Walking the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway
For several years now I have dreamed of following a possible trail that Freedom Seekers may have used to escape slavery. In 2018 when I walked from Selma to Montgomery, Birmingham, and on to the Mississippi River in Memphis, I followed a northwesterly direction enslaved people were known to take escaping from the deep south.
Beginning on December 24, Christmas Eve, I will be listening out for the song of the Old Ship of Zion calling me to get on board from banks of the Choptank River in Poplar Neck (Preston, Maryland). From there I will embark on a 20-mile night walk north to Denton, Maryland – the start of a 100+ mile sectional walk to Philadelphia retracing the steps of the famed Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman.
This will be my third and final walk of 2019 and my first walk of 2020. I’m excited about hitting the road and breathing movement back into my body following my walks earlier this year across Northern Ireland and Puerto Rico last September. I will be walking from Poplar Neck to Philadelphia beginning on Christmas Eve. The public is welcome to join me on any leg of the journey. This short, 100-mile, sectional walk will take place on weekends throughout January and February until I finish. It is retracing Harriet Tubman’s 1854 Christmas Day rescue where she aided her three brothers to reach freedom.
’Tis the old ship of Zion,
’Tis the old ship of Zion,
’Tis the old ship of Zion,
Get on board, get on board.
She has angels for the sailors, (thrice)
Get on board, get on board.
That ship is out-a sailing, sailing, sailing, (thrice)
Get on board, get on board.
She’s a-sailing mighty steady, steady, steady, (thrice)
Get on board, get on board.
There’s no danger on that water, (thrice)
Get on board, get on board.
She has landed many-a thousand, (thrice)
Get on board, get on board.
King Jesus is the captain, captain, captain, (thrice)
Get on board, get on board.
’Tis the old ship of Zion,
’Tis the old ship of Zion,
’Tis the old ship of Zion,
And she’s making for the Promised Land.
Here’s a rough schedule of my planned walks. I’m still trying to learn the route that might have been travelled between Kennett Square to Philadelphia.
12/24-25, 2019 Christmas Eve escape, Water St,, Preston to Denton, MD; Start: 10:00 p.m. (21 miles)
Saturday January 4, 2020 Denton, MD to Sandtown, DE Start: 8:30 a.m. (15 miles)
Saturday January 11, 2020 Sandtown to Dover, DE Start: 8:30 a.m. (15 miles)
Saturday February 1, 2020 Dover to Blackbird, DE Start: 8:30 a.m. (17 miles)
Saturday February 8-9, 2020 Blackbird to New Castle via Odessa Start: 8:30 a.m. (26 miles)
Saturday February 15, 2020 New Castle to Kennett Square Underground Railroad Museum, via Wilmington Start: 8:30 a.m. (18 miles)
Saturday February 22-23, 2020 Kennett Square Underground Railroad Museum, Kennett Square, PA to Philadelphia Underground Railroad Museum Start: 8:00 a.m. (32 miles)
For more information, email me at kjohnston16@yahoo.com