African Americans in the Union Navy: Honor, Courage, Commitment

Crewmembers cooking on deck, in the James River, Virginia, 9 July 1862. Photographed by James F. Gibson.  The contraband sailor in the foreground of the image is Siah Carter.  

 A Call to Arms

USS Miami, 1864-1865

The enlistment of African Americans changed the makeup of the Union Navy, even if it often split public opinion.  Any attempt to block African Americans from entering the service were halted during the war, allowing them to swell the ranks.  One estimate placed roughly 16% of the total enlisted force as black.  "Rather than restrict black enlisted men to special units," historian James Harrod posited, the Navy "placed the races side by side in the same vessels as they had before the war."  Indeed, a prewar familiarity of black sailors on U.S. Navy ships existed since the American Revolution.  In all, approximately 185,000 African Americans served the Union cause during the Civil War.  Over 20,000 African Americans served in the Union Navy alone.

Proudly They Served

USS Sacramento "Kroomen" from Monrovia, Liberia, on board, in January-February 1867

African Americans fought in every naval campaign during the war, from the blockading squadrons of the Atlantic and Gulf to the brown water tributaries of the southern states.  Black women also played a role in the naval war, offering their services as nurses aboard the hospital ship USS Red Rover on the Mississippi River.  By war's end, eight African American sailors won the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military medal offered in the United States to this day.

After the War

Depicting Jim Crow

Restrictions to African American enlisted resumed once the war ended in 1865, flowing into the socially and racially troubled era of Jim Crow.  African Americans still remained a fixture in the peacetime Navy in the thirty years after the war, averaging between 10 and 14% of the total enlisted force.  The necessity of manpower and fresh recruits waned in the late 19th century, as society turned a blind eye to continued service of the African American sailor.  It is the service and dedication during the greatest American crisis, however, that is ultimately remembered and honored today.  Their honor, courage, and commitment provided the stepping stones to the official desegregation of armed forces in 1948.  African Americans continue the pride and tradition in today's United States Navy, owing much gratitude and thanks to those who tread a path of freedom and equality on land and at sea.     

Pictures are produced here courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

For more information on African Americans in the United States Navy, go HERE. 

Black History Month Highlight: Medal of Honor Recipient John Lawson

Biography and images courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

John Lawson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 16 June 1837. In 1864, he was a member of USS Hartford's crew. During the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, while serving as a member of the ship's berth deck ammunition party, he was seriously wounded but remained at his post and continued to supply Hartford's guns. For his heroism in this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. John Lawson died on 3 May 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is buried at Mount Peace Cemetery, Camden, New Jersey.

An August Morning with Farragut

William Heyshand Overend

1883

Medal of Honor citation of Landsman John Lawson (as printed in the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", pages 34-35):

"On board the flagship U.S.S. Hartford during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the six-man crew at the shell whip on the berth deck, LAWSON, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties throughout the remainder of the action."

For more information on the African American experience in the United States Navy, go to THIS LINK. 

Port Columbus Celebrates Black History Month

2/7/2011
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release Contact:    Jon Ezzell
(706) 327-9798 or (800) 742-2811
media@portcolumbus.org

Special Black History Month Programming at Port Columbus

COLUMBUS, GA – 150 years ago, at least 35 African American men from the Chattahoochee River Valley escaped slavery and joined the U.S. Navy. Throughout the Civil War, slaves, former slaves and freemen served on opposing sides in the service of the U.S. and Confederate Navies as both civilians and sailors.

In recognition the 2011 Black History Month theme of African Americans in the Civil War, Port Columbus will be holding a special program titled Black in Blue: African Americans in the Civil War Navies. Written and directed by Museum Director of Programs Ken Johnston, this program will feature the first-person stories of three black sailors who served on both sides in the battle for the USS Water Witch. The ship was captured by the Confederate Navy near Savannah in 1864 and has been recreated in full-scale on Museum grounds.

“These are stories you won’t hear anywhere else,” said Johnston. “Guests will see what the events surrounding the capture of the ship looked like from the perspective of each of these three men.” In addition, there will be special interpretive tours highlighting the African American Naval experience, using the Museum’s award-winning exhibits as well as personal stories.

The event will take place Saturday, February 19, with tours running at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m, and the main program at 1:00 p.m. At 2:00 p.m., guest speaker Dr. Steven Ramold, author of Slaves, Sailors, Citizens: African Americans in the Union Navy, will speak on the African American experience in the U.S. Navy, telling the story of black sailors in the struggle of slaves and freedmen to become citizens.

On Friday the 18th, tours and programs will be offered to school groups, and on Sunday the 20th, tours will be offered at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. for the general public. Only general admission will be charged.
Port Columbus is located at 1002 Victory Drive, and is open daily from 9 to 5. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.portcolumbus.org or call 706-327-9798.

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Black History Month Highlight: Robert Blake

Contraband Robert Blake (Photo#: NH 103762)

Robert Blake was born into slavery in Virginia. After escaping, he enlisted in the US Navy from Port Royal, Virginia and served on USS Marblehead during the Civil War. While off Legareville, Stono River, South Carolina, on 25 December 1863, Blake bravely served the rifle gun as Marblehead engaged Confederates on John's Island. The enemy eventually abandoned its position leaving munitions behind. For his bravery in this action, Blake was awarded the Medal of Honor.

USS Marblehead engages a Confederate Battery on John's Island, Stono River, South Carolina, 25 December 1863 (Photo#: NH 79920)

LCDR Richard W. Meade, commanding the Marblehead, wrote in a report to Rear Admiral John Dahlgren off Legareville commending several individual sailors in the conflict.  Among the four who would eventually win the Medal of Honor was Robert Blake.  LCDR Meade had this to say in his report about Blake:

"Robert Blake, a contraband, excited my admiration by the cool and brave maner in which he served the rifle gun." (Meade to Dahlgren, ORN, 15:190-191)

Richard W. Meade

He ends his report to Dahlgren by commending everybody, including Blake, onboard the Marblehead during the tense engagement:

"I have again to commend the good conduct of everyone on board. Their courage was so well displayed that the enemy, who had doubtless counted on disabling us, were forced to retire [. . .] in confusion and ignominy.” (Meade to Dahlgren, ORN, 15:191)

It should be of note that Robert Blake was the first African American to actually receive the Medal of Honor (most give that honor to SGT William Harvey Carneyfor his heroism at Fort Wagner).

Black Civil War Military Archives to Hampton University

Historian and author Bennie J. McRae, Jr. has recently donated his archives of materials documenting the experience of African-American men and women during the Civil War to Hampton University, according to the Associated Press.

The archival documents Mr. McRae is donating includes recollections of African-American sailors. McRae is researcher and site manager of Lest We Forget, a website preserving the history, culture, and heritage of important individuals in Black history and American history.

Hopefully Mr. McRae's contribution will spark more historians to open up their documents and historical records during the sesquicentennial years.

For more information, please go to the Virginian-Pilot article here.

"Blacks in Blue Jackets" pamphlet available for download.

This past Friday (24 September), the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial debuted its first publication at the 2010 Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission's annual signature conference, "Race, Slavery and the Civil War: The Tough Stuff of American History and Memory." The conference, hosted by Norfolk State University, seemed a fitting place to hand out information on the role of African Americans in the Union Navy. Acclaimed author James McPherson gave an interesting and informative speech on the role of Black sailors in the Union Navy.

The pamphlet, titled "Blacks in Blue Jackets: African Americans in the Civil War," is a brief but concise picture into the crucial role played by Black sailors in the Union Navy. From the blockade fleet to the inland waters of the Mississippi, African Americans touched every naval theater of conflict.

The pamphlet is available for download here.

If you would like copies of the brochure or further information on this topic, please email Matthew T. Eng at matthew.t.eng@navy.mil.

African Americans in the Civil War: John Lawson and Robert Smalls

Eight African-American sailors won the Congressional Medal of Honor during the American Civil War. Former slave John Lawson became of four African-Americans who earned the Medal of Honor aboard the USS Hartford at the famous Battle of Mobile Bay. Lawson served as an ammunition handler during the August 1864 conflict, refusing to leave the fight as shells exploded around him. Lawson himself was thrown against the bulkhead of the Hartford from a shell blast, wounding him in both legs. His Medal of Honor Citation reads:

"On board the flagship U.S.S. Hartford during successful attacks against Fort Morgan, rebel gunboats and the ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the 6-man crew as the shell whipped on the berth deck, Lawson, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties throughout the remainder of the action."

Although he did not win the Congressional Medal of Honor, pilot Robert Smalls also displayed heroism in combat. Smalls and a small group of African-Americans escaped on the side-wheel steamer Planter just before dawn on 13 May 1862 in Charleston, South Carolina. Smalls and his crew of nine men, five children, and three children set out to the ocean until the blockade ship Onward found her. For his capture of the Confederate vessel, Smalls received his freedom, $4,500 in prize money, and command of the ship itself for blockade duty. Smalls would later go on to serve on the South Carolina state legislature and later U.S. House of Representatives.

Note: An excellent source for Robert Smalls and his family is Andrew Billingsley, Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2007. Dr. Billingsley spoke at a 2009 Luncheon Lecture sponsored by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

Sources:
For more information, please see John Lawson's Medal of Honor citation at http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-l/j-lawson.htm

Bernard Nalty, Long Passage to Korea, 7.

Stephen Ramold, Slaves, Sailors, Citizens, 130. Other African-American Medal of Honor winners at the Battle of Mobile Bay include William H. Brown, James Mifflin, and Wilson Brown.

Celebrating African-Americans in the Civil War Navy

Pictured: Racial integration on the USS Hunchback

This is the first of a series of blog postings celebrating the African-American involvement in the Navy.

Although it was a revolution in racial equality in the armed forces, African-Americans faced some equality issues during the Civil War. Escaped slaves, commonly known as “contrabands,” were initially barred from any rating beyond “boy” on a ship. African-Americans at the time were also excluded from the officer corps. Pay rates for African-American sailors were also $4 less a month than other white enlisted sailors, who received $16 per month. By December 1862, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles fixed problems of race and budget by approving the enlistment of former slaves as “Landsmen,” adult sailors with nautical experience. Welles understood that free and formerly enslaved African-Americans could help the war effort dramatically, especially on the offensives along the Mississippi River. Historian Steven J. Ramold sums up these sentiments perfectly in a 2004 interview with The Journal of African American History: “From the Navy Department’s perspective, Civil War sailors were just men to be recruited trained, employed, and discharged no matter what their background.” The lack of compartmentalization seen during the Revolutionary War was making an appearance once again in a time of great struggle.

While some historians will credit the rating as a job filled with “menial tasks” for “unskilled men,” the opportunity for former slaves to now ascend to rank of petty officer is key. Any restrictions at face value did not impede the rate of African-American enlistments. Regardless of the conditions they faced, African-Americans made the conscientious choice to fight for freedom. “These African American sailors were needed,” Ramold remarked in the closing arguments of his 2004 interview; “They were Americans who didn’t hesitate to fight for their country.” Their choice provided ample reason for ultimate victory of the Union in April 1865.

Sources:
Hannon, Hannon “African Americans in the Navy During the Civil War,” The Journal of African American History 89, no. 4 (Autumn 2004): 361.

Nalty, Bernard C. Long Passage to Korea: Black Sailors and the Integration of the U.S. Navy. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, 2003.

Ramold, Steven J. Slaves, Sailors, Citizens: African Americans in the Union Navy. Dekalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2002.

"The Negroes' Historical and Contemporary Role in National Defense," November 26, 1940. Miscellaneous, Record Group 220: Records of the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services.