The Black Dispatch: Spying While Black (part two)

Josephine Baker

African Americans served as spies during the American Revolution with the belief that their service would prove the loyalty of the people, improve their condition and  for the ever present promises of freedom. Largely the status of African Americans did not change as a result of their service and neither side kept their promises. Blacks amazingly clung to those same beliefs during the Civil War and once again the Black Dispatch set to work gathering information. Again they used their marginalized status and their perceived ignorance that would be their greatest assets.

Elizabeth Van Lew and Family

Mary Elizabeth Bowser’s contributions to war effort were so awesome she was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1995. Mary was born enslaved to the white Richmond Van Lew family. Elizabeth, the daughter, was an abolitionist and pro-Union and freed Mary and sent her north to be educated. When war broke out Elizabeth pretended to be odd, earning the nickname of “Crazy Bet”, all the while establishing the Richmond Underground spy ring. She asked Mary to return to Richmond where she posed as an uneducated housekeeper and was hired to work in the Confederate White House for Mrs. Jefferson. Bowser listened to conversations and used her photographic memory to read memorize and recall documents. After the war Elizabeth had all official records expunged to avoid retaliation.

White House of the Confederacy

The American Civil War Museum and White House of the Confederacy offer daily tours. It has been restored to its appearance during the time of Davis, August, 1861 until April 2, 1865. Many of the furnishings were used by the Davis family. acwm.org

Jefferson Davis’ coachman, William Jackson, was also a household spy. There is documentation that he gave information so important it was passed on to the War Department. He crossed into Union lines in 1862 to Fredericksburg to deliver the information. Driving tours of the battlefield are clearly marked. fredericksburgva.gov

Fort Monroe was the site of many momentous events and it is there that escaped slave George Scott shared information with General Butler regarding a planned Confederate attack on Newport News he had gathered during his escape. This led to several missions behind enemy lines.

Charlie Wright escaped from Culpepper, VA in 1863 and upon questioning they found he had a remarkable memory for details. He informed the Union that troops were headed into Maryland. Based on Wright’s intelligence Hooker shadowed the Confederates and protected DC from Lee’s forces, held the better ground and led to the Battle of Gettysburg. destinationgettysburg.com

John Scobell was a Mississippi slave whose master educated and freed him. In 1861 he became one of several black Pinkerton agents. He was a master of disguise and often posed as a servant to a white operative to gain information from other black workers. He employed the aid of the Legal League, a secret black southern organization working to free slaves and provided intelligence on troop movements, numbers and fortifications.

Dabney and his wife fled the Confederacy and began to work for Union General Hooker. His wife soon returned south to work in a household as a maid. Dabney began providing incredibly accurate intelligence. When questioned he told the officers that he and his wife sent signals using the positions of the laundry on her line that could be seen from Hooker’s headquarters.

Mary Touvestre was the engineer of the ironclad Merrimac’s housekeeper. She stole the blueprints, left Norfolk and gave them to the US Sec. of the Navy. The Union then sped up the building of their ironclad, the Monitor.

Robert Smalls was born in Beaufort in 1839 and was taken to Charleston in 1851 and rented out. He worked on the Confederate troop ship CSS Planter. On May 13, 1862 he put his family and black crewmen and their families aboard while the white workers were ashore. He donned the captain’s clothing, sailed out of Charleston Harbor and surrendered the ship to the Union. He was awarded a $1,500 bounty. He became captain of the Planter in 1863 and in that same year met with Lincoln. His home and burial site are in Beaufort. beaufortsc.org

Less is known about Tubman’s role as a troop commander and spy than her work on the Underground Railroad, but her war work is as astonishing, if not more so. She and Colonel James Montgomery planned to raid rice plantations and liberate slaves along South Carolina’s Combahee River. In June of 1863 she led three gunboats of black soldiers down the river. She successfully avoided Confederates and torpedoes due to information she and her spies had gathered. These “commandoes” torched plantations destroying food and supply sources, burned bridges disrupting transport and freed more than 700 people. She sent word ahead that when the boats came they would carry them to freedom and the enslaved people met them and clambered aboard. Approximately 100 of the men later joined the union forces.

Tubman’s wartime salary was $200. She later received her husband’s veteran’s benefits and was to be paid for her nursing services. She did not receive the money owed her until 2003 when Senator Hillary Clinton heard the story. The benefits, adjusted for inflation, of $11,750 were paid to the organization that administers her Auburn home.  A statue of Harriet Tubman was placed in the Maryland State House in Feb. 10, 2020 in Annapolis in the Old House Chamber, the room where slavery was abolished in Maryland in 1864. #visitMaryland

Baker's Home in France

Blacks never fail to answer the call, even outside America’s borders. Josephine Baker, The Black Pearl, volunteered to spy for the French intelligence Agency. She trained to shoot with a group of guerilla patriots, the Maquis but her greatest skills were her charm, cleverness, nerve and the art of seduction. She gathered information and sent it to contacts including Gen. Charles de Gaulle. While touring she carried messages in invisible ink on her sheet music and sewn into her hems. She also served as a Red Cross nurse and piloted her private plane filled with supplies. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre and  De Gaulle personally presented her with the gold Croix de Lorraine. Her home in France offers tours. lesmilandes.com 

The Black Dispatch: Spying While Black (Part One)

                                     “They also serve who only stand and wait.” John Milton

We can all acknowledge the fact that blacks have played a significant role in United States history, from the Spanish explorers, Estevanico, Pedro Nino and Juan Garrido, to advancements by  *Dr. Patricia E. Bath and **Dr. Thomas Mensah. We tend to exault those whose actions were overt, seemingly larger than life but what about those who operated in the shadows and attained quiet victories. What about those who literally turned the tide of events.

Documentation on the role of African Americans as spies dates from the American Revolutionary era. By nature of their status African Americans made ideal informants. Blacks, free or enslaved, were marginalized and largely ignored and it was assumed that African Americans were illiterate. They, on the other hand, had highly developed the ability to go unnoticed and honed listening skills for self-preservation. Those who could not read often could memorize complex structures and tasks and awareness of the geography around you often proved essential.  All of these abilities proved ideal for covertly gathering information. Washington recognized the value of information gained from both free and black enslaved and employed them often. These agents came to be known collectively as the “Black Dispatch”.

Samuel “Black Sam” Fraunces, a West Indian mulatto, established the Queen’s Head Tavern in New York City in 1790 in a 1719 building. The Sons of Liberty met there prior to the Revolution and later it functioned as Washington’s headquarters. At war’s end the Americans and British held meetings there to resolve the issue of returning black Loyalists to slavery. The British held out and in most cases won freedom for the Loyalists. From the tavern Washington bid farewell to his staff and returned home on December 4, 1783. www.frauncestavernmuseum.org

Fraunces was captured by the British in 1778 and forced to cook for General Robertson. In this role he helped American prisoners and gave information to the Continentals. When Washington became president Fraunces became his chief steward and was in charge of the New York house and staff of 12. When Philadelphia became the capitol in 1790 Fraunces was again chief steward. He also opened another tavern, on Second Street. He died at 72 in Philadelphia and was buried in St. Peter’s Church where an obelisk has marked his grave since 2010.

Fraunces Tavern was renovated in 1907 and is the oldest standing building in New York. Dining and tours are offered. It is listed on the American Whiskey Trail. www.americanwhiskeytrail.com

Fraunces’ household consisted of his family, indentured servants and at least one slave. The most disputed tavern story is mentioned in an 1860 book, "Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington," by Martha Washington’s grandson. Fraunces 13 year old daughter Phoebe spied for the cause while working in the tavern. She stopped the General from eating peas poisoned by Thomas Hickey, one of his personal bodyguards. Hickey was court-martialed and hanged in June of 1776.

Hercules Mulligan, an Irish tailor, operated an upscale clothing shop servicing wealthy colonists and British officers. Alexander Hamilton rented a room in his home and through him he became a spy. Information he gathered was transported by his slave Cato. Information was sewn into the hem of clothing, package it neatly and Cato would deliver it to Hamilton. Twice he learned of plots to capture Washington and he and Cato managed to deliver messages to him to alter his plans. Eventually suspicion was aroused and Mulligan and Cato were monitored. On a mission Cato delivered the message but was captured, imprisoned and harshly interrogated. He did not give up any information.

After the war there is no record of Cato but Mulligan and Hamilton became founding members of the New York Manumission Society, a group formed to advance the abolitionist cause. Mulligan is buried in NY in Trinity Churchyard.

In 2017 the $50-million American Revolution Museum opened in Yorktown. The museum’s five thematic galleries relate tales of the revolution through more than 500 artifacts, interactive displays, video, dioramas and the orientation film “Liberty Fever”. Visitors select an individual and follow their lives through the Revolution. The story of James Armistead Lafayette, enslaved master spy of the Marquis de Lafayette, is one of the choices. www.historyisfun.org/yorktown-victory-center/new-yorktown-museum

Pretending to be a runaway Armistead slipped into British lines and quickly, because of his knowledge of the area’s geography, was recruited to spy on the Americans. He agreed and became a double agent, spying for the colonials and feeding the British false information. In 1781 he informed Lafayette of Cornwallis’ march from Portsmouth to Yorktown with an additional 10,000 reinforcements. The information allowed Rochambeau to blockade both land and sea leading to Cornwallis’ surrender on October 19th.

At the end of the war, in 1783, James was returned to slavery. Spying did not count as war service in Virginia. He petitioned relentlessly and in 1784 the Marquis sent a certificate attesting to his service but he was not freed until 1787. He took the Marquis’ last name, became a farmer and was granted a war pension of $40.00 annually. He and the Marquis last saw each other when the Marquis toured the US in 1824. Lafayette saw him in the crowd, called out to him and embraced him as an old friend.

*Dr. Bath: Invented the Laserphaco Probe to cataract surgery.
**Dr. Mensah: He holds seven patents for fiber optics used in advanced laser guided missile
technology, electronic banking and communications.

Delving into Durham, NC (part two)

                 
          “Hope is a song in a weary throat.”   Pauli Murray

The use of slave labor in NC was, from the outset, a moneymaking proposition. In 1663 eight Lord Proprietors were granted a charter from King Charles II. The Concessions of 1665”,  in which 50 additional acres were assigned to settlers based on the number of enslaved 14 years and older each brought into the colony. The 1669 Colonial Carolina Fundamental Constitution legalized slavery. By 1712 a total of 800 blacks lived in the colony and 88 years later there were 100,572 living there. At the onset of the Civil War 331,059 slaves, 33% of the population, lived in NC. @DurhamNC

Historic Stagville is a state National Historic Site consisting of two major areas, Stagville and Horton Grove, once part of one of the state’s largest plantations. Once the property of the Bennehan-Cameron family it covered 30,000-acres and held approximately 900 enslaved individuals. Highlights of the tour include a 1780s Bennehan home furnished with era appropriate furnishings and the 1860, slave built Great Barn that is 135-ft. by 33-ft. Horton Grove was home to 80-100 slaves and a row of 4 of their houses remain. The houses are unusual two-story, 17-ft. by 17-ft. timber frame construction using wooden pegs.

Stagville’s mission is to research and present the stories of the plantation’s slave population. There are 30,000 documents left by the family including a unique 1776 “birth book” that records parent’s names. The narratives are a window into the daily lives of the enslaved. @stagville
After the war the freedmen had few options and many stayed on the plantations as sharecroppers. Gradually Jim Crow laws were instituted to govern the rights, behavior and social interactions of African Americans.

African Americans began migrating to the southwest section of Durham for factory employment shortly after the Civil War. They established the community of Hayti and  by 1905 it was thriving and a model for other black settlements. Parrish Street, lined with black businesses, was the heart of Black Wall Street. In the 1960s the area declined due to urban renewal.

John Merrick founded North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1898. In 1910 the bank built to the 6-story Trust Building, the second tallest in NC. During the Great Depression the bank was led by Asa T. Spaulding, the first black actuary in the nation. The bank is the oldest and largest black bank and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ncmutuallife.com

Former slave Edian Markham founded Union Bethel AME Church in 1869. In 1891 a new church was built and renamed St. Joseph’s African Methodist Episcopal Church. The exterior bricks were made by the Fitzgeralds, black craftsmen who moved from Chester, PA to establish a brickyard in Durham. Interior tours showcase a gold- accented turquoise tin ceiling, an Art Nouveau chandelier and 24 stained glass windows. The windows depict Bible passages and, in some cases memorialize individuals such as Edian Markham and Washington Duke.

The original church is home to the non-profit St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, now manager of the Hayti Heritage Center. The Center preserves Durham's African American heritage and is home to cultural spaces including a 400-seat performance venue.

The racially segregated Carolina Theatre opened in 1926 as a vaudeville space but quickly began hosting  films. On the day Kennedy was inaugurated in 1961 protests began to allow black patrons to sit downstairs and not be relegated to the balcony “buzzard’s roost”. Blacks purchased tickets at a side entrance and climbed 97 rickety steps to the balcony. To protest the protests the theater denied all admission to blacks. The case was taken to court and the theater as desegregated in 1963. The theater was renovated and the outstanding and immersive Civil Rights Exhibit, “Confronting Change”, opened in 2014. On exhibit are the original box office, balcony and stairwell. This is very well done and must be visited. @CaroliaDurham

North Carolina College for Negroes was founded in 1910 by Dr. James Shepherd and in 1969 it was renamed North Carolina Central University. The university’s art collection is one of the nation’s best. The Carol G. Belk Gallery houses the permanent collection including works by Tanner and Lawrence. NCCU is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 2015 Durham Civil Rights Mural was created to visually depict events and individuals who impacted the era. Martin Luther King is shown speaking during one of his 5 public visits. He cancelled his 6th trip and chose to go to Memphis instead. The 1957 Royal Ice Cream Parlor sit-in preceded the Greensboro sit-in By 3-years and is pictured here. muraldurham.com/durham-civil-rights-mural

Civil Rights activist Pauli Murray was a lawyer, Episcopal priest and author. She earned a master’s in divinity from the General Theological Seminary and was the first black female to earn a PhD in judical science from Yale Law School. She helped found the Congress for Racial Equality and the National Organization for Women. Her home was designated a National Treasure in 2017 and is scheduled to open later this year. paulimurrayproject.org

Philadelphia’s Julian Francis Abele earned his place on the mural as the African American architect designer of a large portion of Duke’s campus including its centerpiece Duke Chapel. Architecturally it was inspired by English Gothic with 77 windows the largest of which is 17.5-ft. by 38-ft. The interior chapel is 291-ft. by 63-ft. and the tower is 210-ft. tall. 

Bull Durham Blues is the unique regional blues form that is featured for three days annually at the Bull City Blues Festival each September.

Durham’s sole black-owned inn is owned and operated by Monica and Daniel Edwards. The Colonial Revival home offers 4 large guestrooms, each with private bath and a complete menu of amenities. Complimentary beverages, homemade desserts and a generous breakfast are offered. Guests can find a cozy nook or walk to any of the numerous sites and attractions. Morehead Manner is available for special rentals and weekend packages.

TRAVEL TIP:

Bright Black’s hand-poured, soy wax, custom blended scents are candles promoting positive Black Diaspora narratives. Candles are sold in reusable black matte glass jars. Their newest line will honor the Harlem Renaissance. www.brightblackcandles.com

Delving into Durham, NC (part one)

“Pentimento, in art, is the reappearance in an original oil painting or drawing that the artist attempted to eradicate by painting over it. If the repainting becomes transparent ghostly images from the earlier work may become visible to the eye.”

           

Cities are, in their own ways, canvasses that depict the history, culture and dreams of the residents. Stories reflected there are ever changing but the past never really disappears and, if one looks closely enough, one can see traces of earlier times and their ongoing impact. Durham is a classic example of a city with a storied past intertwined with a modern vibrancy. While it has been awarded the designations of #1 City for Millennials in the United States, #13 Best Places to Live and Foodie Capitol of the South, the city also boasts three state historic sites and very significant African American history sites. @DurhamNC

Before the appearance of Europeans the Durham region was inhabited by two tribes, the Eno and Occaneechi, and was probably the site of Adshusheer, a Native American village. The original Indian trade routes evolved into the Great Indian Trading Path, and as many as 18 shorter paths, ran from the Philadelphia area to the deep South facilitating trade and transport for settlers. Europeans built settlements near these paths thereby impacting North Carolina’s  city placement. Bartlett Durham donated 4-acres of land to the NC Railroad Company in 1849. They built a station and a town grew up around it. That same year the first tobacco factory was established. Tobacco was a major crop in the region even pre-contact and its growth as a cash crop was an expansion of its uses by indigenous people for protection, prayer and medicinally.

People believe the Civil War ended with Lee’s surrender of 26,000 troops but the war continued and  General Johnston and General Sherman met at Bennett Place on April 17, 1865. They worked out surrender terms but the government felt they were too lenient and Jefferson Davis told Johnston to continue to fight. Johnston and Sherman met again on April 26^th and Johnston surrendered 89,270 troops. The final surrender occurred on June 23, 1865.

                 

Tours are offered at the 1890- acre Piedmont NC farm, Bennet Place. The site has been fully reconstructed to appear as it did in 1865. Three buildings, the farmhouse, kitchen and smokehouse interpret both the surrender and typical NC southern farm life. A museum in the Visitor Center shows an orientation film, “The Dawn of Peace”, and displays numerous artifacts. The 1923 Unity Monument is on the exterior and visitors can picnic or follow several forest nature trails. Admission is free. www.bennettplacehistoricsite.com

                 

The soldiers idled in neutral Durham from the 17^th until the 26^th, discovered and smoked up all the local  tobacco and Durham believed it was ruined. Soon they began to receive orders for their special “bright leaf tobacco” from all over the country and a massive tobacco industry was born. The bull was selected as the trademark from a jar of Coleman’s Durham Mustard and Bull Durham went down in history. Major, a 10-foot-tall bronze sculpted bull provides a photo-op in the heart of the city. discoverdurham.com

Washington Duke received 72-acres of farmland upon his marriage in 1842. He owned one female slave, Caroline, and leased an enslaved worker when needed. He served in the Confederate navy and upon his return home he switched to tobacco manufacturing. In 1874 he moved to the city, constructed a 2-acre factory and 4 years later formed W. Duke, Sons & Co. The American Tobacco Company, the world’s largest manufacturer, in 1890. The Supreme Court broke up the monopoly in 1911.

Duke Homestead State Historic Site and Tobacco Museum complex features Washington Duke’s home, farm and factories as they appeared from 1852-74 when the family lived there. The museum showcases tobacco processing from soil to sale. @DukeHomestead.

The 14.58-acre American Tobacco Historic District, the American Tobacco Campus, consists of 14 buildings and 3 contributing structures that comprised the tobacco factory complex, adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Dukes purchased an existing Italianate factory in 1890 and proceeded to expand the complex into the 20^th-century. The design of the warehouses reflected the company’s prosperity. Each post and beam warehouse was 7 bays wide and 20 bays long. The campus now boasts an impressive list of restaurants, shops, walking paths and several hundred events annually. americantobacco.co 

While exploring you will come upon a small cedar cabin that, upon closer inspection is revealed to be the relocated home of Burt Shavitz, co-founder of Burt’s Bees. The nearby headquarters has a creatively painted exterior and a viewing station where visitors can watch the bees. www.burtsbees.com

One of the easiest ways to unearth the earlier history and culture that shaped us is through our culinary traditions. Durham is a dining destination and every meal is a treat. The eateries are unique I suggest you try as many as you able to. Here are 4 for the road that offer memorable food, outstanding service and affordability.

               

True Flavors Diner. This is southern comfort food as art served with warmth and flair. @trueflavorsdiner

Saltbox Seafood Joint. Fresh seafood presented in an atmosphere reminiscent of waterside seafood eateries. Chef Ricky Moore’s daily menu is dependent upon the catch of the day. saltboxseafoodjoint.com

                 

Dame’s Chicken and Waffles. Damion “Dame” Moore acknowledges the Harlem Renaissance roots of chicken and waffles and diners acknowledge the fact that Dames spin on the dish takes it to new levels. Try one of the “smears”, flavored butters, that are a house specialty. Every dish is a masterpiece. Check out the online menu. @dameschickenandwaffles

Uniquely Durham Shopping Tips:

Amy May Pop Art. These handmade pop art treasures make perfect gifts. You can purchase an existing piece or have one personalized. @amymaypopart

Vert & Vogue has been featured in The New York Times and Southern Living. Here you can purchase exquisite global designer fashions created from quality natural fibers and textiles. vertandvogue.com