No, they weren't gullible. They had their beliefs and motives, and others had their beliefs and motives. In the end the only thing that counted was that the slaves were freed.
BTW, some of them had been convicted under the Runaway Slave Act before the Civil War, so their motives are pretty clear wouldn't you think?
BTW, some of them had been convicted under the Runaway Slave Act before the Civil War, so their motives are pretty clear wouldn't you think? Actually, yes, very commendable. But freeing slaves was not Abe Lincoln's top priority, and his methods were unconstitutional, to say the least.