Black History Spotlight: Robert Smalls
A few of us were talking last night about how February is Black History Month, but it seems that only a small handful of people ever seem to get recognition for great achievements in black history. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and others. Also, how it usually only involves civil rights. I read from the The Bathroom Reader the other day about Robert Smalls, the first black American sea captain. I thought it was worth mentioning. He was a slave, ship's pilot, captain, and later five-term Congressional Representative for South Carolina. He has a pretty interesting story.
Robert Smalls was a slave born in Beaufort, SC. He worked in a shipyard as a youth and was quite good at it. By the time he was 19, he had attained the highest rank a slave could reach on a ship, ship's pilot. Being forbidden to read or write, he did not know how, but his memory was fantastic. He remembered all the ins and outs of Charleston Harbor despite his inability to read the maps and charts, but he knew the various currents, bars, as well as troop and gun positions of the various ports. He married and had a son with another slave, and sought to buy his freedom. He was only 100 dollars short of doing it when the Civil War broke out.
During the war, he was given ship's pilot's duties aboard the CSS Planter hauling ordnance and supplies. Only a few miles away was a Union blockade, if he could get to that blockade, he was free, and he came up with a plan to do just that.
He studied and mimicked secretly the southern accent of the Captain of the Planter, Captain Charles Relyea. After a few weeks he was ready, and on May 12, 1862, he got his chance. The Captain and white crew went ashore, leaving the black crew, the slaves, run of the ship. This wasn't uncommon and there wasn't much they could do since they would have to go past the guns of Fort Sumter to get to the blockade and freedom. Smalls had been waiting for this situation.
He gathered his family, and the families of the other black crew members who had been hiding nearby according to Smalls instructions, and around 3 in the morning on the 13th, left the dock. Smalls put on the Captain's uniform, hat and all, and sounded all the proper whistle signals when passing Confederate forts, but was halted at Ft. Sumter and asked for his destination. This is what Smalls had practiced for. Mimicking the accent of Captain Relyea, he managed to bluff his way past them. When they were out of range he lowered the Confederate flag and waved a large white one, hailing the Union ships saying,
Smalls received a cash reward for capturing the Planter and enlisted with the army, 2nd Lieutenant, Company B, 33rd Regiment, United State Colored Troops. He resumed his same position as pilot aboard the Planter, now the USS Planter as part of the blockade. Smalls was part of an attack on Fort Sumter under Captain James Nickerson. During the attack, the Captain left his post to hide below deck, Smalls took over, firing the guns and using his photographic memory of the harbor to get them to safety. Nickerson was dismissed and Smalls was made Captain.
Smalls learned to read and write, and later served five terms in Congress representing South Carolina. He died February 23, 1915 and his home is now a National Historic Landmark. A ship was also named after him, the USS Robert Smalls. Here is an inscription from his grave in Beaufort, South Carolina, it reads,
Official Robert Smalls website.
Robert Smalls was a slave born in Beaufort, SC. He worked in a shipyard as a youth and was quite good at it. By the time he was 19, he had attained the highest rank a slave could reach on a ship, ship's pilot. Being forbidden to read or write, he did not know how, but his memory was fantastic. He remembered all the ins and outs of Charleston Harbor despite his inability to read the maps and charts, but he knew the various currents, bars, as well as troop and gun positions of the various ports. He married and had a son with another slave, and sought to buy his freedom. He was only 100 dollars short of doing it when the Civil War broke out.
During the war, he was given ship's pilot's duties aboard the CSS Planter hauling ordnance and supplies. Only a few miles away was a Union blockade, if he could get to that blockade, he was free, and he came up with a plan to do just that.
He studied and mimicked secretly the southern accent of the Captain of the Planter, Captain Charles Relyea. After a few weeks he was ready, and on May 12, 1862, he got his chance. The Captain and white crew went ashore, leaving the black crew, the slaves, run of the ship. This wasn't uncommon and there wasn't much they could do since they would have to go past the guns of Fort Sumter to get to the blockade and freedom. Smalls had been waiting for this situation.
He gathered his family, and the families of the other black crew members who had been hiding nearby according to Smalls instructions, and around 3 in the morning on the 13th, left the dock. Smalls put on the Captain's uniform, hat and all, and sounded all the proper whistle signals when passing Confederate forts, but was halted at Ft. Sumter and asked for his destination. This is what Smalls had practiced for. Mimicking the accent of Captain Relyea, he managed to bluff his way past them. When they were out of range he lowered the Confederate flag and waved a large white one, hailing the Union ships saying,
"Good morning, sir! I have brought you some of the old United States guns!"Robert Smalls made the papers all over the North and met with President Lincoln himself. President Lincoln was so impressed with him that he authorized 5,000 blacks to enter military service. By wars end, nearly 200,000 blacks would volunteer to fight for the North.
Smalls received a cash reward for capturing the Planter and enlisted with the army, 2nd Lieutenant, Company B, 33rd Regiment, United State Colored Troops. He resumed his same position as pilot aboard the Planter, now the USS Planter as part of the blockade. Smalls was part of an attack on Fort Sumter under Captain James Nickerson. During the attack, the Captain left his post to hide below deck, Smalls took over, firing the guns and using his photographic memory of the harbor to get them to safety. Nickerson was dismissed and Smalls was made Captain.
Smalls learned to read and write, and later served five terms in Congress representing South Carolina. He died February 23, 1915 and his home is now a National Historic Landmark. A ship was also named after him, the USS Robert Smalls. Here is an inscription from his grave in Beaufort, South Carolina, it reads,
"My people need no special defense, for the past history of this country proves them to be the equal of any people, anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life."Read more:
Official Robert Smalls website.
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