Free Black pastor Benjman Howard reports on having been arrested and sold by the state of Maryland for preaching

Free Black pastor Benjman Howard reports on having been arrested and sold by the state of Maryland for preaching

Benjman Howard, apparently intended for D.C. Assistant Commissioner C. H. Howard, reporting that he had been a preacher in Annapolis and bought a house there in 1857. Was arrested in 1862 for preaching and jailed until Feb. 1863 when he was sold away as punishment for 15 years with a mandate to never return to the state of MD.

1/27/1866

Ann Arundel Co, MD

A-9745

Black Clergyman to the Headquarters of the Washington D.C., Freedmen’s Bureau Assistant Commissioner





Smith fieald VA Jen the 27th 1866

I was travling In Anaplaus Marland In may 1855 — I prechd In the M E church Mr Samyel E devall [?] came and tuck me home to his house 3 miles and A haff from Amaplas In that time his wife and him prasuaded me to Leve Baltimore and he wood give me graund to Bild A house on In Anaplas Neck South River fary from 55 to 57. In march I was macking up my mind wather to go are not In march I Left Baltimore and came to anaplas And give Mr devalve 65 Dalors to By the Lamber fore my house from Mr AgleHart

I Bought the Lambar from him Mr devalve Im plaid Hilley Willson colard to Bild the house fore me In July 1857 I movd from Baltimore to Anaplas In my one [own] house I thair Livd comfortable fore 3 yeairs In the year 1861 the atharateys starped mee from preching And in Auguest 1862 I was A Rested and put in Prison fore preching then my house was sarched By Mr devalves 2 sons Trenton and hary devalves Ha[ry?] destraded my papers and A counts I Lade in prison an till febury the 3th 1863 I was tackon to the court house and thair sold out fore 15 yeairs fore Biding me not to cross the Lines of marland the witsnaces to theas things are Rev John H Brice Metilda Edwards cathrin Blackson

the cost of my House was /aa

47 Dalors

Independent of my sha[rt?] that my son Bilt

Laid A Benjman Howrd

Plantaff Amelia Howard

[different handwriting] make a careful abstract of this for file C —

Reply who addesses to Lloyd Howard —

No 4 Eutaw Court

Balto, Md —





Benjman Howrd to [C. H. Howard?], 27 Jan. 1866, Letters Received, ser. 453, DC Asst. Comr., RG 105 [A-9745]. General C.H. Howard included a summary of Benjmin Howard’s account in a May 18, 1866 report to the headquarters of the Freedmen’s Bureau in Washington, D.C. detailing “cases of outrages and assaults committed upon Colored Churches and Schools.” There is no indication of any further action in the case. (Brig. Gen’l C.H.Howard to Lieut F.A. Sladen, 18 May 1866, C-173 1866, Letters Received, ser. 15, Washington Hdqrs., RG 105 [A-9713].)

According to Section 7 of “An Act Relating to Free Negroes and Slaves” passed by the 1831-1832 session of the Maryland General Assembly, “it shall not be lawful for any free negro or negroes, slave or slaves, to assemble or attend any meetings for religious purposes, unless conducted by a white licensed or ordained preacher or some respectable white person or persons of the neighborhood… and if any such meeting shall be held without being conducted as aforesaid, they shall be considered as unlawful and tumultuous meetings, and it shall be the duty of the nearest constable, or any other civil officer knowing of such meetings, either from his own knowledge or the information of others, to repair to such meeting, and disperse the said negroes or slaves.” Although the law treated Black religious assemblies without white supervision as illegal, Section 7 stipulated that “nothing contained in this act shall be construed to prevent the assemblage, within the limits of Baltimore city and Annapolis city, of such slaves, or free negroes and mulattoes for the purpose of religious worship, if said meetings are held in compliance with the written permission of a white licensed ordained preacher, and dismissed before ten o’clock at night.” According to Section 8, any Black Marylanders “found associating, or in any company with slaves, at any unlawful or tumultuous meeting… such free negro or mulatto shall be subject to the same punishment, and be liable in every respect to the same treatment and penalty as slaves thus offending.” Finally, Section 12 stipulated that if the penalty for these crimes fell short of capital punishment, free Black Marylanders found guilty of violating the act might “be banished from this state by transportation into some foreign country.” (An Act relating to Free Negroes and Slaves, 14 Mar. 1832, Laws Made and Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Maryland [Annapolis, Md., 1832], chapter 323.)

Amelia Howard, listed by Benjman as “Plantaff” in his letter, filed a similar complaint with the headquarters of the Middle Department in 1864. Her undated testimony alleged that on May 9, 1862, she, “Matilda Edwards and Kitty Blackson, were setting down on the shore at Mr. Duvall's shucking oysters, and talking about Mr. Lincoln, the war and the emancipation which was to take place in 1864” when “Mr. Duvall rode up in our midst and overheard me say that Mr. Lincoln was the men that God [h]ad ordained to set the Etheopian free.” Duvall then crafted charges against her, and “made his son Vinton Duvall take a false oath that [she] was persuading his two men servants Jerry and Pompey [to run] away.” The testimony eventually led to a conviction, after which she was “sold at the Court House to go out of the State to stay away for 15 years.” Not only was she wrongfully imprisoned and sold, Amelia Howard alleged, but Duvall “has taken away my house and all my property, the ground which the house is built on he gave me for my lifetime, he has also taken and if not destroyed, he will not give up my free papers, my bills and receipts, and the contract of my house which he gave me himself of his own hand writing, signed with the consent of his wife Elizabeth Duvall.” (Testimony of Amelia Howard, [1864?], in Communication from Major Gen’l Lew. Wallace, in Relation to the Freedmen’s Bureau, to the General Assembly of Maryland [Annapolis, Md., 1865], pp. 94-95.)