Also, there is a document in the Seward Papers that recounts Wormley's visit to Auburn with Seward.
"In addition to Frances’ work, there is an indication that William Seward, while a senator in Washington, DC, worked with African American hotelkeeper, James Wormley, to transport fugitives to freedom. A c. 1870 manuscript by Francis B. Carpenter in the Seward Papers notes:
“Among the visitors in the evening was Mr. Wormley, the well known colored landlord of Washington. Greeting him cordially and introducing him to his other guests, Mr. Seward said: ‘Wormley and I went into the emancipation business a year and a half before Mr. Lincoln did,
down on the James River. How was it Wormley – how many slaves did we take off on our steamer?’ ‘Eighteen,’ replied Mr. Wormley.”16
16 Francis B. Carpenter, “A Day with Governor Seward at Auburn,” handwritten mss., no date
[prob. July 1870], Seward Papers.
Thanks Linda, Eva, Laurie, Bill, and everyone else. I am now so intrigued by this Wormley and his hotel establishment I have been doing Google searches for the past few days.
In some ways this Forum is becoming the financial undoing of me..I can't stick to a budget because every time someone here suggests a new book, I rush to try and order it!
So I guess it's back to dropping hints to friends and family members about what ol' Toia would like to receive for Christmas gifts. It's always worked in the past. I feel kind of sneaky resorting to this, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?