Aaron Lancaster BENEDICT

  General Notes:

Aaron Lancaster Benedict, son of Aaron and Esther, was born July 13, 1804, near Lake Champlain, in Peru, Clinton County, New York. Eight years later his father removed to Ohio and settled in an unbroken forest in the southern part of what is now Morrow County. The advantages of pioneer life were few and school privileges were limited, but his intense thirst for knowledge made him a close student, and by continued home study and research, he obtained a liberal education, and gained in later years a fair standing with the men of letters of his time. He was converted at the age of seventeen and often spoke in later life of the Christian teaching and counsel that he received from his parents in his youth. In 1850 he was recorded as a minister of the Gospel by Alum Creek Monthly Meeting of the Orthodox Friends.
He traveled extensively among Friends, visiting, in the love of Christ, the churches in Ohio, Indiana, NewYork, Michigan, New England, and Canada. In his ministry he was earnest, fearless and loving, his words being well chosen, logical and convincing. While engaged in the ministry he was stricken with paralysis of the brain, which three years later resulted in his death, June 25, 1867.
In 1862, he and John Butler, of Damascus, Ohio, were chosen by Ohio Yearly meeting of Friends to visit President Lincoln and intercede in behalf of Friends who might be drafted into the army. They were successful in their mission and members of the Society of Friends were exempt from bearing arms on account of their principles of peace. He imbibed from his parents very decided anti-slavery principles, and having seen ill boyhood the protecting care extended to the fugitive from bondage by them, his own home, in later years, became a refuge for slaves seeking a land of freedom. Many hundreds were thus cared for and forwarded on their way. His ready pen and gifts of poetry and eloquence were unsparingly used in advocating the cause of the oppressed African, and anti,slavery papers contained many contributions from his pen.

(See Note XXII.) He numbered among his valued correspondents, William Lloyd Garrison, Joshua R. Giddings, Levi Coffin, Samuel Rhodes and John G. Whittier. A warm friendship with the latter, beginning with the interchange of sentiments, was strength ed into a lasting attachment by a visit to the home of Whittier while traveling in New England. He married Phebe Haight Wing, daughter of Abner and Sarah, January 10, 1829. She died August 20, 1885. In all his eventful life of sacrifice, devotion and danger, his devoted wife shared his service, and was a true sympathizer and helpmeet. They resided at Appletree Cottage, Stantontown, Ohio, and were the parents of ten children : Amelia F.; Livius A.; Charity T., born November 24, 1835; Let it ia, born July 10, 1837, died August 18, 1837; Lydia S.; Eaward A.; Griffith Itowring, born September 18, 1843, died March 16, 1844; Griffith t;raf, ton; Phebe A liee, born December 13, 1849, died July 23, 1851; Agnes S., born July 31, 1854.


Underground Railroad Operator in Delaware Co, Ohio

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Alum Creek Friends Meeting Sesqui-centennial Observance October 15, 1967 Pg 10

Houses

A third brick home was constructed in the 1840's by Aaron L. Benedict, also on the west side of the creek on the Worthington-New Haven Road, but south of the intersection. This home is now owned by Elizabeth (Benedict) Boring, and resided in by Genevieve Cole, her daughter and grandchild. This home later figured colorfully in the activities of the Underground Railroad. It remains standing at this time in good repair.

Pg 13 - 14

Underground Railroad

By 1835 the Alum Creek settlement was an active part of the Underground Railroad, and many exciting incidents are recorded regarding this. The term Underground Railroad was the invention of slave holders for they would often be in close pursuit of their fleeing slaves and the slaves would suddenly disappear as though they had gone underground. At least one situation this was literally true. The brick house located on the west side of Alum Creek, now owned by Elizabeth Boring, was an active station in the railroad. It is told that during the time it served this purpose there was a wing to the south of the house which served as a spinning room. This room was over a secret cellar which could only be entered by a trapdoor in the floor. The slaves could be hidden in this cellar, the trapdoor closed and a rug laid over it. Then the current Mrs. Benedict would place her spinning wheel on the rug and spin busily, the sound of the wheel drowning out any stray noises coming from below, while the slave owner, or his representatives, searched above.

A little farther to the northeast and off the main road was Aaron Benedict's house. He was active in caring for the refugees, but his wife was a Virginian and did not relish the idea of assisting in the escape of southern chattels. Sometimes a party of the runaways would be taken to the home of Aaron L. Benedict on the main road. In 1857 he built a large brick house and there continued to receive underground passengers, but in case of danger he concealed them in a barn and out-buildings across the creek. A half-mile west of Aaron L. lived his brother- in-law, Griffith Levering, who disliked to hide the fugi- tives. But, nevertheless, under pressure of pursuit, they were put in his cellar, and he wisely kept silent. Once the danger was past, they would be brought back to Aaron L.'s place. East of Marengo was Gardner Bennett's farm. He also harbored fugitives in emergen- cies, although opposed to it under ordinary circum- stances.


AARON LANCASTER,3 b. 13th of 7th mo., 1804, Peru; m. 10th of 1st mo., 1828, Phoebe Haveland, dau. Abner and Sarah Wing. b. 22d of 7th mo., 1808. "He removed, when about eight years old, with his parents to the then almost unbroken wilderness of Ohio, settling on the banks of Alum Creek, Morrow Co. His advantages for acquiring knowledge, were, of course, very limited, yet by devoting his spare moments to assiduous study, he obtained quite a liberal education. Language was his favorite study, and besides gaining a thorough knowledge of the English tongue, he made considerable progress in Latin. He early manifested a taste for literary pursuits, and was the author of a number of poems as well as prose articles on various topics. He was energetic, resolute, and of undaunted courage. In vindicating the cause of humanity and justice, he hazarded property, reputation, and even life. In him, the afflicted and oppressed of every class, found a true and sympathizing friend; but the poor, despised, downtrodden and oppressed African, especially, was the object of his philanthropy. Every effort in his power was put forth to relieve the sufferings of the race, and relieve them from cruel bondage. His house was one of the principal depots on the through line of the 'underground rail road,' from the Ohio river to Canada. Hundreds of poor fugitives have been fed and lodged beneath his roof, and when the curse of slavery was wiped from our land, by that glorious and crowning act of the immortal Lincoln--the emancipation proclamation--he did not fold his hands, but redoubled his efforts in relieving the wants of the suffering freedmen. So conscientious was he in regard to slavery, that he would neither use nor allow to be used in his family any article which was the product of the unrequited labor of the slave. Mr. Benedict was, also, a firm advocate of temperance, and of all the other reforms of the age. An ardent admirer of nature, he took great delight in collecting curious and rare specimens from her laboratory. He was for many years an eminent minister in the Society of Friends, and made several extended journeys in the service of the society. He was attacked with paralysis of the Page brain in the autumn of 1866, and d. at Peru, Ohio, on the 25th of 6th mo., 1867, triumphant in the faith of Christ." [Communicated by his son, Griffith G. Benedict of Peru, Ohio.] Ch.

Early History of the Settlement and Reminiscences by Aaron Benedict and Others," compiled by A. S. Benedict and printed in 1897 by the Sentinel Printing House of Mt. Gilead, Ohio. From these sources chiefly, the following account and incidents of the section of trunk line of the Under- ground Railroad extending from Columbus to Lake Erie have been derived. The route through the Alum Creek settlement had its initial station at Ripley on the Ohio River and led through numerous stations to Jason Bull's place at Clintonville, thence to Ozem Gardner's two miles north of Worthington, and so to Joseph Eaton's, northeast of Delaware, on or near the southern boundary of Morrow County. Mr. Eaton conducted the fugitives through the woods to Daniel Benedict's, the southernmost house of the Alum Creek settlement. A little farther to the northeast and off the main road was Aaron Benedict's house. He was active in caring for the refugees, but his wife was a Virginian and did not relish the idea of assisting in the escape of southern chattels. Sometimes a party of the runaways would be taken to the home of Aaron L. Benedict on the main road. In 1857 he built a large brick house and there continued to receive underground passengers, but in case of danger he concealed them in a barn and out-buildings across the creek. A half-mile west of Aaron L. lived his brother- in-law, Griffith Levering, who disliked to hide the fugitives. But, nevertheless, under pressure of pursuit, they were put in his cellar, and he wisely kept silent. Once the danger was past, they would be brought back to Aaron L.'s place.


1850 US Federal Census (Pg 12) Peru Twp, Morrow Co, OH Recorded - September 13, 1850

Benedict, Aaron L. - 45 yrs - NY - Farmer (wife) Phebe - 41 yrs - NY (daut) Amelia - 18 yrs - OH (son) Livius - 16 yrs - OH - Farmer (daut) Charity - 14 yrs - OH (daut) Lydia - 11 yrs - OH (son) Edward - 9 yrs - OH (son) Grafton - 4 yrs - OH (daut) Alice - 6 mos - OH

1. Memoir of Richard Dillingham (ISBN: 142971672X) ,by A. L Benedict Bookseller: BookSurge (Charleston, SC, U.S.A.)
Book Description: BookSurge Publishing. Book Condition: New. This book is print on demand. 30pp. Bookseller Inventory # 142971672X

The following poem was written by Aaron Lancaster Benedict, in 1838. while waiting on the banksof the Ohio River. He had accompanied John Green, alias- Eliaska Young, a fugitive slave, to Ripley, O.. to assist him to cross the river and get his wife and young child from bondage. The wife resided eighty miles from the river and the fugitives were a weck late in returning to the river. A. L. Benedict rowed the skiff across each night until they came. This expedition so aroused the animosity of the Kentucky slaveowners against him, that a standing reward of $1,000 was offered for his head.
Beneath me, calm and restful roll
The Ohio's pearly, chrystal waves;
Beyond is heard the ceaseless wail
Of tasked and fettered slaves.

Among those hills on yonder shore.
I see the tyrant's dwelling place:
And scattered o'er those fields, I mark
The sable forms of A frie's race.
O! as I view those dark abodes
Of tyranny, and lust, and pride.
Where many a weary, friendless slave
Has toiled, and wept, and bled, and died,
'Tis not in language to describe
The strong emotions of my soul;
Where the lorn captive tolls and bleeds
Throughout a weary course of years.
The ground I stand upon is free.
The very air I breathe is pure,
There is no taint of slavery here,
No stripes, no bondage to endure.
But Oh' . across that tranquil stream,
What anguish, and what wrongs are there!
What tears of blood' . what groans and sighs' .
What sounds of woe, and dire despair' .
How long, O Lord, how long before
Thou'it break the cruel bands apart.
That bind the slave in bondage down,
And crush his aching, broken heart?
O' . when wilt thouartse for these,
Thy suffering, abject, out,cast poor.
And break the yoke, and bid them wear
The tyrant.s galling chains no more?
Haste' . haste, O Lord, avenge their wrongs!
And let the bleeding captives free;
To every fettered slave proclaim
A happy, joyous jubilee.
The Lancaster Family: A History of Thomas and Phebe Lancaster, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Their Descendants, from 1711 to 1902. Also a Sketch on the Origin of the Name and Family in England By Harry Fred Lancaster. Published by A.J. Hoover printing co., 1902

  Noted events in his life were:

• Death: Stantontown, Peru, Morrow, Ohio.

• house drawing: Aaron L. Benedict's house, 1870, Peru, Morrow, Ohio.

• house, 1898, Peru, Morrow, Ohio.

Aaron married Phoebe Haight WING, daughter of Abner WING and Sarah HAIGHT, on 10 Jan 1829. (Phoebe Haight WING was born on 22 Jul 1808 in New York, died on 20 Aug 1885 in Peru, Morrow, Ohio and was buried in Alum Creek Friends Cem., Morrow Co., Ohio.)