- [Interviewer] Welcome,
welcome Mrs. Staines. Thank you so much for
joining us here today. We have a few students
who are watching from home and they have a few questions for you. Now some of them are
familiar with your story, but I'm certain we'll have
people who'll be joining us who maybe aren't as familiar
with you or your story so, I was hoping that we could start off by you sharing a little
bit about you or your life. - Oh, um, well, good day to you. Actually, it's very kind
of you to ask, in truth. My name is Ona Judge Staines and the truth of the matter is,
folks don't often ask about me. You see, well it seems
like many, many years ago, but I used to be connected
with a very powerful family and people had a tendency
to always ask about them before or if they would even
ask or bother to ask about me. So I would be happy to
talk about myself a bit, but as I said, Ona, Ona Staines, and I live here in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, but how I got here is quite
a tale in and of itself. See I was born in Virginia. I was born a slave. My mother, Betty, belonged to, none other than Martha Washington and you have likely heard
that Martha Washington passed earlier this year. Truth, I have felt strange about that, but people in these parts, knowing my connection to the Washingtons, have been coming around
and asking for stories of the great president and his lady, things that I can tell and I suppose I could
tell you some stories. I was very close to Lady Washington. As one of her slaves, I well my mother was one of her seamstresses and taught me to sew and Martha Washington took me under her wing and taught me everything that she wanted, all of the particular
of things that she liked when she would teach me to sew and she raised me up and
encouraged me in such a way that I became her lady's maid and um, that was the position I
was in, in her household while George Washington was the president, but it was during that time that I decided I wanted to be free and I
ran from their household in Pennsylvania and found
myself here in New Hampshire, but what else would you
like to know about me? - [Interviewer] Well, as
you mentioned earlier, this year of 1802 will be
remembered by this nation. Many are grieving the recent
loss of Lady Washington, but I have to imagine your feelings are a bit more complicated than that. How do you feel about her passage? Does it mean a change for you? - Oh a change as in (sighs) you know, the truth of the matter is, if you are speaking about
the change of my status, it doesn't mean anything. I was owned as a slave
of Martha Washington, but you understand that
now that she is gone does not make me free. I belong to her heirs
and their heirs forever. Even though I absconded myself
and found my way to freedom, I have been and am working to
make a life for myself here in Portsmouth where I have landed. Not long after I ran away, I met a man, my husband Jack Staines. We were married and we
have three children now. You see, my husband is a
free melado man like myself. Well, he was born free. He was never in bondage. He will remain free,
but I will always remain the property of the Custis estate. And sadly, I believe the
way that the law works, our three children, our three children will also be property
of the Custis estate. - [Interviewer] I have a
question here from Catherine. She wanted to know, was there one moment where you knew that you wanted to run or was there a series of
events that led to it? - You know, in truth, can I tell you that there were times while I was still a slave that I felt free and maybe it was moments like that that helped me to understand that taking this risk of
running away was worth it. See, I was maybe 15 or 16 years old when I was taken from Mount
Vernon and moved to New York when George Washington
first became president and beginning in that place, I was always under the watch and guidance of Lady Washington, but there were often times where I'd be, especially as I came to
understand the city more and then when we moved on to
Philadelphia later in years, there were times that I would
move about these cities, coming from the plantation
of Mount Vernon, it was a completely different
world in Philadelphia. Of course Lady Washington always directed the work that I would do, but when I would run an
errand, I was meeting people. There was a large and growing population of free blacks in Philadelphia and there were times that I
would spend time with them and hear their stories and tales and discuss things with them, the news of the day, stories of our lives and there was times that I felt I was no
different than they were and the only thing I couldn't understand was why I was enslaved and they were not. And so I started to think that maybe that was a way that I
could and ought to be, but in truth, in Lady
Washington's household, I had space to move about,
but there was one moment, a moment that I think
will forever remind me of how she truly saw me. You see, one of her granddaughters, Elisa, was getting married and she was speaking about what she would like to give Elisa as a
wedding present and her, see, she felt after
spending many years and time invested in my skill and my talent of my fingers with my needle, she felt that I would be a valuable gift to give her granddaughter and I saw in that moment that that I was nothing more than a piece of property to be given away and that's what it meant to be enslaved and it was in that moment that I decided that I could never go to
this other woman's household and I had my particular
dislike of Miss Elisa and I knew that to be under her thumb would be a fate worse than death. I found out about all these things very shortly before George
Washington's presidency would end and I knew that there was a short period of time for me to leave. I knew if we left Pennsylvania, if we left the city of Philadelphia and we went back to Mount Vernon, I'd never be able to escape. And the conditions were such that I found it easier to
abscond from where I was. I did not have much time to
think about it, honestly, but I knew that I had to go
if I ever wanted to be free. - [Interviewer] That actually leads to one of, question from Serena, what duties did you perform
for the Washingtons? - Oh well, as I said, I learned to be a
seamstress from my mother and I would do a lot of particular
work for Lady Washington in that regard, but when she knew that she and Mr. Washington were going to move, move to New York for the presidency, she chose me to be a lady's maid. She chose me to care for her. I would lay out her
clothes everyday for her and pick out pieces of jewelry, dress her hair and tend
to her in every way. I would run errands for her about the city and so all of the, and it weren't just those of us who were slaves
that were brought with them, to the household, they
also had paid servants, but I was the closest to her. Every morning and every
night, I was there with her, tending to her and tending
to every need that she had. So, of course, sewing was still
a large portion of my work, but tending to her was the
most important bit of it. - [Interviewer] Cathy wants to know, does that mean, were
you always in eyesight of the Washingtons when you worked there? - Yes and no. I was often under the watchful
eye of the Washingtons. I would be in the room often times when Lady Washington
was meeting with people. The wives of senators and
other members of governors or governors and government. So I would be there and
overhearing these conversations in case she called for
anything or had any need, but there were also times when I would not be in their presence at all. Lady Washington came to rely
and trust me a great deal and that gave me some freedom. I could go out for an
errand and I knew how long I could be gone before I was missed. I was always diligent and
careful in tending to my work, but I also, something my mama taught me before she taught me to use the needle was to take time for myself. You see, those of us
who are born in bondage to these other people, we
knew that caring for them and tending to the work
that they assigned to us was important to avoid abuses or violence, discipline or cruelty, but we had to take time for ourselves or else what is the
point of even breathing? - [Interviewer] Catherine would like you to talk a little bit about
your husband and your children. You said you had three? - Yes, yes. My husband, Jack, I did not meet him right away
when I came into Portsmouth. He is a sailor, you understand and so, oh, it must have been many
months before I first saw him and well we caught each other's eye and maybe it happened so very quickly, but I have not grown tired
of him yet and he not of I. We were married in January of 1797. It weren't long after that, he had to go back out to sea. (laughs) And I swear every time he'd go back out, it'd make me miss him ever more. But we have been blessed with
three beautiful children, Elisa, Will and Nancy. Nancy was just born earlier this year and it has been difficult,
honest, with my husband's role, there are periods of time
that he is gone from us in order to provide for us and so I am here with three young children while he's out to sea at present. But hopefully he will return soon. It is happy times when
we were all together and honest, it's a life
I couldn't have imagined while I was a slave. I mean, the truth of the matter is, I don't know. You know, in Virginia, a slave can't marry even another slave. There's no law that allows it and I don't mean we don't
commit to one another. You will see a man laying the blanket for his hopeful bride to be. You lay a blanket in front of her doorstep and she'll cross over it
as many times as she can before she picks it up. You don't wanna cross
over it too many times or else he'll assume
you aren't interested, take the blanket away, but when she'd pick up that blanket and carry it into the house,
it means that they are wed, but you do have to walk
over it a few times to make sure that he knows that you won't just jump at everything he asks. Couples will jump the broom or get married behind the plow. There are many ways that
we commit to one another, but none so acknowledged. Here in Portsmouth, it were different. I mean, the folks that were
officiating the ceremony, they, there are people here that know my status as a runaway, but they even announced our
marriage in the Gazette. It felt so proper and real in a way that I couldn't have imagined and all of the friends that
I have been blessed to make since coming here, I mean,
sure there are people back in Virginia that I miss. There are people back in
Philadelphia that I miss as well. That is one difficult
thing of running away, but when we were wed and our friends were
there to celebrate us, I truly felt that I was
stepping into a new life. - [Interviewer] Pat wants to know, do you keep a journal
for your descendants? - Oh no it is not something
that I ever thought to do. I find myself busy, you know, especially when my husband is off to sea, you know, tending to the children and also tending to some work, trying to gain coin from
the skill of my hands, but writing is something
that at this time, I still have difficulty with. You know, it was never
something that the Washingtons ever wanted me to learn, but it was something that
I had a desire to do, but it was only when I found myself out from underneath their control that I could find time for
myself to learn such a talent, to learn such a skill. So I am working on it. I do not have the best hand, so if I were to write something, I'm not sure anybody'd be able to read it, but I am able at least to read. I can read words from the
Bible and I am working on it, but I don't know if I
will ever keep a journal so long as these children keep me so busy. - [Interviewer] Caitlyn wants to know, what happened when you escaped? Who helped you escape? - Uh, I can appreciate the question. Um, but it is a sensitive
subject, of course. Well, I remember that night. I was so excited, but
terrified at the same time. You see, there were many friends in Philadelphia that helped me, free people of color that
wanted to see me escape. And even though, their joy in helping me, knowing that it would mean
they'd never see me again, but I suppose they knew that anyway. I would have gone back to
Mount Vernon as a slave and they would have never
seen me in Philadelphia any longer, I imagine, but um, I started a day or two
before I finally left. See, I knew the Washingtons
had planned a dinner and that was my opportunity. While they were busy at
table, entertaining folks, I knew that I wasn't going
to be needed during that time and Mrs. Washington, well she would either assume that I were in my room or some other business and um, but I knew that I couldn't
leave the household during that time without suspicion and holding all my things. So about a day or so beforehand, I started secreting away
my clothing and things. I had items of my own and I think Mrs. Washington,
she probably thought I had packed it all way, ready for her journey
back to Mount Vernon, but I had taken it in secret
to hide it with my friends and I left in the midst of that dinner. No one suspected it. It's not unusual for me to
go out to speak to someone or to run some errand of some nature and so I went out with nothing in my hands and a cloak on my back and I met up with my friends
and gained my things. I stayed in the city for a while until I was able to secure passage and that took a bit of time, actually. You see, first thing I had to do was sell some of those
fine things that I had, so that I had money
and coin for my journey and then another important part was using the aid of my friends
to find a ship's captain who would take me out of the city. I knew that was the safest route or at least that was the choice and we found someone that had
helped other folks in the past and seemed inclined to the notion and was willing to take me on board and drop me here in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was a kindly man and I will
forever be grateful to him, but I must tell you, I will
never tell you his name. He still lives and I would
never bring any penalty to him for the assistance that he has given me. - [Interviewer] Anne
Marie would like to know, will your children be able to
attend school in Portsmouth? - Ah, you know, I've only just really
begun thinking about that. My Elisa, the oldest, she
is only four years of age, but I suppose that is something that I will have to think about. There are opportunities for children, and when I think about it, goodness, I suppose there's opportunities now that I am raising my
children in this place that I never would have
been able to give them. I think about my mother and how she maybe would have liked to raise me. You know, I think that she
taught me the skill of the needle because she was a seamstress and why not? It was her most valuable skill and she taught it to me tenderly, but it also gave her the opportunity that most of the time at Mount Vernon, we were engaged in the same work and I'd be right there along side her and my youngest sister, Delphi, as well. But I remember the day that I first left, when President Washington
went to go take his position as the president of this nation and that was the reality of it. The truth was that even
though we may be engaged in the same work, we were all going to be forced hundreds of miles from one another and there was absolutely nothing she could do to keep me close. As long as I raise my children in freedom, that's something I don't
have to worry about. The only thing that can
separate me from my children is God himself, I think. - [Interviewer] Rosalyn
would like to know, at what age were you
taken from your family and how did it feel? - Well when I was about
15 or 16 years of age and, can I tell you honestly? I was terrified to be apart from my mother and I was sad to not have her
always there to talk with. I traveled up to New York
with my brother, Austin. He's a considerable bit older than me and sometimes would feel
a bit like a father to me. He was always watching out for me during our time in the
President's household. But if I'm being completely
honest, I was young. I saw the separation from
my mother at sometimes as a bit of an adventure. I was meeting new people and learning new things and like I said, as I came to understand
my role in that household and what I could and couldn't do, the ability to move about freely, I felt like I had the run of the world. But I did miss my mother and I think the separation
were harder on her than me. I think it wasn't, I think it wasn't until my mother died that I really understood what it meant to be separated from her. I took for granted that
she would always be there and that I would always
be able to be with her, but when my mother became ill, it was the year before I ran and shortly after my
brother Austin passed, but when my mother died, I wasn't even allowed to go see her. I wasn't able to return to Mount Vernon, to say goodbye, to wash
her body, to tend to her, to stand with the other
slaves at Mount Vernon over the place where we laid her body. It was not in Lady
Washington's best interest for me to leave her. My duties to her were
more important to her than my grieving for my mother. - [Interviewer] Mr. Medias noticed that we're talking a
lot about your mother, but we don't hear much about your father. Is there a reason for that or? - Oh, I don't have any ill thoughts
towards my father at all. He was an indentured servant from England on Mr. Washington's plantation and he is the father of two of my siblings and, but he, I must have
been only nine or 10 when he moved away. He stayed for a number of years after his indentureship was over, but after a while, he determined, you see, after his indentureship was over, he was able to earn coin from the Washingtons for his work. He was a tailor which put
him in proximity of my mother and so they would work together at times, but after a time, after he
raised a certain amount of money, he set off to do what he intended to do by coming over here in the first place. I remember it was about
1781 when he moved away and started a farm of his own. - [Interviewer] Maggie asks, what was it like working
for the Washingtons? - I suppose that would depend on the day. Some days were very busy especially when we were
planning on travel. There was always so much rushing around and I was responsible for
packing Lady Washington's things. The very serious responsibility as she would not want to miss anything when we got to where we were going and I took it very seriously
and days like that, there were times I
wished I could disappear and not be so needed, but there were also times that I was proud to work in their household. They were such an important family and I took pride in the place
that I had in that household because as you hear all the accounts now as people are mourning Lady Washington, she was a very revered woman and honest, I take responsibility for some of her presence as I was the one that aided her to be as she needed to be when she was in the presence of others. - [Interviewer] Karen wants to know, after you left, what was it like when they sent someone to try
to convince you to return? - You mean when they tried
under cover of darkness to kidnap me and my child. Elisa was just a baby
and my husband was at sea and Lady Washington sent
one of her relations, Mr. Bassett, to retrieve me and he came and tried to argue with me that I was going to come back
whether I liked it or not, but I put him out my door. I didn't expect that he would
try to take me by force. Thankfully, the people of Portsmouth, I mean all places have their ways, but for many of the people of Portsmouth, they do not agree with the business of keeping other people in bondage and so there were people that disagreed. Even though there is a law that says that if you are a slave taken and you run off to any other place and you end up someplace else in this
country, any other state, you can be removed and returned
to your master or mistress. There's a law that says
that anyone can do it, but people in Portsmouth
are not so inclined and honest, it was actually
a friend of the Washingtons who helped me, who warned me
of this attack that was coming. It was Senator Langdon. He was entertaining Mr. Bassett at dinner who was bragging about how
he was gonna wait 'til dark and come and remove me and that child and take us out of here and he sent one of his men to come warn me and I immediately grabbed what I could. I took Elisa and we left in the dark. I quickly found someone
that would hire me a cart and I went further inland
to a place called Greenland. A couple I know, Mr. and Mrs. Jax, they're such a kindly good
couple, free blacks here, and they have helped many a runaway and they did not hesitate for a moment to assist me and my child and they protected us during that time. I was there for many months until my husband returned from sea and they were able to get
word to him where I was. We stayed in Greenland for a little while before feeling it was safe enough for me to come back to Portsmouth. But it's an event I hope
will never happen again. - [Interviewer] Bobbi wants to know, what would you say to Mr.
Washington if you saw him today? - What I'd say to Mr. Washington, I've never thought of it. You know there were times,
you overhear conversations and sometimes hear conversations that maybe no one else should overhear, but in my proximity to Lady Washington, I would hear all sorts of things and if you're asking my honest opinion, if I could speak to Mr.
George Washington right now, if he had not already departed this Earth, I could hear times where I
could see his mind was changing on the practice of owning people. I would have said to him, try harder. I have loved ones, I
have kin, I have friends and relations that are still in bondage with no hope of escape. You should have tried harder
to free us when you could and do anything possible
within his power to do it. I guess I live like a free
woman, but I am still a slave. The law says so. My children are still slaves, though they know nothing of the sort and I expect it'll be many generations before we'll see an end to this business, this cruel business of keeping people from absolute freedom. - [Interviewer] I have
one last question for you. Now you seem to have so much. You have a husband, you have children, it seems as though you don't need to worry about the Washingtons, but would you ever feel regret? What if you lost everything that you have, do you think that you
still would have ran? What of family? - I have no regrets. If I had it all to do over again, I would. I would make every choice once again. I have no regrets in my choice to find absolute freedom for myself and I'll do whatever it takes to keep my children in that way. I think the only regret I have is the things that I could not do. At the passing of Lady Washington, you know, that was the time
that I was to be given as a gift to her granddaughter and I
have since heard word that friends have brought word to
me that my youngest sister, Delphia, she has now been
given as that gift to Elisa. I have no regrets for
finding freedom for myself. I only regret that I
could not find freedom for others as well. - [Interviewer] Well Mrs. Staines, we thank you so much for
joining us here today. Your story, it's a fascinating
one, it's an amazing one. We thank you for hearing it from your own words and your own heart. Thank you. - Thank you.
