The Immortal Ten facts for kids
The Immortal Ten were a brave group of people who believed in ending slavery. They were called abolitionists and Free-Staters because they wanted Kansas to be a free state, without slavery.
On July 23, 1859, these ten men did something amazing. They rescued Dr. John Doy from a jail in Missouri. Dr. Doy had been arrested for helping enslaved people escape to freedom. He and his 19-year-old son, Charles, were abolitionists too. They were caught by pro-slavery bounty hunters while trying to guide enslaved people to freedom in the Nebraska Territory using the Underground Railroad.
Charles Doy was found innocent and set free. But John Doy was sentenced to prison. The ten men who decided to rescue him were led by Major James B. Abbott. The group included Charles Doy, George R. Hay, Silas Soule, Capt. John E. Stewart, S.J. Willis, Thomas Simmons, Joseph Gardner, Jacob Senix, and Captain Joshua A. Pike. This event happened during a very difficult time before the American Civil War, known as "Bleeding Kansas". During this time, there was a lot of fighting and disagreement between people who supported slavery and those who opposed it.
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Dr. Doy's Capture and Trial
On January 25, 1859, Dr. John Doy and his son Charles were traveling through Lawrence, Kansas. They were on their way to the Nebraska Territory with thirteen enslaved people, helping them find freedom. Just 12 miles outside of Lawrence, they were surrounded by armed "Border Ruffians". These men came from Missouri, which was a slave state. Their goal was to capture people who had escaped slavery and stop the Underground Railroad.
When they were caught, John Doy was threatened. He asked the Border Ruffians not to shoot towards his carriage, as women and children were inside. The Doys were greatly outnumbered, so fighting back was not an option. Both John and Charles were arrested. They were held in jail until their trial on March 20, 1859, in St. Joseph, Missouri. Charles was eventually found innocent of all charges and released. However, the jury could not agree on a decision for John. He had to go through a second trial. At this second trial, Dr. Doy was found guilty of helping enslaved people escape. He was sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary.
The Daring Rescue Mission
In the summer of 1859, while Dr. Doy was in the St. Joseph jail, Major James B. Abbott put together a team of ten men. Their mission was to rescue him. The plan was put into action on July 23. Two of the men pretended to be bounty hunters who had caught a horse thief. The "horse thief" was actually part of their team. This trick helped them distract the guards. While the guards were busy, the rest of the men took control of the prison and went to find Dr. Doy.
They found Dr. Doy very sick and too weak to walk. He was suffering from exhaustion and illness. A couple of the men had to carry him out of the jail. Soon after the rescue, a famous photograph was taken in Lawrence by Amon Gilbert DaLee. This picture, called an ambrotype, shows the entire group, the Immortal Ten. Dr. Doy is sitting in a chair in the front, as he was still too weak to stand on his own.
After his escape, a reward was offered for Dr. Doy. It was $100 if he was caught outside Missouri and $50 if caught inside Missouri. Soon after his escape, Dr. Doy left Lawrence and went to Rochester, New York. There, he wrote a book about his experience. The book was called The narrative of John Doy, of Lawrence, Kansas : "A plain, unvarnished tale" (1860). In his book, he spoke kindly of the witnesses and lawyers who prosecuted him. However, he wrote strongly about the officers and jury who found him guilty. Dr. Doy passed away in New York a few years later.
Achievements of the Immortal Ten Members
One of the Immortal Ten, Silas Soule, became well-known for his brave actions. He made his own mark in history. Silas Soule was a strong supporter of ending slavery. He was also a personal friend of John Brown and Walt Whitman. During the American Civil War, he joined a volunteer army from Colorado. This army fought for the Union, which was the northern states. Soule was eventually promoted to the rank of captain.
Captain Soule was present at the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado in 1864. During this terrible event, he bravely ordered his unit not to take part in the violence. Later, he spoke out against the units that did participate. Sadly, he was murdered because of his testimony.
Books and Films
The story of Dr. Doy's rescue by the Immortal Ten is featured in a 2017 book by author Gary Jenkins. The book is titled The Immortal 10: A Story from the Kansas Underground Railroad. A documentary film based on the book, called The Immortal 10 and the Rescue of Dr. John Doy, was also released.
Images for kids
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"The Immortal Ten", Lawrence, Kansas Territory, 1859. Standing, from left to right: Major James B. Abbott, Captain Joshua A. Pike, Jacob Senix, Joseph Gardner, Thomas Simmons, S.J. Willis, Charles Doy, Captain John E. Stewart [Stewart], Silas Soule, and George R. Hay. Seated in front: Dr. John Doy.
