This was a great example for the point that the author is trying to make. The fact that after all that effort, Ruggles was only able to free 2 out of 5 enslaved men is apropos. His victory was incomplete, incremental at best, and nearly got him enslaved again as well, but it was still a victory and it counted, especially for the two men that did get their freedom.
Shout-out to a grindset abolitionist!