"Statements Relating to the Abuses of
Freedmen in Richmond"
The
following excerpts are records of the Assistant Commissioner
for the State of Virginia, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and
Abandoned Lands, 1865 - 1869. M1048, Roll 59 "Statements
Relating to Abuses of Freedmen in Richmond, June 1865." The
records attest to the violence and harrassment Freedmen were
subjected to immediately following the end of the war.
Statement of Wellington
Booker
...late
messenger in the Rebel War Department---was this day
arrested by the police and put in jail---after some hours
confinement was released, my pass being deemed
sufficient---a number of others similarly situated was also
released.
Statement of Albert
Brooks
Albert
Brooks a colored man, who paid ($1,100) eleven hundred
dollars for his freedom, has kept a livery and hack stable
in Richmond more than ten years. At the commencement of the
war he and his partner James Turner, owned 10 hacks and 22
horses and were worth more than $10,000---during the war all
their horses were taken by the Rebels, but one, and their
hacks destroyed, but three. They have since increased their
hacks to five and their horses to ten, with which they are
now carrying on their former business. On the arrival of the
Federal Army both applied to the Military Authorities for
permission to carry on their business, took the oath of
allegiance paid $12.50 each for a license to run five hacks
and received "protection" papers. On the 6th of
June one of Mayor Major's old policemen, who had known all
about me and my business for many years called at my stable
and asked me if I had a pass. I showed him all my papers. He
said they were no account I must have a pass, and that I
must come along with him and go to jail---all niggers that
did not have a paper from their master, showing that they
were employed, must be taken to jail and hired out for $5.00
per month. He delivered me to a Federal Cavalry soldier and
they together took me to the jailor, and he locked me in and
they went away. I asked the jailor, the same one who has
kept the jail for many years, and who knew all about me and
my business, what the law required of us, and what they were
agoing to do with us. He said we are agoing to hire all you
niggers out for $5.00 a month, so you will not live on the
Government. I said five dollars a month why I now pay four
men each $35.00 a month myself. Well all this is done by
your Yankee friends, who pretended they was agoing to set
all the niggers free---we always told you they was the
meanest men in the world, and that it would be a great deal
worse for you when they come. Now you have nobody to protect
you, and they are agoing to hire you out for $5.00 a month.
After a good deal more of the same sort of talk about the
Yankees, and I had remained there an hour or more, one of
Mayor's old policemen who was on duty there said Brooks you
are a good fellow and I will have you turned out. I asked
him what I was to do to prevent being arrested and taken
from my business again. He said I must have some white
master to give me a pass to show that I was employed. I said
if I must have a master, I would have some of these Union
men. I went to Asst. Provost Marshal Chas. Warren,
11th C. I. And asked him if he would be my master
and give me a pass. He said he would. I asked him if my oath
and permit, and license and the seal of the U. S. were not
sufficient---he would not answer. I said don't deceive me
again. You told me before that these papers were
sufficient---give me something now that will protect me---he
than gave me a pass which I am obliged to show to Mayor's
police, who stop on nearly every corner of the street and
make it nearly impossible for me to carry on my business. I
have lived here 40 years, have never received a stripe and
was never before arrested, for any cause whatever. I will
take oath to the above and can refer to hundreds of the best
men in this city who will certify to my good character and
voracity.
The above was taken down by me, as related, sentence by sentence.
Attest
signed H. W. Pierson
Richmond, Va.
June 10th 1865
Statement of Albert Brooks
I
am an old and well known resident of Richmond, was a slave,
but bought myself, my wife and six children. Have kept a
livery stable for 10 years, and have nor a license for
running three carriages signed by the military authorities,
and which I was told was necessary to save my carriages from
confiscation, and for which license I paid $37.50. I employ
several colored men and pay them $35 per month. I was
arrested by the police and put in the city jail, on the plea
that my pass was not good.
Statement of Edward
Davenport
...was
employed in the Rebel War Office, and keeps a boarding
house, and is otherwise engaged in business---was arrested
by the police, who demanded my pass---exhibited my license
to carry passengers, signed by Genl. Patrick, in whose
office I had been employed upon the recommendation of
Genl. Lee, who sent a letter to Genl. Patrick asking
employment for me. I was well known by the police to be a
respectable man, but they disregarded all my papers, and I
was obliged to submit to arrest.
Statement of Wm. Ferguson
Proprietor
of the "Shaving Emporium" Exchange Hotel. On the
7th inst. I saw a drunken white man assault a
colored boy, for some time the boy made no resistance, but
finally seized and threw the white man. A gentleman and
myself separated them, and while the boy was hunting his
hat, a second attack was made upon him, and they were again
separated, and the colored boy retired, but soon after he
was arrested and strung up by his arms in front of the
Exchange Hotel. I saw him there suspended, and made his case
known to two Northern ladies, one of whom went with me to
the office of the Provost Marshal where I stated the facts
of the case and the boy was released, together with another
man who was being punished in a similar manner. Soon after
this occurrence, I was talking in the street with Rev. &
Mr. Stickney, an U. S. Army Chaplain, when several U. S.
Soldiers assaulted me. Mr. Stickney interfered on my behalf
& caused the arrest of one of the soldiers, and he was
taken before the Provost Marshal, but whether punished or
not, I cannot say.
Alex. M. Davis
Richmond, VA
June 9th 1865
In
relation to the abuse of colored men by the civil military
authorities --- also conversation with Genl. Patrick and
replies
Office of the Tribune
Richmond, Va., June 9, 1865
Col. O. Brown
Supt. Freedmen's Dept.
Virginia
Sir,
In
reference to the wish of a friend, who informs me you are
gathering the facts in relation to the condition of the
colored people here. I would most respectfully submit the
following incident occurring Thursday, June 8th
as an indicative of the sentiment of those here having
charge.
While
standing on the corner of Franklin & 12th
Sts. Thursday morning, attracted by the halting, examining
and dispatching of colored men, I was somewhat astonished to
hear Police officer Cowen make use of the following language
to a colored lad formerly free, holding a pass from his
employer---also a former freedmen, which pass the officer
scrupled to accept, the lad observing "things are worse now
than they ever were" to which the reply was "well didn't I
tell you so, you damned fool, that when the Yankees came
here you'd be a damned sight worse off, here take it,"
handing back the pass, "and get some white man to endorse
it." A little chagrined that such a sentiment was tolerated
here, I complained to Genl. Patrick that afternoon, desiring
to know if former free Negroes could not give a pass to an
employee and if the language cited above was becoming a
Policeman in the discharge of his duty, my rebuff was "you
had better go about your own business and not meddle with
the authorities; there were difficulties enough with putting
the Negro up to more; in the carrying out of new orders,
abuses would at first exist, but in a time they would all
right themselves." I stated "I would desire to have accorded
me, while obeying the laws or assisting in their execution
the right of protesting" "well, well just go along and
you'll have no difficulties, the case of the Negro giving a
pass was just decided here it will have to be endorsed by
some well known white citizen or Provost
Marshal."
The
power given the police & guard to inspect the passes of
colored men has been the past two days sadly abused, a
further continuance is to place a class of our citizens in a
state of anarchy and conduce more than any other measure to
injure the cause of freedom and union.
Very Respectfully
Alex. M. Davis
Statement of Nelson E.
Hamilton
Two
of my sons were employed in the bakery of George Whit, and
while thus employed, Police officer Griffin arrested them
because they had no pass, and denied that they were
regularly employed. He would not hear me or my sons make any
defence, but took them to jail.
On
the evening my wife and daughter carried them something to
eat, but they had been removed to some other prison, and
they could not find them.
June 9th 1865
Statement of Lewis Harris
...was
born a slave, and remained in slavery until 3 years ago,
when I went into the service of the U.S. as teamster---am
now a market man engaged in selling vegetables, live in
Henrico, 10 miles from Richmond---was this day arrested
(June 9th) by the police, for not having a pass.
I showed the papers given me at the Union Headquarters, upon
which I had travelled and worked up tot his time. I came in
town today with a load of vegetables, and being imprisoned
lost my days work and my vegetables---was released through
the agency of my sister.
Statement of Thos. J. Hayes
On
the 8th inst. I was on the steamboat wharf at
Rockets & saw Thos. M. Chester, late army correspondent
for the Philadelphia press, come off the steamer, where he
had been to leave his dispatches for the north, assaulted by
one of the Provost guards. He called to a Lieut. of the
20th N. Y. V. who was there on duty, for
protection, but the Lieut. told the guard to strike Chester
with the butt of his musket. During the difficulty a
2nd Lieut. of the same regiment came up, to whom
Chester stated the origin of the affair, the truth of which
was denied by a citizen, when Chester reaffirmed the
correctness of his statement, whereupon, the 2nd
Lieut., assuming a threatening attitude said Chester must
not contradict a white man in his presence. During
the whole affair, Chester offered no resistance. The pass he
exhibited was the usual pass, given to correspondents
following the army. Mr. Chester is an educated, cultivated
and refined gentleman, and sails for Europe in a few
days.
Statement of Washington
Hutchison
Born
and brought up in Richmond---am a gardner, and work for Mr.
Framer. Have been in the habit of selling vegetables in the
Richmond market, for employers in the country. Came in town
on the 8th inst. to get a marriage licence, went
to the Provost Marshal's to get it---was told to bring up
the girl---went after her, and while on the way was stopped
by the guard, who demanded my pass---showed him a pass given
me by Capt. Scoville. The police, who was acting in concert
with the guard, then approached and said my pass was not
good, and sent me to jail by the guard. After being in jail
several hours, the jailor examined my pass---said it was
good and released me, together with a large number of other
men who had passes.
Statement of Harry P. Jones
Sent
as a teacher from the city of New York, and who was eleven
months teacher in the 1st Regt. U. S. Colored
Troops, while on his way to the boat, bound on an excursion
to Dutch Lap, was arrested for not having a pass, marched
through the street---for an hour and then, with other
prisoners, placed in one of the houses in the burnt
district; there was no roof to this house, and no protection
from the burning rays of the sun. He remained here for
several hours, and was finally released by the interposition
of Lieut. Baldwin, Vice President of the Richmond Union
League.
Statement of Stephen Jones
I
am a huckster in one of the Richmond markets. On the
8th inst. I was in the shoe shop of Joseph
Gilpin, when Police officer Perry came in and asked one of
the men at work for his pass---the man said he had no pass,
Gilpin told the officer the man was in his employ, but
notwithstanding this, Perry took the man off his seat and
carried him to jail.
Statement of Thomas Lucas
(col'd) of his abuse by the Provost Guard
12th June 1865
Thomas
Lucas (colored) states that he was sitting down near the
corner of 5th and Broad street, on the sidewalk
on a store carriage step, suffering great pain from
toothache; a squad of soldiers had been dispersing a crowd
nearby, they ordered all to move away. He was sitting on the
sidewalk as above stated and got up to move away, one of the
guards (in liquor) overtook him, and struck him on the hip
with his gun, he then took his gun with both hands, using it
as a club, and struck him (Lucas) in the back, hurting him
severely and from which he is now suffering great pain. This
occurred about 7 o'clock P.M. tonight.
Richmond, Va.
12th June 1865
Place of business corner of 1st & Marshall
St.
Statement of John Oliver of
Mass.
I
came to Richmond from Boston, a few weeks ago, on a visit,
having a passport made out in due form, and signed by the
Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Mass. A few days
ago I was walking in Franklin Street with Mr. Hawley (also
colored) of Springfield, Mass.; upon arriving at Davis' old
slave pen, we stopped to look at it, when I was hailed by a
Provost guard, who, without asking for a pass, demanded to
know why I was walking in the street---told him I came to
see Richmond, then said he, you will stop here with me. I
asked him how long, "longer than you think for," he replied,
and continued to address me in abusive and vulgar language.
I showed my protection from Massachusetts, which I told him
"ought to protect me in any part of the world," but he said
he did not care for that, and contemptuously spurned it. I
then wrote a note to the Provost Marshal, asking him why I
was detained in the street? and sent it to his office he
sent for me. I told him my story, and showed him my
passport. He said it was not sufficient, and gave me
another. My friend Hawley also showed his passport to the
guard, without effect and while he was standing in the
street the officer of the day told him that "he had given
insolence to the guard," which Hawley denied, whereupon the
officer dismounted and beat him with his fist.
I
was in evidence before the committee that irresponsible
persons stopped Negroes in the street and entered their
houses, demanding passports, and that citizens aided the
police & military in stopping & running down colored
men.
Statement of Bernard H.
Roberts
was
born in Richmond, was lately of Wilbeforce College, Ohio, am
at present keeper of a Restaurant, aged 21 years.
On
Wednesday, June 7th saw a white and colored man
fighting, after the fight was over a white spectator
observed that if the white man had not been drunk he would
have whipped the colored man. I replied that no drunken man
could fight as hard as he did, whereupon, he assaulted me,
and after striking me three times, I knocked him down and
made my escape, was pursued by the Provost guard, who
overtook and arrested me and took me before Capt. Snider a
Provost Marshal. I stated to him the facts as here related,
adding that if I had not defended myself, I would have been
beaten to death. After my statement the man who assaulted me
told the Provost Marshal that he had been assaulted by two
colored men, and had he not been protected by his friends,
would have been severely beaten. No other witnesses were
examined, and the Provost Marshal ordered me to be tied up
by my hands, in which painful position I remained for more
than 20 minutes. When I was taken down and put into the
guard house, where I remained an hour and a half, when I was
released.
Statement of Jinny Scott wife of
Ed Scott
On
Monday night about 7 o'clock my husband and I, in company
with Richard Adams and June Minor took a walk on Main St.
near 25th, two Reb boys with grey coats came from
the opposite direction. We gave way so that they could pass,
one of them ran against me and struck me in the breast with
his fist. They said before they got to us that they "were
not agoing to get out of the way for damned niggers." We got
out of the way as far as we could. I let go of my husband's
hand and went one way, and he went the other, and gave room
for them to go between us, one went between us and the other
went on the outside and struck me---my husband told him I
was his wife and asked what he had struck me for. He said "I
will strike her and you to, you damned nigger." My husband
said "no you won't, if you strike her again I will strike
you." They called me all kinds of bad names. I was
frightened and ran off. They kept cussing me and calling me
bad names, and threw rocks at me. I left my husband there
and ran home. I did not see the soldiers beat my husband. On
Wednesday a soldier came to me and told me they had got my
husband the night before, and took me to the Provost
Marshals. They brought my husband in and the Provost Marshal
showed me his cap and cravat and asked me did I know them. I
told him yes, they were my husbands. That was all he asked
me. I didn't hear him ask any more questions. He told me to
go and I went. I have never seen my husband
since.
The
above was mostly taken down by another person. He brought
the statement to me, and afterwards at my request brought
Jinny Scott to me. I read it to her, asked her some
questions, told here that I was to send it to Washington and
asked if it was all true and could she swear to it. She said
yes.
Attest
signed H. W. Pierson
Richmond, Va.
June 8th 1865
Statement of Richard Adams,
former slave of Wm. Barrett
I
escaped from Richmond 17 days before last Christmas into the
Union lines, and waited on Capt. Hilliard Co. G
48th N. Y. V. five months. He went home on a 30
days furlough from Norfolk, Va. And I came here 2 weeks ago
today.
On
last Monday night I walked out with June Minor and Ed Scott
and his wife. On Main St. between 25th &
26th Sts., we met two Rebs dressed in grey. Scott
and his wife parted to let them have the walk, one went
between them and the other went to the outside and struck
Scott's wife in the breast. I was about three yards behind
them. Scott said "man that is my wife don't you strike her
again" he said "I will strike her again and you to you
damned nigger." Scott's hand was in his pocket and the Reb
didn't know what was in it. He said "draw it out and cut"
Scott said I will show you with I will do if you strike her
again." Scott then told his wife, "come back and go straight
home, I am sorry I came out with you for I always get struck
if I walk out with a woman."
The
Rebs went on and passed some Union soldiers. They did not
stop to speak to them but talked to themselves. One of them,
a sergeant without any arms or equipment came across to
Scott and said "can't any white man pass the street without
being insulted by a damned nigger." Scott said " I did not
insult any one I only told that man that was my wife, and I
did not want any one to strike her." Then another soldier
ran over and said "shut up or I will break your damned
snout," and struck him in the breast. Another soldier came
up and all three jumped on him and knocked him down and beat
him. He shook them off from him, and one said "I am cut."
Another said "I believe I am cut too." They then all ran to
the Provost Marshals, and two got guns, one got a pistol,
and one came on horseback. While they were gone Scott ran
off. They went to Mr. Gilliams' where his wife lived, and
searched the place. Mr. Gilliam got a candle and said "this
is my place you may search it, and if you find him kill
him." On Wed. about 11 o'clock I went to the Provost
Marshals office and saw them bring him in from Castle
Thunder. They asked his wife "did she know this cap and
cravat." She said "they were her husbands." The P. Marshal
then told his men to tie his hands before him. They then
tied his hands and "bucked" him. They set him on the floor,
stretched his hands below his knees, ran a broom handle
through between his knees and elbows and sawed it off. Two
soldiers brought him out on the sidewalk on Main St., rolled
him about quick two or three times, then rolled him over on
his side, so that he could not stir---one of the soldiers
went across the street, and took a colored man and made him
go across the street and turn Scott on each side and hit him
five licks with a piece of the coffin---one of the soldiers
said if he did not hit him harder, he would "buck" and gag
him. He then hit him five licks harder. They then let him
lie in the hot sun, on the walk about two hours. He begged
for water but they would not give it to him. They then
unbucked him, tied his hands behind him and put a paper on
his back. I don't know what was on it. I can't read. They
then put two drummers and two fifers before him and some
soldiers with charged bayonets behind him. They played the
rogues march and marched up Main St. from 25th
street and back to the Provost Marshals office. They then
tied his hands before him, and tied his feet, and put him
into a coffin and nailed on the top, except about a foot and
a fourth. They then set him out doors and stood up the
coffin. He stood there till near 7 o'clock. They put meal on
his face and the flies covered it most all over. He could
not get them off. He asked for water but they would not give
it to him. They put him in a waggon in the coffin. Two
soldiers with guns set upon the coffin one marched behind
with charged bayonet, and a colored boy named Henry drove
the waggon to Castle Thunder. All the above facts are true
and I will make oath to them.
The
above statement was made to me and written down, sentence by
sentence as narrated, after I had sent for the said Adams to
meet me for this purpose and told him that I would sent it
tot he War Dept. and charged him that he should give me
nothing that was not true.
Attest
signed H. W. Pierson
Richmond, Va.
June 8th, 1865
Statement of Albert Williams
I
am a citizen of Petersburg and while on my way to
Alexandria, to establish myself in business, stopped in
Richmond, to get some tools I had left there. With my arms
full of tools, I was arrested by the Police, who demanded my
pass. Told the officers I was not a slave & that the day
of passes was at an end. He said it was Yankee
freedom now, which he had always told the niggers would be
worse than southern slavery. Told him I had no pass, but
showed the following letter---
To all whom it may concern, this is to certify that I have known Albert Williams (col'd) for 12 years---has worked for me as a carpenter for 2 or 3 years at a time. He formerly belonged to R. Ragland of Petersburg. Anyone who will give him work, or any jobs for himself will find him worthy of trust.W. H. Mitchell & Brothers
Builders, Richmond, Va.
The
officer took me to jail & I was afterwards sent to
Chimbordzo Hospital, and confined, and during the night was
robbed by the soldiers on duty there. I am now here without
the means of going to my family or to Alexandria.
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen
and Abandoned Lands
History 122
.