.I
.'
Part I
o
nn 1\, G .,
Jan. 12, 18 S -8 p.m.
n,
One: WILLIAM J. CAMPB LL, a ed 51 years.
born in S v nnah, lave until 1849 and then liberat d
by will of hi mi , Mrs. May Maxwell. For ten years
tor of the I t Baptist Church of Savannah, numb ri n
ut 1,800 m meers. Average congregation 1.
The chu�h property belonging to the con regation.
Trustees white. Worth SI8,000.
Two: JOHN COX aged fifty-eight years, born in
Savannah; I ve until 1849, when he bought his freedom
for SI,I00. P tor of the 2d African Bapti t Church. In
ministry fteen years. Congregation 1 222 pc 0 .
urch property worth S10,000 belonging to the con
gregation.
Three: ULY ES 1... HOU 0, aged forty-one
y� born in Grahamsville, S.C.;, lave until tbe Union
anny entered Savannah. Owned by Mo Henderson,
Savannah, and pastor of Third African Baptist Church.
�nA 'J\UII\ 400. C h pro ny orth
5,000; Ion to cona on. tm mini try bout
eight years.
Four: WILLIAM BENTLEY, aged 72 years, born
in Savannah, lave until 25 years of age, when hi
master, John Waters, emancipated him by will. Pastor of
Andrew' Chapel, MetlDdist Bpi copal Cnurch=-only
one of that denomination in Savannah; congregation
numbering 360 .members: church property worth about
S20,OOO, and is owned by the congregation; been in the
ministry about twenty years; a member of Georgia Con
terence,
Five: CHARLES BRADWELL, aged 40 years.
born in Liberty County, Ga.; slave until 1851; emanci
pated by will of his master, J. L. Bradwel]. Local
preacher in charge of the Methodist Episcopal congre
gation(Andrew' Chapel)intheab enceofthemini ter;
in the mini try 10 years.
Sir. WILLIAM GAINES, aged 41 years; born in
Will Co., Ga. Slave until the Union forc freed me.
Owned by Robert Toombs, formerly United States Sena
tor, and hi brother, Gabriel Toombs, local preacher of
the M.E. Church (Andrew's Chapel,) In the ministry 16
years.
Seven: JAM
Co., Ga. Slave up t th time the Union army came in.
Owned by H. F. Will gs, of Savannah. In the mini try
16 years.
Eight: GlA GON TAYLOR, aged 72 years, born
n Willis County, Ga. Slave until the union army came;
owned by A. P. Wetter. Is' a local preacher of the M.E.
Church (Andrew's Chapel.) In the ministry 35 years.
Nine: GARRI ON FRAZIER, aged 67 years, born
in Granville County, N.C. Slave until eight years ago,
when he bought himself and wife, paying $1,000 in gold
and silver. I an ordained minister in the Bapti t Church,
but. his health failing. h now charge of no congrcga
tion. Has been in the ministry 35 years.
Ten:JAMES MILLS, aged 56 years, born in Savan
nah; free-born, and i a licensed prea her of the first
Baptist Church. Has been eight years in the mini try.
Eleven: ABRAHAM BURKE, aged 48 years, born '
in Bryan County, Ga. Slave until 20 years ago, when he
bought himself for $800. Has been in the mini try about
10 years. '
Twelve: RTHUR WARDELL., aged 44 years, born
in Liberty County, Ga. Slave until freed by the Union
anny. Owned by A. A. Solomons. Savannah, and i a
licensed mini ter in the Bapti t Church. Has been in the
ministry 6 year's.
Thirteen: ALEXANDER HARRI t aged 47 years,
born 'in Savannah; free born. Licensed mini ter of Thi rd
African Bapti t Church. Licensed about one month ago.
Fourteen: ANDREW N �Lt a ed 61 ye,ars, born in
Savannah, lave until the Union army liberated him.
Owned by Mr. Wm. Gibbons. and h been a deacon in
th Third Bapti t Church/or 10 years.
Nin teen: ROB'f. . T YLOR,aged 51 years, born
Co., Ga. lave to the time the Union rmy
c me. W ow ned by Augustus P. Welter. Savannah,
and i cla -leader in Andrew' Chapel for nine yea .
Twenty: J . LY H, ag d 26 years, born in Bal-
timore, Md.; freeborn. Is presiding elder of the M.E.
Church and mi ionary to the department of the South.
H b n ven years in the mini try and two years in
t South.
Garrison Frazier being chosen by the persons present
to exp their common entiments upon the matters 0(
inquiry, mak answers to inquiri as follow:
First: State wbat your understanding In reg rd t�
tbe ofCong and P Ident LIncoln' (Emu
clpatlon) Proclamation, toucbln tbe condition of the
colored peopJe in the Rebel Stat .
Answer: So far I und rstand President Lincoln'
proclamation to the Rebellious States it is, that if they
would .lay down their arms and submit to the laws of the
United States before the first of January, 1863, all soould
U' utif eyo' not.t n Bile 1 i 1
St8 hould be free henceforth and forever. That
what I und rs od.
Second: tate, what you unde tand by SI very and
the freedom th t w to be iven by the President'
prod matlon.
Answer: Slavery is, receiving by irresistible power
the work of another man, and not by his consent. The
freedom, I understand it, pro-used by the proclama
tion i taking from under the yoke of bondage,�and
placing us where we could reap the fruit of our own
labor. take care ot ourselves and assist the Government
in mai ntaining our freedom.
Third: tate in what manner you think you can
take care of yourselv and how can you best
the Government In maintaining your freedom.
Answer: The way we can best take care of ourselves
is to have land. and tum it and till it by our own labor
, -that is, by the labor of the women and children and old
men; and we can soon maintain ourselves and have
something to pare. And to assist the Government. the
young men h uld enlist in the ervice of the govern
ment, and erve in uch manner as they may be wanted.
(The Rebels told us that they piled them up and made
batteries of them, and old them to Cuba; but we don't'
believe that.) We want to be placed on land until we are
able to buy it and make it our own.
Fourth: tate in what manner you would rather
Ilve--whether cattered among the whites or In colo
nl by yours Iv . ' ,
Answer: I would prefer to live by ourselves, for there
is a prejudice agaist us in th South that will take years
to get over, but I do not know that I can answer for my
brethen. (Mr. Lynch says he things they houd not be
separated, but live together. All the other persons pre
sent, being qu tioned one by one, answer that they
agree with Brother Frazier.)
Fifth: Do you think that there Is intelll ence
enough among the I ves of the South to maintain
themselv under the Government of the United
tat and the equal protection of its I wand main
tain good and pea eable i- lations among you elves
nd with your neighbors?
Answer: I think there is sufficient intelligence among
us to do so. ' .
Sixth: t te what I th feeling of the Black popu
lation of th South tow rd the ovemment of th
United tates; what th understanding on r peel
to the pres nt w r --i cau and object, nd their
dl position to aid ith r Id. tat to Illy your view .
Answer: I think Y u will find there are thousand that
are willi ng to make any crifice to i t the Govern
ment of the Urn ted States, while there are at 0 many that
are not wiUing to take up arm . I do not uppo there
are a dozen men that are oppo ed to the Government. I
understand. to the war, that the South i the agg or.
President Lincoln w elected President by a majority of
the United Stat ,which guaranteed him the right of
holding the otIi aoo exerci ing that right over th
whole United States. The South, without knowing what
he would do. rebelled. The war was commenced by the
Rebel be ore he came into of Ice. The object of th war
was not at first to give the stave their freedom, but the
ole object of the war w at first to bring the rebellious
tat back into the Union and their loyalty to the law
of the United States. Afterward, knowing the value set
on the slav by the Rebel , the President thought that
p _ 0 chum
arms, reduce Utem to obedte ", abel lp to brl
the Rebel States; and their not doing so h now made
the freedom of the slaves a part of the war. It is my
opinion that there i rot a man in this city that could be
started to help the Rebels one inch, fOJ that would be
suicide. There were two Black men left with the Rebels
because they had taken an active part for the Rebels, and
thought something might befall them if they tayed
behind; but there is not another man. If the prayers that
have gone up for the Union Anny could be read out, you
would not get through them th e two weeks.
Seventh: Slate whether the ntlments you now
exp re tho only of the colored people in tbe
city; or do tbey extend to the colored population
throu h the country? and what are your means of
knowing the sentiments or those Uvln In the coun
try?
Answer: I think the sentiments are the same among
the colored people of the State. My opinion i formed by
personal communication in the course of my ministry,
and also from the tbousends that followed the Union
army, leaving their homes and undergoiog suffering. I
did not think there would be so many; the number
surpas ed my expectation.
Eighth: If the Rebelleade were to ann the laves,
what would be I 'efTect?
Answer: I think they would fight as long as they were
before the bayonet, and just as soon as soon as they could
get away, they would desert, in my opinion.
Ninth: What, In your opinion, Is the feeling of the
colored people about enlisting nd rving as soldiers
of the United States? nd what kind of milltary rv
Ice do tbey p er?
Answer: A large number have gone as soldiers to Port
Royal [S. C.] to be drilled and put in the ervice; and I
thi nk there are tbousands of the young men that would
'",,!Iist. There is something about them that perhap is
wrong. They have uffered so long from the Rebel that
they want to shoulder the musket. Others want to go into
the Quartermaster' or Commis ary' service.
, Tenth: Do you unde tand the mode of enl tmen
of colored pe in the Rebel ta by State a n
under the ct of Con ?* If yea, tate what your
underStanding . '
Answer: My understanding is. that colored persons
enli ted by State agents are enlisted as substitutes, and
give credit to the States, and do not swell the army,
because every Black man enlisted by a State agent leaves
a white man at home; and, also, that larger bounties are
given r promi ed by State agents than are given by the
Stat . The great Object hould be to push through this
Rebellion the bortest way, and there ms to be some
thing wanting in the enlistment by State gents for it
don't trengthen the army, but takes one 1:NIay for every
colored man enlisted.
Eleventh: tate wh t, In your opinion, 'the
y to nl t col red men for Idle .
Answer: I think, ir, that all cornpul ory operations
hould be put a top to. The mini ters would talk to them,
and the young men would enli t. It i my opmion that it
would be far better for the State agents uay at home, and
the enli tmen to be made for the United Stat under
the direction of Gen. Sherman ....
.. - ... �
F 'our days after the
meeting, General
Sherman issued
Special Field Order
15, which 'set aside a
large expanse of
coastal land,
stretching from
Charleston, South
Carolina, to northern
Flori ," Dr- the
settlement of the
negroes now made
free by the acts of war
and the proclamation
of the President of the
United States. " Each
family would be ,
allotted 'forty acres of
tillable ground ..• in
the possession of
whicb land the
military authorties
will afford them
protection, until such
time as they can
protect themselves, or
until Congress shall
regulate their title. "
*A law adopted in July 1864 pennilted agents from
Northern states to recruit oldier among Black men in
the Confederate state , en ditin them against the draft
quota 0/ the Northern state. (Statute at Large, )'0/
13, pp. 379-81.)
Repri nted from FREE A T LAST A Documentary
History of Slavery, Fr. dom and the Civil War. Edited
by Ira Berlin, Barbara J. F' Ids, StevenF. MilIer,Jo ph
, P. Reidy, and Leslie S. Rowland, The New P , New
York 1992.
To be Contjnued next week