Saving the Fort Negley Park

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have probably seen references to Fort Negley in Nashville and the important role it played in the history of African Americans as they transitioned from enslaved to free.

A postcard depicting Fort Negley 

During the summer of 1862, thousands of enslaved people - men, women and children - fled businesses, farms and plantations in Williamson County and throughout middle Tennessee seeking freedom and protection that they believed would come from being close to the US forces who had arrived in Nashville that spring. However, many of them were instead impressed by these troops as laborers to build several fortifications, including Fort Negley - the largest inland stone fort constructed during the Civil War.

"Impressing the Contrabands at Church in Nashville", 
from Fitch, Annals of the Army of the Cumberland. 
(Philadelphia, J B. Lippincott, 1864), p. 665. 

The Tennessee State Library and Archives has available on their website an index to the "Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes Employed in the Defense of Nashville, Tennessee, 1862-1869." Mf. 1797 and Mf. 1910 . According to their website "These rolls primarily represent employment records of free blacks and slaves who were hired or impressed into the Union Army to work as laborers on fortifications of Tennessee." An index to the names on the employment rolls is available on the Library and Archives web site. There are over 2,770 names on this list. Many of these individuals were not paid for their work. The majority of them worked to build Fort Negley from August 13 to December 7, 1862.

This Confederate map entitled "Plan of Section of Nashville and Edgefield, Tennessee" includes a nice description and sketch of Fort Negley. "This Fort and all the works for the defense of Nashville were constructed by contrabands [escaped slaves] . . . " https://catalog.archives.gov/id/70653122

On November 23, 1863, Major General George Stearns, the Commissioner for the Organization of African American troops in Middle and East Tennessee gave testimony before the American Freedmen's Inquiry Commission. He was very candid when described one example of the injustices suffered by the formerly enslaved:

One case will suffice for all. Brig. Gen. Morton, now of the Engineer Corps, was ordered by Gen. Buell, a year ago last July, to superintend the fortifications of Nashville. It was a very important work; and, as he told me this morning, they collected by impressment and by voluntary offer of service, some three thousand negroes to work on the fortifications. They were obliged to give them poor food, because they had nothing better; they had no tents, and slept in the open air. These men lived upon inferior meat & bread,–the refuse, of course, of the army supplies,–& slept on the hill-side at night. He says they worked well, and through all that were cheerful, although in the fifteen months that they have been employed at that fort–Fort Negley–about 800 have died. He says he thinks it was necessary, because, by the building of that fort, at that time, the safety of Nashville was secured, and we were enabled to hold Nashville, instead of making a stand at Fort Donelson.

When asked by the Commission how these laborers had been paid, he answered: "They never have been paid." Later he added, "At this time, there are a large number of them [the laborer's wives and children] who are destitute, because the soldiers and laborers on the fortifications have never been paid."

Major General Stearns, who was initially in charge of recruiting African American men into the US Colored Troops, was later quoted in a Boston newspaper describing the situation this way:

The (Boston) Liberator, May 6, 1864 

This issue about the men that ultimately enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry is particularly relevant to Williamson County.  About 50 men from Williamson County enlisted in that Regiment and of those 50 the names of about 60% appear on the Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes Employed in the Defenses of Nashville, Tennessee, 1862-1863

• Beach, Austin [Bench] enlisted in the12th US Colored Infantry Co F, on 8/12/1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County (Franklin) - two men listed as laborers with this name - laborer #498, 2319
• Swansey, Warren, enlisted in the12th US Colored Infantry Co F, on 8/12/1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County (Franklin), appears as laborer #2642
• Swanson, Ben 2nd (Swansey), enlisted in the12th US Colored Infantry Co F,on 8/12/1863,in Nashville born in Williamson County (Franklin) , appears as laborer #2643
• Mays, George, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co A, on July 21, 1863, at the Elk River, born in Williamson County, appears as Laborer #399
• Strong, James, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co A, on Sept. 14, 1863, at the Elk River, born in Williamson County, appears as Laborer #388
• Sneed, John, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co G, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #2255
• Gaines, John, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co H, on Aug. 12, 1863,in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #2427
• Jordan, Daniel, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co H, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as Laborer #2507
• Ledbetter, Harvey, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co H, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as Laborer Herry Ledbetter #2531
• Hughes, Adam, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co I, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as Laborer #2453
• Oglesby, Elijah (Ogleby), enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co I, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as Laborer #2589
• King, George, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co K, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County; three men with this name are listed as laborers - #s 1006, 1453, and 2513
• Petway, Frank enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co K, on August 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #329
• Pratt, Augustus, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co K, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer "Guss Pratt" #892
• Rawlston, Ephraim, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co K, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer "Ephraim Raelston" #2630
• Reece, Joseph, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co K, on Aug. 12, 1863,in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #2632
• Waddy, Robert, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co K, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer "Robert Wade" #89
• Johnson, Thomas, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry Co. H, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, two laborers with this name appear on the list Files #500 and 2506
• Bradford, Carl, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co B, on September 23, 1864, in Kingston, born in Williamson County, this might be laborer Charles Bradford, #1184
• Cartwright, Jefferson, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co K, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson, listed as laborer #2352
• Helm, Claiborn, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co K, on Aug 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #2459
• Ewing, Andrew, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. B , on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, two laborers with this name appear #953, 2406
• Compton, Mills, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. F, on Aug 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, two men named "Miles Compton" appear as laborers #483, 2358
• Berry, Washington, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. G, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, two laborers with this name appear #240, 2310
• Terrill, Archie, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. I,on  Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, this is laborer "Archy Terrill" #2684
• Cater, Isaac[Carter?], enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. I / K?, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #2368
• Ensley, Michael “Mike”, enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. K, on Aug. 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer #2088
• Thomas, Freeman Enlisted under the name Freeman Cruthers (Carothers) , enlisted in the 12th US Colored Infantry, Co. K,on Aug 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, not listed on the rolls but identifies himself as a laborer in his pension
• Andrews, James, enlisted in the 12th US. Colored Infantry, Co. G, on August 12, 1863, in Nashville, born in Williamson County, listed as laborer # 2278

"Impressing Negroes to Work on the Nashville Fortifications," Annuals of the Army of the Cumberland, John Fitch, 1864

Nashville Globe, January 31, 1913

Another man who helped build Fort Negley was James Harding.  His life's story was chronicled in this newspaper article that appeared in 1913.  He tells the harrowing tale of his escape from the Nashville plantation when he was 12 years old where he was enslaved.  He joined the US Army as a mule team driver helping to build Fort Negley.  For fear of retribution from his former master he carried a pistol.  

A large number of the men who worked on the Fort with James would have been from Williamson County.  From my research I can "connect the dots" for about 70 men of these Williamson Countians who were likely among these impressed laborers.

One of these men was Freeman Thomas (you can read more about his life here). In his pension application late in life he stated that, "The authorities had me and a good many others (colored men) at work on the works on Fort Negley and they took us and put us in the Regiment and made soldiers out of us."

You will see many familiar Williamson County names on this list - perhaps your own last name? These men were mostly born around 1840 and could be the great-great or great-great-great grandfathers of people living today.

Recently, the City of Nashville has declared the land around Fort Negley to be "surplus" and is planning to develop it and allow condominiums and retail development on part of the land. The Mayor's Office has hired archaeologist to look for the buried bodies of those laborers who did not survive the construction of the Fort and other "contrabands" (runaway slaves).  The Mayor's Office says if archaeologists find human remains in #FortNegleyPark they will “determine the best way to honor and preserve the history of the site in a way that activates this property for the betterment of the community today and into the future." Currently their plan for part of the Park is to allow retail and housing to be built in it. The literal blood, sweet and tears that were shed there should not be paved over.  This is the wrong place for such development.  

Instead, Nashville needs to - for the first time - fully tell the story of what happened in Nashville during the Civil War.  The region has never embraced its Civil War history - the good, bad and the ugly.  The whole history needs to be told and there is no better place than Fort Negley Park.  By reclaiming the land and continuing to preserve it as a Park, Nashville would be honoring the 800 who died there and the 2,771 who built this remarkable place.

By contrast to Nashville's approach of wanting to pave over its history, the original "contraband" or refugee camp around Fort Monroe in Virginia is undergoing an archaeological review right now - see this article. For more information you can also read this article.

To learn more visit the Friends of Fort Negley's website  - https://savenashvilleparks.org or follow them on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/SaveNashParks  The Park itself is also on Twitter -
https://twitter.com/FortNegley


If you believe that you may be a descendant of one of the men who worked on Fort Negley and later enlisted in the US Colored Troops - please contact me. Your voice may be particularly compelling in explaining why the land around Fort Negley still needs to be saved and fully explored.

Section of Freeman Thomas' Pension Application regarding his work on Fort Negley 
and enlistment in the 12th US Colored Infantry

Sgt Bird Johnson, 12th USCI, statement in Sgt Andrew Ewing's pension file in 1903 regarding the fact that they both were working on fortifications around Nashville, including Fort Negley, and then both enlisted in the 12th USCI in August 1863.

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October 6, 2017 at 12 noon, Historic Nashville, Inc. announced that rather than announcing the list of Nashville's nine historic properties endangered by demolition, neglect or development they would put all their eggs in one basket and instead nominate just one - Fort Negley - the "Nashville One". Every year, the Nashville Nine list is compiled through a public nomination process revealing historic buildings and places that matter to the people of our city.