One of the lesser known stories of the Civil War is the role played by escaped slaves in the Union blockade along the Atlantic coast. From the beginning of the war, many African American refugees sought avenues of escape to the North. Due to their sheer numbers, those who reached Union forces presented a problem for the military. The problem was partially resolved by the First Confiscation Act of 1861, which permitted the seizure of property used in support of the South's war effort, including slaves. Eventually regarded as contraband of war, the runaways became known as contrabands. In Bluejackets and Contrabands, Barbara Brooks Tomblin examines the relationship between the Union Navy and the contrabands. The navy established colonies for the former slaves and, in return, some contrabands served as crewmen on navy ships and gunboats and as river pilots, spies, and guides. Tomblin presents a rare picture of the contrabands and casts light on the vital contributions of African Americans to the Union Navy and the Union cause.
"Barbara Tomblin's book illuminates a critical but long overlooked aspect of Civil War history: the crucial role played by US Naval forces operating along the southern Atlantic coast that helped transform and redefine the role and status of previously enslaved persons."
Craig Symonds, author of Lincoln and His Admirals
"Barbara Brooks Tomblin's meticulously researched, deftly organized and cogently written study illuminates the critical but often overlooked role played in the U.S. Navy in transforming and redefining the lives of thousands of previously enslaved persons. . . . [Tomblin] has recounted the courageous service of these black men with the enthusiasm and dignity they deserve."
