Good luck go with him!

[SWMODave]

Unidentified Boy in Union dress
- not related to story
​

Dec 22 (1861) - I have had quite time of it today over our contraband, Jimmy. His master came to camp about noon. I didn't go on battalion drill after dinner, but remained in my quarters, expecting he would be noting around. About 2 o'clock the boy came into my tent frightened terribly, saying he had seen his master. I told him he shouldn't be taken back, and to make him easy I thought it would be well enough for him to go into one of the Company tents and hide; so he started, but jumped back just as he got to the door of my tent, exclaiming " Lord I my master's comin' right heah !" I pushed him into our bed room tent, right in the rear, and pulled down the cloth door.

Sure enough, in stepped his master and another scoundrel. " I lost a n----r boy, and think your company brought him here from the bridge." I replied that I knew nothing of the matter at all, and invited them to leave the tent, which they did. I stepped out after them and inquired by whose authority he came to my quarters on such a mission. He said, on the authority of my Colonel I told him to show it. He pointed to an orderly, and said the Colonel sent him with them. The orderly said he came merely to show them where Co. F's quarters were. At this I told them they might go down the company street and see if they could see their " n-----r," but they couldn't go into any of the tents, and after they were through they were not to set foot in our quarters again. So they went off.

After they had gone I went to the Colonel and had a long and animated conversation with him. "Have you got the negro in your quarters?" he asked. "Yes, I have." "Well," said he, "you know the orders - we're bound to turn such persons out of the lines." I replied, "you may court-martial me, but I will not let that fellow have the boy." "There's no use making such declarations," said the Colonel, "they only show that you have no respect for your superior officer."

I got up from my seat and said : Col M, I entertain for you the highest regard and esteem, even affection, both as a man and an officer; but I tell you I will lose my commission today sooner than return that boy to his master. He shall not have him. I hate a slave catcher." "Just keep cool," replied the Colonel, "and wait till you get orders to give the negro up to his master. Turning him out of the picket line is not returning him to his master. I don't propose any more than you do to turn n----r catcher for anybody, but I will obey orders, and so must you." There the interview ended. What will come of it I don't know. The whole Regiment are on my side, and the Col. has too much sense and too much humanity to permit the negro to be caught.

Dec. 29th. (1861) - My difference with the Colonel has been "amicably adjusted." We had a long talk afterwards, and I had "Jimmy" go with the boys on picket, with instructions to turn him outside the lines. As nothing was said about his staying out, he came right in again, and is in camp now all right, cooking for our mess. I do not anticipate any further trouble over the affair….

Jan 28th. (1862) - Our contraband has left us. Jimmy same with us to Cairo, and was well pleased to get so far away from his master. But all was not lovely for persons of his color and condition. A rumor was rife that all slaves found with the troops who came down river were to be turned out of camp. It appeared to be so well authenticated that we concluded it would be better for Jimmy to go.

So we raised him a small purse, filled a haversack with provisions, rigged him out with clothing, and directed him what route to follow in going North and East. He bade us good bye, feeling very sad at parting, and started on his journey alone. I told him to make his way to Ohio, if possible, and get to Ashtabula county, where he would be safe.

Good luck go with him! We feel that we have done a good thing in rescuing one poor victim from the clutches of the slave driver.

Reminiscences of the War - Capt James H Greene Co F 8th Wisconsin, the Eagle Regiment

 

[SWMODave]

Night before last a runaway slave came to our picket line and said he had been whipped awfully by his master. The guard brought him into camp and took him before the Colonel in the morning. His master was there, too, with Halleck's order, ready to pounce on his property as soon as he should be turned out of the lines. The Colonel ordered the Lieutenant of the Guard to take him down to the railroad track and turn him outside the lines. The Lieutenant started with him, his master following, and a crowd of soldiers going along.

Just outside the pickets a sergeant of our regiment was in a canoe in the river, paddling around for amusement. In a twinkling. before anybody knew what was up, the canoe came aloft to shore, the slave made a break and rushed into it, and the sergeant struck a bee line with him for the Illinois shore. How blank his master looked! and how the crowd cheered! The fellow left in a hurry, for the boys began talking loudly of giving him a ducking in the Mississippi river. There are more ways than one of obeying " General Order No. 8.".…

Reminiscences of the War - Capt James H Greene Co F 8th Wisconsin, the Eagle Regiment

 

[John Hartwell]

The 21st was a central Massachusetts regiment, organized in Worcester in the summer of 1861. At the end of August, they were sent to Annapolis, Md., to complete their training, and were then based at the Naval Academy, with a detachment a few miles away at Annapolis Junction. So impressed was Maryland Governor Thomas Hicks with them, that he requested directly to the War Dept. that the 21st Mass. be "retained at Annapolis and the Junction because of the exemplary conduct of the men." Colonel Augustus Morse, a notably "peaceable" warrior, was delighted … the men, who found the assignment "disagreeable and tedious" were decidedly not delighted.

Regimental historian Capt. Charles Walcott relates:

We soon fell into disfavor with our friend Governor Hicks. One of his slaves had been seen to be passed by the guard into the Academy grounds, and the governor came in person to get him. Receiving no assistance from Captain Walker, the officer of the day, the governor complained to Colonel Morse, who at once summoned the captains to his headquarters: the colonel, after commenting severely on our base ingratitude to the governor, if we ran off one of his negroes after his kindness in saving us from the "red hot shells" of Fort Sumter, ordered the officer of the day to have the buildings searched until the fugitive was found. Captain Walker, however, met the emergency like a man; saying that he did not come South to hunt slaves, he tore off his sash, threw it on the floor, and told the colonel to detail another officer for that sort of duty. Every captain was in turn detailed for the duty, and each followed Captain Walker's example in refusing to undertake it. The angry governor said that he would go to General Dix, and if necessary to Washington, for redress, and left us, with the warm assurance that we should be sorry for that day's work.

Meanwhile, the innocent cause of this pleasing little episode was hidden in a chimney of one of the buildings, and escaped as soon as it was dark, in a boat which some of the men kindly stole for him in the town. Although, first and last, we ran a good many negroes out of Maryland, we had more fun out of this case than any other."​

Early in January, the 21st Mass. finally left Annapolis with Burnside's Coast Expedition, and went on to three more years of combat in both Eastern and Western Theaters. Col. Morse remained behind, taking command of the peaceful Annapolis post, which was quite as close to the "red hot shells" as he cared to be.

Charles Folsom Walcott, History of the Twenty-first Regiment Mass. Volunteers (p.11)
https://archive.org/details/historytwentyfi00walcgoog

 

[JOHN42768]

Nice outcome to those encounters

 

[WJC]

Great stories of humanity and kindness! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Lusty Murfax]

It is a good story with a happy ending. However, I was just wondering. Was the law followed in disposition of the runaway slave? I read so much here about how Union soldiers were observant of the laws and their standing orders. It would be good to hear from an authority, if there is one reading this thread.

 

[frankconrad]

Lusty
The American GI has always made things work. Very little of it is public knowledge, passed on to friends at some time.
A old friend of Mine who had a battle field Commission with the 101 Airborne told me you take care of your men first and they will take care of you, sometimes that means you have a blind eye.
We will never know how often this happened but I would lay odds that it was common.