Effects of the Proclamation
160 years ago on December 31, 1862 the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln.
Image: Harper’s Weekly, Effects of the Proclamation, Freed Negroes Coming Into Our Lines at New Bern, North Carolina, February 21, 1863.
Description:
“Effects of the Proclamation, Freed Negroes Coming Into Our Lines at New Bern, North Carolina,” was an illustration that appeared in Harper’s Weekly on February 21, 1863.
160 years ago on December 31, 1862 the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln.
Image: Harper’s Weekly, Effects of the Proclamation, Freed Negroes Coming Into Our Lines at New Bern, North Carolina, February 21, 1863.
Description:
“Effects of the Proclamation, Freed Negroes Coming Into Our Lines at New Bern, North Carolina,” was an illustration that appeared in Harper’s Weekly on February 21, 1863.
In the spring of 1862, General Ambrose Burnside led an expedition through the North Carolina coast. After taking several major forts and cities, the Union army began occupation of eastern North Carolina. This occupation made the dream of freedom very much a reality for many North Carolina slaves that saw protection right over the Union lines.
Furthermore, on January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation making all the slaves in North Carolina free. As of result of the Proclamation and the close vicinity of the Union army, many freed people sought freedom by coming into the Union lines.
This illustration shows just that with the Union army accompanied by freed people making their way to freedom in New Bern, North Carolina.
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As the Union Army took over New Bern, NC and word got to the Enslaved people, they Emancipated themselves by fleeing the resistance of the slave owners to comply with President Lincolns Order to free all the enslaved people. By the hundreds they made their way to New Bern to seek protection as they sought their freedom.
The American slave business was being attacked and the attackers sought it's death in early 1863. Evidence of the determination of the enslaved people together with the fortitude of the Union Army soldiers to end it was seen in this illustration and the first hand account printed in this article in the February 21, 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly. The article read:
"THOUGH the President’s proclamation of freedom has been so often compared to the Pope’s Bull against the comet, it seems to be producing some substantial fruits. We publish on page 116 an illustration of CONTRABANDS COMING INTO NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA,
from a sketch sent us by an amateur, who writes as follows:
NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA, January 26, 1863.
I inclose a sketch of a very interesting procession which came to Newbern from “up country” a few days ago. It is the first-fruits of the glorious emancipation proclamation in this vicinity, and as such you may deem it worthy of engraving in your illustrated Weekly.
On our late expedition into Greene and Onslow Counties our company (Company C, Fifty-first Massachusetts Regiment) was out on picket duty the night before our return to Newbern, when an old slave came in to us in a drenching rain; and on being informed that he and his friends could come to Newbern with us, he left, and soon the contrabands began to come in, with mule teams, oxen, and in every imaginable style. When morning came we had 120 slaves ready to start with their little all, happy in the thought that their days of bondage were over. They said that it was known far and wide that the President has declared the slaves free"
The Hawley Museum is passionately committed to uncovering and sharing the fascinating family stories that have influenced our state's and nation's history. We believe that every family has a unique story to tell, one that adds depth to the rich tapestry of North Carolina and U.S. History.
We encourage you to reflect on your own family narrative—did your ancestors play a pivotal role in these historical events? We invite you to become a part of our family curator team by sharing your family's history, whether it be through photos, videos, articles, or documents.
Let’s work together and weave a more comprehensive narrative that honors the roles families have played in our collective past to inspire future museum visitors.
The Hawley Museum is passionately committed to uncovering and sharing the fascinating family stories that have influenced our state's and nation's history. We believe that every family has a unique story to tell, one that adds depth to the rich tapestry of North Carolina and U.S. History.
We encourage you to reflect on your own family narrative—did your ancestors play a pivotal role in these historical events? We invite you to become a part of our family curator team by sharing your family's history, whether it be through photos, videos, articles, or documents.
Let’s work together and weave a more comprehensive narrative that honors the roles families have played in our collective past to inspire future museum visitors.