of October 2 that
16 fugitive slaves passed through on a boat the day before, bound for
Canada, all well armed and determined to fight to the last;[10] _The
Eastport Sentinel_ of March 12 noted that a dozen fugitives had
touched there on the steamer _Admiral_, en route to St. John's; _The
New Bedford Mercury_ said: "We are pleased to announce that a very
large number of fugitive slaves, aided by many of our most wealthy and
respected citizens have left for Canada and parts unknown and that
many more are on the point of departure."[11] The Concord, New
Hampshire, _Statesman_ reported: "Last Tuesday seven fugitives from
slavery passed through this place ... and they probably reached Canada
in safety on Wednesday last. Scarcely a day passes but more or less
fugitives escape from the land of slavery to the freedom of Canada ...
via this place over the track of the Northern Railroad."[12]

Many other examples of the effect of the Fugitive Slave Act might be
noted. The Negro population of Columbia, Pennsylvania, dropped from
943 to 487 after the passing of the bill.[13] The members of the Negro
community near Sandy Lake in northwestern Pennsylvania, many of whom
had farms partly paid for, sold out or gave away their property and
went in a body to Canada.[14] In Boston a fugitive slave congregation
under Leonard A. Grimes had a church built when the blow fell. More
than forty members fled to Canada.[15] Out of one Baptist church in
Buffalo more than 130 members fled across the border, a similar
migration taking place among the Negro Methodists of the same city
though they were more disposed to make a stand. At Rochester all but
two of the 114 members of the Negro Baptist church fled, headed by
their pastor, while at Detroit the Negro Baptist church lost 84
members, some of whom abandoned their property in haste to get
away.[16] A letter from William Still, agent of the Philadelphia
Vigilance Committee, to Henry Bibb at Sandwich says there is much talk
of emigration to Canada as the best course for the fugitives.[17] _The
Corning Journal_ illustrates the aid that was given to the fugitives
by northern friends. Fifteen fugitives, men, women and children, came
in by train and stopped over night. In the morning a number of Corning
people assisted them to Dunkirk and sent a committee to arrange for
passage to Canada. The captain of the lake steamer upon which they
embarked, very obligingly stopped at Fort Maiden, on the Canadian