Seeking Old Charley

Susan Peck and Old Charley

Susan Peck Gobel, 1843-1919

In a white clapboard house, a young girl and an older man created music together. The girl’s sister captured the moment in a painting.

The artist, Susan Peck, was the ninth child of Sheldon and Harriet Peck. She inherited her father’s artistic talent.  Susan Peck painted her sister Abigail and Old Charley in 1856 when she was just 13 years old.

When looking at the painting (See Abigail and Old Charley are standing close together.) It was highly unusual to see a Black person and a White person to be depicted as equal status in art at this time period. The existence of this painting gives us insights into Susan Peck’s views on racial equality.

Old Charley by Susan Peck, 1856, Oil on Canvas, On Loan to the Lombard Historical Society from Sandy Schroeder.

This is because in 1850 chattel slavery was still legal and the Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress. The Act was one of the most controversial elements of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a "slave power conspiracy". It required that all escaped slaves, upon capture, be returned to their masters and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Bill," for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves was legal. During this time.

What do we know about Old Charley?

Frank Peck, c. 1920s.

Old Charley was a Freedom Seeker who escaped from Missouri. He spent time with the family. Sheldon Peck’s youngest son Frank mentions Charley many times in his diary. He includes the musing of a young boy who has yet to be indoctrinated into the dichotomy of black and white, who instead wonders if he simply rubs Charley’s skin if they will be the same color.

Though we had documentation about Old Charley recently we were loaned new documents from the Peck family and now know a bit more about him and his time at the Peck Homestead. Not only did Old Charley live with the Pecks long enough to be memorialized in Susan’s painting and leave a lasting impression on young Frank. From these new documents, we know Old Charley attended school with the children and learned to read and write. He would go on to enlist in the Union Army late in the war effort.

June 6, 1930
Freedom by Frank Peck
Charlie was a fugitive slave as black as the stove pipe on the outside and but as white as snow on the inside. When I was scarcely more than a babe I sat on his knee and sang his plantation songs with him. He staid (sic) with my parents till the war for freedom commence between the north and south then he was amonge (sic) the first to inlist (sic) to help free his race from bondage. While with us he took lessons in all our schools studies learning to read write and various other studies. Burning the midnight oil in the chamber underneath the rafters after his days work was finished in the field He also took up drawing and painting lessons from my father as he was an artest (sic) and he became quite efficient.

Such a character was hard to find. He was true blue. After he went we never heard from him again. He was probably buried on the battle field while fighting to free his people. This is Freedom though it costs a life.

Could there be a greater Slave than a man adicted (sic) to the use of strong drinks or a more cruel master than rum.

Respectfully,
Frank H. Peck
Age 77
June 6, 1930

Seeking Old Charley

Because of Frank Peck’s diaries, we used those details to help us seek Old Charley. In 2018, Lombard Historical Society was awarded a grant from the Association for the Studies and African American Life and History to conduct research to determine the identity of Old Charlie and what his life was like after leaving the Peck’s company.  

Researching members of the Underground Railroad is difficult. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, any Freedom Seeker in the North was sent back, and any person assisting them was charged a $1,000 fine in the 1850s money. This meant people were not explicit in their movements, so as to keep the people who they were helping safe.

Through our research, we have determined there are several “Charleys” who could have been the man who stayed at the Peck Homestead.  

One is from the Quincy, Illinois area. This Charlie is a clear leader and once he escapes his master goes back to seek his wife who remained in slavery along with others and lead them to freedom. Descriptions of his mannerism match the descriptions of Old Charley in Lombard. This Charlie also would have been the same age and escaped in the same time period as Old Charley making him a strong candidate.

MEMBERS OF THE GUARD OF THE 107TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, U.S. COLORED TROOPS, AT FORT CORCORAN, WASHINGTON, D.C. (LC)

When doing our research, we also looked at military records. We know Old Charley enlisted and the military did keep records about the Colored enlisted men. For some “Charleys” this is the only records we have been able to find on them. Though they cannot all be our Old Charley that we are seeking, their stories are still important.

As Historians, it is sobering to know these are people whose stories have been lost simply because they were deemed less. This is why the Lombard Historical Society took on this research and continue to work on being a resource for Underground Railroad research.

This is not the end of our project or research. This project produced a 30-page report and features the following conclusion:

There is not a definitive link with Old Charley from Babcock’s Grove and any of the Charlies found throughout Illinois. We are better able to help identify who he is not. We do not believe he is Old Free Charlie Wilson, Charlie Fisher, or Charles Green. It seems there are similarities in the stories from western Illinois, except with regard to Dr. Eells. The research changed our outlook on what we expected to find; we were looking for one person and found many voices with a common name. The work has been gratifying to share stories of “Charlie” in Illinois and realize that the stories provide an identity for many that were forgotten or erased. Seeking Charlie is just the beginning of the story.

 To read the full report or to learn more about the project click here or to learn more about the Underground Railroad and the ties to Lombard click here.