Frederick Douglass for Kids Page 10
From the collection of the Rochester Public Library Local History Division
Frederick Douglass was well aware of how the South already employed slaves to supply the Confederate army. The slave, Douglass explained, “was not only the stomach of the rebellion, by supplying its commissary department, but he built its forts, dug its entrenchments, and performed other duties of the camp which left the rebel soldier more free to fight the loyal army than he could otherwise have been.”
Douglass approved of Lincoln’s policy to enlist 50,000 African Americans for building fortifications, scouting, and foraging. “At last, the truth began to dawn up on the administration that the Negro might be made useful to loyalty, as well as to treason, to the Union as well as to the Confederacy,” Douglass said. And with this small step forward, Frederick Douglass stepped up the pressure to lobby Lincoln to free all slaves and raise troops of African American soldiers.
The Summer of Change
Both sides of the Civil War experienced horrible and devastating losses on battlefields. But now the Union army had a new problem. Everywhere they marched deeper and deeper into the South, African Americans escaped and joined Union lines, many bringing along their entire families. Others joined the tide to search for family members who had been sold.
The Native Guards
Also known as the Corps d’Afrique, the 1st Regiment Louisiana Native Guards (many of them free wealthy landowners) organized to protect their lands in rebel territory. When Union forces overtook New Orleans, the Native Guards joined the Union and fought bravely in major battles of the war. The regiment’s famous captain, André Cailloux, and its line officers were African American. Many of these soldiers had ancestors who fought in the War of 1812.
Native Guards attack the Confederate defensive at Port Hudson. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-133081
Frederick Douglass had a solution to this problem: free the slave and enlist him to fight! Various Union generals agreed.
When Union troops took over the South Carolina Sea Islands, white plantation owners ran off, leaving thousands of slaves behind. Evaluating the situation, General Hunter announced freedom for all slaves who joined his Union troops. Frederick Douglass heartily supported this policy. “Many and grievous disasters on flood and field were needed to educate the loyal nation and President Lincoln up to the realization of the necessity, not to say justice, of this position, and many devices, intermediate steps, and makeshifts were suggested to smooth the way to the ultimate policy of freeing the slave, and arming the freedman.”
“The arm of the slave was the best defense against the arm of the slaveholder,” —Frederick Douglass
Even President Lincoln began to see the practicality and necessity of offering freedom to the slaves. Not only would this cut the Confederate army’s labor force, but it would provide much-needed laborers for the Union army and, as Lincoln finally conceded, much-needed troops.
In September 1862 President Lincoln declared he would issue the Emancipation Proclamation on the upcoming New Year’s Day. Frederick Douglass and fellow abolitionists rejoiced. Plans were made to celebrate the joyous news.
CARRY A CIVIL WAR HAVERSACK
During the Civil War, soldiers were issued a haversack, or type ofbag, to carry their rations in. The haversack could hold about three days of rations, or food supplies. The Union gave each soldier a waterproof haversack made of tar-covered canvas as part of his uniform. Soldiers in the Confederate army usually had to make their own and sewed theirs from heavy fabric.
If you want your haversack to appear waterproof, paint the finished haversack with black glossy acrylic fabric paint.
Materials
½ yard white cotton duck fabric
Ruler
Fabric scissors
Pencil
Safety pins or straight pins
White thread
Sewing machine
Black glossy acrylic fabric paint and paint supplies (optional)
Adult supervision required
Cut a 14 x 33-inch rectangle from the heavy fabric for the body of the haversack. Then cut a 5 x 44-inch strip to form the strap.
To form the flap on the haversack, measure down the long side 7 inches from one corner and draw a dot. Measure and draw a matching dot on the opposite side. Across the top, measure to the middle (7 inches) and draw a dot. Fold the fabric over to the middle from both corners to form the flap (from dot to dot) and pin it in place. Sew along the fold, ½ inch from the edge of the flap. Trim off the excess fabric.
Along the bottom 14-inch edge, fold up 1 inch of fabric and sew along the fold, ½ inch from the edge.
To form the strap, fold over ½ inch from both edges of the long sides, pinning in place. Then fold the piece in half with the raw edges inside. Stitch the entire length of the strap, close to the folded edges.
Lay the body of the haversack on a table with the unfinished edges underneath (right side facing up). Position one end of the strap 1 inch below the dot on the right side. Position the other end of the strap 1 inch below the dot on the left side. Check that the strap is not twisted but will lie flat when done.
Fold up the bottom of the haversack, right sides together, and sandwich the edges of the straps in between the front and back layers. Stitch up both sides of the haversack, going back and forth over the top edge to reinforce the opening.
Turn the haversack right side out. Fold over the flap to close it. Wear the haversack over your shoulder so it won’t fall off while you’re walking.
Susie King Taylor (1842-1912)
Anurse and laundress for the 1st South Carolina Volunteers (later to become known as the 33rd USCT), Susie King Taylor wrote an autobiography about her experiences, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp. Taylor’s husband served in the Union army. Along with her duties caring for the wounded and sick, Susie King Taylor also taught many soldiers to read.
Courtesy of Documenting the American South, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries
A Grand and Glorious Celebration
On New Year’s Day, 1863, Frederick Douglass was in Boston. A large crowd gathered throughout the entire day at Tremont Temple to await the news. Another crowd of similar size gathered nearby at Music Hall. Would President Lincoln actually issue the Emancipation Proclamation?
Douglass hurried through the cold, chilly air to join fellow abolitionists at Tremont Temple. Once there, he found William C. Nell, William Wells Brown, and other friends. Short speeches were made, including those by Brown and Douglass. Nobody felt like speaking, however. All were eager for news from the White House.
The clock ticked on into the evening. Darkness fell. Eight o’clock. Nine o’clock. Douglass took a deep breath. He worried. “Every moment of waiting chilled our hopes, and strengthened our fears,” he admitted. And still the clock ticked on with no word from Washington. Ten o’clock came and went. The evening soon would be over. Douglass wrestled with feelings of agony. Would Lincoln be true to his word? Would he actually emancipate the slaves? “We were waiting and listening as for a bolt from the sky, which should rend the fetters of four millions of slaves; we were watching, as it were, by the dim light of the stars, for the dawn of a new day; we were longing for the answer to the agonizing prayers of centuries.”
Suddenly a man pushed his way through the crowd. Time froze. Douglass never forgot the moment. “With a face fairly illumined with the news he bore,” Douglass shared, he “exclaimed in tones that thrilled all hearts, ‘It is coming! It is on the wires!!’”
Shouts of joy filled the air. Men and women, black and white, broke down in sobs, tears shining on their glad faces. Douglass and his friends rejoiced. The celebration was so exuberant that no one was ready to leave by midnight when the hall closed. The celebration moved down the street to continue at Twelfth Baptist Church, the largest black church in Boston. As the new day dawned, the voices of the multitude rang out with joy. “It was one of the most affecting and thrilling occasions I
ever witnessed,” Frederick Douglass rejoiced. The slave was now free!
The first of January, 1863, was a memorable day in the progress of American liberty and civilization. It was the turning-point in the conflict between freedom and slavery.” —Frederick Douglass
Celebrations took place all over the North and wherever Union troops were stationed in the South. In her diary, Charlotte Forten (Grimké) wrote about the festivities that took place near Beaufort, South Carolina, where she volunteered as a teacher to the newly freed slaves on the South Carolina Sea Islands. Forten described New Year’s Day 1863 as “the most glorious day this nation as yet seen.” She observed with great pride the black soldiers ready to defend the Union and joined in singing the “John Brown Song.” At the end of this special ceremony, African Americans in the crowd, most of them recently freed from slavery, spontaneously burst forth singing, “My Country ’Tis of Thee.” Everyone was moved deeply at the significance of this moment.
Recruit!
With the authorization to raise African American regiments, Frederick Douglass took a position with the government as a recruiting agent. He traveled throughout the northern states signing up recruitments for the Massachusetts 54th and 55th Volunteers. His two sons, Charles and Lewis, were the first men to enlist from the state of New York.
The 1st South Carolina Volunteers receive the Stars and Stripes at the Emancipation Day celebration on Smith’s plantation, Port Royal, South Carolina. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-88808
Charlotte Forten (Grimké) (1837-1914)
Born into a wealthy family of free blacks from Philadelphia, Charlotte Forten was the granddaughter of famous abolitionist, inventor, and businessman James Forten, beloved niece of Robert Purvis, and cousin of leading physician Charles Burleigh Purvis. As a young woman, she traveled to the South Carolina Sea Islands during the Civil War where she volunteered to teach newly freed slaves. Her diary of this experience reveals a unique perspective of the war. Years later, she and her husband, Francis J. Grimké, were friends with Frederick Douglass and his family.
Courtesy of Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University
“JOHN BROWN SONG”
The “John Brown Song” was one of the Union’s favorite songs. Wherever they marched, black troops could be heard jubilantly singing the tune. When Charleston fell, the Massachusetts 54th and 55th were the first Union troops to march into the city and entered singing the “John Brown Song.” Soldiers often added lyrics to the tune, a familiar hymn of the day. Julia Ward Howe wrote new words to accompany the melody, which became the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
To hear one version of this famous song, visit the Library of Congress website at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/
loc.natlib.ihas.100010565/default.html. On the left of the page, click on the link to listen to one of the Audio Formats on your computer.
Now it’s your turn to sing this song.
John Brown’s body lies a mouldering in the grave.
(Sing three times.)
His soul’s marching on!
Chorus:
Glory Hally, Hallelujah! (Sing three times.)
His soul’s marching on!
He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of our Lord.
(Sing three times.)
His soul’s marching on!
Chorus
John Brown’s knapsack is strapped upon his back.
(Sing three times.)
His soul’s marahing on!
Chorus
His pet lambs will meet him on the way. (Sing three times.)
They go marching on!
Chorus
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union! (Sing three times.)
As we are marching on!
Chorus
Hip, hip, hip, hip Hurrah!
Try writing new verses to tell about the brave soldiers who fought to bring an end to slavery. Or sing about the men and women who worked behind the battle lines, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. Write down your lyrics and share the song with your friends.
Other recruiting agents included Douglass’s friends Martin R. Delany, William Wells Brown, and Mary Ann Shadd Cary. Delany, who had worked with Douglass years before to publish the North Star, had a son in the Massachusetts 54th as well. Toussaint L’Ouverture Delany and Lewis Douglass both fought valiantly in the heroic assault on Fort Wagner—and lived to tell about it.
Frederick Douglass’s pride in all the black soldiers was immense. “The 54th was not long in the field,” Douglass said, “before it proved itself gallant and strong, worthy to rank with the most courageous of its white companions in arms. Its assault upon Fort Wagner, in which it was so fearfully cut to pieces, and lost nearly half its officers, including its beloved and trusted commander, Col. Shaw, at once gave it a name and a fame throughout the country. In that terrible battle, under the wing of night, more cavils in respect of the quality of Negro manhood were set at rest than could have been during a century of ordinary life and observation.”
When Sergeant Major Lewis Douglass fought in the assault on Fort Wagner, he reached the parapet and shouted, “Come, boys, come, let’s fight for God and Governor Andrew!” As retreat became essential, Douglass was the last to leave the parapet to return to safety.
Sergeant William Carney seized the flag and carried it bravely through the assault on Fort Wagner in spite of serious wounds. He received the Medal of Honor for his heroism.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-118558
Mary Ann Shadd Cary (1823-1893)
Born into a family of abolitionists, Mary Ann Shadd Cary carried the antislavery torch into the next generation. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, she relocated to Canada, where she helped publish the antislavery newspaper the Provincial Freeman before moving back to the United States. Along with Frederick Douglass, Mary Ann Shadd Cary helped recruit black troops during the Civil War.
Image Courtesy of Documenting the American South, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries
CIVIL WAR TIME LINE
1861
April • Confederacy attacks Fort Sumter.
May • Frederick Douglass rallies two-fold cry: “Immediate emancipation and enlist black troops!”
Spring • Confederacy uses slaves for noncombat duties.
• African American leaders in New York offer to organize and finance black regiments.
• African American leaders in Philadelphia form two black regiments.
• Jacob Dodson and 300 free blacks volunteer in Washington, DC. Similar offers pour in from free blacks across the North.
• Offers to raise black troops are denied by the government.
July • After the cargo ship S.J. Waring is captured by Confederates, navy hero William Tillman takes over and sails the ship back to Union lines.
Summer • African Americans serve the Union in noncombat duties.
• Union Navy enlists free blacks as cooks and assistant gunners.
• Frederick Douglass pressures Lincoln to emancipate all slaves and enlist black troops.
August • General Frémont in Missouri issues statement that all slaves joining the Union army will be declared free. Lincoln opposes the statement.
Fall • At Fort Monroe, Virginia, General Butler announces that slaves escaping to Union lines are “contrabands of war” and won’t be returned to owners.
• Slaves escape to Fort Monroe. Contraband camps form wherever Union troops advance.
Union soldier from Company B, 103rd Regiment, wearing forage cap. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-ppmsca-26988
1862
April • Union army takes New Orleans. Native Guard, the elite regiment of free blacks, offers to fight. By November, three infantry regiments and one regiment of heavy artillery are organized, including 75 African American officers.
Spring • Robert Smalls kidnaps the Confederate steamboat Planter and pilots her to Union
forces.
• General Hunter declares all slaves free who join his troops
• Union Navy enlists contrabands to serve in all roles.
• Massachusetts governor sends Harriet Tubman to Hilton Head, South Carolina, as a nurse. Tubman leads a spy network from South Carolina to Florida.
• General Hunter organizes the First South Carolina Volunteers.
Summer • Susie King Taylor joins the First South Carolina Volunteers as a nurse and laundress, remaining until the end of the war.
• Confederacy passes law to kill black Union soldiers or their white officers if captured.
• Black regiment First Kansas Volunteers organizes.
October • First Kansas Volunteers engage in battle near Butler, Missouri.
Robert Smalls and the gunboat Planter. Courtesy of the ‘Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-89569
Guarding the cannon at City Point, Virginia. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-DIG-cwpb-01982