Evening star., 1926-04-18

"Contraband Camp" that was
4 once established on the old
Arlington estate by the United
States government shortly after the
Civil War. Almost all trace of the
prosperous little village that numbered
nearly a thousand refugees has drifted
out of sight and memory, and there
a re probably many citizens in Wash
ington who would be inclined to dis
pute the statement that the Freed
mems village was located on the beau
tiful slopes that surround the present
site of the ampitheater, overlooking
the Potomac River, now a national
shrine.
Only the dusty records of the War
Department give a clue to a story that
Is as interesting as any romance. and
one which involves piracy on the high
seas and rescue by sundry officials
and men-of-war.
The descendants of the former
slaves, who found a harbor in the
"Contraband Camp" on the Potomac,
tell a. most interesting tale of the pri-
Vations and adventures of the original
proteges Of the government. but it Is
not fully included in the official re-
cords available in the War Depart
ment.
However, q great part of this folk
lore is all too true: in fact. some or II
IS even suggested by the autobi-
ography of that gallant naval officer,
ADMIRAL David Dixon Porter, and also
by other references 10 be found in
history of Hayti. The unofficial YER
sion runs somewhat is follows:
At the latter part of the Civil War
several hundred former slaves were
taken aboard private vessels under
he pretense that they were to be car
, ried overseas to the new nation OF
Liberia.
They found their destination to be
not farther than the West Indies,
where their lot was a little less for
tunate, and in some cases much more
deplorabie than ii had ever been on
The least desirable plantation in the
South.
According 70 this same version, in
formation was finally brought to the
sympathetic ear of the Federal au-
thorities at Washington as to the dis
tress and the despair of these slaves
and a man-ofwar was sent to bring
them back to the States. The warship
landed them on the banks of the Po-
tomac, on the Arlington estate, where
they found safety and protection for
over 20 years as proteges Of the gov
ernment.
In a recent examination of volumi-
nous Civil War records by the War
Department, in response to a request
for information by Mrs. c. NJ. Arm
strong of Lyon Park, Va, even more
interesting facts have been brought to
light.
Mrs. Armstrong has a colored maid
whose mother. Einie Ball, was one of
he wards of the government in the
Freedmen'S Village, and lived in
house there that was located near the
present site Of the amphitheater. When
the entire property was finally de-
clared a part OF the military reserva
lion of Fort Myer, in the eighties, the
Balls were one of the families that
moved to Johnson Hill, Va.
Others. like Moses Dade. who owns
a florist shop here in Washington, on
Pennsylvania avenue, bought land OF
a former slave owner named John
son, in Virginia, for $50 and upward
from the money allotted to them by
the War Department at the time of
their moving in 1887. Still other
groups moved out to SyphaX Station.
and with the kindly aid of the troops
and trucks from Fort Myer settled
down into new and more permanent
homes.
Admiral David Porter. in his Naval
History of the Civil War which is
dated 1886, states on page 16:
"One result of the victory at Port
Royal was our obtaining possession OF
the famous sea islands, which had so
enriched their proprietorS, and it was
upon these planters that the greatest
injury was inflicted as our gunboats
penetrated the network Of inlets along
the coast, where the rich cotton har-
vests lay at their mercy.
THE slaves took advantage of the
panic and fled with their families to
seek the protection of the Union flag.
\ large number of them congregated
4 Hilton Heal and about thousand.
picked up by the vessels of war, were
l)cated on the southeast end of Edisto
Island, where a gunboat was sta
rioned for their maintenance and pro
lection Most of the negroes were
given employment and served the
Union during the remainder of the
war.
Others found homes on the sea
islands, where they raised corn and
sweet potatoes sufficient to satisfy
their simple needs"
THE following extracts from con- !
i fidential records of the Spring Of
] S64 disclose their own story:
"Nar Department,
washington City. February 3. 1864. !
"(Confidential)
Brig. Gen. NJ. c. Mei@S.
"Quartermaster-Ge
General: The following order has |
been made by the President
Hon. Edwin NJ. Stanton,
Secretary of War.
Sir: You are directed to have a |
transport (either a steamer or sailing |
vessel as may be deemed proper by |
the quartermaster generaD sent to the |
colored colony established by the |
United States at the island of Nache. |
on the coast of San Domingo. to |
bring back to this country such of the |
rolonists there as desire to return. |
You will have the transport furnished !
with suitable supplies for the pur- !
pose, and detail an officer Of the |
Quartermaster Department, who. un- !
der special instructions TO De given, |
shall have charge of the business. |
The colonists will be brought to |
Washington, unless hereafter directed, |
and be employed and provided for n |
the camps for colored persons around |
that city. Those only will be brought |