• Achieved freedom in 1855
• Became successful dressmaker in Washington, eventually working for Mary Lincoln
• Founded Contraband Relief Association in 1862 to help former slaves
• Published autobiography about her life

Early Years

Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly* (1818-1907) was born into slavery in North Carolina. Her mother was a seamstress. Elizabeth was originally told that her father was George Hobbs, a slave who lived on a plantation one hundred miles away.  For the first eight years of Elizabeth’s life, Hobbs visited his wife and child at Christmas and Easter. Then Hobbs’s owner moved away, and George was never again able to return to see his family.

On plantations, it was common for children born into slavery to be used as companions to a plantation owner’s young children. Keckly was only age 4 or 5 when she took on nursemaid duties for the plantation family. There were four white children under the age of ten. Elizabeth was given the responsibility of taking care of the most recently born infant daughter.

As Elizabeth’s mother was dying, she revealed to Elizabeth that though her husband was George Hobbs, Elizabeth’s true father was the owner of the plantation where they lived.

New Households

When Elizabeth was in her teens, the plantation owner sent her to work for his son’s household. While working there, she became a target of abuse by the village schoolmaster who summoned her for beatings.

Later, she was sold and sent to St. Louis where she was raped.  She gave birth to her only son, George, named after her own presumed father.

Buying Her Way Out of Slavery

Keckly’s owner in St. Louis faced a downturn I his business. He knew that Elizabeth Keckly was an excellent seamstress (a skill she learned from her mother). He permitted her to establish a shop where she could make clothing for other people. Her business did very well, however, her owner collected most of her earnings. For several years, she supported her owner and his family.

By working in the shop, Keckly was in touch with many women in St. Louis who were active in the abolition movement. They frequently talked to Keckly about what could be done so that she and her son could be free.

She approached her owner several times to request a dollar amount that would buy them freedom. Initially, the man put her off and refused to give a price.

After several more requests from Keckly, he finally stipulated $1200. Because most of her wages were collected by Mr. Garland, $1200 was an impossible figure for her to raise on her own.

Several of her customers offered to help. One of them came forward with $400. The woman also got friends to donate the remaining amount needed.

Her owner kept his side of the bargain. When Keckly delivered the money, she and her son were free.

Education Important

Elizabeth Keckly wanted her son to have an education. When he was old enough, she enrolled him in Wilberforce University. The university was founded in 1856 in Ohio, near one of the stops of the Underground Railroad.)

For a time, Keckly continued to run her St. Louis-based business. When she decided to relocate, her first move was to Maryland, but laws there were tightening on former slaves.

In 1860, she moved to Washington D.C., where she acquired an excellent reputation among society women. Soon she was doing work for women such as Varnia Davis (wife of Jefferson Davis) and Mary Anne Randolph Custis Lee (wife of Robert E. Lee). 

George Keckly Goes to War

When the war started, her son, George Jr., wanted to fight for the Union. African Americans could not enlist in the military until the laws were changed in 1863, but because his father was white, George Jr. was able to go to war. Sadly for Elizabeth, her son was killed in August of 1861 at the battle of Wilson’s Creek in Missouri.

Elizabeth Keckly remained in Washington. Her reputation was growing, and when the Lincolns moved into the White House, Keckly was recommended to Mary Todd Lincoln. She was soon the First Lady’s favorite seamstress.  (One of Keckly’s dresses is in the Smithsonian as Mary wore it for the second inauguration.)

Elizabeth Keckly became one of the few people who could calm Mary Lincoln when she was upset. Keckley not only made Mary’s dresses but she was at the White House each morning to help Mary get dressed. This gave her an unusual view of the White House and the Lincoln family.

In the meantime, Keckly’s reputation for her design work and fine sewing brought her many customers from Washington society. By 1865, she employed almost 20 women in her 12^th Street shop.

Keckly Helped with War Effort

In Washington in 1862, Keckly saw that people in D.C. were raising funds for relief of the white soldiers. Keckly gathered a group of people from her 15^th Street Presbyterian Church and suggested that they form a group to raise money for their own unfortunates. As early as 1863, thousands of escaped or newly freed slaves were looking for help.

Keckly and her group formed the Ladies’ Contraband Relief Association.

Because Keckly often traveled with the Lincolns, she could be in touch with people in other communities to gather support. The group raised money and gathered food and clothing. they sponsored Christmas dinners for the sick and wounded from the war. It was badly needed.  In 1864 the organization changed its name to the Ladies’ Freedmen and Soldiers’ Relief Association. After the war, they helped find teachers for the schools for the newly freed. 

After Lincoln’s Assassination

After her husband was assassinated, Mary Lincoln moved to Chicago to be near her son Robert.  Keckly escorted her, but Keckly returned to Washington after Mary was settled.  The two women remained close and corresponded.

When Mary Lincoln ran into financial difficulty and wanted to sell some of her clothing, Keckly met her in New York to help her find buyers. Unfortunately for Mary, the story came to light, and it became known as the “old clothes” scandal. Mary Lincoln was attacked in the press for daring to sell her clothes to raise money.

Keckly’s Autobiography

In 1868, Keckly published her ghostwritten autobiography, Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House.  Keckly apparently thought her book would help restore her former employer’s reputation. But in that day, the idea that a “colored” person could step forward to tell “behind the scenes” stories was viewed poorly. Mrs. Lincoln felt betrayed by the woman she described as “my best living friend.” Elizabeth Keckly’s reputation was ruined, and the Washington women turned elsewhere for a seamstress.

Wilberforce Offers Job

A representative of Wilberforce University, the college Keckly’s son attended, came forward to help.  In 1892, she was offered a faculty position at Wilberforce as head of the Department of Sewing and Domestic Science Arts.  Within a year, she was organizing a dress exhibit for the Chicago World’s Fair.

Her last years did not sustain this positive momentum.  She returned to Washington in 1907, and ironically needed help from one of the organization she helped form after the war. She was living at the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children when she died.

*Recent research reveals that Elizabeth Keckly wrote her own name as “Keckly.” While many sources still refer to her as Elizabeth Keckley, this article uses her preferred spelling.

For more information about Mary Lincoln, read Mary Lincoln’s Shopping Habits in Perspective.

The Battle of Forks Road in Wilmington, North Carolina, in February 1865, was one of the closing armed engagements bringing the Civil War to an end.

By late 1864 almost all the Confederate supply lines from the Atlantic Ocean had been cut by Union forces. Wilmington was the South’s last major open port. Blockade runners could still make it into the Cape Fear River. Once supplies were off-loaded in Wilmington, there were three railroad lines from where they could be sent to wherever the Confederate Army needed them.

In the summer of 1864, General Lee had said: “If Wilmington falls, I cannot maintain my army.”

But there are two little-known aspects to what happened around Wilmington in early 1865. 

The first concerns the U.S. Colored Troops who played a dominant role in this final stage of the battle. Three received the Medal of Honor. Yet as a group, they have never been recognized for their contributions.

The second is that few knew about the Battle of Forks Road. It was an important part of the mop-up as the Union moved up the peninsula to take control of Wilmington. But the story remained untold.

The Battle of Forks Road was first uncovered in the 1980s. Two friends who lived locally walked the land together, and it became clear that something big had happened in the area.  (More about the discovery later.)

Backing Up: Here’s What Happened

By late 1864, Union General William T. Sherman’s 285-mile March to the Sea reached Savannah, Georgia. The Federal troops saw they might be getting closer to victory. But there was still work to be done. As long as Robert E. Lee received supplies regularly through Wilmington, he could keep on fighting.

The Cape Fear River traveled up to Wilmington and was a fully navigable river. Once blockade runners got through supplies could be sent anywhere.

In December, Union forces began advancing on Wilmington, hoping to shut it down. The upper inlet to the Cape Fear River was protected by a well-built fortification known as Fort Fisher.

Fort Fisher

Fort Fisher featured formidable earthworks all around it. The walls were built with dirt and sand and were so thick that the Confederates intended them to be impenetrable.  But if the war was to be won by the Union, Fort Fisher needed to be sacked.

In December 1864, the Union Navy bombarded the thick earthwork walls. Union troops waited on land for word that they should attack. That word never came. After hours of bombardment and little success, the Union Navy gave up. The infantry backed away. 

As the new year dawned, the Confederacy was grateful that it still had its supply line through Wilmington. They hoped they might offer enough resistance to hold on.

Union Returns

But the Union was not going away. By mid-January, naval leader David D. Porter and expeditionary forces commander General Alfred H. Terry, joined forces and worked well together. They carried out a joint attack involving the army, navy, and the marines.

The Second Battle of Fort Fisher—as it became known–began on January 15. This time Porter’s Navy arrived with 60 gunboats and was able to silence most of the fort’s cannons and guns.

With that accomplished, Terry’s men moved in to attack from the land. The grueling battle lasted for hours. As dark descended, it seemed clear the Union would prevail.

As the Union soldiers entered the fort, many Confederates slipped away to take positions across the river at Fort Anderson and in the entrenchments they had built along the Federal Point Road that led to Wilmington.

Fighting for Wilmington

In addition to Fort Fisher, there were several other Confederate-held forts along the river. The Army also made well-built entrenchments that offered soldiers cover if the Union were to venture up the peninsula toward Wilmington. Once the Confederates were in place, it would be difficult for the Union to dislodge them.

Both sides knew that the stakes were high. If the Confederates could hold Wilmington, they might continue to get supplies to Lee. If the Union won the battle, then Federal troops could re-supply Sherman’s men. This would tip the balance of the war.

But before a Union victory, there was the Battle of Forks Road.

The Strong Presence of Colored Troops

After Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, former slaves and free men from Confederate states could enlist in the Union Army. For those who slipped out of slavery, the opportunity to fight for their own freedom was enticing. By war’s end, the Union had 179,000 Black soldiers in the infantry. Another 19,000 joined the Navy.

In the Wilmington area, many of the men who were part of the U.S. Colored Troops brigades were from the region. They knew the terrain, and many knew each other as well. Ultimately, the U.S. Colored Troops had two brigades of 9 regiments fighting in and around Wilmington. 

Moving Toward Wilmington

As the Union fought its way up the peninsula, other forts were abandoned by the Confederates, but there was still fierce fighting from the entrenchments along Federal Point Road at what is now known as Forks Road.

General Terry who was in command of the Union troops in the area, consulted with Brigadier General Charles Paine. Paine was a white general who led a division of colored troops. The decision was made to push forward on February 20 to try to overrun the Confederates. Ultimately, there were 1600 musket bearers representing the 1st, 5th, 10th, 27^th, and 37^th regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops.

This was the beginning of the Battle of Forks Road.

Battle of Forks Road

Terry’s plan sent the U.S. Colored Troops, led by the 5^th regiment, straight up into the Confederate defenses. Swamps flanked both sides of the road, so the men had no choice but to try to fight their way through. The troops fought hard but the Confederates were well protected and had plenty of ammunition. Union losses on that first day were high.

On February 21, the Union probed for a weak spot.  Skirmishes continued. But something in the atmosphere changed. Word got out that the Confederates had abandoned Charleston.

Terry’s men saw black smoke coming from Wilmington. This was a normal maneuver before troops retreated. The Union men suspected that the Confederates were burning supplies and moving back.

But through February 21, the Confederates fought on at Forks Road.

On February 22, the USCT remained in place, ready for a third day of battle. But when dawn came, the Confederate Army was gone.

Losses for the Union men were serious, but those who could, marched victoriously to Wilmington. Since many of the soldiers were local, both Black and white residents of Wilmington were overjoyed. There was great pride that the US Colored Troops played an instrumental role in the Battle of Wilmington. 

Forgotten No More

How could a battle that paved the way for victory be forgotten?

Perhaps it was that it was “almost the end.” Men on both sides were totally worn out. Once Fort Fisher fell it was becoming very clear that the Confederacy could not last without its supply line.

By this stage, the record-keeping may have been neglected as the Union fought their way north to Wilmington.

Battleground Discovered

The late Robert E. Treadwell, a U.S. veteran, a veterinarian, and a local history buff, explored the area on his own. He was impressed by some of the relics he found, and invited his friend, historian Dr. Chris E. Fonvielle Jr., to come investigate. It was the spring of 1980.

Though a housing development had been built in 1955 and bordered one side of the area, much of the sandy ridge was untouched. Parts of what was known as Federal Point Road, which connected Wilmington with the southern portions of the peninsula were still there. There were also still Union breastworks. 

Reports Were Scant

In preparation for another visit, Chris Fonvielle, a Civil War historian, professor emeritus (Department of History), University of North Carolina in Wilmington. and author of several books (including his latest, Glory at Wilmington: The Battle of Forks Road, was intrigued and thought he should research what happened before they returned.

He began with record books and regimental histories but found little information about what might have happened.

When he turned to archaeological surveys, however, he began to see a story. The archaeological documentation revealed hundreds of fired and dropped Minié balls (hollow bullets that expand on impact), cannonball fragments, lead canisters, and iron case balls.

Treadwell and Fonvielle investigated the land, and Dr. Fonvielle dug into records and maps and manuscripts to piece together what happened. Dr. Fonvielle soon saw that what they were looking at were the remains of a hotly fought battle that no one ever talked about.

Given the battle’s location, he took to referring to it by the name of its road: the Battle Forks Road. As he studied what must have happened, he saw that the Confederates were so well-entrenched that they wanted to hold on. But the Union—embodied by about 1600 U.S. Colored Troops—matched the Confederate grit and stubbornly fought to win.

Development Threatens

In 1981, a builder came in with plans for putting up more houses around Forks Road. The Forks Road Preservation Movement quickly came into being with Fonvielle and others in the community fighting to preserve the land. If the land was not preserved, the story could all too easily be lost again. 

The community group won their fight, but they knew it was only a matter of time before they faced another possible threat. 

Enter a Hero: Bruce Cameron

Businessman Bruce Barclay Cameron (1918-2013) and his wife Louise Wells Cameron owned the land where the battle had taken place, and they loved living in Wilmington area. When Bruce’s wife, Louise, passed away, Cameron wanted to do something in her honor.

Wilmington had a small art museum in town but the collection was outgrowing the space. Cameron saw that an art center in memory of his wife would be meaningful to the community. In 1997, he donated the land where Forks Road lay, and he gave a substantial sum for an art museum to be built and named for his wife, Louise Wells Cameron.

But he had a stipulation: The fieldworks that remained on the land should be preserved and the history of the battle interpreted. 

Louise Wells Cameron Art Center Born

The museum was completed in 2001. It features local and regional artwork as well as pieces by world-renowned artist like Joan Miró, Mary Cassatt, Robert Rauschenberg, Philip Guston, and Marc Chagall. Before the pandemic, school children frequently toured the site, seeing the art and hearing the story of the battle.

“I believe we are the only art museum that also stewards a battlefield,” says deputy director Heather Wilson. “We take that role very seriously.”

Reenactors Help Tell the Story

Telling a story of something that happened 150 years ago is always challenging, but it is less so if you have reenactors.  A group led by Malcolm Beech Sr., president of the African American Museum and Cultural Center and past president of the United States Colored Troops Living History Association, made it part of their regular schedule to be in Wilmington to tell the story of what happened on the land. As Beech said: “The North was fighting to save the Union. The South was fighting for state’s rights. We were fighting for our freedom.”

Many descendants of those who fought in the battle settled in the area. This makes it even more meaningful.

How Else to Tell About the Battle?

“But we began to think about what else we could do,” explains Heather Wilson in a telephone interview. “In North Carolina, there are 140 monuments to the Confederacy on public ground. There is only one memorial in the state commemorating the U.S. Colored Troops. We felt we could do more.”

Meetings were held. Arts center leaders, community members, historians, descendants, educators, and U.S. Colored Troop reenactors met to discuss what would be appropriate. The U.S. Colored Troops had never received the recognition due them for their part in one of the final battles in the War.

The group thought a full-scale monument in front of the museum seemed like the right thing. Wilson noted that they knew the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation offered grants for “inclusive art projects.” They thought they might have a shot at that.

Sculptor Stephen Hayes Begins Project

Early in the process, they selected Stephen Hayes, an up-and-coming Black sculptor who teaches at Duke University, to work with them. Soon plans were formulated for a bronze monument featuring nine members of the U.S. Colored Troops marching into battle. Hayes’s work has been featured in many prominent museums and universities, and he recently was awarded the prestigious 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art.

Ultimately, the Museum received a $50,000 grant to begin the project, though donations are still needed.

Hayes has been at work, inviting local people to be a part of the project by letting their faces be used to create the mold. (To see how this is done, see this clip from UNCTV.)

Faces with No Names?

The final part of the project is underway: gathering the names so there can be a plaque that honors those who fought. This effort is led by public historian Devin Kelly at the request of the Art Center.

Since the record-keeping was poor in 1865, it has not been an easy task. Heather Wilson from the museum and Devin Kelly have put together a group of local volunteers to go through hundreds of online records to identify the men who fought at Forks Road. Where possible, they are also keeping track of personal details to help fill in the story. The plaque may be an ongoing project, but it will be part of the dedication.

Monument Dedication

The dedication of the monument was delayed by the pandemic, but it is now anticipated to be unveiled in November 2021. Given the community involvement in the project, this will be a wonderful celebration. For more information, see the Cameron Art Center website.

The Cameron Art Center has produced a 24-minute documentary about the battlefield. Click here to view The Battle of Forks Road Documentary.

The three men who received the Medal of Honor for their participation at the Battle of Forks Road are Powhaten Beaty, Milton M. Holland, and Robert Pinn.

For more information on the Civil War, visit the American Battlefield Trust: battlefields.org.

Corporal Joseph H. De Castro, 20, distinguished himself at Gettysburg during Pickett’s Charge. He was the first Latino to earn the country’s highest military decoration for valor in combat, the Medal of Honor. De Castro was a member of Company I, 19^th Massachusetts Infantry.

Early Life

Joseph De Castro was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1844. By age 18, he worked as a waiter helping his family. In July of 1861 he heard the military was asking men to enlist, so he signed up to be part of the all-volunteer 19^th Massachusetts Infantry. The regiment trained at Camp Schouler in Lynnfield, Massachusetts under Colonel Edward W. Hinks.

On August 28, 1861, the unit was ordered to Washington and assigned to picket duty along the Potomac River. Six months later, the 19th joined the Army of the Potomac in time for the Union movement toward the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia, known as the Peninsula Campaign. The unit took part in the Seven Days Battles for Richmond and lost 145 men on Day Six at the Battle of Glendale. 

At Antietam, the 19th suffered heavy losses in the West Woods, and their commander, Colonel Hinks was badly wounded.

The regiment continued on to fight at Fredericksburg. In the assault on Marye’s Heights, the 19^th Massachusetts sustained heavy losses. Eight of the color bearers were killed or badly wounded. This is likely the point at which Private Joseph De Castro was promoted to be a flag bearer.

Color Bearer

Serving as color bearer was both prestigious and dangerous. The color bearers carried no weapons, and the flags the men carried provided the pace and the direction for their regiment. The din of a battle meant that no drumming or bugle call could be heard by the soldiers, so the flag gave the men guidance as to where their unit was going and how quickly. 

But the flag also placed a mark on the color bearer—these men were highly visible to the enemy. The color bearers knew the enormity of their charge. Dropping or losing the flag was a disgrace, so they did all they could to hold on to their colors throughout the battle. 

New Commander

With the loss of Colonel Hinks, the 19th Massachusetts Infantry was put under the command of Colonel Arthur Devereux in early 1863. Devereaux was Harvard-educated and a former business partner of Elmer Ellsworth. Ellsworth was the first Union martyr of the War, but he is also well-remembered for his Zouave marching unit and his love of precision drilling. Devereaux brought with him to the 19^th the disciplinary attitude he practiced with Ellsworth.

  In May of 1863, the 19^th joined the Army of the Potomac to march North. Though they didn’t know it at the time, they were on what would become a 150-mile march to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. One Union general observed how well ordered the 19^th were under Devereaux. After two very hard weeks of marching, they reached Uniontown, Maryland. They stopped to rest and await further orders.

Tension Builds Near Gettysburg

In the meantime, Confederate soldiers in Cashtown, Pennsylvania, spotted Union troops arriving in Gettysburg on June 30. Confederate General A.P. Hill was not too concerned as he believed there were not many Union soldiers nearby, but on July 1, he sent men on reconnaissance to be sure.

Union cavalry officer John Buford feared this would occur. He needed a way to slow the Confederate forces while more of the Union Army arrived. Though he had a relatively small number of soldiers at that time, Buford placed his men in defensive positions on three ridges west of town in a show of strength.

Skirmishes began at 7:30 a.m. on July 1. The Union commanders sent word to regiments in the area to get to Gettysburg quickly. Devereaux started out with the 19^th Massachusetts at 4 a.m. The men still had 20 miles to march, arriving in Gettysburg about 9 pm that evening.  They were dismayed to be met by wounded and discouraged men going the other way in retreat. It had been a bad day for the Union, and the 19^th Massachusetts must have feared what awaited them.

Day Two

On the second day of battle, the 19th Massachusetts regiment held its position along Cemetery Ridge near a soon to be famous clump of trees. The men encountered limited fighting that day but they had a clear view of the horror in nearby, blood-soaked ground around a peach orchard. Union General Sickles moved his men out of his position on Cemetery Ridge without permission. Their presence in the Peach Orchard was a massive mistake, and the Union suffered badly.

Devereaux—commanding both the 19^th Massachusetts and the 42nd New York at this time—received orders to move positions to support the Third Corps fighting in the Peach Orchard.

Devereaux saw the disaster awaiting them, but he wasn’t a man to ignore an order. He maneuvered his men to a knoll between Cemetery Ridge and Emmitsburg Road and waited while more Union men retreated. 

When the way was clear for his men, Devereaux ordered one volley from the New York unit followed by another from 19^th Massachusetts. Soldiers from the 1^st Minnesota provided more firepower. Devereaux followed orders without sacrificing his men.

Finally the Confederate men rested.

Night Before Day 3

That night Devereaux’s men remained in position. They did their best to scrounge for food and sleep as they could, all the while fearing what the next day would hold.

By this time, General Lee was calculating his next step in what became known as Pickett’s Charge. He planned to launch a thunderous volley of artillery on the Union men along Cemetery Ridge early in the day. Lee still held the edge on numbers, so planned an all-out assault by his men on the Union men who remained.

July 3

On the morning of July 3, the Confederate artillery was having difficulty. The barrage did not start until after 1 p.m. This delayed Lee’s plan for the assault. By the time the Confederates began crossing the field for their attack, the temperature was 87 degrees and humid. Each step was a struggle.

From the Union viewpoint, the men did their best to withstand the artillery fire. Then they saw the next plan…the Confederates started across the undulating field, calling and firing. Many of the Confederates were shot as they ran, but some reached the low stone wall and clambered over it. Those who ventured that far engaged in bayonet- and hand-to-hand combat with the Union soldiers.

Union General Hancock rode behind his troops, encouraging them all: “Now, men, forward! Now’s your chance! Go at them!”

De Castro Shines

During this time, Corporal De Castro was out in front of the regiment carrying the Massachusetts state colors. When a Virginia color bearer neared, De Castro met him face-to-face and used his own flag to attack. In hand-to-hand combat, he victoriously wrested the flag away from the Confederate color bearer. Now carrying both flags, he turned to find his nearest general.

General Alexander S. Webb described what happened next: “At the instant a man broke through my line and thrust a rebel battle flag into my hands. He never said a word and darted back. It was Corporal Joseph H. De Castro, one of my color bearers. He knocked down a color bearer in the enemy’s line with the staff of the Massachusetts state colors, seized the falling flag, and dashed it to me.”

De Castro Continues in the War

DeCastro then went right back into the fighting at Gettysburg, returning to his position as regimental flag bearer.

Despite the fact that the Union men were greatly outnumbered by the Confederates, the misguided Confederate plan of storming through the center of the Union line proved disastrous for the Confederacy. They lost roughly half of the 12,000 men in the attack. The Union suffered far fewer casualties.

General Robert E. Lee began a long slow retreat, some of it in pouring rain. Lee’s men would never come back to Pennsylvania in force.

Medal of Honor

De Castro was one of seven men from the 19^th Massachusetts Infantry to be awarded the Medal of Honor for their valorous fighting at Gettysburg.

19th Massachusetts Continues

DeCastro continued on with the 19^th Massachusetts regiment. When his tour of duty was up, he re-enlisted on December 20, 1863.

During the autumn of 1863, the 19^th Massachusetts went on to see action at Bristoe Station, Robertson’s Tavern and the Wilderness.

The following spring they were in action at the Bloody Angle, North Anna, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. In June of 1864 near Petersburg, the 19^th lost all but 40 of its officers and men in the fighting along Jerusalem Plank Road. In July they went on to Deep Bottom and Reams’ Station, only to be brought back to Petersburg for more fighting.

War Concludes

In April of 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia surrendered thereby bringing the Civil War to a close. At that time, the 19^th Massachusetts marched back to Washington City. On June 30, the men mustered out. Much of the regiment then marched on to Massachusetts. At Readville, they were officially paid and discharged.

Joseph H. De Castro served through the entire length of the war. He had been promoted to be a Sergeant of Company I, 19^th Massachusetts.

De Castro After War

Joseph De Castro likely enjoyed some time in the Boston area with friends and family, but he clearly missed the military life. In 1870, he enlisted with the 6^th U.S. Cavalry, Regular Army. They were primarily assigned to the West. After four years of service with the cavalry unit, he returned East. 

De Castro married, and in 1882, he and his wife moved to New York City where he worked for an unspecified barge company.

He continued the military tradition as an active member of the Phil Kearny Post in New York City. De Castro also enjoyed attending Grand Army of the Republic reunions to help keep the memory of the war alive for the next generation.

On May 8, 1892, he died at home at 244 W. 22^nd Street. His funeral was held at the 18^th Street Methodist Church, and he was buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey. His grave is marked with a U.S. Medal of Honor bronze marker.

And for more information on Latinos during the Civil War, visit the American Battlefield Trust website: Hispanic Americans in the Civil War.

To read more about the Civil War, read about The Signal Corps and the importance of veterinary medicine during this time.

A handsome dalmatian followed Quartermaster General Rufus Ingalls wherever he went at Army headquarters at City Point, Virginia.

General Ingalls (1818-1893) returned from a short trip to Washington, D.C. accompanied by what was referred to at the time as a coach dog—the dog we now call a dalmatian.  The medium-sized spotted dog was clearly devoted to the general, and whether Ingalls traveled by saddle horse or buggy, the dog was by his side.

Ingalls and Dalmatian Headquartered at City Point

Ingalls was appointed Quartermaster General of the Federal Army by General U.S. Grant in 1864. By that summer, Grant saw that disrupting the supply chain from Petersburg, Virginia, to the Confederate capital of Richmond would be key. When the Union failed to take Petersburg in a first effort, Grant prepared for a long fight. He established his headquarters and a major Union supply depot nearby at City Point, Virginia.

General Grant was joined at City Point by supply general and former West Point classmate Rufus Ingalls.

Dalmatian Was Unusual

It is reported that General Ingalls’s dog was the most photographed dog of the Civil War. While that’s difficult to document after all this time, it certainly makes sense.  The coach dog was not a breed that was often seen in the United States in the 1860s.

The origin of these dogs can be traced to Croatia in the 1600s, but they were not yet well-known in most other parts of the world. The one location where they became status symbols by the 19^th century was among the wealthy of Britain.

British stable masters saw that the dogs were perfect for carriage work. The dogs were strong, smart, and fast, with good endurance. They were also excellent with horses. They could guide a team flawlessly and they had a calming effect on the horses if they became spooked.

Coach dogs could be seen running aside a carriage, but they were also adept at working from under the axles to keep the horses moving in the right way at the right speed.

Firehouse Dog

These traits were how they came to be used at firehouses. The earliest fire companies had little money, so men pulled their own wagons and equipment. As fire companies became bigger, they added horse teams as well as dalmatians. Dalmatians could take the lead on the way to the fire. Then when the men unhooked the equipment from the horse teams in order to fight the fire, the dalmatian stayed with the horses, circling them, keeping them calm, and keeping them safe.

A Few Must Have Come to U.S.

As a result of their use by royalty and those of wealth in England, well-to-do Americans who visited England in the 19^th century must have been familiar with these attractive spotted dogs.

Perhaps that’s how a coach dog found himself in Washington, D.C. and was available to go back to the Virginia headquarters with General Ingalls.

A Dalmatian at Headquarters

Ingalls was popular with both officers and enlisted men, and he was even more so as he walked through the camp with his dog. The men loved the sight of the handsome dog with the aristocratic bearing.

General Grant always remarked on the dog when he and Ingalls met or a ran into each other.  It’s clear the dog had quite a personality.

In Horace Porter’s book, Campaigning with Grant, we have a report of Grant-Ingalls interaction that includes the dog.

“One evening, as the general was sitting in front of his quarters, Ingalls came up to have a chat with him, and was followed by the dog, which sat down in the usual place at its master’s feet.

“The animal squatted upon its hind quarters, licked its chops, pricked up its ears, and looked first at one officer and then at the other, as if to say: ‘I am General Ingalls’s dog; whose pup are you?’

“In the course of his remarks General Grant took a look at the animal, and said: ‘Well, Ingalls, what are your real intentions in regard to that dog? Do you expect to take it into Richmond with you?’

“Ingalls, who was noted for his dry humor, replied with mock seriousness and an air of extreme patience: ‘I hope to; it is said to come from a long-lived breed.’

“This retort, coupled with the comical attitude of the dog at the time, turned the laugh upon the general, who joined heartily in the merriment, and seemed to enjoy the joke as much as any of the party.”

The Dog’s Name?

I am indebted to the contributors on the Civil War Talk forum for locating this wonderful description from Horace Porter’s book. It is one of the few times when we have more than a passing description of the dog.

The other mystery that plagues researchers is that the dog is not identified by name. I came upon one reference that noted that General Pickett (also a West Point classmate of Grant and Ingalls) referred to the dog as “Rufe.” Pickett fought for the Confederacy, so I was puzzled as to when Pickett would have encountered Ingalls and his dog.

After investigating, I saw that Pickett might have met the dog. After the war ended, Pickett left for Canada, but by 1866, Grant had arranged for Pickett to be able to return to Washington. Perhaps there he encountered Ingalls and the dalmatian.

***

For other stories of dalmatians, see “Trainer Willy Necker and his Dogs”  and “How Dalmatians Became Known as the Firehouse Dog.”

Detroit’s story is a truly American story, and it’s unique because of its prime location in the Midwest. By understanding what happened in Michigan through the years, we can more fully comprehend the story of our country, from the earliest settlers to the growth of a city and the development of a wide variety of American businesses.

Detroit: An Illustrated Timeline by Detroit resident and author Paul Vachon is a new book out from Reedy Press that tells Detroit’s stories in vignettes.  In style, the book is a beautiful coffee-table book. In substance, it makes for delightful reading. While the vignettes are written so they are easily sampled, the chronological timeline makes the book easy to read straight through.

Here are some interesting take-aways:

Location, Location, Location

Like other parts of the country, Detroit’s location affected the ebb and flow of the population. Native Americans saw that transportation was easier by the river, and white fur traders followed their example.  Later, settlers realized the river was one of the few waterway connections from the Great Lakes to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. This meant that furs and other good could be shipped all the way to the East Coast.

Militarily, the location was sought after by both Britain and France.  Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (1658-1730) established Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit in 1701 on behalf of Louis XIV. France maintained its hold until 1760, when the British assumed dominance during the French and Indian War. The British held it until the American Revolution, and as that war concluded, the area around Detroit was taken over by the United States.

Later on, the nearby water for power and the ease of shipping brought various industries to Detroit, and the town grew.

Slavery and the Civil War

Though Detroit was part of the Northwest Ordinance where slavery was forbidden, many settlers arrived with slaves and met with little interference.

Seymour Finney, a Detroit hotelier, was a hero of the Underground Railroad. Finney advertised his hotel as a place for slave hunters to stay, and they happily bought liquor from him. Meanwhile, Finney maintained a barn nearby where he sheltered slaves until they could be transported to safety in Canada.

When Detroit citizens were called to fight for the Union, Michigan provided many infantry regiments, sharpshooters, cavalry members, and engineers. Over the course of the war, over 90,000 men from Michigan fought for the Union side.

As the war continued, it was clear that it was going to be a protracted and bloody war. In 1861 a Commission was formed to conceive of how these people would be memorialized.

Ultimately, 14,000 people from Michigan died during those years…some from combat and many from disease. As a tribute to all who sacrificed, the commission opted to raise money for a Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Dedicated on April 9, 1872 and designed by neoclassical sculptor Randolph Rogers, the monument remains an important part of Detroit.

Detroit Becomes a Hub of Industry

Cars and Motown music are inextricably linked with the city of Detroit, but Detroit is also the location of a good number of other important American advances in business and science. Here are a few:

Parke-Davis Research Laboratory was started by physician and pharmacist Samuel Duffield with Hervey Coke Parke in 1866, and they were joined in 1867 by George S. Davis. The company became one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and is now part of Pfizer.

Parke-Davis changed the face of medicine by establishing the importance of standardizing medicines. They also worked toward a method for conducting clinical trials. These trials continue to be a vital method used for testing the safety and efficacy of new drugs.

Stroh’s Beer (1850) was an early and popular product of Detroit. The company existed as a separate entity for 150 years (until 2000). In the U.S. The Stroh’s brand is still sold by Pabst Brewing Company.

The best-known name in adding machines started in St. Louis, but when it was time to build a factory for large-scale production, the Burroughs Adding Machine Company (originally called the Arithmometer Company) moved to Detroit. Eventually the company was purchased by ElectroData and is now part of Sperry Corp.

Motown Music began when Berry Gordy tried his hand at songwriting and started his first record label in 1959. Less than a year later, Gordy incorporated as Motown Record Corporation. While he had skill as a songwriter, he proved that what he did better than almost anyone was recognize talent. The music industry is forever changed.

By 1972, Motown moved to Los Angeles, but even today, the mere mention of “Motown Sound” brings thoughts of Detroit.

The Auto Industry Comes to Town

Because early experimentation with horseless carriages in the Detroit area proved successful, the city gained a gravitational pull for others who wanted to learn about the industry.

Charles Brady King’s early success attracted notice. In 1896, when he set out to test his first automobile on the streets of Detroit, he was followed by his colleague Henry Ford riding a bicycle. They were also accompanied by several policemen. When King stopped the car at the end of his route in Cadillac Square, the police tried to ticket him for “disturbing the peace.”

Other men who arrived here with automotive dreams were Ransom Olds  Brothers James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard. The Packards started out in Warren, Ohio, but when they heard that the best architect for  factories was operating in Detroit, they moved their operation north and hired Albert Kahn.

The Dodge Brothers got their start making parts for other automotive companies. It wasn’t until 1914 that they made a car of their own, marketing it as a Dodge Touring Car.

And of course, Henry Ford and William Durant were two of the biggest names in Detroit’s early car industry. Ford opted to perfect one design and make it affordable, and breaking sales records with his Model T.

William C. Durant made a fortune selling horse-drawn vehicles, but when he saw that automobiles were the future, he began buying and taking over struggling brands, creating General Motors.

Arsenal of Democracy

The term “Arsenal of Democracy” arose in a speech given on December 29, 1940, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His speech was a “call to arms” to support the Allies by providing assistance in the form of weapons, planes, trucks, and tanks.

Roosevelt stressed that a German victory would be disastrous for the U.S.

Because Detroit already invested in plants and equipment for making cars, it was easier to transform those operations than to start new. Factories halted the production of automobiles for civilian use and began producing jeeps, M-5 tanks, and B-24 bombers.

Within the first year and a half following the attack of Pearl Harbor, 350,000 workers from the American South and elsewhere moved to Detroit to join in the war effort. Women were also hired for factory labor.

When the government turned to Henry Ford for help with production of the B-24 Liberator, Edsel Ford, Charles Sorenson, and one of Edsel’s sons undertook research and soon a new plant was built west of Detroit, near Ypsilanti, Michigan. By the summer of 1944, Willow Run was building a bomber an hour, and eventually almost half of all bombers were made at Willow Run.

Roosevelt honored Detroit’s contribution by declaring it “the great arsenal of democracy.”

Bones of a Beautiful City

From very early in Detroit’s history, the city held promise of being a beautiful place.

In 1805, the city was largely destroyed by fire. When a new layout was planned, it was copied from Washington D.C.’s plan designed by Pierre L’Enfant, with a hub-and-spoke system radiating outward.

Over the years, citizen generosity and city government’s foresight have added to Detroit’s potential. Palmer Park is on land dedicated by the Palmer family with the provision that the virgin forest there be preserved.

Belle Isle, an island retreat and now a park in the middle of the Detroit River, became a Detroit preserve because of the wisdom of the city government. The town purchased it from the estate of Joseph Campeau.

Detroit hit bottom in 2013 when it declared bankruptcy, and the downtown blight was worrisome. But small businesses and individuals followed the lead of a precedent set in the 1890s. When times are tough in the inner city, start gardens and farms. Now there is an active urban farm movement with greenery dotting some of the downtown properties.

The center of the city features some of the most distinguished buildings in the world. Architects Albert Kahn, Daniel Burnham and Cass Gilbert are just a few who have left their indelible mark on the city.

In 1884, James Scripps, who made his fortune in the newspaper business, had the foresight to promote the idea of a major art museum. It is now the Detroit Institute of the Arts. Scripps later donated much of his priceless collection of Dutch and Flemish Art.

Future Looks Bright

Because the core of the city is sound, companies are moving into Detroit, realizing it’s a good investment.

Shinola, a luxury goods company founded in 2011, made a big commitment to Detroit, and Dan Gilbert, the founder of Quicken Loans made a deal with Detroit that he would move his headquarters there. The initial commitment brought 1700 people into the city center. Since that time, Gilbert and others have continued to invest.

To enjoy reading about Detroit’s past, Detroit: An Illustrated Timeline is available wherever books are sold, including online retailers, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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To read about other stories from Detroit, click here to read about Paul Vachon’s book about the People of Detroit.

And click here to read about Former Newsboys of Detroit Doing Good. 

Communication on a military battlefield or in camp is vital, but before technological advances, spreading information and commands was challenging. Messengers were used to communicate among commanders, but the difficulty was great when informing large groups of men.

Music for Communication

Switzerland is credited with creating an early system of using musical instruments to signal information to the soldiers. According to the website, www.fideanddrum.army.mil, the Swiss used the drum and the fife (an instrument like a piccolo) for military communication. The sound of a fife is high-pitched, so it carries well. In the midst of a battle, however, the fife was difficult to hear.

The Swiss found that low-pitched drumming could be heard when a fife couldn’t. With resonance that can almost be felt through the ground, the drums provided an alternative method to communicate commands across great expanses of fields and through the deafening chaos of battle.

Drums also could set a pace for marching infantrymen. Drum signals were created for halting a regiment, making directional turns, and stopping to load and fire.

Fife Replaced by Bugle

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army was the first militia to adopt musical calls for communication. They heard those used by the French (during the French and Indian War) and the British, and the colonists then developed their own. (Calls varied a bit from regiment to regiment and were not standardized until after the Civil War.)

The military soon found that drums were ideally suited for the infantry, but worked less well for the cavalry and the mounted artillery. But the fife was problematic as it required both hands to play, making it impractical for any mounted unit. The bugle, however, could be sounded by lifting the instrument to one’s lips with one arm. It was easy enough to carry and the sound carried well. The bugle then became the instrument of choice to use along with the drums.

In camp, the commanders found that the bugle was more practical in sounding the camp schedule. There were at least 40 different bugle calls for everything from “stable call” and “water call” to “assembly,” “drill call,” and “mess call.”

It was imperative that soldiers memorize the meaning of different calls, but it wasn’t hard for them to pick up what various sounds meant. All they needed to do was follow along with what the more experienced soldiers were doing.

If a regiment was in winter camp or otherwise settled in for a period of time, then many of the bugle calls occurred at prescribed, predictable times. (See this list as an example.)

But when stopping temporarily or on the way into battle, the bugle calls and drumming would almost all be at the discretion of the commander. For that reason, both drummer boys and buglers remained close to headquarters.

Union Daniel Butterfield’s Contribution to Bugle Calls

During the Civil War, several regiments would often camp in close proximity for the night. This sometimes created confusion. Was the bugle call the men just heard meant for them or for the regiment next to them?

Union General Daniel Adams Butterfield determined that his unit needed a unique bugle call that was played prior to whatever order he was sending out.

The details of the call were revealed many years later. The editor of Century Magazine consulted Butterfield as to the accuracy of some of the stories about him. Butterfield explained that the unique call he created was three notes and a catch. The men took to it relatively willingly, and often used it as marching song. Generally, they chanted, “Dan, Dan Dan Butterfield” as they marched, but when they were tired or hungry, Butterfield reported that the men replaced “Dan” with an expletive.

Butterfield is credited by many with originating TAPS. (More about that below.)

 About Butterfield

David Adams Butterfield (1831-1901) was born in Utica, NY. (He was the son of John Butterfield who began the Butterfield Overland Stage Company.) Perhaps because he joined a local citizens militia group, he experienced a meteoric rise through the military ranks once the war began.

When he enlisted in the Union Army after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, his rank was that of sergeant. Within weeks, he became a colonel in charge of the 12^th NY Volunteer Regiment. That July he was promoted to command a brigade, and two months later he was a brigadier general.

In the Battle of Gaines’ Mill in 1862, Butterfield was wounded. (More than 40 years later, he received the Medal of Honor for his actions there.) Later, he became a major general and served as chief of staff to Hooker.

The Creation of TAPS

Of all the bugle calls created, TAPS is perhaps the most beautiful bugle call–twenty-four long-held, haunting notes played at day’s end and at military funerals.

This is the lore about the creation of TAPS: Following the battle of Gaines’ Mill, Butterfield was injured and his brigade was camped at Harrison Landing, Virginia (near Richmond).  Butterfield had time to think about how he didn’t like the “lights out” call that was being used. He considered it too formal.

He mused about another call—the Tattoo that told soldiers to secure the post and return to their garrisons. Butterfield began playing around with the last refrains of Tattoo. (To hear the Tattoo bugle call, click here.)

Brigade Bugler Helps

Butterfield sent for the brigade bugler, Oliver W. Norton. He asked Norton to play the notes that Butterfield hummed. Norton did so, and Butterfield made on-the-spot suggestions and also listened to Norton’s comments on how the new call sounded. Eventually he and Norton were satisfied they had improved it.  (The details of this story are outlined by West Point graduate Jari A. Villanueva www.west-point.org/taps who found letters from Norton and from Butterfield written in 1898 to Century magazine in 1898.)

That evening Norton started using the new call.

As the various units in the Army of the Potomac heard it, they took it up. Then when the 11^th and 12^th Corps moved out to Chattanooga in the fall of 1863, they carried it when them. From there it spread to the western armies.

TAPS Played at a Funeral

The first time TAPS was played at a military funeral is not certain, but Jari Villanueva of West Point speculates that it was first used in Virginia soon after it was composed.

Union Captain John Tidball was head of an artillery battery during the Civil War. When one of his cannoneer’s was killed in action, Tidball was troubled. The tradition was to fire a three-rifle volley over the grave where a soldier was to be buried on the field. Tidball felt that it was problematic to do this. The battle had just ended, and if the volleys were sounded, it might renew fighting.

Instead, he asked that TAPS be played—a fitting way to honor a fallen soldier.

No Official Lyrics but These are Used

Though TAPS did not have lyrics when it was first composed, words have been added to the music by many. These are perhaps the most often heard:

“Day is done, Gone the sun,
From the lake, From the hill,
From the sky.
All is well, Safely rest,
God is nigh.”

A Postscript about Butterfield

Daniel Butterfield did not attend West Point, but he is buried there. His tomb is a towering, elaborate structure, one of the most ornate in the cemetery.

Butterfield planned ahead for his burial. He had a deep-seated fear of being buried alive, so he designed an alarm system that he could ring from inside the tomb if it happened that he was buried alive. (This was a common fear of the era.)

Unfortunately, cadets found this irresistible. Pranksters quickly found how to enter the tomb and trigger the alarm.  After this occurred several times, the cemetery caretaker requested that the alarm be silenced. He was tired of the middle-of-the-night “emergencies,” and by that time, they ascertained that Butterfield was indeed dead.

For more on war communication, see the article about the Signal Corps during the Civil War.

Read, too, about the World War I women operators who were also members of the Signal Corps.

And to hear the U.S. Army buglers play TAPS from Arlington National Cemetery, watch this: