Union Army Use of Dogs in Recruiting "Volunteer" USCT

Drew

Major
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Seeing a five year-old thread bumped, alleging Confederate use of dogs against armed USCT reminded me of the Union Army's use of dogs in hunting African American men for impressment purposes.

"The authorities seemed to regard the (SC Sea) islands as an inexhaustible source of manpower. After three regiments of South Carolina 'Volunteers' were raised, few fully eligible males remained on the plantations, but the drafts continued.

"A Treasury official ...wrote (MA) Governor Andrew,

"The poor negroes are hunted like wild beasts...There is a perfect panic throughout all these islands. Old men and invalids have taken to the bush through fear of conscription...

"He could 'conceive of no greater terror and distress on the coast of Africa after a slave hunt' than what he had witnessed.

"They have been pursued and fired at by cavalry.'

"He had heard of one of the 'd---d black-hearted, black-coated pseudo Chaplain turned negro broker' who had 'tried to procure blood-hounds wherewith to hunt contrabands."

Source: Willie Lee Rose, Rehearsal for Reconstruction, Oxford Press, 1964, p. 269
 
This too should be in Four Footed Forum as the companion thread on Confederates unleashing dogs.

I guess most stuff in Four Footed about love of mascots and horses, but we must show the bitter side of use of animals.

You're right, Donna. I started this in the wrong forum. Hopefully, mods will move it where it belongs.
 
The regiment in question was the First South Carolina Volunteers, know as the "First South" to its members. It was later designated the "33rd United States Colored Troops" and saw action on several occasions, and did well. Its colonel was Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who wrote a minor classic Army Life in a Black Regiment. After Higginson was wounded, Charles T. Trowbridge became CO until the end of the war. A second regiment was raised in the Sea Islands, the Second South Carolina, commanded by James Montgomery, the "bad guy" in Glory. The 2nd was guided by Harriet Tubman on one of its expeditions.

The Treasury official in question may have not wanted the labor force depleted by the men going into the army, so his rhetoric may be a little overheated, and not accurately reflect recruitment, although Hunter was certainly very high handed.



Rose's book quoted by Drew is outstanding.
 
"Mr. Philbrick had business with Mr. Pierce, and did not come home to dinner. But he got into more business than he expected before he came back, and[32] ordering all the agents to send him in the morning all the able-bodied black men between the ages of 18 and 45, capable of bearing arms, on the plantations. There was no explanation whatsoever of the reasons for the demand, no hint of what was to be done with them, and[Pg 39] nothing but our confidence in General Hunter's friendliness to the race gave us a shadow of comfort. But that would avail little to the negroes, who would lose the confidence they are beginning to feel in white men. Yet there was but one thing for us to do, and it was with heavy, aching hearts that at midnight we separated. Companies of soldiers were to be sent from Beaufort in the night and distributed to the different plantations to prevent the negroes from taking to the woods, so that we were not surprised at being roused about two hours after by thundering knocks at the front door, echoing through all these empty rooms with a ghostly sound. This proved to be Captain Stevens again, alone, who had stopped to enquire the way to some of the other plantations he had to notify, and say that the soldiers would be here in about an hour. We had scarcely got to sleep again before we all were roused by their arrival, and eight men, a Captain and Sergeant of the New York 79th Highlanders, tramped through the house. Mr. Philbrick gave them a pail of water and some hardtack, for they had had a long walk, and then they stretched themselves on the floor of one of our empty parlors as quietly as could be, considering themselves in luxury. We slept as best we could the rest of the night, and were up early to get the soldiers their breakfast and get ready for the heart-sickening work. You never saw a more wretched set of people than sat down to our breakfast-table. I could not eat, for about the first time in my life. Nothing had been said to any one. Joe saw the soldiers on the floor when he opened the house door in the morning, and wore a sober face when we came down, but no one asked any questions,[Pg 40] and we moved about, seeing to the breakfast, trying to look as usual (and failing), getting out tobacco and crackers to give the men on all these plantations when they went off. It had been arranged that Mr. G. should see to these two plantations after Mr. Philbrick had taken part of the soldiers to Coffin's Point. When he had gone, Mr. G. began on Joe before he went to the field for the other hands—telling him that General Hunter had work at Hilton Head for a great many black men, that he did not know what for, but had received orders in the night, and they must be obeyed and he must march; he had to go at once to his house for his cap, say good-bye to his wife and come to us to leave his will, for he said he never expected to come back. We made as light of the whole thing as we could, but did not dare to say anything (as we knew nothing) which might make them feel afterwards as if we had deceived them, for the thing they dread is being made to fight, and we knew that there had been men about trying to recruit for Hunter's pet idea, a regiment of blacks. One man had been obtained on this island! We told Joe that Mr. Philbrick knew nothing about it and was going with them himself, and gave him a letter Mr. Philbrick had written asking for him to be returned as a personal favor, as he was a house-servant. He did the same thing with each of the drivers, for the good of the plantation crops. The men were easily collected, ten here, and went off after all with much less emotion than we expected; the soldiers behaved admirably, delighted with the treatment they had received, and cheering the negroes with tales of money and clothes, treating them most kindly. Mr. Philbrick called all the hands together at Coffin's and told them[Pg 41] the simple fact, all that he himself knew, and named the men who were to go, and the whole thing was accomplished with much less apparent suffering than we had supposed possible. Many of the men were not averse to trying their hands at life in the world, for many of their number have been and still are at work for officers, etc., at Hilton Head and Bay Point, etc., with most desirable pecuniary results, but they are afraid of being made to fight. Flora, our heroine, said the women and boys could take care of all the cotton and corn if the men did have to go—that they did not trust many white people, but they did trust Mr. Philbrick."

"Mr. Philbrick soon appeared. He found Mr. Pierce had been down to Hilton Head and found what he had in part suspected to be the fact. General Hunter found that the negroes misapprehended his wishes and ideas, and he could not raise as many as he wanted, so had resorted to these measures, meaning to give the men an idea of the life and drill, and after a few weeks not retain any who wished to return to their homes. All the superintendents were indignant at the way the thing was done, but it will not turn out so badly as we feared, I trust. The people are used to being made to do things, and are not in the least rebellious, as any white man would have been. If we can have blacks to garrison the forts and save our soldiers through the hot weather, every one will be thankful. But I don't believe you could make soldiers of these men at all—they are afraid, and they know it."


Letters from Port Royal Written at the Time of the Civil War
edited by Elizabeth Ware Pearson pages 38-43.
 
Hunter got in trouble as noted in the OP for getting ahead of Lincoln on emancipation and was reeled in by the latter. Hunter got in trouble for jumping the gun on black regiments, yes, because he had no authority to form them. There is speculation he could not and would not have done so without at least tacit approval from Edwin Stanton.

Hunter as a General Officer in the Union Army had no authority whatsoever to institute a "draft" of Freedmen, which he did anyway. Yeah, that got him in trouble.

Stanton responded to the mess by not recognizing the black regiments formed under Hunter's "draft" policy. He didn't order them dispersed, but left them in limbo. This of course meant there was no payroll provided for them, which speaks to the "trust" issue noted in EC's post, above. It was damaging by most accounts.

There is plenty of primary evidence the whole thing was a "one step forward, two steps back" maneuver on Hunter's part.
 
I have not been able to look at Oakes book this week. This thread from several years ago has the letter(s) Hunter was responding to.I put the questions he was responding to below...the part I quoted was his answer to question 1.

[http://civilwartalk.com/threads/general-david-hunters-african-american-regiment.75912/

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a communication from the Adjutant-General of the
Army, dated June 13, 1862, {p.821} requesting me to furnish you with the information necessary to
answer certain resolutions introduced in the House of Representatives June 9, 1862, on motion of the
Hon. Mr. Wickliffe, of Kentucky, their substance being to inquire:

1. Whether I had organized or was organizing a regiment of “fugitive slaves� in this department?

2. Whether any authority had been given to me from the War Department for such organization; and

3. Whether I had been furnished by the War Department with clothing, uniforms, arms, equipments, etc.,
for such a force?]


Regarding his heavy handed tactics, there is this description (from the same Treasury agent). In that area, when sanctioned efforts were made to enlist black soldiers (as opposed to conscript them), the ex slaves were slow to respond because of Hunter's earlier actions. Hunter appears to have been a blunderer who did his own cause no favors.

[The black conscripts proved to be far less eager than General Hunter would have his government believe.

“Major General Davis Hunter, Department of the South, Hilton Head, South Carolina, on May 8, 1862, advised Brigadier General Isaac I. Stevens, commanding post at Beaufort, Port Royal Island, “I am authorized by the war Department to form Negroes into ‘squads, companies, or otherwise,’ as I may deem most beneficial to the public service. I have concluded to enlist two regiments.” Obediently, Stevens, Second Brigade, Northern District, Department of the South, on May 11 ordered in a circular, “in accordance with ... of Major General Hunter…the several agents or overseers of plantations will send to Beaufort tomorrow morning every able-bodied Negro between the ages of eighteen and forty five, capable of bearing arms.”

“Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase on May 21 sent to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton various papers about the state of affairs on Port Royal Island, including the following correspondence.”

“Edward L. Pierce, special agent, Treasury Department, Port Royal, on May 12 wrote to Chase: “This has been a sad day on these islands--- The scenes of today… have been distressing… Some 500 men hurried… from Ladies and Saint Helena to Beaufort, … and the to Hilton Head… The Negroes are sad… The Superintendents… aided the military in the disagreeable affair, disavowing the act. Sometimes whole plantations, learning what was gong on, ran off to the woods for refuge. Others, with no means of escape, submitted passively to the inevitable decree… This mode of [enlistment by] seizures and transportation… spreading dismay and fright, is repugnant.”

“ The next day, at Pope’s Plantation, Saint Helena Island, Pierce wrote to Hunter about scenes transpiring yesterday in the execution of your order… The colored people became suspicious of the presence of the companies of soldiers detailed for the service, who were marching through the island during the night… They were taken from the fields without being allowed to go to their houses even to get a jacket…there were sadness in all. As those plantations were called from the fields, the soldiers, under orders, while on the steps of my headquarters, loaded their guns, so the Negroes might see what would take place in case they attempted to get away…On some plantations the wailing and screaming were loud and the women threw themselves in despair on the ground. On some plantations the people took to the woods and were hunted up by the soldiers… I doubt if the recruiting service in this country has ever attended with such scenes before.’

: At this time G.M.Wells, Superintendent of Plantations, Mrs. Jenkins,’ Saint Helena Island, wrote Pierce, “This conscription, together with the manner of its execution, has created a suspicion that the government has not the interest in the Negroes that it has professed, and many of them sighed yesterday for the old ‘fetters’ as being better than the new liberty.”

“On may 13, L.D. Phillips at Dr. Pope’s plantation, also wrote to Pierce: the whole village, old men, women, and boys, in tears, [were] following at our heels. The wives and mothers of the conscripts, giving way to their feeling, break into the loudest lamentations and rush the men, clinging to them with the agony of separation… Some of them, setting up such shrieking as only this people could, throw themselves on the ground and abandon themselves to the wildest expressions of grief… The old foreman {at Indian Hill]… said it reminded him of what his master said we would do… I have heard several contrasts the present state of things with their former condition to our disadvantage. This rude separation of husband and wife, children and parents, must needs remind them of what we have always stigmatized as the worst feature of slavery… never in my judgment, did major-general fall into a sadder blunder and rarely has humanity been outraged by an act of more unfeeling barbarity.”

“Five and a half months later on October 29, Brigadier General Rufus Saxton in Beaufort informed Secretary of War Stanton, ”When the colored regiment was first organized by General Hunter no provision was made for its payment, and thee men were discharged after several months service, receiving nothing for it. In the meantime their families suffered… This failure to pay them for their service has weakened their confidence in our promises for the future and makes then slow to enlist.”

Thomas Bland Keys, The Uncivil War: Union Army and Navy Excesses in the Official Records, pp. 21-22.}
 
Alfred C. Browne, sr., was Treasury Agent at Beaufort, S.C. His Oct. 19, 1864 letter to Gov. Andrew was one of many complaining about the civilian contractors employed as recruitment brokers in the Department. The state-appointed agents were authorized by a July 1864 Act of Congress, and were hugely unpopular with the army -- Sherman banned them entirely from his army.

The specific man Agent Browne complained of was one of six appointed by Massachusetts (the only one in S.C.). Hearing of the man's brutality, Gov. Andrew immediately fired him. The letter is given context and more fully quoted in Henry Pearson's The Life of John Andrew (1904, p. 144-5):
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Alfred C. Browne, sr., was Treasury Agent at Beaufort, S.C. His Oct. 19, 1864 letter to Gov. Andrew was one of many complaining about the civilian contractors employed as recruitment brokers in the Department. The state-appointed agents were authorized by a July 1864 Act of Congress, and were hugely unpopular with the army -- Sherman banned them entirely from his army.

The specific man Agent Browne complained of was one of six appointed by Massachusetts (the only one in S.C.). Hearing of the man's brutality, Gov. Andrew immediately fired him. The letter is given context and more fully quoted in Henry Pearson's The Life of John Andrew (1904, p. 145):

Thanks, John. As indicated in the OP, I took from Rose's work. It's good to see the full letter.
 
"A young Massachusetts officer in a white regiment blushed to think of, "this traffic of New England towns in the bodies of wretched negroes, bidding against each other for these miserable beings who are deluded, and if some of the affidavits I have in my office are true, tortured into military service."

"It formed, 'too good a justification of all that is said against the Yankees'."

(Source: Rose, pp. 269-270)
 
Why would anyone expect men "recruited" in this manner to make worthwhile soldiers? They'd do better with a smaller number of genuine volunteers.
 
It seems like they would desert as soon as they could.

Indeed, and this being their home ground, they could go into hiding, and then the "recruiters" would waste more time hunting down and bringing back men who were unlikely to be of real military value. It seems to be largely a scam for the benefit of the recruitment brokers, who as John Hartwell noted, the real army had no use for.
 
Why would anyone expect men "recruited" in this manner to make worthwhile soldiers? They'd do better with a smaller number of genuine volunteers.
Most turned out well.
It seems like they would desert as soon as they could.
Most didn't

All of which shows that the great majority of USCTs were genuine volunteers. Incidents like this happened, were reported at the time, and criticized, and steps taken against them. They should not be ignored, nor should they be used to discredit the USCT, or to condemn all northern recruitment efforts as hypocritical and coercive.

There is a tendency on both sides to seek out negatives, hold them up and say, "See, they're all like that!"
 
Most turned out well.

Most didn't

All of which shows that the great majority of USCTs were genuine volunteers. Incidents like this happened, were reported at the time, and criticized, and steps taken against them. They should not be ignored, nor should they be used to discredit the USCT, or to condemn all northern recruitment efforts as hypocritical and coercive.

There is a tendency on both sides to seek out negatives, hold them up and say, "See, they're all like that!"

That would be a mistake. Certainly genuine volunteers performed well, but the topic of this thread is those "poor negroes...hunted like wild beasts". Indeed the availability of real volunteers is a further argument against the "negro hunting" described here.
 
This too should be in Four Footed Forum as the companion thread on Confederates unleashing dogs.

I guess most stuff in Four Footed about love of mascots and horses, but we must show the bitter side of use of animals.

Perhaps we should have a Four Footed Fiends forum :wink:
 
I don't think that he references dogs, but Emilio's history of the 54th Mass talks about recruiting abuses by Montgomery in 1862 that sound similar to the ones reported in the 1864 letter.
 
Most turned out well.

Most didn't [desert]

All of which shows that the great majority of USCTs were genuine volunteers.
??? Not deserting means they are "genuine volunteers?" Really?

They served. They did their duty, but to call those who were forced to join volunteers is a stretch.

Incidents like this happened, were reported at the time, and criticized, and steps taken against them.
Orders from several Union military commanders show that force was used to raise some of the USCT.

They should not be ignored, nor should they be used to discredit the USCT...
To point out the fact they were forced to join doesn't discredit them.
Many whites of north and south were raised by draft and conscription.
 
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