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Stampede Among the Negroes in Virginia

Stampede Among the Negroes in Virginia
Artist
Unidentified Artist
Publisher
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1853
Sitter
Benjamin Franklin Butler, 5 Nov 1818 - 11 Jan 1893
Date
1861
Type
Print
Medium
Wood engraving on paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 40.9 × 56.4cm (16 1/8 × 22 3/16")
Mat: 55.9 × 71.1cm (22 × 28")
Topic
Newspaper
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Male
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Law and Crime\Lawyer
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\US Congressman\Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\Governor\Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Civil War\Union Army
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Politics and Government\State Legislator\Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin Butler: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Yachtsman
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of Ann M. Shumard
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.2011.78
Exhibition Label
Soon after the first fugitive slaves were granted protection as "contraband of war" by General Benjamin F. Butler at Union-held Fort Monroe (Virginia) in May 1861, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper presented its readers with a double-page spread of images documenting recent events at the fort. In vignettes created by the newspaper’s "Special Artist," refugees from slavery are shown making their escape from bondage, arriving at Fort Monroe, being mustered into service, and making themselves useful in a variety of ways, from preparing rations to digging trenches. At the upper right, a slaveholder is seen attempting to reclaim thirty fugitives from his estate, while at the upper left, he is shown relinquishing them in the presence of General Butler after refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the federal government. By the time these scenes were published, as many as 500 fugitives had found safety at Fort Monroe.
En mayo de 1861, el general Benjamin F. Butler, amparándose en el concepto de "contrabando de guerra", fue el primero en ofrecer protección a los esclavos fugitivos que llegaban al Fuerte Monroe (Virginia), controlado por las fuerzas de la Unión. Poco después, el periódico Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper presentó a sus lectores un despliegue a doble página de imágenes que documentaban los aludidos sucesos. En viñetas creadas por el "artista especial" del periódico, los esclavos aparecen huyendo, llegando al Fuerte Monroe y ayudando en diversas tareas, desde preparar raciones hasta cavar trincheras. En la parte superior derecha se observa a un dueño de esclavos que reclama a treinta fugitivos de su plantación, mientras que a la izquierda lo vemos renunciando a ellos en presencia del general Butler, luego de negarse a jurar lealtad al gobierno federal. Para cuando se publicaron estas escenas, 500 fugitivos habían logrado ponerse a salvo en el Fuerte Monroe.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view