On the evening of April 15, 1848, nearly eighty enslaved Americans attempted one of history's most audacious escapes. Setting sail from Washington, D.C., on a schooner named the Pearl , the fugitives began a daring 225-mile journey to freedom in the North—and put in motion a furiously fought battle over slavery in America that would consume Congress, the streets of the capital, and the White House itself. Mary Kay Ricks's unforgettable chronicle brings to life the Underground Railroad's largest escape attempt, the seemingly immutable politics of slavery, and the individuals who struggled to end it. Escape on the Pearl reveals the incredible odyssey of those who were onboard, including the remarkable lives of fugitives Mary and Emily Edmonson, the two sisters at the heart of this true story of courage and determination. “Exciting. . . . Fascinating. . . . Succeeds as both a historical account and an enjoyable read.” - Chicago Sun-Times “Compelling . . . gripping . . . connects the reader to the desperation and courage of freedom-seekers.” - Ann Hagedorn, author of Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad “Ricks brings to life a story of heroism and a dark and complex chapter of American history.” - Christian Science Monitor “An exciting and important story...A must read for all who seek to understand the history of freedom in America.” - James Oliver Horton, co-author of Slavery and the Making of America “The thrilling story of the largest mass escape of fugitive slaves in American history.” - Fergus Borderwich, author of Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America “An illuminating read. Exhaustively researched and replete with historical detail.” - Washington Times On the evening of April 15, 1848, nearly eighty enslaved Americans attempted one of history's most audacious escapes. Setting sail from Washington, D.C., on a schooner named the Pearl , the fugitives began a daring 225-mile journey to freedom in the North—and put in motion a furiously fought battle over slavery in America that would consume Congress, the streets of the capital, and the White House itself. Mary Kay Ricks's unforgettable chronicle brings to life the Underground Railroad's largest escape attempt, the seemingly immutable politics of slavery, and the individuals who struggled to end it. Escape on the Pearl reveals the incredible odyssey of those who were onboard, including the remarkable lives of fugitives Mary and Emily Edmonson, the two sisters at the heart of this true story of courage and determination. A former attorney at the Department of Labor, Mary Kay Ricks has written about Washington history in numerous publications including the Washington Post . She is the founder of Tour DC (www.tourdc.com), which features in-depth walking tours in the nation's capital, and lives outside Washington, D.C., with her husband and two children. Escape on the Pearl The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad By Mary Kay Ricks HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2008 Mary Kay Ricks All right reserved. ISBN: 9780060786601 Chapter One Two Young Girls Join an Audacious Escape On the overcast evening of April 15, 1848, at around 9:00 p.m., a soft clump of dirt struck the window of a servant's small room above the kitchen in the home of Alexander Ray, a prominent businessman in Washington and Georgetown. The family's spacious and well appointed house stood in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, west of the President's House, tucked between Pennsylvania Avenue and the Potomac River, and just a few blocks from where a twenty-two-foot revolving dome cradled the Naval Observatory's telescope. Ray was a prosperous merchant who had the means and the connections to hire the very best of servants, and it was well known in their circle that a family by the name of Edmonson was uncommonly bright and talented help for the better class of people. That evening, the noise at the upstairs window alerted thirteen-year-old Emily Edmonson, a still slightly plump girl with a warm brown complexion somewhere between her father's deeper color and her mother's much lighter skin tone. Emily's appealing features were set in a slightly rounded, gentle face that already showed the promise of the lovely young woman she was becoming. Lifting the window, she saw her older brother Samuel, about five feet, six inches tall and fair- skinned like his mother, standing at the side door of the house and looking up at her window. He had come from an elegant home some eighteen blocks to the east on Judiciary Square, not far from the Capitol. Samuel lived and worked as a butler in the home of Joseph Bradley, one of Washington's most successful and prominent lawyers. Emily, neatly and modestly dressed as always, quickly picked up a small bag and quietly slipped through the house and out the door into the sleepy neighborhood. She and her brother began walking east near