asa Bales to Anti-Slavery Chronicle May 1st 1844 Page 1

On June 13th Asa Bales, M.C. White, Israel Hines, Owen Williams, Robert Tomlinson, George Dyer, Nathan Parker and Aaron Lindley and more all joined in an organization to help defend against the legal actions of Singleton Vaughn. The John Rodes (sp) Association was founded. President Abel Gibson, VP Israel Haines, D. D. Lightner Secretary, Asa Bales Treasurer, committee D.M. Anthony, Judah Roberts, M.C. White, Anderson Scot and Elijah Wreen. $41.60 (almost $2000 in 2026 money) was subscribed to fund the organization as well as five head of cattle and one side of leather! (Article by Asa Bales to Anti-Slavery Standard from June 13 1844)

Eventually the case landed at the Federal Circuit Court in Indianapolis in the May 1845 term. The case was described in the Indiana State Sentinel November 28 1844 and reprinted in many newspapers around the US, like here in the Cleveland Weekly Leader Thu Dec 26th 1844 (back then still as Singleton Vaughn vs. D.M. Anthony). The penalty Singleton Vaughn wanted to asses was $500 (over $20,000 in 2026 money). The defendants lawyers brought up points about the Northwest Territory treaty between the USA and the people from those areas only allowed for reclamation of Slaves by people from the original states and Missouri wasn't one!

It was continued until the next term of the court, and apparently the defendant changed then to Owen Williams.

Here a link to the PDF of the Federal Circuit Court Ruling. Singleton Vaughn, vs Owen Williams (As he was at the Cabin, at Mr. Anthonys, and at the Intersection and supposedly had helped the Rhodes escape).

After long legal explanations and a recount of the incident, the jury returned in a few minutes and ruled in favor of Mr. Williams. Singleton Vaughn did not receive anything in return for his attempt to recapture. The main reason for the ruling was the time the Rhodes family spent in Illinois, held by their former Enslaver Tipton for over 6 months.

As stated above, the Rhodes family stayed in the area for a few years, and three more children arrived. John Rhodes passed away in 1860.

http://robbhaasfamily.com/Misc/John%20Rhodes%20Affair.htm#S11