Anna Maria Weems, alias "Joe Wright"

"Arrived, Ann Maria Weems, alias ‘Joe Wright,’ alias ‘Ellen Capron,’ from Washington, through the aid of Dr. H. She is about fifteen years of age, bright mulatto, well grown, smart and good-looking. For the last three years, or about that length of time, she has been owned by Charles M. Price, a negro trader, of Rockville, Maryland. Mr. P. was given to ‘intemperance,’ to a very great extent, and gross ‘profanity.’ He buys and sells many slaves in the course of the year. ‘His wife is cross and peevish.’ She used to take great pleasure in ‘torturing’ one ‘little slave boy.’ He was the son of his master (and was owned by him); this was the chief cause of the mistress’ spite.”

William Still's "The Underground Railroad entry for

Thanksgiving Day, Nov., 1855

Slave traders purchased and sold three of her brothers in Alabama. Abolitionists freed her mother for $1,000, and one of her sisters for $1,600. Since Price refused to sell Anna, the Underground Railroad was her only option. 

Abolitionist and lawyer Jacob Bigelow of Washington, D.C., worked with William Still to free Anna Maria Weems. Dr. Ellwood Harvey traveled to Washington, D.C. Anna Maria had to get from Rockville, Maryland, 15 miles, to Washington on September 23, 1855. She stayed six weeks with Bigelow until Dr. Harvey arrived. Dressed as Joe Wright, she posed as a carriage driver and left Washington with Dr. H. She stayed two days in Philadelphia with William Still and his wife, then went on in male attire to abolitionist Lewis Tappan in New York. Tappan paid Dr. Harvey $300 for risking his freedom by being her passenger. In New York, she stayed with the Rev. A.N. Freeman in Brooklyn. She crossed into Dresden, Canada West, over the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge to unite with her family. She then studied at the Buxton Settlement.

Along the trip to William Still’s house, bounty hunters stopped Harvey and Weems at least twice because Price had posted a reward of $500.00 ($17,000 today) for the capture and her return.