Corinth Contraband Camp (Corinth, MS)
Dublin Core
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Subject
Subject (Topic)
American South
Civil War
Corinth (Miss.)
Fugitive slaves--United States
Mississippi--History
Public art
Public sculpture
Refugee camps--Southern States--History--19th century
Slaves--Emancipation--United States
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Description
The two bronze low reliefs are based on nineteenth-century photographs: Timothy H. O'Sullivan, [Rappahannock River, Va. Fugitive African Americans fording the Rappahannock], August 1862 and G.W. Foster, Refugee camp; street scene, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864.
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Contributor
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Date Created
Has Part
Inscription on bronze plaque at entrance:
Site of the Corinth Contraband Camp
November 1862-December 1863
Here a newly freed people took their unswerving first steps on the long road to full citizenship.
Inscription on bronze plaque at entrance:
“This is a great opportunity afforded your race. Will you improve it?” — Lorenzo Thomas, Adjutant General, United States Army, in a speech to the Corinth Contraband Camp, May 15, 1863
Warmly received amid cheers of the assembled crowd, General Thomas’s words formed a challenge met daily by all who arrived to fulfill the mission of this camp.
Assisted by the American Missionary Association, some 6,000 ex-slaves here practiced free enterprise and pursued an education for themselves and their children.
Bravely affirming their unalienable right to equality. Men from this camp swelled the ranks of two infantry regiments raised for services in the U.S. Army.
Although short-lived, the Corinth Contraband Camp served as a model endeavor for later United States efforts during the American Civil War.
Information sign in front of farmer statue:
Contraband Camp
The Corinth Contraband Camp offered former slaves the first step toward self-sustainbility and freedom through profitable farming. These men, women, and children grew 300 acres of cotton and 100 acres of vegetables. All of the crops were sold, and the profits combined to about $5,000 per month, which would exceed $70,000 in today's money.
Individuals also had smaller gardens that fed themselves and their families. These gardens consisted of tomatoes, cabbages, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables. This was the first time that many of the former slaves had grown crops for themselves rather than for someone else's benefit.
Even though the Corinth Contraband Camp was only active for a little more than a year. It helped over 6,000 African Americans take a major step toward eventual citizenship. These newly freed African Americans would go on to use the skills they learned at the Corinth Contraband Camp to raise families, work paid jobs, and become self-sufficient members of society.
This working garden was designed and created as part of an Eagle Scout project. (The rest of the text has weathered away.)