When Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Laws in 1793 and 1850, it allowed federal marshals to arrest slaves that had escaped to the North and take them back to their southern owners, as well as, arrest northerners suspected of aiding runaway slaves.
Meanwhile, White’s owner was on his heels; he came to town in April 1857 with federal marshals.
White was informed that John C. Elliot (a federal marshal) and his men were coming to arrest him.
As the marshals attempted to take White and Hyde for violating the Fugitive Slave Law, Hyde’s daughter ran to town and brought back residents with pitchforks and shovels to fight the marshals.
Meanwhile, locals Charles Taylor, Edward Taylor, Russell Hyde, and Hiram Gutridge were arrested without a warrant by the marshals but they were confronted by a large number of Champaign County citizens on horseback demanding the freedom of their neighbors.
