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Nashville Union And American
Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
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In 1861, Secretary Seward directs General McClellan to protect escaped enslaved persons from Virginia, employed in Confederate service, from arrest as fugitives in Washington, ensuring military protection over civil claims under the 1850 act.
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington D. C., 4th, 1861.
Maj. Gen. Geo. B. McClellan, Washington:
General—I am directed by the President to call your attention to the following: Persons claimed to be held in service or labor under the laws of the State of Virginia and actually employed in hostile service against the Government of the United States, frequently escape from the lines of the enemy's force and are received within the lines of the army of the Potomac. The Department understands that such persons afterwards coming into the city of Washington, are liable to be arrested by the city Police, upon the presumption arising from color that they are fugitives from service or labor by the 4th section of the act of Congress approved August 6th, 1850, entitled "an act to confiscate property used for insurrectionary purposes." Such employment is made a full and sufficient answer to any further claims for service or labor. Persons thus employed and escaping, are received into the military protection of the United States, and their arrest as fugitives from labor or service should be immediately followed by military arrest of the parties making the seizure. Copies of this communication will be sent to the Mayor of Washington and to the Marshal of the District of Columbia, that any collision between the military and civil authorities may be avoided.
I am General
Your very obedient servant,
WM. H. SEWARD
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Story Details
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Location
Washington D. C., Lines Of The Army Of The Potomac, State Of Virginia
Event Date
4th, 1861
Story Details
Secretary Seward, directed by the President, instructs General McClellan that persons escaping from Virginia's hostile service against the United States should be protected under military authority and not arrested as fugitives by city police under the 1850 act, with such employment answering claims for their service.