John W. Jones (1817-1900), a courageous stationmaster of the Underground Railroad in Elmira, escaped from slavery in Virginia and made the dangerous 300-mile journey to freedom, arriving in Elmira in 1844. Working with local abolitionists, he guided over 800 freedom seekers toward the Canadian border by befriending local train conductors and baggage handlers and securing their assistance; the 4 a.m. train was used so often it became known as the Freedom Baggage Car. A man of great character and compassion, Jones later served as sexton of Woodlawn Cemetery, where during the Civil War he supervised the burial of nearly 3,000 Confederate soldiers who died in the Elmira Prison Camp. He buried with dignity the men who had fought to keep him enslaved and carefully recorded their personal information, and Woodlawn National Cemetery was created from his accurate burial records.