1 2 General David Hunter (1802—1886) General Rufus Saxton (1824-1908) 'It is time slavery had its quietus,' he told Illinois General Saxton wanted to fight, but he was so valued in Senator Lyman Trumbull, 'we have been trifling long his ability to bring differing factions together and man- enough.' At the end of January 1862, Hunter wrote Stan- age complex affairs with diplomacy that he did not get ton: "Please let me have my own way on the subject of into the fray. He was appointed military governor of the slavery. The administration will not be responsible. I Department of the South. As such, he directed the re- alone will bear the blame; you can censure me, arrest me, cruitment of the first regiments of black soldiers who dismiss me, hang me if you will, but permit me to make fought in the Union army. Saxton consistently advocated my mark in such a way as to be remembered by friend for expanding the role of black troops in the Union war and foe." Historian T. Harry Williams noted that Hunter : effort and for equal pay and fair treatment. He later "... had a scheme to organize an army of freed slaves.” served as assistant commissioner for the Bureau of Refu- Courtesy of Library of Congress Lincoln rescinded his order at the time, but brought Afri- gees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, more commonly can Americans into the Army in 1863. They filled 166 regiments—more than known as the Freedmen's Bureau, where he pursued the 166, 000 men. The regiments were made of men of policy of settling freed slaves in land confiscated from African descent - many were free volunteers, many had been enslaved. Courtesy of Library of Congress white landowners in the Sea Islands. Voices From the Earth, Inc. Voices From the Earth, Inc. 3 4 Colonel Robert Gould Shaw - USCT 54th Mass. ( 1837-1863) Colonel James Montgomery - 34th USCT formerly 2nd S.C. Volunteers In May 1861, Shaw joined the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry as (1814—1871) With the coming of the war, Montgomery second lieutenant. He served there for over two years, seeing joined the regular Army service. He was elected action at the Battle of Antietam, and was promoted to captain. “Colonel” of the Third Kansas Volunteer Infantry. The 3rd He was then recruited by Governor John A. Andrew to raise was consolidated with several other units to form the Tenth and command one of the first regiments of black troops for the Kansas Volunteer Infantry in April 1862. It would become Union. On July 18, 1863, along with two brigades of white transformed into one of the first United States Colored troops, the 54th assaulted Confederate Battery Wagner in the Troops. Montgomery remained the regiment’s colonel. In same harbor as Fort Sumter, South Carolina. His unit of United early 1863 he was transferred to the Second South Carolina States Colored Troops faced fierce Confederate fire. Shaw led Colored Volunteers, (2nd SCV) and helped fill its ranks his men into battle shouting, "Forward, Fifty-Fourth Forward!" with black recruits. Throughout 1863 and part of 1864, He mounted a parapet and urged his men forward, but was shot through the heart and he died instantly; his body fell into the Montgomery practiced his brand of Kansas warfare known fort. He was buried in a mass grave with many of the black as Jay hawking in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Many colonels were repulsed by his uncivilized form of men under his command. The Confederates considered this Courtesy of USMHI Courtesy of Library of Congress an humiliating insult. He and his family considered it an hon- warfare and shunned his tactics. Montgomery was one of John or for him to be buried with the brave men that he dared to command. Brown’s men. Voices From the Earth, Inc. Voices From the Earth, Inc. 5 6 Col. Thomas Wentworth Higginson- 33rd USCT formerly 1st S.C. Volunteers Esther Hill Hawks (1833-1906) Physician, Nurse, Teacher (December 22, 1823 – May 9, 1911) Higginson was a After marrying Dr. John Milton Hawks, she studied his medi- well known Unitarian minister before he joined the Mili- cal books and decided to go to medical school. Graduating from New England Medical College for Women in 1857, she tary. He was an accomplished author, journalist, aboli- practiced in various locales with her husband. He was an ar- tionist, and soldier. He was active in the American Abo- dent abolitionist, and, after Hilton Head and the surrounding litionism movement during the 1840s and 1850s, identi- areas were occupied by Union forces, he obtained a job fying himself with militant abolitionism. During the Civ- providing medical care and running a plantation set up for freed slaves along the coast of South Carolina. Esther joined il War from 1862-1864, he served as Colonel of the 1st him there and helped provide medical care to the blacks. She South Carolina Volunteers, the first federally authorized also worked as a contract physician in General Hospital Num- African-American regiment . Following the war, Hig- ber 10, which was established for black soldiers in Beaufort, ginson devoted the rest of his life to fighting for the South Carolina. Hawks attempted to shield black women in the Sea Islands from sexual assault by Union officers. Courtesy of Library of Congress rights of freed slaves, women and other disenfranchised Hawks helped care for soldiers from the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry peoples. He was the editor to bring both Emily Dickinson’s work to the after its famous ill-fated attempt to take Morris Island under Col. Robert Shaw. public as well as Susie King Taylor when she wrote her memoires of grow- After the war, she continued to work in the area, caring for former slaves and teaching school. ing up with his regiment from 1862-1866. Voices From the Earth, Inc. Voices From the Earth, Inc. 7 8 Susie Baker King Taylor (1848-1913) Nurse, Teacher Captain Luis F. Emilio - 54th Massachusetts (1844—1918) Susie Baker was born in Georgia in 1848. Living in Savannah with her He was 18 when he entered the war for the Union Ar- Grandmother, she learned to read and write. She became a freedwoman at my. Emilio was among the group of original officers age fourteen by escaping with her uncle and his family in April 1862 at of the 54th selected by Massachusetts War Governor the fall of Fort Pulaski protecting the port city of Savannah, GA. Susie’s John Albion Andrew. He mustered in as a 2nd Lieu- uncle sought liberation behind Union lines (in his case, boarding a Federal tenant on March 30, 1863. Two weeks later, he was gunboat that was passing near Fort Pulaski). Susie Bakers uncle took as promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and on May 27, he was many members of his extended family with him as he could. She was one made Captain of Company E. Captain Emilio of these escapees, many of whom later found themselves associated with a emerged from the ferocious assault on Fort Wagner newly formed regiment of black soldiers, the 1st South Carolina Infantry on July 18, 1863 as the regiment's acting commander, Volunteers (later renamed the 33d Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops) orga- nized by Major General David Hunter of the Unions Department of the since all of the other ranking officers had been killed South and commanded by Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson of Mas- or wounded. He fought with the 54th for over three sachusetts. She was hired as a laundress for the regiment, travelling with years of dangerous combat, mustering out of the Un- them. But she did little laundry. Because she was able to read and write, ion army on March 29, 1865, still not yet 21 years Courtesy of Library of Congress the Colonel used her to teach the men and help him with his reports. old. Courtesy of USAMHI Voices From the Earth, Inc. Voices From the Earth, Inc. 9 10 Charles T. Trowbridge of Co. A - Captain 1st South Carolina Volunteers Commodore Samuel Francis DuPont (1803—1865) U.S. Navy The one hundred men held over from Hunter’s When communication was cut off with Washington at the regiment were incorporated into the newly or- start of the Civil War, Du Pont took the initiative of sending a fleet to the Chesapeake Bay to protect the landing of Union ganized regiment as Company A, First South troops at Annapolis, Maryland. In June 1861 he was made Carolina Volunteer Infantry, and continued president of a board in Washington formed to develop a plan under command of their original officer, of naval operations against the Confederacy. He was ap- Charles T. Trowbridge. In 1864 the regiment pointed flag officer serving aboard the USS Wabash as com- was renamed the 33 rd United States Colored mander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, leading from Norfolk, Virginia the largest fleet ever commanded by Infantry and Trowbridge was promoted to Lt. an American officer at that time. On November 7, Du Pont Colonel and given command. He served with led a successful attack on the fortifications at Port Royal the black soldiers of his regiment until January harbor in South Carolina. This victory enabled Union naval 1866 when the regiment was mustered out. He forces to secure the southern waters of Georgia and the entire Courtesy of Library of Congress served with distinction and took over com- eastern coast of Florida, and an effective blockade was estab- lished. Du Pont received commendations from U.S. Congress mand when Col.