Caroline Ross

Caroline Ross was an enslaved woman on a Tennessee farm, the wife of Henry Ross and the mother of William. The family suffered under the enslaver's cruel son Nathan, who tore up a hard-earned pass and had William sold away to Mississippi. Rather than lose everything, Caroline and Henry fled north by night, following the North Star along the Underground Railroad. They hoped to reunite with William at Cabin Creek, a free community across the Ohio River. Caroline nearly drowned when the frozen river gave way beneath her, and later hid behind a false wall while Nathan searched for them. She was steadfast and devoted to her family through every danger. She died of pneumonia during the flight toward Canada, urging Henry with her last words to find their son.