when the civil war broke out her position became very unpleasant, and with another northern girl she fled by night during the summer of 1862, and was guided north by friendly negroes. afterwards she became a church singer and was engaged in henry ward beecher's church at brooklyn, where a special throne-like seat was erected for her. in 1868, she came to europe for further training; she sang at darlington in handel's "messiah" on 17 december, and elsewhere, taking some lessons under w. h. cummings in london before proceeding to germany.