GDG- Another few cents on the New Museum...

[jack]

Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


One last problem, then I'll rest for the evening.  In the gallery
immediately preceding the "battle" segment, containing the cavalry
trooper, there is a photo of Jack Hopkins, another of Pete's characters
and a subject not only in his Gettysburg magazine article, but also a
more recent article in the Adams County Historical Journal.  I don't
have the journal in front of me right now, so I can't be 100% certain
that Pete doesn't say this as well, but the exhibit claims that Hopkins
helped spirit away dozens of fugitive slaves on the underground
railroad.  This seems like it would be something that would stick out at
me from my readings on Hopkins, and something I would have included in
my college campus tour pamphlet.  Does anyone have a clue what the
park's source might be on this claim?  -John RudyJohn,



I attended a talk about Hopkins at the HACC a few yeas ago. John "Jck 
Hopkins" became one of my real f Gettysburg, surpassing Lee, Chamberlain 
whomever.
Hopkins was a freedom fighter before the term was coined.
John "Jack" Hopkins, janitor at Gettysburg College, worked closely with 
Thaddeus Stevens and a secret fraternity known as the "Black Ducks", or BD's 
to help runaway slaves passing through Gettysburg. They constructed a man 
made cave on culps hill out of two slabs of parallel standing stone. It is 
still there today, never incorporated into the uster. Hopkins was the 
connection between the balck community and tgese left wing students of the 
day. When Hopkins brought a fugititive through, a few of the ducks would 
distract the Southern students, often by rolling cannonballs up and down the 
hallways. Others would lead the escaped slaves up to the man made cave or 
other places of refuge. It was the sort of ad hoc arrangement that typified 
the underground railroad.

Hopkins was a storied citizen of Gettysburg, despite his supposed low status 
as originally a free dman. When  Hopkins retired, he invited a lot of 
townsmen to a party at his house. It was a mark of status to be invited. The 
crowd was so large that the dancers danced out of the house and around the 
block. He was revered in his day.

The house is still there at 219 Washington street, down from the hospital. 
There is an interpretive sign outside.

It marks the house. Because the house is outside of  he park, the town does 
the interpretation. Not wanting to disturd any of the followers of the Lost 
Cause Mythos, it does not even touch on slavery, let alone the bravery of 
Hopkins or hie heroic efforts. It makes him seem like part of the janitors 
hall of fame.



I'm hoping that the new VC, in some hiddeen cranny or obscure pamphlet, at 
least talks about Jack hopkins and the BLACK DUCKS.