Wisconsin’s Defiance of Federal Tyranny

  On the evening of March 10, 1854, two wagons carrying two federal marshals and five other men made their way to a small cabin that was the home of Joshua Glover.  Glover was a runaway slave who had been living in Racine, Wisconsin for about two years. He was known to be a skilled carpenter and was employed at the local sawmill.

   The federal marshals had a warrant from a federal judge for the arrest of Glover. They burst into the cabin and arrested Glover, but only after they beat him bloody. They manacled him and placed him in one of the wagons. The wagons left in different directions. 

   One of the wagons was soon stopped by the Racine County Sheriff after he received word of the federal actions. The wagon he stopped did not have Glover however, being used as a ruse so the wagon carrying him could get away. Nevertheless, the Racine Sheriff, Timothy D. Morris arrested the federal marshal and his assistant on suspicion of kidnapping and assault and battery. 

   The wagon carrying Glover drove six hours through the night up to Milwaukee and Glover was placed in the Milwaukee County Jail. 

   Abolitionists soon gathered in Racine and telegraphed word up to abolitionists in Milwaukee as to what had happened to Glover. Sherman Booth, a newspaper editor and avid abolitionist, sprung to action. He printed up handbills and rode his horse up and down Milwau ...

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