Pearl Quotes
Jennings had been purchased by Webster and served as his personal butler. As such, and technically a free Black, Jennings had the run of Washington including the Capitol. Webster had freed Jennings with the understanding that Jennings would work off his purchase price. About a year before Jennings had fully worked off his freedom price, he organized a slave escape of Washington house slave by arranging for a ship, the Pearl, to take them North. He wrote his letter to Webster and then went to the docks where the slaves boarded the Pearl. At the last minute, he left the ship and returned to the Webster home feeling that he had given his word and to leave at that time would be dishonorable. The slaves sailed, but were caught by a posse shortly. Most of the slaves were sold as field hands to the deep South, but the white ship’s master, Daniel Drayton, was tried for stealing property. He was defended by Horace Mann, and fined an amount he could not pay and went to jail. The Pearl escape received much notoriety as the escapees were all very “privileged” slaves. Two years later in the Compromise of 1850, selling slaves on the open market was banned in Washington DC. Millard Filmore pardoned Drayton after 4 years in jail. Jennings completed his promise of service and was never prosecuted for his organization of the escape.
