Frank Padget: The Heroic Slave

I want to share one more story before we return to the series concerning Our Ancestors of Adams County, Ohio. This story concerns a slave known as Frank Padget. The incident occurred near the town of Glasgow, Virginia in January 1854. At that time, a canal system was located near Glasgow. Vessels that traveled up and down the canals faced little obstruction except the large stone locks that raised and lowered the water level for the boat’s passage. The Bateaux (a light flat bottom riverboat) however must face the dangerous and sometimes violent rapids of the Balcony Falls Gorge. The area had received large amounts of rain that winter which had elevated the North and James rivers. However, they hadn’t become dangerously high until the twenty-first of the month when a sudden overflow of the upper North River swelled the stream causing severe turbulence where the rivers merge to enter the gap.

On that day, the canal boat Clinton, with Captain William Wood in command, approached the upper end of the gorge carrying 40 railroad construction workers, four gentlemen passengers and a five-man crew. It emerged from the canal on the east side of the river and started the slow trip across the open waters toward the entrance of the Buchanan Canal to the west. Somewhere about midway through the crossing, the tow rope broke and the Clinton drifted toward the gap.

Panic struck the passengers and seven jumped overboard. Four of these men reached shore. Capt. Wood was able to align his boat with the current until he and five others were able to jump ship and land on a large flat rock.

On shore was a large crowd of men and women watching in agony as the events unfolded. Several men prepared to launch rescue boats. By popular request, Frank Padget, a slave and an experienced and skilled river man, agreed to take charge of the rescue operation. He selected two other slaves, known as Bob and Sam. He also welcomed the volunteer services of two canal employees.

With Frank steering the rescue boat it shoved off. Reaching the flat rock where Capt. Wood and five others were stranded. They were able to throw them a rescue line and pull them to safety and quickly headed back to shore.

The Clinton meanwhile traveled downstream and had become lodged on the side of a small island which held it fast. Frank and his volunteers shoved off from shore to try another rescue attempt. One of the passengers remaining on the Clinton had leaped onto a rock but Frank was unable to rescue him at this time. The packet boat was able to reach the Clinton and was able to take the rest of the passengers back to shore safely.

Again, Frank and his helpers launch the packet boat to attempt to rescue the man left on the rock. They reached the rock and the man jumped on board, but the craft collided with the boulder and broke into two large parts. Three of the six men scrambled to safety on the rock. Bob, the slave, was able to hang onto the stern oar and made it safely to shore some distance downriver. Frank and the man he was sent to rescue were thrown into the river which became their common grave. The rest of the men

who were on the rock were rescued the following morning. Out of a total of 49 men, three men drowned when they jumped overboard, but Frank and his helpers were able to save all the rest but one and Frank himself. There is a marker commemorating Frank’s heroic feat close to the site on which it occurred.

In that time when most white people thought that the colored race was slow of thought and needed their constant supervision, I think Frank Padget showed skill, leadership, stamina and bravery. He gave his life for his fellow man. What greater honor can there be? I do not know if he had a family, but I would certainly like to salute and honor him for what he did. Mr. Frank Padget, you stand tall among men and will receive your reward in heaven.