The Underground Railroad Diary
of
Julia May Jackson
Virginia to Canada West,
1863-1864
by Karleen Bradford
ISBN: 978-0-545-99619-8 Hardcover
224 pages
Ages 8-12
5 ½" x 7 5/8"
Julia May and her family have done the unthinkable. They have fled from their
life of slavery on a tobacco plantation in Virginia and are making their
way north, on foot, where they have heard that slaves can be free. The journey
takes them through swamps, travelling by night and hiding by day. The diary
that Julia May keeps is another act of bravery. Learning to read and write
alongside her mistress at the plantation was her own secret and forbidden
as a slave. Julia May’s diary records her fears and the extraordinary
things she sees during her voyage and keeps her going through the hard times
until they are finally free.
An Excerpt from Julia's Diary
It’s barely light enough to see my pages, but I can manage.
Joseph was having a bad dream. I don’t wonder after
what happened that day. He might be only five years old and
not sure what’s going on, but he knows enough to be scared.
I got him settled back down before any of the others woke up,
but then I couldn’t sleep. Too many pictures in my head
that I didn’t want to see.
When we heard the dogs we all froze. Then the lady grabbed
us and pulled us into some thick bushes and we huddled there,
all holding onto each other. The bushes prickled something
awful, but we none of us paid them any mind at all. We heard
the dogs coming closer and closer, baying and howling just
the way they were the night Uncle Bo got caught. Men were shouting,
too. The noise was fierce and it was coming straight at us.
I held my breath and prayed as hard as I could. I knew real
well those dogs could smell us easy as could be in those bushes.
All I could think of was Uncle Bo shot and hanging dead in
that tree.
When it seemed they were right about to crash into us, I started
to cry. Couldn’t help it. I was so scared I even wet
myself. Just as I closed my eyes and waited to feel those teeth
tearing into me, I heard the dogs run past. Right past us!
And then it sounded like they went crazy.
“They got him!” someone cried. At the same time,
I heard a man scream. The man screamed again. And again. I
never in my life heard anything so terrible. I heard a shot,
and the screaming stopped. That quiet was even worse than the
screaming.
We stayed huddled there together while the men called to the
dogs, and went off, laughing and joking. Joseph was hanging
tight to Papa and wouldn’t even look up. Papa kept soothing
him and rubbing his back, telling him things were all right.
Finally, the lady signalled to us to stay hidden while she
made certain they had all gone. When she came back, she beckoned
to us to follow her.
“Safe now,” she said.
But I don’t think I’ll ever feel safe again.
From Dear Canada: A Desperate Road to Freedom,
copyright © 2009 by Karleen Bradford.
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