Posted on 07/03/2013 5:41:43 PM PDT by donmeaker
In June 1863, when Brig. Gen. Albert Jenkins' cavalry, in the vanguard of the Confederate army, galloped into Pennsylvania, its aim wasn't only to spy and steal supplies.
The soldiers were also determined, as historian Margaret Creighton notes, to round up African-Americans, whom the Confederates regarded as "contraband" that should be returned to "rightful" owners.
The "slave hunt," as contemporaries and later historians called this phase of the Confederate invasion, would last as long as Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia remained in Pennsylvania. It ended only when the defeated Southern troops retreated back to Virginia after the Battle of Gettysburg.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
For Jacob Hoke, who witnessed the slave hunts and in the 1880s would write a well-regarded history of "The Great Invasion," the raids revealed the object for which many Southerners had waged war: "to found a government based on human slavery."
But the War of Northern Aggression was not about slavery.
Well this should be interesting.
this is what i was telling someone te othger day why it would have been war one way or the other with the CSA had thgey left peacibly or not. tey did crap like this and they werent going to stop. it would have been an act of war and we’d have had cwi anyway.
Complete BS.
It is no B.S. that the pro-slavery forces were aggressively pushing the slave economy into new territories.
It is no B.S. that in the 1860s pro-slavery forces were aggressively pushing slavery as a positive social good - both for the slave owners AND the slaves.
It is true that Lee’s Army kidnapped many free blacks from the Union states they invaded. They believed that they were justified in doing so because of their own runaway slaves.
It is also true that many black US Army soldiers captured in uniform were murdered after being captured by Confederate forces, although there is no evidence linking Lee to this.
Slavery[edit]
There are several major differences in the two constitutions in the area concerning slavery.
- Article I Section 9(1)
- The importation of negroes of the African race from any foreign country, other than the slaveholding States or Territories of the United States of America, is hereby forbidden; and Congress is required to pass such laws as shall effectually prevent the same.[32]
- The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.[33]
- Article I Section 9(2)
- Congress shall also have power to prohibit the introduction of slaves from any State not a member of, or Territory not belonging to, this Confederacy.[34]
- Article I Section 9(4)
- No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed.[36]
- Article IV Section 2(1)
- The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States; and shall have the right of transit and sojourn in any State of this Confederacy, with their slaves and other property; and the right of property in said slaves shall not be thereby impaired.[37]
- Article IV Section 3(3)
- The Confederate States may acquire new territory; and Congress shall have power to legislate and provide governments for the inhabitants of all territory belonging to the Confederate States, lying without the limits of the several states; and may permit them, at such times, and in such manner as it may by law provide, to form states to be admitted into the Confederacy. In all such territory, the institution of negro slavery as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected by Congress, and by the territorial government: and the inhabitants of the several Confederate States and Territories, shall have the right to take to such territory any slaves lawfully held by them in any of the states or territories of the Confederate states.[38]
Add to fact that Jeb Stuart had ridden off with bulk of
Confederate cavalry on a showy ride around the Union Army
He arrived at Gettysburg on night of July 2 with his men and horses completely worn out........
By wasting time rounding up the local black people had totally ignored it military duty to screen the Army of Northern Virginia and provide intelligence of movements
of Army of Potomac.
Is why Confederates blundered into Union forces outside
Gettyburg
This subject has been debated on FR at least since 1999 when I joined. I have no intention of getting in a debate with you. Post whatever you like, but you may want to waste your misguided energy on someone else.
Are you saying that you are a waste of time?
I really do not give a fig that blacks were once slaves
The War of the Great Rebellion had different motivations on different people.
The people who started the war, the politicians of the slave power, wanted to protect, extend and further the cause of slavery.
The people who refused to surrender to the slave power had war forced upond them, and had different motivations.
Conscripted southern soldiers wanted to stay alive, to keep faith with other men of their units, and to avoid being shot as deserters or skulkers by the Slave power.
Northern politicians didn’t want to hand over government to the politicians who supported the slave power.
Nothern soldiers were given leave to go home to vote in the 1864 election, and overwhelmingly supported Lincoln who would continue the war, over McClellan who would surrender to the slave power.
It wasn’t debated.
Slavery is a "right"...see art 1 sec 9 paragraph 4...
...otherwise a really good document..
Per Jeff Davis, who had some minor position in the pretended confederate government...
“On and after February 22, 1863, all free negroes within the limits of the Southern Confederacy shall be placed on the slave status, and be deemed to be chattels, they and their issue forever.
All negroes who shall be taken in any of the States in which slavery does not now exist, in the progress of our arms, shall be adjudged, immediately after such capture, to occupy the slave status, and in all States which shall be vanquished by our arms, all free negroes shall, ipso facto, be reduced to the condition of helotism (abolute slavery), so that the respective normal conditions of the white and black races may be ultimately placed on a permanent basis, so as to prevent the public peace from being thereafter endangered.”
For good measure - in the same address on Jan 5, 1863, he said slavery was the “cornerstone” of the Confederacy. Here is that part:
“... it ought not to be considered polemically or politically improper in me to vindicate the position which has been, at an early day of this Southern republic, assumed by the Confederacy, namely, that slavery is the corner-stone of a Western Republic.”
Some will write that the confederate cavalry not taken by JEB Stuart could have been better used....
What were they being used for? Slave hunting, which was out and out kidnapping despite any lack of documentation that the persons seized had wver been slaves. Upon the orders of the pretended president of the pretended confederacy.
After all, slavery is the necessary foundation of any Western Republic. We have it from Jeff Davis himself.
“Add to fact that Jeb Stuart had ridden off with bulk of
Confederate cavalry on a showy ride around the Union Army”
Ah yes, yet another “False truth” about Gettysburg.
Stewart was screening Lee’s right from the cavalry of Kilpatrick, and the PA militia. He was slowed tremendously by the capture of 125 fat supply wagons he was taking to Lee.
In truth, it was Early’s cavalry, under Elijah White that was raiding to the north, into Hanover and York County. Stewart intended to join with them, screening the Right from union forces advancing from DC and Philly.
Stewart was also delayed by Delaware Cav in the Battle of Westminster, also known as “Corbitt’s Charge”. This running gunbattle in the streets and buildings of Westminster, Md delayed Stewart for several critical hours, delaying his arrival in Hanover, where he ran smack into Farnsworth and Custer. (He would fight Custer again at Gettysburg.)
Stewart felt that it was very important to get the captured supplies to Lee. In addition, Confederate communications were brought almost to a halt all over Central Pa by Messengers getting bushwacked by locals and the militia.
Stewart WAS NOT SLAVE-HUNTING..
He was in running firefights from the time he left Virginia. Early’s Cav, to the north, on the other hand, were. This misnotion has been corrected many times, but it is tough to get past any “Accepted truth”.
While bringing this aspect of the war up on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg may serve a purpose in your mind, I fail to see it.
Suffice It to say, the South did not prevail, slavery was abolished and you Yanks won the war...
Looking at the results 150 years later, seems to me the liberal, blue, Yankee-loving states aren’t doing so hot....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.