| Location | Baltimore, Maryland and Queen Anneâs County, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Names Mentioned | John Singer, Louis Hergemather, Clement McConner, Charles Chamber |
| Date | August 26, 1863 |
| Document Title | Colonel William Birney to the War Departmentâs Bureau of Colored Troops |
| Document Description | Colonel Birney describes both official and unofficial methods used by Marylanders to suppress the enlistment of black troops in the army, limiting his recruitment efforts. He mentions the arrest of one of his recruiters, the destruction of black familiesâ crops, eviction, and other intimidation methods employed by the detractors. He also discusses circumstances of the arrest of John Singer, a free black man from Queen Anneâs County, who tried to enlist to highlight the tactics used by the âenemies of enlistment of U.S. Colored Troopsâ to prevent black enlistment: Singer, who was claimed to be employed by H. S. Mitchell prior to his attempted enlistment, was arrested for the âterminat[ion] without reasonable and proper causeâ of his contract with Mitchell because he was alleged to have enlisted prior to the contractâs end. Birney notes that this kind of charge âis not known to the law of Marylandâ and requests Mitchell and his collaborators arrests, attaching a copy of the fraudulent writ after his letter. (From Free At Last, 339-341.) |
| Transcription | Baltimore [Md.], August 26, 1863 Sir, The scheme to obstruct and arrest the enlistment of U.S. Colored Troops in Maryland is prosecuted with activity by a few political schemers; while I have had every reason to believe that the great majority of loyal men in the state are ready to favor and promote the measure. The arrest of my agent, J. P. Creager, acted as was anticipated: it intimidated the people of color, giving them the impression that the United States was powerless to protect them against their enemies in this state. That act alone caused me to lose between one and two hundred recruits who were ready to come to the rendezvous at Baltimore. It perplexed and disheartened the many respectable gentlemen who had, in different parts of the state, volunteered to aid me in gathering in the men willing to enlist. Nearly all of them have since been deterred by menaces from the further prosecution of the work; and the business of recruiting is going on but slowly. Encouraged by their success, the enemies of the enlistment of U.S. Colored Troops have within the last week resorted to the most inhuman outrages against the families of free men of color who have enlisted: the cornfields of these poor people have been thrown open, their cows have been driven away and some of the families have been mercilessly turned out of their homes. I shall immediately take measures to lay before you in an authentic shape the facts of some of these outrages designed to intimidate the men of color from enlisting. I have the honor at this time to bring to the notice of the Brevet Brigadier General Commanding the acts in Queen Ann's County of the opponents of colored enlistment. On or about the 19th inst., John Singer, a free man of color, was arrested, when on the point of leaving for Baltimore with the avowed intent of joining the U.S. Colored Troops, on a pretended writ, of which I annex a copy. Such a writ, I am advised by counsel learned in the law, is not known to the law of Maryland.The men who were concerned in this arrest avow their intention to prevent enlistments by issuing the writ in all similar cases. I therefore request that Louis Hergemather, Clement McConner and Charles Chambers may at once be arrested and brought to reial for obstructing Enlistments in the Army of the United States. Your obedient servant, William Birney [Enclosure] [Queen Annes Co., Md.] 18th day of August. 1863. The State of Maryland To Clement McConnor. greeting Whereas, application has this day been made to me by Charles Chambers, agent of H. S. Mitchell, that John Singer a free Negro after hiring himself to said H. S. Mitchell has left his house, and quit the service of said H. S. Mitchell before the expiration of the time the said hiring was to terminate without reasonable and proper cause. You are therefore herby commanded immediately to apprehend the said John Singer and bring him before me the subscriber on the 19th day of inst. ensuing the date hereof, or some other justice of the peace of Queen Annâs Co. in case of my absence, resignation or death, to be dealt with according to law. (Signed) Louis Hergremather, J.P. |
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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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