Family History - Underground Railroad in Indiana
John Harper Carlile was my Great-Great-Grandfather (Grandfather's Grandfather), here is part of his story...
May Blount "This I remember about Grandfather: John H. Carlisle"
"While Grandfather was deeply devout, he was very broad minded in religious matters, for his day and age, when so great weight was given to creed and dogma."
"Grandfather did not go to the Civil War, he told me, because he had a large family. When men were being drafted in 1864, Uncle Philip (Philip S. Carlisle) who was 16 volunteered to go in his place so he remained at home. Grandmother was rapidly losing her sight, too, at this time."
"I once asked him if he know anything about the Underground Railroad. He appeared very reluctant to talk about it, saying that no one was supposed to know anything about that. Later, he guessed no harm would be done as most people who had anything to do with it were dead. He never did name any other person who had been connected with it."
"He stated he never even saw the man who brought the negroes, never more than two or three at a time, from Louisville. They always came at night. He kept them sometimes two or three days till he would get word it was safe to take them to Seymour Indiana. He also went at night. His passengers were put in the center of the wagon with hay or fodder piled around and over them. He kept a secret room in the end of the granary."
"I asked him once if Grandmother knew about it. He said, 'Well she never said anything.' He also said he knew what he did was against the law, but he just could not bear to think of the poor slaves having to go back to a master who would beat them to death."