Wartime Accounts of Confederate Camps

Chapter One of this book on black Confederates describes the unique dynamic of the master-slave relationship during wartime. Once the setting changed from home to the battlefield and camps, slaves seized opportunities to bend the rules and occasionally escape. This caused their masters to afford them a degree of flexibility not previously allowed. In an effort to craft an accurate description of the master-slave relationship, the author is seeking references that explain camp life during wartime. While he has some information on layouts, he specifically would like to know how they camps evolved over the course of the war.

Key Takeaways:

• The war presented a number of challenges to the maintenance of the master-slave relationship.
• slaves took full advantage of the opportunities afforded by life in camp, on the march, and even on the battlefield. This new landscape stretched the master-slave dynamic.
• In some cases it was stretched to the breaking point as slaves chose to run away, but it mostly resulted in masters conceding a certain amount of ground to their camp slaves.

“”While the expectations and authority of slaveowners may have been well established back home, slaves took full advantage of the opportunities afforded by life in camp, on the march, and even on the battlefield.””

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