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Avoiding Potential Discrimination,  Part ll

4/14/2019

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History was made 158 years ago yesterday, at about 4.30 A.M. It was then that a cannon fired off the first round at Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbour. A shot that  saw the start of a Civil War that caused some 3.5 million people eventually leaving homesteads in over 30 countries to do battle in over a dozen US States.  Six hundred-thousand never came home.    
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That first shot was claimed by many. One of these was a prominent land owner in his mid 60's  by the name of Edmund Ruffin, shown above. In his 60's at the time, he claimed his comrades gave him the honour of the first shot, due to his age. Several others have also made the claim that they were the first to shoot at Fort Sumter. Historians still  seems to be undecided on the point.

At war's end, and with the loss of his wife and over half of his children to death, Edmund decided he could not live under the rules of the North. So he went upstairs with a pitched twig and musket, put the barrel in his mouth and manipulated the stick till the trigger was pulled. The musket failed to go off, so it was reloaded. The 2nd attempt was more successful.

Just one of the millions of tragedies over the entire war, every one before... and since.

Since early February I have brought you many stories about the plight of those  captured or born into slavery in the US, and about coloured troops in the military, and treatments most received in many cases. Yet to be covered are the  steps  taken over recent years to right the wrongs when those deserving, were not awarded medals simply because they were men of colour.

Last week's story of the horrors faced at Fort Wagner,  were very much influenced by prejudicial feelings so strong that the very unit was created with this in mind.  I suggested that you go to the library and get a copy of the 1989 movie Glory and learn about this famous regiment and what it endured.

Sadly it became famous because of the movie. That status belonged to it since CW days but was long forgotten by most till the movie brought the regiment's history back to life. 

Moving forward exactly a year (and 2 days if you are counting,) 

It was 30 July  1864, and the scene to explode, literally, was near Petersburg Virginia, a major railway hub that had to be taken by the Union forces.  But with dead open ground to the front of the enemy lines, very heavily defended, the only approach  was across that very dangerous field. The Union had no desire to make such an advance, having just recently been defeated in an important battle and failing to cross similar terrain and win the fight.

Three divisions of men were assigned to take the major Fort. One would go up the center and one to the left and right on an arc that would end at the left and right sides. So the plans said.

But an altered plan involved using one of the divisions that included pre-war miners who suggested a long tunnel underground that would end up directly underneath a major enemy cannon some 150 ft. away from the Union's concealed entry point. From there the tunnel would move off to the left and right some 50 ft. and also directly under two more powerful enemy cannons.

The commanders had both coloured and white troops on hand. It was felt that the more experienced white troops were better trained and disciplined and should be the first to enter the tunnel after some 8000 pounds of gun powder was lit and the tunnel blown up. But the whites had been exhausted before the battle and very weary  and just worn out. Not so for the Blacks who had been usually employed on less important tasks and biting at the bullet to prove their worth. It was finally decided that the Blacks should go in first despite fears of accusations of discrimination should the plan fail.

The men were trained on what to do  after the explosion, where to go etc, but just before the powder was lit, plans reversed and the whites were ordered in first.Tired whites already exhausted and NOT trained on what to do when they got to the pit that would result from the explosion.

The rumbling of the ground and noise was heard and felt many miles away. The explosion was so powerful that it blew cannons wagons, enemy troops, woodworks and more tens of yards into the air and all then came crashing down to shatter. Arms and legs of the enemy were sticking out of sand piles   and Southern deaths numbered in the hundreds in minutes.

The White Union troops followed by the Coloured then entered the pit and were as stunned at what they saw as were the  Confederates farther back. It took the Southerners about 1/2 hr to regroup and bring reinforcements up to the edge of the pit, that was about 130 ft. long,  60 wide and 30 deep. One would later say three houses could have easily fitted into the crater.

But with the excitement  it seems that many of the Union forces did not go around as ordered, but got caught up in the interest or sheer movement of the mob and pushed into the pit. This created  a pit of horror. Men could not get out because the sides were so slippery with mud and oil and loose sand and they could not dig their heels into anything that would allow them to climb out.

Then the real horror started with the Confederates who were under orders to shoot and kill every soldier of colour. and also every white officer that appeared to be in command of any of the blacks. Many trying to surrender threw up their arms and pleaded for mercy and were instead simply shot by the enemy. Some of the white Union officers even started to club  and shoot their own black comrades in  the hopes the enemy whites would spare them. Not so!

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Here we see a sketch of the tunnel at bottom. At top left is a map showing the tunnel direction heading down and to the left. At the end it spreads out to the left and right, and each, as already noted, was below one of the Confederate cannons.. At upper right we see men after the battle of the Crater sitting on its edge. It was somewhere  along that edge that Ontario born EE Dodd earned his Medal of Honor rescuing some of the wounded under very heavy fire.  Over a dozen Canadians were in this battle.
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The artist depicting this battle  ought to have had far more soldiers in the pit than shown here. It was described by some as a mad mob with no one able to move in any direction because they were packed so close together, and thus easy prey for the Confederates.  So much so that later General Grant would state that..."It was the saddest affair that I have witnessed in this war."

A later army Court of Inquiry sought answers on why  the Union lost 8,500 soldiers in a manner of just over 24 hours. No doubt they were brought to tears as they heard from the witnesses who were in the battle.

One would tell of the Southern officer who yelled..."shoot the nigger but don't shoot the white man."  Another said that..."whites and blacks threw down their weapons and then raised their arms to surrender. Suddenly however the Confederates began shooting and bayoneting the unarmed blacks." Others told of how the Southerners were throwing their bayonets into the crowded pit like spears knowing that they'd surely hit one of them.

Another gave testimony that when the Confederate officer yelled down...why don't you surrender, a Colonel yelled back..why don't you let us?"  Another gave testimony that when some blacks were allowed to surrender, they were taken out of the pit, only to be later shot.

As the original title last week suggested, now you have seen some evidence that goes far beyond that of normal battle and casualties. Some would argue this is evidence of murder... possibly on both sides.

And based on nothing but discrimination.

I am now taking 2 weeks off to work on other research. My next blog will appear on May 5th.

Please come back for a visit then,

Cheers,
Bart

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Avoiding Potential Discrimination Claims, Incompetent Orders led to Many of the  4,900 Casualties in Hours. Many Say Some Murdered!

4/7/2019

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Last blog I mentioned that Sam Rogers, pictured here, in later life as a retired  light-keeper, was a Canadian born  about 60 kilometers north of Montreal. The blog noted that   just before the US Civil War he was serving in the US navy and on board a vessel that had captured  a slave trading boat and helped to rescue over 600 men, women and children and grant their freedom. Months later he  would repeat the event, whist still serving with his mates in the navy's African Squadron. 

His story has been told in this space in the past. A site search will also show that after the Civil War, and whilst still in naval service Sam would go on to play a pivotal role in the saving of his officer's life when mortally wounded in Korea. Sadly the officer, after rescue and returning to his vessel, succumbed to the horrendous wounds received in battle. He and several others would be awarded the Medal of Honor for their bravery under very heavy fire to save his officer.

I repeated reference to Sam, since he and so many other Canadians fought with their American  brothers (and sisters)   in arms to help suppress the trade of Black Ivory.  So too, the story appears because it is not readily recognized on the net  or in most lists of MOH recipients that Sam was NOT an American, but a British North American and, as noted, born in what is now the province of Quebec.                   


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I can remember as a silly teenager wandering about the streets of Toronto wearing a T shirt with the inscription... Warning..your local police may be armed and dangerous. This of course, many a year before I joined the first of three PD's.

But these posters  are serious reminders of the past. They warned the coloured folks to be fearful of the very agency that ought to have been on the lookout to aid rather than capture.

This Boston Poster from the 1840's to early 1860's warns to be on the lookout for police and others who themselves were on the lookout for escapes slaves. And as often noted many a coloured who was NOT escaped... but a free man that was about to become a slave once scooped.

The Boston Vigilance Committee, who created this poster, would also be on the lookout for the escaped slave, or those arriving on the shores as a stowaway etc. They would provide whatever assistance they could, be it legal, shelter, food, a place to sleep and contacts in  the underground railway to assist in the journey to the North and into Canada etc.

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Regular readers are familiar with this map of the Charlston   harbour, in South Carolina.

In December of 1860 the US had numerous forts around the harbour. But when S. Carolina suceeded from the Union  Major Anderson, representing the Union and commanding troops on Fort Moultrie was in a pickle. Having been tasked to control the entry and exit of the harbour, Anderson decided his best defence was not at Moultrie, shown above, and he needed to move to another spot that could better meet his needs. So he moved his few troops available onto Fort Sumter, both shown above.

For several months the Southerners,  now in possession of Moultrie and several other local forts, made attempts to secure Anderson's surrender.

After all Confederate attempts to force a surender failed, some 3000 cannon balls and shells were dropped onto Sumter.  The Northerners did not loose a single man in the  shelling, but due to lack of supplies Anderson eventual had to surrender.

Anderson's crew requested, and received permission from the South to fire off one last shot. A salute to the fort's flag as it was lowered. While firing it off, an explosion at the gun killed one of his men... the sole loss at the fort.

Anderson and crew were allowed to leave and returned to Union lines. One of the men hid the fort's flag under his clothing, and when Fort Sumter was captured back by the Union Navy years later, they would once again hoist that very flag.

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The 2nd image above Here is an artist's rendition of the  bombing of 12/13 April 1861, claimed by many to have been the first shots fired in the Civil War. But there are a few other incidents that also share the claim.

The 2nd image above is the wonderful fort as it stands today. No doubt a major tourist attraction for the Charlston Harbour area, the state and nation.

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With the 1 Jan. 1863 Emancipation Proclomation, President Lincoln ordered that all slaves having escaped or those still in slavery within ten states to be immediately emancipated from slavery.  The military  was also ordered to accept into the service any African American that was fit for service.  The 54th Massachusetts volunteer Infantry would be the 2nd such group consisting almost entirely by coloured soldiers,  but under the command of white officers. The proclomation thus freed 3.5 million men of colour.

The above recruitment posters tell of signing up bonuses of $100 and $13 for monthly wages. But the regimental command could not have possibly known  that it woult take a full 18 months  before these soldiers signing up would get their full monthly pays. In the mean time they were being deducted $3 for clothing every month, and about half way through their service they were finally offered their FIRST payment... and that being only half what their white brothers would get. So they refused all payments till they were treated as equal to their brothers. They suceeded but not till June of 1864.

The 1989 movie called GLORY tells the story of the 54th and I highly recomend you go to a library to get a copy and watch it. It tells of the incredible discrimination, not only in pay days, but in many other areas of their lives, Though not so by their own officers.

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Here we see some of the 54th soldiers  back in 1863. The man at far right is wearing Sgt's stripes, being  the high-est rank an African Ameriacn could obtain in the reigiment.

If you look at the above map, you will see a place called Fort Wagner at the bottom centre, and directly beow Fort Sumter. It would be here that some of the focus of the Movie GLORY brings the viewer. (Though the entire movie seems to fail to mention the word Canada once, at least 39 coloured men from Canada served in the regiment.

The 54th actions at Fort Wagner would once again show to the world the value of the Black soldier as equal to that of the white man. The movie would bring back to life the historic contributions the regiment made and once again made the regiment famous. Perhaps it's time to be brought back to the screen to remind all that we are ell equal in all ways.

After a 3 hr, early evening of crossing many obstacles and herculian attempts to mount 30 foot walls to gain entry to the fort, one in  3 would become a casualty. Over 800 from several regiments would soon lie in mass graves. The 54th colonel would be one of these , and said to have been wounded 7 times.  He'd lost 2 of his Captains,  24 Privates, 15 captured and 52 missing in action and never again seen alive.


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When William ran away from his slave master, he found his father who had also earlier escaped slavery. Soon they would meet up with a man that was so supportive of William's earnest desire to serve in the army,  he gave   William a name. The youngster, being a slave, only had a first name. So the man gave the boy his last name. It was Carney.

Now with a surname William managed to be accepted for military service. That service was with the 54th and at Fort Wagner he would be wounded at least twice in the legs, once in the chest and slightly to the face. When this soldier saw the colour bearer start to fall he raced to him and grabbed the flag and carried it throughout the battle and mounted it near the wall of the enemy fort before collapsing and be taken off the field...with the flag. For this he was promoted to Sergeant, the highest rank for a black  soldier in the unit, and awarded the Medal of Honor, becoming the first black man, by date of action, to be so awarded the medal in the Civil War and in  fact the medal's history.

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Here we see him wearing Cpl's stripes, but soon he would be promoted Sgt. Notice the tattered condition of the war torn colours.

Still more to come on Sunday next including the murder mentioned in the above title. I had hoped to cover it today, but the blog is yet again too long.

cheers
Bart

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Yet More on Men of Colour, Their Military Service in England , the US, Canada and racism  endured!

4/3/2019

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While February's Black History Month has passed by for another year, several recent blogs here have brought forth a handful of stories on these men and women that date as far back as the 1700's. No doubt many more could be found predating these.

The major focus of my blogs is the Medal of Honor stories touching on  Canada. A mere drop in the bucket when you consider about 120 medals, compared to some 3,560 medals, possibly more since created back in 1863. (March 25th, and thus Medal of Honor Month in March, annually.)

But of that number of medals, and knowing that only about 100 went to men of colour, it is not difficult to assume race prejudice played a negative role on the recipient numbers. So too when looking at the total of about 1,370 Victoria Crosses and yet only about 3 dozen went to men of colour.

About 40 years ago the US Navy included about 30,000 men and women of colour, 600 of these at the officer level. In  Civil War days the US Navy's total strength was about 30,000. And about 3200 of these became casualties. Some 800 were men of colour.

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In 9 days, on April 13, we will mark the 158th year since  the US Civil War began with the 1861 bombing of Fort Sumter, shown above. Over 620,000  would die before the war came to an end.

The Northern Army's Major Anderson, had been occupying Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, (also shown above,) but as the south and the north kept rattling swords, it was felt that  to best  affect the blockade runners the Southerners so much depending on, Anderson ought to move his troops onto Fort Sumter.

Occupying the  fort in the middle of the night, the troops would remain there for several months. It was a stronghold needed to keep Southerner blockade runners in check. And the Southerners needed those runners running to bring in their own supplies, including Black Ivory... slaves. About four of every ten landing on US soil arrived at this very harbour. One also critical  for continued cotton shipments to England.

On April 13 the Confederates had enough and dropped their payload on the Fort, about 3000 cannon balls,  and with dwindling supplies, Anderson had to surrender the fort. (It would be taken back by the Northerners years later.)   


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A recent internet search indicates that between just 1858 and 1861 a total of at least 150 slave trading vessels were roaming  the waters and coastlines of the world looking for black cargo they could seize and bring to the US and sell as slaves. Presumably in that same period of time, over 13,000 slaves were rescued and given their freedom from these traders.

Eight months before the Sumter bombing, the US frigate San Jacinto, above, would capture the well known slave trader Storm King on 9 August 1860. Two months later they would catch the trader Bonito loaded with slaves.  Crews and ships were seized and  the slaves given their freedom. Internet searches can tell on the horrendous conditions the slaves  suffered. One ship alone carried well over 600 of these men women and children.

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Here is another picture of the San Jacinto. The elderly man on the right is Sam Rogers and he ought to be wearing a Medal of Honor on his jacket.

Sam was part of the slave saving crews of the above ship, He would go on to serve on the navy in the civil war and beyond and ended up as a light-keeper for years, and as shown in this image. He would earn a MOH for bravery in trying with several others to rescue his mortally wounded officer in battle in Korea in October 1871. They were under intense fire but managed to rescue the officer and get him back to the ship but the officer later succumbed to his wounds.

Despite much on  the net, Sam Rogers was born in Quebec, Canada, and no doubt for many a year told of his efforts to help save blacks being discriminated against and forced into slavery.

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  One without the fowling is shown at the right.On one internet site one of the 15 MOH awarded for actions in this Korean battle showed an image of the MOH. Not the one above. But it showed it to be of the kind with the Fowled Anchor as shown at above left. These were believed to have been issued for a very short time frame so, if Sam's is of this type, that would probably add to it's value today...wherever it is?????  One without fowling is shown at the right.

Still more on topic comes this Sunday.

cheers,
Bart

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    Author;
    Bart Armstrong, C.D.,
    Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers 

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