NORFOLK, Va. — The year was 1854. Local waterways were filled with ships, transporting precious cargo to ports in the North.
Alongside the bushels of tobacco and cotton were escaped slaves, covertly traveling the waterways to freedom.
Their conductor on the Underground Railroad was a fellow slave named Henry Lewey.
Under the pseudonym “Bluebeard,” he was renowned for his prowess in hiding freedom seekers in ships leaving Norfolk bound for free states.
By 1856 his work had gained too much attention, and officials began to suspect that the infamous “Bluebeard” and Henry Lewey were the same.
With the slaveholders closing in, Lewey sent his wife north first, following a few months later.
After a perilous journey, the two reunited to live in freedom for the next 50 years.