During the Civil War, the term “contraband” came to refer to persons who were held as slaves, who by their own means, or as a result of liberation by the advancing Union army, crossed into safety within and behind the Union lines. These persons were still considered property, hence the term “contraband” was originally used to describe them.
On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation stating that if the rebels did not end the fighting and rejoin the Union by January 1, 1863, all enslaved persons in the rebellious states would be free.
Shortly after the news broke in the north that Lincoln intended to “free the slaves,” a conspiracy theory began to develop that the new freedmen would replace white labor in the north. One of the main promoters of that theory was the racist and disloyal editor of the Gettysburg Compiler, Henry J. Stahle. Following the Battle of Gettysburg, Stahle was arrested and imprisoned at Fort McHenry. He was released on parole upon his giving of a loyalty oath and thus never went to trial on the charges of being disloyal during the battle. Prior to the battle though, Stahle, through his newspaper, amplified the baseless and unproven conspiracy theory circulating in the north that the government was plotting to replace white coal miners who mainly supported the Democratic Party, with African Americans, who would be loyal to the Republican Party and the Union. [It must be noted here that the positions of the political parties of 1862 do not represent the the positions of the parties of the same name today – in fact, on most major issues, the parties of today have each adopted the position that the other party held in 1862].
While the war was going on, the mix of opinions of what to do with the “contraband” was presented in the newspapers of the times. Most newspapers were loyal to either the Democratic or Republican Party.
While there was anxiety in the Coal Region of Pennsylvania concerning the Emancipation Proclamation and the perceived intention of Lincoln to bring freedmen from the south to replace white workers in the north, there was never any evidence that this so-called conspiracy had any basis in reality. Its promotion was nothing more than a fear tactic put forth by Democratic-leaning politicians to retain support of white laborers.
The newspaper selections presented below refer to the perceived dangers of freed African Americans coming north. The language used was intentionally dehumanizing.
Some newspapers did call out Stahle and the other hate-mongers for what they were doing. The Adams Sentinel, a Republican-leaning newspaper, was published by Robert G. Harper, a Union loyalist. Harper’s response to Stahle’s November 24, 1862 article from the Gettysburg Compiler (pictured above), is also presented below.
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From the Gettysburg Compiler, November 3, 1862.
“Contrabands” in Pennsylvania – The Harrisburg Patriot in noticing the knocking down and robbing of a soldier, at night, in that place, by two negro men, says:
“Scenes of this kind occur almost every night, and it is unsafe for citizens or strangers to venture after dark into localities frequented by the colored rowdies who infest our city, unless provided with protective weapons. No city of the same size in the North is cursed with a more numerous or worthless negro population than Harrisburg, and it is now daily being swelled by swarms of filthy contrabands who must either subsist themselves with robbery and plunder, or become paupers upon the bounty of our white tax-paying citizens. – Scenes of violence and outrage such as it has been our unpleasant duty to report recently, we fear will be of frequent occurrence during the coming winter.”
Note: The above story was repeated in the Luzerne Union, November 12, 1862.
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Also from the Gettysburg Compiler, November 3, 1862:
Destitute Contrabands — In the Cincinnati papers we find an advertisement of “Freedmen’s Aid Society,” calling upon the Christian public to come forward and extend relief to persons “made free by the recent Proclamation of our noble President,” and constantly arriving in that city. The society, through its officers, says that many of these helpless and homeless creatures come naked, penniless and sick, and charitable people are called upon to contribute liberally to relieve them in their destitute condition. These appeals are getting to be very common, and our abolition philanthropists are finding that the negroes require something more than freedom.
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From The Star & Enterprise, November 6, 1862:
It is said the government has a project on hand to lower the price [of] coal by sending all the able bodied contrabands unemployed to work in the mines.
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From the Luzerne Union, November 12, 1862:
LINCOLN IN HARMONY WITH THE SOUTH — The President, in his interview with the Chicago Committee, said of the contrabands fed by the government — “They eat and that is all.” The Richmond Whig speaking of the policy of removing the border negroes to the interior, says of them: “As it is they are not merely useless, but worse — ‘pabi consumere fouges’ – ruthless breadeaters.”
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From the Gettysburg Compiler, November 17, 1862:
A Western Poet has written a Hymn, intended to be sung by Congress, during its session next winter, immediately after prayers. The following stanza is a specimen:
From Africa the negro came,
And, O Congress bless his name:
Stand up, good Lovejoy, bless the day,
The Negro came from Africa.
In him we live, in him we move;
For him we preach, for him we pray -
For him we meet, from day to day,
That colored cuss from Africa.
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Also from the Gettysburg Compiler, November 17, 1862:
More Negroes – The Telegraph announces that another boat-load of negroes, 360 in number, arrived at Washington on Friday, having been brought up from Suffolk, North Carolina. They were immediately sent to the contraband camp, there of course, to be fed at the government expense, while some of our poor soldiers, according to all accounts, are suffering for the want of shoes and clothing and have not received a cent of pay in six months! Is this right? Is it just?
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From the Gettysburg Compiler, November 24, 1862:
CONTRABANDS TO BE SENT TO THE COAL REGIONS
It is stated that the Government has under consideration a scheme for conveying contrabands to the Coal Mines in Pennsylvania, where there is a great scarcity of workmen. — Philadelphia Ledger.
We can tell the President of the United States, and his abolition advisers, that they must keep their negroes out of the Coal Regions, unless they desire to inaugurate civil war in the North. The people of this section of the State will not allow emancipated slaves to be thrown in competition with white labor. The statements that there is a scarcity of workmen in the Coal mines of Pennsylvania, has no foundation in truth as far as Schuylkill County is concerned, and has only been gotten up by the Abolitionists to cover their design to supplant white labor by the employment of negroes. The white men are Democrats – vote the democratic ticket, and hence the anxiety of the Abolitionists to throw them out of employment, and compel them to leave the county. Before the Democrats can be discharged, it is necessary to have on hand a large number of negroes for their places, or the mines will stop and the Government be in want of coal. President Lincoln must keep his pet lambs out of Schuylkill County. — Pottsville Standard.
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From the Adams Sentinel, November 25, 1862:
One of the tricks of a certain class of journalists, when they desire to indulge in the fabulous hope of manufacturing consolation, is to howl and rant on the subject of the influx of contrabands. This was a favorite plea to deter men from voting the Union ticket at the last election. “Vote the Democratic ticket,” insisted the tricksters, “or the free States will be overrun with contrabands.” It appears now, however, that at no time have the “contrabands” interfered with white labor, and from information given by the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, it is shown that as fast as contrabands arrive within the lines of the Federal army, or as they come even further north, they are ready and willing to return to the south as army teamsters. in this capacity they make themselves very useful, as their knowledge of the roads, their acquaintance with the business, and their “intelligence” is capable of fitting them for such employment. The slave darky will get his own in this fight, if it is only the pleasure of driving a loyal team against a traitor master.
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From the Perry County Democrat, November 27, 1862:
A COMMISSIONER OF CONTRABANDS — The War Department is about to appoint from civil life (or detail some army officer) a Commissioner to look after the interest of the negro contrabands now in charge of the Government. — Exchange.
Certainly. Anything to bleed the Treasury is right and “loyal.” The people are rich, and love to pay taxes. Go in, gentlemen. There are not half enough officers yet to supply the thousands of hungry Abolitionists who are applying for a chance to “serve their beloved country.”
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See: A Racist Conspiracy Theory Found Root in Schuylkill County., by Jake Wynn. “This ‘replacement’ theory… bears a striking resemblance to theories we hear in our own time. It had no connection to reality in 1862 and similar theories today have little relationship to the facts.”
See also: Henry J. Stahle, Gettysburg Newspaper Editor: Was He Disloyal? Includes photographs of Henry J. Stahle and the Gettysburg Compiler office as it appeared in 1862.
News articles from Newspapers.com.
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