Escaped slave finds an ingenious method of making it to the North undetected.

>After escaping and surviving the various hazards along his route by the time Jackson had reached western Kentucky he came up with an ingenuous new plan to pass himself by the watchful eyes of suspicious whites. >>The next day finding myself so often in peril by my attempts to pass along as I had done, I resolved before I emerged from my brief retreat, that I would try a new expedient. I had frequently seen gentlemen traveling, with a servant either proceeding or following them on foot. So I waited until I saw a carriage pass, and got into the road, and followed it, and whenever I met any one I would appear to be all anxiety and inquire “how far ahead master’s carriage was.” >>This plan worked admirably, and I was enabled to travel more than half a day with one assumed “master” -- always managing to be absent when he stopped, and not far behind him when he traveled. My first trick, however, did not last me all day, and I was compelled to get a new “master.” I thus went on changing, until I reached the Ohio river, at a place called Barker’s Old Ferry, where I crossed into Illinois, in the county of Gallatin, and began to feel secure. After wandering about, in the evening, for some time, I found an old horse trough, which was dry -- here I laid down and rested. ______________ **Source:** Musgrave, Jon. “Andrew Jackson, runaway.” *Slaves, Salt, Sex & Mr. Crenshaw: The Real Story of the Old Slave House and America's Reverse Underground R.R.* Marion, IL: IllinoisHistory.com, 2004. 256, 257. Print. _______________ **Further Reading:** [Gallatin County, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallatin_County,_Illinois)