JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
With apologies to 18th Virginia whose thread on the topic was excellent, came across the original, 1864 article inside the pages of Harper's Weekly on a story which shocked the nation. ' Uncle Tom's Cabin ' had primed those disposed to viewing slavery as barbaric towards viewing the practice with complete and utter horror. This story brought fresh converts and sealed its fate. Not ' only ' white children, enslaved. These children had fathers who knew the children lived as they did while he enjoyed opulence of a world far removed. It was shattering as a revelation- and incredibly effective.
The children and newly freed adults, all with horrific stories brought North with them were photographed, their stories widely spread. Our family has two of these photographs- in one, a child, Fannie Lawrence is laying her head in Catherine Lawrence's lap. Fannie was part of a different group, same genre, the light skinned enslaved child illustrating how children are all the same. It worked.
Harper's Weekly, January 30, 1864