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"Or This Whole Affair Is a Failure": a Special Treasury Agent's Observations of the Port Royal Experiment, Port Royal, South Carolina, April to May, 1862

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Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Theses, Dissertations and Capstones 2016 "Or this whole affair is a failure": a special treasury agent's observations of the Port Royal Experiment, Port Royal, South Carolina, April to May, 1862 Michael Edward Scott Emett [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://mds.marshall.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Emett, Michael Edward Scott, ""Or this whole affair is a failure": a special treasury agent's observations of the Port Royal Experiment, Port Royal, South Carolina, April to May, 1862" (2016). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 1028. https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/1028 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. “OR THIS WHOLE AFFAIR IS A FAILURE”: A SPECIAL TREASURY AGENT’S OBSERVATIONS OF THE PORT ROYAL EXPERIMENT, PORT ROYAL, SOUTH CAROLINA, APRIL TO MAY, 1862 A thesis submitted to The Graduate College of Marshall University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History by Michael Edward Scott Emett Approved by Dr. Michael Woods, Committee Chairperson Dr. Robert Deal Dr. Tyler Parry Marshall University July 2016 APPROVAL OF THESIS We, the faculty supervising the work of Michael Edward Scott Emett, affirm that the thesis, "Or This Whole ffiir Is A Failure": A Special Treasury Agent's Observations of the Port Royal Experiment, Port Royal, South Carolins, April to May, 1865, meets dre high academic standards for original scholarship and creative work established by the Masters of History Program and the College of Liberal Arts. This work also conforms to the editorial standards of our discipline and the Graduate College of Marshall University. With our signatures, we approve the manuscrrpt for publication. m "(ffirrrisrory commit& @so* July, 8,2016 e/b{,1>4 Dr. Robert Deal, Deparfrrent of History Commi,ttee }vftflnbgr July 8,2016 7r4/ry Dr. Tyler Pa{,Dryarfinent of African American Studies (California SUS Udvetsity, Fullerton) Committee Momber Jtrly 8,2016 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I must thank my father for his influence and passing down the gene that causes one to fall in love with all things history. His work as a teacher and preserver of history, his favorite hobby of reenacting, and quite simply being my buddy in crime as we travel around the United States visiting battlefields and homes have all molded me and guided me this path I have taken. Most significantly, had he not seen the value of these papers left in a dusty old trunk, this thesis would never have happened. Next, I want thank the patient faculty members of Marshall University’s History Department. Coming into the department as a student of politics and as a Westerner, I was in need of a lot of help to be acclimated to the world of trained historians and humidity. Of the faculty, specific and profound thanks go to Dr. Michael Woods, my advisor. He has been most profound in guiding me with these unpublished papers of mine as to what kind of thesis can come from them, his patience as I emailed him repeatedly every day and early in the morning for help, and a listening ear ready as I vented in his office. Without him, I may have ended my stint at Marshall prematurely. The last and best acknowledgments go to my small family. My wife Stacy halted her Masters work so I could fulfill mine. She was my sounding board and shoulder to cry on when at home. She was a single mother while I was in class and at home hiding to get all my reading, research and writing down. She has been my cheerleader and my taskmaster for two years. She even gave up more time to work while being a mother so that we can have the funds to stay at Marshall. Without Stacy’s love and support, I would have been a starving, exhausted, and panic stricken man. As for my kids, Michael and Abigail: Thank you! You two have been ever so patient and understanding as I was glued to the computer or a book and could not play with you as often as I wanted to. You were caring enough to give me hugs and kisses when I was flustered. Whenever I felt down and out, you two would iii come my way and make me happy and confident. I did all this for you two and you have been worth the sacrifices! Thank you Stacy, Michael, and Abigail for your love, smiles, and support as Daddy sought to fulfill a dream of his. We did it! iv CONTENTS Abstract------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------viii Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Historiography-------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 Comparison: The Red River Campaign and George S. Denison--------------------12 Comparison: New Orleans----------------------------------------------------------------16 Comparison: The Davis Bend Experiment---------------------------------------------19 Organization of Thesis and Conclusion-------------------------------------------------23 Chapter 1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25 The Battle of Port Royal Sound and the Origins of the Port Royal Experiment-----------25 Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------25 The Battle of Port Royal Sound----------------------------------------------------------26 Forming an Experiment-------------------------------------------------------------------33 The Experiment Begins-------------------------------------------------------------------43 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------44 Chapter 2------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 The Life of Special Treasury Agent James Severance Before He Arrived at the South Carolina Sea Islands-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 Biography of James Severance----------------------------------------------------------46 James Severance: Special Treasury Agent---------------------------------------------53 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------59 Chapter 3------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------61 April 1862--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------61 v Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------61 Severance’s First Days--------------------------------------------------------------------61 From Frustration to Resistance to Mutiny?--------------------------------------------67 Trying to Repair Broken Promises------------------------------------------------------75 New Sites, Cotton, and Defense---------------------------------------------------------78 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------81 Chapter 4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------82 May 1862, Part One--------------------------------------------------------------------------------82 Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------82 The Needs of the Experiment------------------------------------------------------------84 Enforcement of Cotton Production------------------------------------------------------86 Black Enlistment: The Early Days------------------------------------------------------92 Fear of Confederate Attack---------------------------------------------------------------95 Coming Changes for the Experiment---------------------------------------------------98 The Lost Hopes and Damnations Expressed by Special Treasury Agents-------103 More Trouble Brewing------------------------------------------------------------------109 Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------110 Chapter 5----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------112 May 1862, Part Two------------------------------------------------------------------------------112 Introduction-------------------------------------------------------------------------------112 Origins of Hunter’s Enlistment---------------------------------------------------------113 Hunter’s Enlistment as recorded by Published Sources-----------------------------116 Hunter’s Enlistment as recorded by James Severance------------------------------123 vi Severance’s Wishes for the Experiment and its Fate--------------------------------129 The Coming of General Rufus Saxton and Hopes for his Arrival-----------------132 Severance Enters Superintendent Work-----------------------------------------------135 The Planter Affair------------------------------------------------------------------------138 The End of May--------------------------------------------------------------------------140 Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------143 Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------144
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