1863 was a historic year for black Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued, freeing slaves in the states that had succeeded from the Union. States began to organize black militia to fight in the Civil War. Massachusetts organized its famed 54th Infantry Regiment early in 1863. Late in 1863, Connecticut passed legislation to form the 29th Regiment of Colored Volunteers, which was full of recruits by January 1864. They then formed the 30th Regiment of Colored Volunteers. Seventy-eight percent of the eligible black men of Connecticut enlisted in the Army. [1]
Henry Freeman, son of Edward Carter and Mary Ann (Russell) Freeman, and older brother of Jeanette (see earlier blog on George Andrews and Jeanette Freeman) was 22 years old when he enlisted in this new Connecticut regiment on December 17, 1863. His 18 year old brother, Julius, followed him, enlisting on December 29, 1863, and was mustered into the 30th Regiment the same day. For a family that was financially struggling, the prospect of a $300 bounty and a regular income was attractive.
RI 14th Heavy Artillery (Colored). Used by regiment during Civil War. Textile collection RI Historical Society rihs.org
When George Washington Andrews, Ruth Andrew’s great grandfather, was born in 1853, the United States was in turmoil over slavery. Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States. Harriet Beecher Stowe had released her bestselling book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” the year before. When George was four, the Supreme Court issued the Dred Scott decision, stating that slaves are not free when transported from a slave territory to a free territory. They also ruled that Congress could not ban slavery in a U.S. Territory, and that blacks could not be awarded citizenship.
Abolitionists, opposed to slavery, became more vocal. The conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters became more violent. John Brown, educated in Massachusetts and Connecticut, became strongly committed to the abolitionist movement while living in Springfield, Massachusetts. He became the leader of violent actions against slaveholders and slave supporters, most known for the Pottawatomie Massacre in Kansas of pro-slavery supporters and the raid on Harper’s Ferry in Virginia while trying to initiate an armed slave revolt. The turmoil of the 1850s led to the Civil War. It was much better to be a black or Indian family living in the North than the South, but life was hard.
In New England, the Industrial Revolution resulted in more factories opening along rivers. The upper Connecticut River Valley experienced the growth of industry, as well as French-Canadian and other immigrants moving to the area to work in the new industries.
George Washington Andrews was born March 25, 1853 in Ludlow, Hampden County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Calvin Dexter and Lovina (Jones) Andrews, and the sixth of 10 children. About the time of his birth, his father left the family and moved to Ellington, Connecticut. Not far from Ludlow, Dexter saw this as an opportunity to ensure his family had a better life. His family received state assistance and was listed on the Ludlow pauper rolls as early as November 1, 1853.[1] Lovina’s family was still living in Ludlow, and provided support for her and her children while her husband was getting established in Connecticut. Her family was from Connecticut, and there was movement back and forth between Massachusetts and Connecticut among family members. Continue reading “George W and Jeanette (Freeman) Andrews of Vernon and Manchester, Connecticut”→
Climbing Our Family Tree: The Ancestors of James DeBoise and Ruth Andrews 