"Contraband" Camp - Scotland, MD - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

During the Civil War, thousands of enslaved African-Americans escaped from captivity in the South to liberty in the North. The grounds before once sheltered these freedom-seekers, know at that time as “Contraband”.

Conditions in the “Contraband Camp” were appalling. Men, women and children lived half underground in dark, damp, smoky dens.

Nurse Sophronia Bucklin described the scene:
“A hole from three to four feet deep was dug by them in the black soil, and roofed over with boards, on which turf was closely packed. An opening which admitted them on their hands and feet, and one for the escape of smoke…were the only vents for the impure air, and the only openings for light.”

Changing Fortunes
Some residents of the “Contraband Camp” found jobs at Point Lookout as military service staff or laborers, jettisoning the bonds of slavery for the government payroll.

(caption)
Nurse Sophronia Bucklin’s first-hand accounts of the “Contraband Camp” described men burrowing like “beasts of the field in half-subterranean dens.”

Group that erected the marker: Point Lookout State Park-Maryland Park Servic Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Maryland Route 5 This marker is now located further south, opposite the entrance to the state park fishing pier, near the Prison Pen site. Scotland, MD USA 20687 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   09/27/2021 Don.Morfe visited it