▁a ▁plant ation ▁owned ▁by ▁Sau nd ers ▁Griff in ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sh ore ▁of ▁Maryland . ▁Peter ▁and ▁his ▁el dest ▁brother ▁Le vin ▁Jr . ▁were ▁sold ▁by ▁their ▁owner ▁at ▁ages ▁eight ▁and ▁six ▁respectively , ▁shortly ▁after ▁their ▁mother ▁had ▁fled ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁time . ▁After ▁many ▁years ▁in ▁Kentucky , ▁the ▁brothers ▁were ▁eventually ▁sold ▁to ▁various ▁slave - own ing ▁families ▁in ▁Florence ▁and ▁T usc umb ia , ▁Alabama . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁that ▁Peter ▁met ▁and ▁married ▁Lav in ia ▁( V ina ) ▁S isson , ▁a ▁household ▁slave ▁from ▁a ▁nearby ▁plant ation , ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 8 2 6 . ▁Peter ' s ▁brother ▁Le vin ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁leaving ▁Peter ▁without ▁a ▁living ▁tie ▁to ▁his ▁family . ▁Through ▁a ▁ver bal ▁arrangement ▁with ▁his ▁last ▁own ers , ▁Joseph ▁and ▁Isaac ▁Fried man , ▁Peter ▁secured ▁his ▁man um ission ▁for ▁$ 5 0 0 ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁Short ly ▁there after , ▁Peter ▁arrived ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁where ▁he ▁ser end ip it ously ▁met ▁his ▁young est ▁brother ▁William ▁Still , ▁then ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁cl erk ▁at ▁the ▁Anti - S la very ▁Office . ▁Through ▁his ▁own ▁efforts , ▁and ▁those ▁of ▁his ▁family , ▁friends , ▁and ▁supp or ters , ▁Peter ▁was ▁eventually ▁reun ited ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁V ina ▁and ▁children ▁Peter , ▁Le vin ,