Friday, October 09, 2009

My Servant.


John Henry servant, at Headquarters of the 3rd., Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, Taken in 1863.

Photo can be enlarged by pushing on it.


When I hear the word ( Servants ), in the civil war the African American comes to mind, mainly because there were so many slaves at this time in our history. Even in war man has a want for comfort. It was not only the officers that had a servant, any solider that could pay for a servant could have one so long as he had the money to pay him. The government didn’t pay for any servants. Both armies had servants, and not to be one sided it was not only the African American, that was a servant, there were young boys and girls, black and white and men and women black and white that played the roll of the servant. Many of these servants were so loyal to his employers they would go to prison with him to given him comfort.

I looked at over 300, reports looking for the names of these servants, but was only able to find 8., Those who give reports hardly ever said the name of his or her servant, They just stated “My Servant.”
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In 1861, CAROLINE F. NOLAND, stated he had a servant by the name of George in some Ohio regiment and is some where in Virginia and would like him returned.
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ANNAPOLIS, December 31, 1861.

General HUGER, Commanding Department, Norfolk.

DEAR SIR: My servant Robert Halloway, a negro, was taken prisoner at Bull Run. He is now cook for the Federal prisoners at Richmond and is known to most of the officers of your service who were formerly in our Army. As he has been with me for many years I of course am anxious to get him again, and Commodore Goldsborough has kindly offered to interests himself in the matter. Will you be kind enough to communicate with your Government on the subject and inform me through the commodore how I may if possible get him? General McClellan tells me that he released in Western Virginia a large number of officers' servants.

Very truly, yours,
A. E. BURNSIDE,
Brigadier-General, U. S. Army.
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Numbers 14. Journal of Captain Jed. Hotchkiss, Topographical Engineer, Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (Valley District), of operations January 1-May 8, 1865.

Wednesday, March 1., My servant, William, got drunk in Staunton and got out of the way, and I left Staunton without him and did not know of his whereabouts until I got to W[aynesborough], so I rode back in the night, very dark and mud very deep, to John Hamilton's, and got my servant and horse, and came back.

Tuesday, March 7.-James A. [Wilson] and myself started to go to Lynchburg. After going to Greenwood to see about my maps, went via Staunton and saw Major Bell; then to Fisherville and got my servant William, and on toward Waynesborough.
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In 1862, GIDEON J. PILLOW, had sixteen servants.
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George W. Jones, of Iowa, former Delegate in Congress from Michigan and Wisconsin, U. S. surveyor-general, U. S. Senator from Iowa, and late minister resident from the United States at Bogota, New Granada, was arrested in New York by an order of the Secretary of State on the 20th day of December, 1861. He had a servant by the name of Paul and Paul’s sister Charlotte.
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In 1863, Colonel Lew. Benedict, had a servant by the name of Frank.
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January 31, 1862, I have to request in exchange Frank W. Welch, a free colored man, a servant to a Connecticut volunteer officer, and also any other free colored men who may have been taken while employed as servants to officers.

JUSTIN DIMICK,
Colonel First Artillery, Commanding Post.
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June 24, 1862.

MY DEAR SIR: On yesterday Jules, the colored servant of Mr. Soule, now confined at Fort Lafayette, called upon me complaining that he could not have access to his master and desiring me to aid him in that behalf.
JOHN LIVINGSTON.
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