True, slave patrols did search for runaway slaves in the countryside. These patrols and bounty hunters were particularly active in the South, while in the North, communities and laws increasingly resisted such efforts.
True, slave patrols did roam the countryside in search of runaway slaves, especially in the southern United States.
Slave patrols were established in the American South to maintain the economic order and to assist the recovery of property, namely runaway slaves. The patrols enforced discipline on slaves who were seen outside of plantations without passes, and they hunted down and returned runaway slaves to their owners. In the northern communities, however, blacks and whites worked together forming vigilance committees and passing "personal liberty laws" to obstruct the efforts of slave catchers and protect runaways. Fugitive slaves often sought freedom in Canada to escape capture. Federal marshals and bounty hunters pursued escapees, and laws like the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 even compelled citizens to participate in the re-capture of fugitive slaves, leading to tension and resistance in the North.
The presence of slave patrols and the relentless efforts to recapture runaway slaves highlight the harsh reality of slavery and the complex socio-political environment leading up to the American Civil War.