The Immortal Ten

The immortal ten, Lawrence, Kansas Territory, 1859

The Immortal Ten were a group of militant Kansan abolitionists and Free-Staters who on July 23, 1859, freed John Doy from a Missouri jail, where he was being held for allegedly abducting slaves. The group included George R. Hay, Silas Soule, Charles Doy, Capt. John E. Stuart [Stewart], S. J. Willis, Thomas Simmons, Joseph Gardner, Jacob Senix, Capt. Joshua A. Pike and Major James B. Abbott.^[1]

Doy was part of the Underground Railroad where he and his son Charles helped free slaves into the Nebraska Territory. John and his nineteen-year-old son were eventually caught and, while his son was set free of all charges, John was sentenced to prison. The ten men who were part of his rescue were led by Major James B. Abbott. The crew consisted of Doy’s son Charles, George R. Hay, Silas Soule, Capt. John E. Stewart, S. J. Willis, Thomas Simmons, Joseph Gardner, Jacob Senix, and Captain Joshua A. Pike.

The Capture of John and Charles Doy

On January 25, 1859, the Doy’s were passing through Lawrence, Kansas and in route to the Nebraska territory with thirteen slaves. John and Charles did not make it very far, only getting twelve miles outside of Lawrence, until they were caught and surrounded. When confronted, John was threatened to be killed on the spot. All that he asked was that they do not fire toward the carriage, since there were women and children inside. The option of fighting back was not in the Doy’s favor as they were greatly outnumbered, so both were thrown in jail temporarily until their trial on March 20, 1859 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Charles was eventually cleared of all charges and John would be sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary after his second trial.

The Rescue

After the sentence, on July 23, 1859 Major James B. Abbott put together a crew of ten men to rescue John Doy. Two of the men pretended to bounty hunters who caught a horse thief, who was also part of the crew, and distracted the guards while the rest of the men overtook the prison and went after Doy. John was found very ill and weak due to exhaustion and diseases, but a couple of the men carried him out since he was unable to walk. The most famous picture of the Immortal Ten depicts the whole crew together, while Doy is sitting in a chair unable to stand on his own. A bounty was put on Doy’s head for $100 if caught outside Missouri, and $50 for being caught inside Missouri. Dr. Doy, soon after his escape, left Lawrence for Rochester, New York, where he published a book giving an account of his trial and conviction. His book spoke kindly of the witnesses and attorneys who prosecuted him, but bitterly of the officers and jury which convicted him. He died in New York a few years later. His son Charles was hanged in southern Kansas, in the fall of 1860, for horse stealing.

Other Related Achievements

One member of the crew was acknowledged for his brave act and was able to make his own place in history. Silas Soule was a well-known anti-slavery militant, and a friend of John Brown and Walt Whitman. During the American Civil War, he joined the Colorado volunteers, and was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Union Army. He was a captain at the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado, where he ordered his unit not to participate in the slaughter. He also later testified against the units that did participate and was assassinated for his efforts.

Movie

This event was the subject of the documentary film, "Immortal 10 and the Rescue of Dr. John Doy".^[2]

References