Postal cover showing slaves (contrabands) talking to General Benjamin Butler with the description "Volunteer Sappers and Miners from the F.F.V or Merchandise Contraband of War."
Caption: "Massa Butler, we's jest seceded from Harper's Ferry, whar we larn'd de trade ob making Trenches and Forti'cations. And now if yer wants anything done in dat ar line ob bisness, we's de Niggers to call upon. We borrow'd des yer tools at de Ferry, and if dey is'ent Contraban we's gwine to carry em back at de close ab horsetilities."
This postal cover is a reference to General Butler's contraband policy that argued that escaping slaves who reached Union lines would not be returned to slavery because they constituted "contraband of war" that could not be returned to their former owners. The United States Congress upheld the contraband policy with the Confiscation Act of 1861.
description
Postal cover showing slaves (contrabands) talking to General Benjamin Butler with the description "Volunteer Sappers and Miners from the F.F.V or Merchandise Contraband of War."
Caption: "Massa Butler, we's jest seceded from Harper's Ferry, whar we larn'd de trade ob making Trenches and Forti'cations. And now if yer wants anything done in dat ar line ob bisness, we's de Niggers to call upon. We borrow'd des yer tools at de Ferry, and if dey is'ent Contraban we's gwine to carry em back at de close ab horsetilities."
This postal cover is a reference to General Butler's contraband policy that argued that escaping slaves who reached Union lines would not be returned to slavery because they constituted "contraband of war" that could not be returned to their former owners. The United States Congress upheld the contraband policy with the Confiscation Act of 1861.
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