12-Site Civil War Tour
On 1st Street, this monument tells that fugitive slaves used the river, caves, and tunnels as a means of escape from slavery to freedom. Slaves captured in Humboldt during the raid were, we believe, from the Neosho/Seneca portion of Missouri, 5 to 15 miles from the Grand River in Indian (Oklahoma) Territory. At the Kansas border, the Grand becomes the Neosho River. During the severe drought of 1860, the Neosho River stopped running. Escaping slaves, seeking freedom in Humboldt could have walked the Neosho River by day and slept in caves on the east bank by night. Hand-dug tunnels leading west and south have been traced to a cabin that once stood behind the marker on 1st Street and to another, Aunt Polly's cabin (SITE NUMBER 9 on Sycamore between 1st and 2nd Streets). It has been reported that these cabins were used by fugitive slaves running from Missouri.
Click on the image above for larger view.