Reverse Slave Auctions of Brooklyn
The Story of Henry Ward Beecher Auctioning Slaves into Freedom
Adapted Passages from “Life and Work of Henry Ward Beecher” published in 1887
The popularity of Plymouth church during the 1860’s in America was so well established throughout the land that crowds crossed the ferry from New York to attend Henry Ward Beecher’s church. The usual answer given to strangers in New York, inquiring the way to Beecher’s church on Sunday morning, was : “ Cross Fulton Ferry and follow the crowd.” Standing room was always at a premium, and scarcely a Sabbath passed when hundreds were not turned away for want of even standing room.
Rev. Bishop Faulkner invoked Mr. Beecher’s aid in raising the sum of $900 to purchase an intelligent-looking mulatto girl, about ten years of age, whom he brought from Washington, D. C., with him, with the owner’s permission to make the sale. On Sunday, February 5, 1860, she accompanied Mr. Beecher to church, and was placed by his side in the pulpit. Mr. Beecher presented her to the congregation, stated the facts of the case, and asked for a contribution sufficient to effect her purchase. Among the audience was a lady named Rose Terry, who, when the contribution-box was passed to her, drew a ring from her finger and dropped it in ; the pastor placed this ring upon one of the slave-girl’s fingers, and, telling her it was her freedom ring, named her Rose Ward, after the donor of the ring and himself. The amount contributed that morning, together with a collection taken up in Sunday-school that afternoon, was $1,000.
A similar instance of the sympathy and generosity of the Plymouth congregation occurred on Sunday, June I, 1861. A young slave woman, twenty years of age, named Sarah, having been informed by her owner that if she could raise $800 among her abolition friends he would accept of it and free her. So Sarah made efforts to inform several anti-slavery men in Washington. The men pledged to her owner that he allow them to take her up North and either return her safe or return with the required sum of money, and he allowed them to take her.
A few days after her arrival in New York she was taken to Mr. Beecher, and on the following Sabbath morning was escorted to his pulpit in Brooklyn. She was a woman of commanding presence, rounded features, and winning face and long, jet-black hair, and of course, under the circumstances, attracted most eager attention and interest from the large and wealthy congregation assembled. She was requested to loosen her hair, and as she did so it fell in glistening waves over her shoulders and below her waist. Robed in spotless white, her face crimsoned and form heaving under the excitement of the occasion, she stood in that august presence a very Venus in form and feature. For a moment Mr. Beecher remained by her side without uttering a word, until the audience was wrought up to a high pitch of curiosity and excitement. And then in his impressive way he related her story and her mission.
Before he concluded his pathetic recital the vast audience was a sea of commotion. Tears ran down cheeks unused to the melting mood, eager curiosity and excitement pervaded the whole congregation, and as the pastor announced that he wanted $2,000 for the girl before him to redeem her promise to pay for her freedom, costly jewellery and trinkets and notes piled in in such rapid succession that in less time than it takes to write this down enough and much more was contributed than was necessary to meet the call that had been made.
Since Mr. Beecher’s death the sequel of the story has been ascertained. Mrs. Angelina Harris says that she has known the girl long and intimately.
“ I was in Plymouth Church,” said Mrs. Harris, “ the night Sarah was brought upon the platform and stood beside Mr. Beecher. The church was packed full of people. Sarah was then not more than twenty-two or twenty- three years of age. She was tall and finely moulded, and as white as any lady. Yes, before Mr. Beecher had said a word the money began coming out of folks’ pockets.
“ After she was free, the ladies of the church wrote a little book, in which a full account of her life was given. With the money that was obtained from the sale of this they bought a little place for her at Peekskill, where she raised fowls and sold eggs and butter for a living. She is living there still, I think, although I have not seen her for many years, but is now an old woman. She is about fifty years of age. Sarah was known as both Sarah Scheffer and Sarah Churchman. I have heard her called by both names. She never married. She was never tired of talking about how good Mr. Beecher and his family had been to her.”
Henry Ward Beecher and his Plymouth Church congregation stood strong on the American principles, which has helped this country become a beacon of freedom. In such times of angst, his words would come piercing down with great clarity that rings as true today as it did over a hundred years ago…
“ Let no man, then, in this time of peril, fail to associate himself with that cause, which is to be so entirely glorious. . . . Let every man that lives and owns himself an American take the side of true American principles liberty for one, and liberty for all ; liberty now, and liberty forever ; liberty as the foundation of government,~and liberty as the basis of union ; liberty as against revolution, liberty against anarchy, and liberty against slavery ; liberty here, and liberty everywhere, the world through ! “
