Enslavement to
freedom
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William Fisher Family in Carlisle
From Judy W., February 18, 2006
I have documentation of a baptism record book
from a Silver Springs Presbyterian Church in
Mechanicsburg of a baptism dated Oct. 21, 1821 for a
William Fisher "man of colour". I believe this man to
be my ggg-grandfather. His son, also William Fisher,
my gg-grandfather, was on the 1850 census in Carlisle,
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, with a wife Harriet
and a one-year-old daughter, Mary. I know by
1860 this young family had moved to Pittsburgh,
however I believe my ggg-grandfather and some other
Fisher sons remained in Carlisle. How would I be able
to gain some historical insight as to what might have
become of them? Any suggestions for African
American research in Carlisle would be greatly
appreciated . Sincerely, Judy W.
J. A. Williams, Posted February 19, 2006.
Editor's reply: The threat of invasion by
Confederate troops disrupted many long time African
American families in this area. Many relocated
farther north, particularly after the invasions of
1862 and 1863. George Fisher, a farmer from
Carlisle, enlisted to fight in the war, joining
Company D of the legendary 54th Massachusetts Infantry
in March 1863. Some possible resources on free
African American families and history are:
Alosi, John. Shadow of Freedom: Slavery in
Post-Revolutionary Cumberland County, 1780 1810.
Shippensburg, PA: Shippensburg University Press,
2001.
Also check the vast resources of the Cumberland
County Historical Society, in Carlisle.