Washington D. C.

Nov. 10th 1879

Dear Sir:

My failure to reach Sing Sing on the third November was due to the fact that I had to travel that day from Oswego—and the train by which I came, and the only one by which I could come, did not and could not be prevailed upon either to stop or slacken speed so that I could jump off. I reached Sing Sing in good time and besought the Conductor to reduce speed but he would not. He said it would violate an expressed order to do so. I would have gladly jumped off—but at the high rate of speed at which the train was moving—it would have been reckless to make any such an attempt.

I very much regretted the disappointment and would have explained it had I thought the facts were not known.

Respectfully yours

Fredk Douglass.