The full content of this document is only available to subscribing institutions. More information can be found via www.amdigital.co.uk
If you believe you should have access to this document, click here to Login.
| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC07006.04 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection of William Brunt, D company, 16th regiment, USCT, infantry |
| Title | William Brunt to Robert Weir regarding enlisting freed slaves as soldiers |
| Date | 2 November 1863 |
| Author | Brunt, William (fl. 1863-1865) |
| Recipient | Weir, Robert |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Gives details of his movements over the past few days. Brunt has been ordered to "take charge of the Contraband Barracks," where he found and fed freed slaves. He describes the process of enlisting them as soldiers, "how theire eys brighten when they make theire mark to their signatures...No masters whip will ever legally gash theire backs again." Describes his joy at recruiting former slaves as "the privelige of taking one part of the south to whip the rest with yes to take the cause of the Rebellion to crush it with." Mentions the attempts of slave owners to buy back freed black soldiers and how Brunt repelled their attempts. Gives an account of an argument with another Kentuckian, a slave owner, about the war and the freeing of slaves. |
| Subjects | African American Troops African American History Civil War Military History Soldier's Letter Union Soldier's Letter Union Forces Contrabands Freemen Slavery Recruitment Slave Sale Emancipation |
| People | Brunt, William (fl. 1863-1865) Weir, Robert (fl. 1863) |
| Place written | Clarkesville, Tennessee |
| Theme | African Americans; The American Civil War |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | William Brunt was, at the start of the correspondence, a soldier in the 83rd Regiment, Ft. Donelson, Tennessee. He was later made Captain of Company Division 16th Colored Infantry. Brunt's wife, Olive, and his two children virtually accompanied him to war, living in the nearby camps while Brunt was on the battlefield. William and Olive had lived in Kentucky prior to the war, but were disliked for their strong support of Union politics. By 1864, Olive was helping to run a contraband camp with Brunt, but by 1865 the two had divorced after Olive was unfaithful to William. Brunt retained custody of their two children and, despite the emotional strain which came from marriage of one and the death of the other, remained devoted as a soldier and anti-slavery advocate. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |
| Civil War: Theater of War | Main Western Theater |
| Civil War: Unit | 83rd Regiment, Tennessee |
| Transcript | Show/hide |