The Choptank River was deeply entwined with the history of slavery and freedom on the Eastern Shore. Enslaved people arrived by boat for auction and left the dock in the hands of new owners. At wharves like this one, black watermen played an important role in networks of freedom by bringing news, passing gossip, and sometimes whispering advice about the prospects for escape. Crossing the river was always dangerous for people fleeing slavery because few could swim, the currents were strong, bridges were tempting but usually tended, and dogs and slave catchers could corner escapees at the water’s edge. Freedom seekers often improved their chances by stealing away by water. After abolitionist Hugh Haziett was arrested for helping enslaved people escape, he was taken from the Caroline County jail downriver to trial in Cambridge, where an angry mob greeted his arrival. Moses Viney used two fence posts for oars and rowed a stolen canoe to freedom, eventually reaching Schenectady, New York, where he worked for Union College and owned several buildings downtown.