Re: Charles & Sarah GORSUCH of Talbot Co.,MD
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In reply to:
Re: Charles & Sarah GORSUCH of Talbot Co.,MD
Kathy Gerard 11/30/00
The Christiana Riot
On the day of Sept.11, 1851 an insightful event occurred, the Christiana riot. It all started when Joshua Kite ran back into William Parker's house shouting, "O William! Kidnappers! Kidnappers!" The kidnappers were slave catchers, United States Marshal Kline and Edward Gorsuch, the slave owner of the four slaves who were presently inside Parker's house. The main objectives for these slave catchers were to gain, in Gorsuch words, "his property," the four
fugitive slaves. At this point it was a riot to the extent of a fallout period where the posse and slave catchers were aiding in a word to word confrontation with William Parker, a fugitive slave, but not one ofGorsuch's. From this point on the riot proceeded to be nothing more than a violent terror for the two slave catchers and the posse. Once these slave catchers approached the house and made their
presence and request known, Mrs. Parker blew a horn, which was a call for all to come and aide in any situation.This caused many African-Americans to come to their rescue, leaving the slave catchers totally outnumbered. With insults and warnings, the slave catchers were told to be gone. Upon their denial, it only caused the environment to be even more hostile. This then led to the riotous blaze which was the confrontation between Gorsuch and Samuel
Thompson. Gorsuch using such combative words left Samuel knocking his former slave owner in the head with the side of a pistol, which was like an invitation for the African-Americans who surrounded to join in with gunfire and corncutters. As this occurred, the posse dispersed, leaving one to remain, the son of Edward Gorsuch, Dickinson. He rushed to the aid of his father, only causing
bullets rushing towards him. After the smoke cleared, the two men were down and the posse retreated, leaving the African-Americans whooping and yelling with savage glee.The four fugitive slaves remained free. There was only one survivor after this momentous day.He was Dickinson Gorsuch, the son of the slave owner.In the end, this horrible morning, when so much blood was shed, could not
be referred to as anything but a Bloody Dawn (a book by Thomas Slaughter).