Washington tried to get one of his slaves returned from that wider world. From The Pennsylvania Gazette of Tuesday, May 24, 1796:
Advertisement.
Absconded from the household of the President of the United States, ONEY JUDGE, a light mulatto girl, much freckled, with very black eyes and bushy hair. She is of middle stature, slender, and delicately formed, about 20 years of age.
She has many changes of good clothes, of all sorts, but they are not sufficiently recollected to be described —As there was no suspicion of her going off, nor no provocation to do so, it is not easy to conjecture whither she has gone, or fully, what her design is;— but as she may attempt to escape by water, all matters of vessels are cautioned against admitting her into them, although it is probable she will attempt to pass for a free woman, and has, it is said, wherewithal to pay her passage.
Ten dollars will be paid to any person who will bring her home, if taken in the city, or on board any vessel in the harbour;—and a reasonable additional sum if apprehended at, and brought from a greater distance, and in proportion to the distance.
FREDERICK KITT, Steward.
Towards the end of his life Washington spent a lot of energy planning how his slaves could be set free and have a way to make a living (not easy in a society dominated by slavery). His family didn’t share his sentiments. I think this runaway slave was one of Martha Washington’s personal servants and she was the one determined to get her back.
Washington not only freed all of his slaves at his death, he had them educated, which in many Southern states was a felony.