Scotland in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Storm Blocks the Route to Freedom
Point Lookout State Park
— Maryland Park Service —
Anti-slavery activist William L. Chapin had arranged for the schooner Pearl to spirit the 77 to New York and liberty. But when Captain Daniel Drayton was forced to seek shelter in Point Lookout Creek and Cornfield Harbor, the fugitive slaves had no choice but to surrender.
Liberty for Some
Two of the Pearl's unlucky passengers, sisters Mary and Emily Edmonson, were taken to the D. C. jail and sold to a slave trader, with their siblings, for $4,500. But the renowned preacher Henry Ward Beecher raised enough money to gain their liberty, and entrusted them to his sister Harriet Beecher Stowe. She sent them to an Ohio preparatory school -- and recounted the Pearl story in her classic novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Tuberculosis killed Mary, but Emily later returned to D. C., and helped develop the curriculum of the Normal School, later the University of the District of Columbia.
Erected by Maryland Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1848.
Location. 38° 3.119′ N, 76° 19.627′ W. Marker is in Scotland, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. Marker is on Point Lookout Road (Maryland Route 5). Marker is at the Lake Canoy inlet near the fish cleaning station in Point Lookout State Park at the end of Point Lookout Road (MD 5). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Scotland MD 20687, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Point Lookout Prisoner-Of-War Camp (approx. ¼ mile away); Prison Pen (approx. ¼ mile away); Shipwreck! (approx. 0.3 miles away); Smallpox Epidemic (approx. 0.7 miles away); Death at Point Lookout (approx. 0.7 miles away); A Seaside Resort at Point Lookout (approx. 0.8 miles away); A Place of History (approx. 0.8 miles away); "Contraband" Camp (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Scotland.
Additional keywords. UDC
Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2019. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 642 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on January 12, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 7, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.