Book description
One of the lesser known stories of the Civil War is the role played by
escaped slaves in the Union blockade along the Atlantic coast. From the
beginning of the war, many African American refugees sought avenues of
escape to the North. Due to their sheer numbers, those who reached Union
forces presented a problem for the military. The problem was partially
resolved by the First Confiscation Act of 1861, which permitted the
seizure of property used in support of the South's war effort, including
slaves. Eventually regarded as contraband of war, the runaways became
known as contrabands. In Bluejackets and Contrabands, Barbara Brooks
Tomblin examines the relationship between the Union Navy and the
contrabands. The navy established colonies for the former slaves and, in
return, some contrabands served as crewmen on navy ships and gunboats
and as river pilots, spies, and guides. Tomblin presents a rare picture
of the contrabands and casts light on the vital contributions of African
Americans to the Union Navy and the Union cause. Barbara Brooks
Tomblin is the author of With Utmost Spirit: Allied Naval Operations in
the Mediterranean, 1942-1945.
