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Slaves escaping to Fort Monroe

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Description

Benjamin Butler decreed in 1861 that male slaves who fled to Union lines were to be considered ""contraband of war"" and wouldn't be returned to bondage. This image depicts a southern planter with a whip upraised saying, ""come back here, you black rascal,"" and a slave facing him replying ""can't come back nohow, massa; Dis chile's CONTRABAN'"". A number of slaves are likewise escaping towards the depiction of a fortress on the right hand side of the envelope that is labeled ""Fort Monroe"".
Type:
Image
Format:
Patriotic Envelope B&Amp;W Ephemera (Images)
Rights:
Public domain; please credit Union College Civil War Era Patriotic Envelopes
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Record Contributed By

Union College

Record Harvested From

Empire State Digital Network