Sarah C. Pennypacker

Very rare handwritten 22 page speech given by Sarah C. Pennypacker, April 8th, 1899. Her father was the famous Elijah F. Pennypacker, one of the main promoters of the Underground Railroad. The basis of her remarks are a book by Fernando G. Cortland - Southern Heroes - The Friends in War Time. Quotations from the book (and her personal experience) allow her to present a detailed view of the Quakers opposition to the Civil War. She recounts the difficulties of the Southern Quakers relocating to points west in covered wagons. She quotes from an address by Gen. Grant "in this city" (assume it was Philadelphia) - "Though I have been trained as a soldier and have participated in many battles, there never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found of preserving the drawing of the sword." There are also many anecdotal accounts of Quaker "martyrs". "One chapter is devoted to Levi Coffin, President of the Underground Railroad, one of the heroes before the war and whose memory is embalmed, as well as that of his wife, in the pages of Uncle Tom's cabin. Although usually associated with the North, we are reminded that he was born in Guilford County North Carolina of Quaker parents and Nantucket ancestry. It is related that after a long and fruitless search for a company of slaves secreted by Levi Coffin, the hunters returned South, but before going, they conferred an honorable and lasting title upon our friend. They said they could get no trace of their slaves on top of the ground, after they reached Levi Coffin's house and declared that there must be an underground railroad of which he was president. This was doubtless the origin of the term." Measures approx. 5" x 8". First page soiled.
-- BACKGROUND: Sarah C. Pennypacker was raised at the White Horse Farm, built around 1770, was the lifetime home of politician and prominent abolitionist Elijah Pennypacker (1802-1888) and a main depot on the Underground Railroad. In 1831 Pennypacker was elected to the [Pennsylvania] House of Representatives and lobbied on the passage of bills concerning commerce, education, and transportation. In 1839, Pennypacker decided to end his political career in order to fully aid the antislavery cause. He became active in various antislavery societies, spoke widely against slavery and became one of most influential leaders of Pennsylvania's abolitionist cause. In 1840 he opened his home as a major stop on the Underground Railroad. Hundreds of fugitive slaves from three different routes, coming from neighboring counties and Delaware, were directed to White Horse Farm. Pennypacker personally transported slaves from  his home to Norristown and other points to the north and east. No slaves were ever apprehended while in his care. John Greenleaf Whittier, another celebrated abolitionist, said of Pennypacker, "In mind, body, and brave championship of the cause of freedom, he was one of the most remarkable men I ever knew."