Freedmen's Camps and the USCT - Clarksville, TN - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Freedmen's Camps and the USCT

Wars generate refugees, and the Civil War was no exception. After Union forces took permanent control of Clarksville and New Providence in early 1863, many escaped slaves and a few uprooted white Unionists came here for protection and assistance. They were housed un tobacco warehouses and in camps near fortified posts like Fort Defiance / Fort Bruce. Called "contrabands," some were hired by the army as civilian labor.

Fourteen infantry regiments and eight artillery units were organized with 24,000 men from Tennessee beginning in October 1862. The 16th USCT (United States Colored Troops) and one company of the 9th US Colored Heavy Artillery were raised in Clarksville. While in Clarksville, these soldiers engaged in duties including checking civilian passes, driving wagons, handling supplies, and guarding contraband camps (later known as Freedmen's camps).

All USCT units were transferred from Clarksville to other parts of the state for similar duties. Men from Clarksville serving in the 12th and 13th USCT completed the Nashville & Northwestern Railroad from Kingston Springs to Johnsonville, Tennessee before fighting in the Battle of Nashville.

Near the war's end, the US Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau to further post-war employment and create schools for refugees. After the war many remained and established neighborhoods near the now abandonded military posts. Much of the present day New Providence is an outgrowth of the Freedmen's Camp located here. Some current residents are direct descendants of former slaves who sought the security of the Union troops garrisoned at Fort Bruce.

• Approximately 180,000 ex-slaves and Freedmen enlisted in the United States Colored Troops.
• (Picture) Two USCT demonstrate how to defend a picket post.
• (Picture) A Harper's Weekly illustration depicts a typical Freedmen's Bureau office where former slaves received assistance in the transition from slavery to freedom. Nearly 4 million former slaves were provided clothing, food, medical attention, jobs, and education. Many of today's traditional Black colleges were formed with the assistance of the Bureau.

Reference: Pictured sign

Group that erected the marker: City of Clarksville URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 120 Duncan St Clarksville, TN USA 37040

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