Troy in Rensselaer County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Rescue of Charles Nalle

Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, April 30, 2008

1. The Rescue of Charles Nalle Marker

Inscription. Here was begun
April 27, 1860
The Rescue
of
Charles Nalle
an
escaped slave who had been
arrested under the
Fugitive Slave Act

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans. A significant historical date for this entry is April 27, 1860.

Location. 42° 43.822′ N, 73° 41.565′ W. Marker is in Troy, New York, in Rensselaer County. Marker is at the intersection of State Street and 1st Street, on the right when traveling west on State Street. The marker is at the former site of the U.S. Commissioners Office. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5 State Street, Troy NY 12180, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. T'was The Night Before Christmas (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); On This Site (about 500 feet away); Rensselaer County Spanish-American War Memorial (about 500 feet away); Second Ward World War II Memorial (about 600 feet away); Julia Howard Bush Memorial Center (about 600 feet away); Emma Hart Willard (about 700 feet away); Uncle Sam (approx. 0.2 miles away); Edith McCrea House (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Troy.

More about this marker. The marker was

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restored by Norstar Bank, the Rensselaer County Historical society, the Troy-Cohoes YWCA and the Versatile Club February 1987.

Regarding The Rescue of Charles Nalle. Charles Nalle was born about 1821 in Stevensburg, Culpepper County, Virginia, the son of his white master. His mother was impregnated by their owner. When their owner died his property was passed down to his white son, Blucher Hansborough. That property included ownership of his half brother, Charles Nalle. Nalle escaped from Culpepper County, Virginia in October 1858 and settled in Sandlake, New York, and then came to Troy and worked for a noted industrialist named Uri Gilbert. On April 27, 1860, Nalle was on his way to the bakery when he was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act by U. S. Deputy Marshall John W. Holmes and Henry Wale, a slave catcher from Stevensberg, Virginia in the employ of Blucher Hansborough. Nalle had been taken before the U. S. Commissioner to get authorization to take him back south when the local vigilance committee learned what had taken place.

The news quickly spread and a crowd quickly gathered at the U. S. Commissioner's office. They were looking for an opportunity to free Nalle. As it happened, Harriet Tubman was in the area to visit relatives. She took aggressive steps to engage the situation.

When the police were taking

Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, April 30, 2008

2. The Rescue of Charles Nalle Marker

Nalle out of the building, Harriet Tubman wrapped her hands around Nalle and told the people to drag her and Nalle out of the building and take him to the river. They carried Nalle to the Hudson River bank and shipped him to the other side of the river on a ferry. When he arrived on the west side he was rearrested by Albany County authorities.

Nalle was eventually freed by the intervention of Tubman and the Vigilance Committee. He escaped to Niskayuna where he stayed in a secret location until it was regarded as safe for his return to Troy. Friends raised funds to buy his freedom for $650.00

Nalle later returned to Troy to live. He got married and raised a family as a free man. He died in 1875. In remembrance to this event, a plaque was remounted near the northeast corner of the former National City Bank Building.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.

Also see . . . An Explosion in Troy: The Charles Nalle Rescue. New York Geography website entry (Submitted on April 27, 2011, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.)

Additional commentary.
1. Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was a controversial act which declared that all runaway slaves be brought back

Photographed By Howard C. Ohlhous, April 30, 2008

3. The Rescue of Charles Nalle Marker

Corner of 1st Street and State Street in Troy, New York, formerly site of the U.S. Commissioners Office from which Charles Nalle was rescued. The marker is on the second building from the left.

to their masters. Any Federal Marshal or other official who did not arrest an alleged runaway slave was liable to a fine of $1,000. Any person aiding a runaway slave by providing food or shelter was subject to six months' imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. Officers who captured a fugitive slave were entitled to a bonus or promotion for their work. In fact, the Fugitive Slave Law brought the issue home to anti-slavery citizens in the North, since it made them and their institutions responsible for enforcing slavery. Even moderate abolitionists were now faced with the immediate choice of defying what they believed an unjust law or breaking with their own consciences and beliefs. This system was widely resisted in the north, but it did have its supporters. Anyone assisting fugitives from slavery was subject to fines and jail time under this law, but many resisted it regardless.

— Submitted April 27, 2011, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York.

Additional keywords. Abolition & Underground Rail Road Seeker of Freedom

Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2011, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. This page has been viewed 2,344 times since then and 77 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week February 7, 2016. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 27, 2011, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.