The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 41, July 1937 - April, 1938 Page: 104
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
his family across the Sabine into Texas, and secreted them in the
Palogacho bottom, about half a mile north of the main road leading
from San Augustine to the Sabine, and placed them under a strong
guard, while the others secured horses to carry them to West
Texas where they were to be sold into slavery. But a few nights
before they were ready to go they got drunk and one of the young
women effected her escape, and made her way to the neighboring
house and made known their dreadful situation. I think it was
the house of David Renfro, as brave and honest a man as ever
trod the soil of Texas. This brave man at once rallied his friends,
and drove these villains out of the country, and helped the women
and children to return to their homes in Louisiana."s7
Generally, abductions were done so furtively that they seldom
attained record unless they failed. One successful attempt between
1835 and 1840 was uncovered by Joseph Hamilton, special British
agent, who collected satisfactory evidence that Edward Hicks, a
free Negro residing in Texas, was kidnaped and carried into the
United States to be sold into slavery.88
The wealth and position of a free Negro did not deter seizures
but on the contrary acted as an incentive. Bele (probably Bailey),
an American, threatened to enslave William Goyens unless he
paid him one thousand pesos. In order to raise the money, Goyens
bought a negress from a Mr. Llorca (probably York), giving in
exchange a note for five hundred pesos payable in property. He
then turned the negress over to Bailey for his ransom and began
to look up Santiago Leone to purchase on credit a piece of land
to pay off the note. While thus engaged Goyens was recaptured
and further ransom forced from him upon threat of taking him
to New Orleans and selling him into slavery.89
Free Negroes were also deprived of their liberty by the old device
of indenture which continued to be used during the Republic to
enslave them. Again, we can only know of the efforts which
failed, as complete success would necessarily leave no historical
trace. In the latter part of January, 1840, the British sloop of war,
Pilot, arrived at Velasco bringing Commander Joseph Hamilton
87[A. Horton], "History of San Augustine, Reminiscences of an Old
Time Resident," 20-21. University of Texas transcripts.
"Joseph Hamilton to Abner S. Lipscomb, April 21, 1840. House Jour-
nal Appendix, Fifth Congress, 23.
"Nacogdoches Archives, Vol. 30, pp. 59-62.104
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 41, July 1937 - April, 1938, periodical, 1938; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101103/m1/112/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.