Initially the home served as a summer residence , while the Peters spent winters in Georgetown . In 1820 , eleven people were enslaved at Montanverde , but that number had grown to 57 by 1840 .
John Parke Custis Peter oversaw the construction of his home at Seneca Mills between 1828 and 1830 . He christened it “ Montevideo ” because of its mountain view of nearby Sugarloaf . He used sandstone from the family ’ s quarry operations to construct the house . After he married in early 1830 , he and his bride moved into the estate . When the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal reached Seneca Creek , Peter benefited not only from the land he sold to the canal company , but also from a contract to supply Seneca Sandstone for the construction of locks and lockkeepers ’ houses . The canal provided him with a convenient method for moving quarried stone to Washington , DC , where it was used , among other projects , in the construction of the Smithsonian Castle .
The four men who headed north in 1831 were not the first to flee bondage in Montgomery County , but what made their escape interesting is that is ushered in a small exodus of slaves from the area . Between July 1831 and November 1832 , at least 14 slaves fled from plantations between Seneca Creek and Poolesville . These self-liberators were all young men between the ages of 18 and 27 . Some fled together in small groups , but whether all 14 fled as part of a larger conspiracy is unknown .
On September 10 , 1831 two young men fled from Henrietta O ’ Neale , whose farm sat about one mile east of Poolesville . She and her husband owned 20 slaves in 1790 and 35 by the time of his death in 1816 . Four years later , the widow still held onto 34 men , women and children
Like the fugitives from the Peter plantation , they set off on a Saturday night . Daniel Jackson ( age 22 ) and Peter Reader ( age 19 ) were described in O ’ Neale ’ s runaway ad by physical appearance , clothing and demeanor . Yet , if one reads between the lines , a darker subtext appears . Jackson , for instance , sported a “ half worn ” suit according to O ’ Neale , while Reader donned a blue coat “ faded ” with age . Perhaps this indicated O ’ Neale ’ s inability or unwillingness to care for their needs .
Similar neglect may have fueled the flight of six slaves from the farm of William Vinson that same night . Like his neighbor John P . C . Peter , Vinson called out Collin Brooks , Joe Carroll , and Tobias Martin for absconding “ without cause .” Sandy Swine , George Swine and Clem Proctor fled Dr . William B . Vinson , Vinson ’ s son . Collin Brooks was described as “ very black ” with “ thin features ” per Vinson ’ s observation . Whether Brooks ’ physique was naturally slim or malnourished one would have required a second opinion . Vinson said Clem Proctor “ stammers very much .” Perhaps the physician was unaware that stammering was a neurogenic condition , whose symptoms include anxiety and fist-clinching , often owed to brain damage from stroke or blunt force trauma .
Harry Johnson slipped away from the Montanverde estate of George Washington Peter on Sunday night , September 9 , 1832 . Like Clem Proctor before him , Johnson had a tendency to “ stammer when accosted unexpectedly or spoken to with authority ” as confessed by Peter , thus revealing the brazen treatment that Johnson had become accustomed to .
Although sporting a cotton shirt , blue pantaloons , and a leather cap , Johnson made a hasty departure “ without shoes .” While a shoeless slave might indicate Johnson ’ s preference for working barefooted around Peter ’ s farm , it was more likely due to his master ’ s stinginess or perhaps a tactic to discourage him from running off . Johnson compensated for this deficit by escaping on the back of Peter ’ s horse , along with a small bundle of supplies , thus avoiding altogether the potential wear and tear on his feet . Perhaps thinking Johnson was as good as gone , Peter offered a mere $ 30 for the man ’ s return , and a paltry $ 10 for the “ ill-tempered ” horse who may have been glad to leave Peter ’ s service as well .
Two months later John Crompton became the final sojourner in this spate of escapes . Crompton , enslaved near Poolesville by Elisha W . Williams , was only 18 years old when he left on November 3 , 1832 , making him the youngest freedomseeker of the fourteen . Williams offered a reward of $ 100 for Crompton ’ s return .
There was no doubt in the minds of the slaveholders that their fugitive property was bound for Pennsylvania . George W . Peter had learned that Harry Johnson was spotted crossing the railroad tracks near Point of Rocks the morning after he left Montanverde , making his way in the direction of Frederick City . Elisha William ’ s
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