The Slaves That Freed Themselves, Part 1: The Grand Contraband Camp
Much has been written about the “Underground Railroad” which
enabled slaves to become free in the North.
But very little has been written about the slaves that escaped the
plantations by becoming “Contraband of War”.
Even less has been written about the former slaves who took up arms
against their former masters as “Volunteers of African Descent”. Follow this blog for more information on the
topic.
According to Wikipedia, “Contraband was a term commonly used
in the United States military during the American Civil War to describe a new
status for certain escaped slaves or those who affiliated with Union forces.
The Army (and the United States Congress) determined that the US would not
return escaped slaves who went to Union lines and classified them as
contraband. They used many as laborers to support Union efforts and soon began
to pay them wages. The former slaves set up camps near Union forces, and the
Army helped support and educate both adults and children among the refugees.
Thousands of men from these camps enlisted in the United States Colored Troops
when recruitment started in 1863. At war's end, more than 100 contraband camps
existed in the South, including the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island, where
3500 former slaves worked to develop a self-sufficient community.”
The Contrabands freed themselves by crossing Union
lines. The precedent was established by three
slaves, Frank Baker, James Townsend and Sheppard Mallory. These men were able to navigate a rowboat in the dark across Hampton Roads harbor from Confederate-occupied Norfolk County. They asked for sanctuary from Union officers
at Fort Monroe. When presented with the
news, General Benjamin Butler saw this as an opportunity to obtain vitally
needed laborers while granting them some measure of freedom. He refused to return the men to their former masters
to prevent their use in the Confederate war effort. The next day several more African Americans
requested asylum at Fort Monroe and the process continued until the “Grand
Contraband Camp” became a city with a population estimated between 7,000 and 10,000
people. The Hampton History Museum had a
wonderful exhibit in the Fall of 2013 on the Hampton Contraband Camp which is
featured in a Youtube video here. Fort Monroe was renamed by the Contraband
community as “Freedom’s Fortress”.
The Army and the Navy began paying the contrabands for their
labor. The U.S. Congress legitimized and
encouraged the process further with legislation. The Confiscation Act of 1861 was an act of
Congress during the early months of the American Civil War permitting court
proceedings for confiscation of any property being used to support the
Confederate independence effort, including slaves. Lincoln had to be persuaded to sign the act
because of his concern that the measure would have no practical effect since
the Union was being trounced on the battlefield and had minimal control of
Confederate territory. He was also
afraid that it might hamper efforts to enact laws for emancipation further down
the road. Leading senators of the
Abolition movement were finally able to persuade him to the sign the bill. Very few confiscations were pursued in the
courts but there were thousands of men, women and children that escaped slavery
by crossing Union lines. Stay tuned for
the next installment!