| Location | New Town, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Names Mentioned | George Hargis |
| Date | December 5, 1864 |
| Document Title | Postmaster at New Town, Maryland, to the Commander of the Middle Department and 8th Army Corps |
| Document Description | James Murray to Major General Lew. Wallace, 5 Dec. 1864, M-838 1864, Letters Received, ser. 2343, Middle Dept. & 8th Army Corps, RG 393 Pt. 1 [C-4141). In this letter, James Murray describes the reaction of white Eastern Shore Marylanders to General Lockwoodâs December 11th order which, among other things, ordered the end to the apprenticing of black children without the express consent of their parents. Murray notes that the community reaction was overwhelmingly negative, and the order was practically ignored. He describes a particular case of the mother of a sixteen-year-old, opposed to her sons apprenticing, being physically attacked for her opposition. (From The Wartime Genesis of Free Labor, 524-525.)â |
| Transcription | New Town Md, December 5th 1864, Dear Sir: After the interview which I had with you and after the publication of your order relating to the binding out of Coloured peoples Children, I returned home and expected to have realized the Satisfaction of the faithful compliance upon the part of Citizens, and the Orphans Court, with that Order. But, To my great mortification I have found your Order to be contemptuously disregarded. The Citizens are laying hold, by violence, of Coloured peoples Children, carrying them to the Orphans Court and having them bound to themselves in Spite of all remonstrance upon the part of Parents, They are taking Boys and Girls as old as Sixteen years, Some of whom will hire out for Fifty and Sixty dollars a year, one case in particular, came under my own personal Knowledge, where the former owner laid hold of a boy Sixteen years old, The Mother refused to give up her Son, but was over powerd He threatened her with violence, The Mother came into the Post Office for Protection. The Man with a billet of wood came off his own premises crossed the Street and entered my door approached the Woman and Struck her on the Side of the head nearly Knocking her down, I Spoke to him in an instant not to do that, when he desisted, They are threatening Mothers with the severest punishment if they come on their premises, It is my opinion that the Orphans Court, The Register of Wills, and a certain Constable in this Community by the name of George Hargis is equally gilty with the Citizens in this matter The Mother who was Struck had her Son hired out for ten dollars pr month at the time he was taken from her, The parents of Children thus taken, are comeing to me daily and almost hourly for direction, is there no redress for Such high handed viliany with great respect I remain yours Truly, James Murray |
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[Author (if known)], Documents from the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, [Date (if known)], Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva’s Black History, Nabb Research Center, Salisbury University.
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