|
Slave redeemtion was a long established practice in slave socities. They do not seem to have been very common in America, although the information we have been able to find is very limited. The best known redeeemed slave is certainly Frederick Douglas. After he ran away, supporters of slavery mounted a series of attempts to kidnapp him so his friends finally purchased his freedom. We note some redeeded slave children. Some were light-complectioned children. Others redeemed were children with black complections and features.
The best known redeeemed slave is certainly Frederick Douglas. His father may have been his white owner at the time, but this is not known for sure. A young Frederick Douglass first ran away from a Mr. Freeman who had hired him out from his owner at the time, a Colonel Lloyd. He was found abd returned. He was turbed over to an Edward Covey who had a reputation as a "slave breaker". He again ran away, but was recaptured (1836). Finally in a well planned attemp he succeeded. Douglass boarding a train to Havre de Grace, Maryland (1838). He was dressed in a sailor uniform and had obtained identification papers from a free black seaman. The train took him to Wilmington, Delaware. There traveled by steamboat to Philadelphia ("Quaker City"), Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was a free state. He then went on the New York City. After he ran away and began to become well known as an effective aboloitionist spokesman, supporters of slavery attempts to kidnapp him. Once in custody he could be legally extradited back to his Maryland owner. So his friends finally purchased his freedom.
We note matching CDV portraits od Alice and Charlie Ling. We are not sure that they are siblings. King is the name of the woman who adopted them. Presumably they had the same slave birth mother, but we do not jnow this for certain. We do know that they were both slave boy redemed and adopted by "Mrs. King of Lima, New York. Their portraits were taken at the same time which we can tell by the identical setting and outfits. The children wear matching dresses. The CDV appears to have been taken anout 1861 or possibly even 1862. They could not have been taken earlier as the CDV process was not introduced in the United States earlier. We do not know where the children were from or just how Mrs. King selected them to redem. Presumably she had to buy their freedom. This CDV was reproduced commercially to raise funds. The CDV process based on a negative made it ppossible to reproduce the images in large quantities.
We know very little about Fannie Virginia Casseopia Lawrence seen in the CDV here (figure 1). The Virginia tells us where she was from. And the Lawrence tells us who redeemed her. She obviously had a white father and probably other white ancestors. She could pass for white. The caption on this CDV read, "Fannie Virginia Casseopia Lawrence: A redeemed Slave Child, 5 years of age. Redeemed in Virginia by Catherine S. Lawrence, baptized at Plymouth Church, by Henry Ward Beecher, May 1863." Beecher of course was one of the leading abolitionist spokesmen an preacher in the Unibed States. This CDV portrit was copyrighrted and distributed commercially to raise finds, presumably for more slave redeemptions. This was, however, after the Emancipation Proclamation. Fannie was probably obtained in an area of Virginia occupited by Federal forces. So we do not know if she actually had to be purchased. A reader tells is, "I know she lived with Catherine Lawrence in Seneca Falls, New York. She was married with a child, her husband left her and thats where the trail ends." [Verzillo > We can find nothing further about her.
Verzillo, Dick. E-mail message (June 14, 2014).
Navigate the CIH Civil War Pages:
[Return to the Main U.S. redemed slave page]
[Return to the Main U.S. slavery page]
[Return to the Main working page]
[Biographies]
[Campaign]
[Causes]
[Emancipation]
[Families and youth]
[Fiscal policy]
[Formations and units]
[Law]
[Railroads]
[Slavery]
[Soldiers]
[Uniforms]
[Weaponry]
[Lost Cause]
[Civil Rights movement]
[Return to CIH Home page]
