Juneteenth and the "Freedom Generation"

Tom Brokaw called World War II veterans the “Greatest Generation” for good reason. They defeated the Axis powers and ended the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. They were the original anti-fascists.

But perhaps now it is time to give an equally appropriate name to the generation of loyal and patriotic Americans who survived slavery and fought in our deadliest war. It is time to recognize Civil War-era Black Americans, and Black and white Union soldiers who fought to end slavery, as the “Freedom Generation."

Of course, President Biden signed a proclamation on June 17th, 2021, making Juneteenth a federal holiday to celebrate the end of American slavery. Juneteenth, however, has long been observed as the moment in mid-June 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas learned of their emancipation. Clint Smith discusses the holiday's origins in his book How the Word is Passed (2021):

The earliest iterations of Juneteenth in Texas ranged from ceremonial readings of the Emancipation Proclamation to Black newspapers printing images of Abraham Lincoln in their pages . . . the celebration included church services in which preachers had the congregation give thanks for their freedom while encouraging them to be relentless in the ongoing struggle for racial equity . . . And in the afternoon there were massive feasts . . . [t]here were picnics, beauty pageants, baseball games, and an endless stream of songs that emanated through the streets. ( How the Word is Passed, page 187.) 

But is Juneteenth a holiday only for Black Americans? To be sure, the holiday holds profound significance for Black Americans as survivors of 250 years of bondage. African Americans have a special claim to Juneteenth, having fought for freedom for centuries. The efforts of leaders like Black abolitionists David Walker, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass (my first historical hero thanks to Sister Maribeth!) should also be recognized on this day.

It is my sincerest hope that white Americans will continue to learn about, honor, and celebrate Juneteenth. Understanding its context is crucial: Emancipation resulted from the Union's victory in the Civil War and we should honor the Black and white men and women who made that victory possible. 

Many argue that in the Civil War, "both sides were racist: Northern soldiers fought to preserve the Union, while Southern soldiers fought for their heritage and independence. The Civil War had NOTHING to do with slavery." Tragically, this wrongheaded and ignorant perspective is widespread across the United States today. But it is false. Let me explain:

1. Yes, there were racists on both sides during the Civil War, and in 1861 the abolition of slavery was still viewed as a radical step.

2. While it is true some Northern soldiers fought only to preserve the Union, many from Kansas, the upper Midwest, and New England demanded an end to slavery. Dozens of abolitionist regiments marched off to war in 1861-1862 singing "John Brown's Body," lionizing the radical abolitionist as a martyr for freedom.

3. It is also true that only 25% of white southern families owned slaves. But southern soldiers absolutely defended a slave system deeply rooted in extreme white supremacy. Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens stated in his infamous "Cornerstone Speech" that the Confederate Government was based on the foundation of white supremacy and that Black slavery was a natural condition. All Confederate states emphasized slavery as a reason for secession, with Mississippi explicitly identifying it as a major interest.

4. Confederate rebels of the southern pro-slavery republic fought to maintain slavery, while by January 1, 1863, U. S. soldiers fought to preserve the Union AND FREE SLAVES. The historical record could not be more clear.

But what percentage of white Union soldiers supported the Emancipation Proclamation--a document which freed slaves in the Confederacy and also welcomed Black Americans into the U.S. Army and Navy? James M. McPherson's analysis of Union soldiers' letters from 1862 and 1863 concluded that about 25% opposed it, 25% were neutral, and 50% fully supported it. By 1864, support for emancipation grew significantly, as evidenced by 80% of Union soldiers voting for Lincoln's reelection.

But was Corporal John W. N. Doak, the protagonist of my novel and my Great Great Grandfather, enthusiastic about arming Blacks and abolishing slavery? As noted in my last blog, Corporal Doak’s great-grandfather, the Reverend Samuel Doak (1749-1830), was an early abolitionist preacher and educator in Eastern Tennessee. But political views can and do change significantly over the generations.

Corporal Doak first mentions Black troops in his February 1st, 1863 letter to Emma, written from the 66th Illinois’ Camp Davies, near Corinth, Mississippi: “Chaplain Alexander talks of raising a Contraband regiment, some of our company think of going in as officers.”

Statue of an African American soldier in the 1st Alabama of African Descent. Photo taken by the author at the Corinth Contraband Camp Historic Site, June 2024.

“Contraband” was the Civil War term for enslaved people who escaped to the Union army for freedom, support, and protection. In my research for TO LIVE A PATRIOT, I found that "Chaplain Alexander" was James M. Alexander from Paris, Illinois. He served as chaplain for the Western Sharpshooters/66th Illinois from 1861-1863 and was likely an abolitionist before the war. Alexander, a remarkable man, was also the first superintendent of the Corinth Contraband Camp from 1862-1863. This camp, on the eastern edge of Corinth, became a model community for freedmen, women, and children, housing over 2,000 people from 1862-1864. They even formed a cooperative and farmed abandoned local plantations, earning a profit of $4,000 at harvest time. By April of 1863, Superintendent Alexander became Colonel Alexander, the commanding officer of the 1st Alabama of African Descent.

The only photo known to exist of James M. Alexander from Paris, IL, He was the chaplain of the Western Sharpshooters/66th Illinois from 1861-1862, Superintendent of the Corinth Contraband Camp from 1862-1863 and finally the Colonel of the 1st Alabama of African Descent from 1863-1864. He was a remarkable man, more research is needed to find out what happened to him after 1864. Photo taken by the author at the Corinth Interpretive Center, Corinth, Mississippi, June 2024.

Did Corporal Doak support emancipation and the raising of Black troops? It seems so. On May 4th, 1863, he wrote from Camp Davies:

“Alexander is getting along very well with his colored regiment. I believe W.B. McCord, John Magner, D.W. Brown, Levi Thornton, John Brooks, and Howard McCord of Company E talk of going into the regiment. They also wanted me to go into it, but I will not, though I wish them success."

The names mentioned above are all characters in TO LIVE A PATRIOT and all were from Paris, Illinois. Historically, W.B. McCord, Howard McCord, and D.W. Brown did, in fact, join the "colored regiment" as officers. Known as the 1st Alabama of African Descent, the regiment was renamed the 55th United States Colored Troops (55th USCT) in March of 1864. At the same time, for reasons that are unknown to the author, Colonel Alexander—the man who recruited and trained the regiment—was replaced as their leader. The 55th USCT garrisoned Memphis and fought at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads in northern Mississippi on June 10th, 1864. At Brice's Crossroads they suffered heavy casualties and were defeated by rebels under the command of the infamous Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. A year later, in 1865, Nathan Bedford Forrest would become the first "Grand Wizard" of the Ku Klux Klan.

The author poses next to the entrance to the historic site marking the Corinth Contraband Camp in June 2024.

But if Corporal Doak supported the very radical notion of arming and training freedmen to kill their enslavers, why didn’t he join the 1st Alabama of African Descent as an officer? I think that is best addressed in my novel, which should come out in the next year or so. 

Bridget Doak, Corporal John W.N. Doak's great great grandaughter, posses at the Corinth Contraband Camp historical site in June 2024.

But what became of African Americans post-emancipation, after this new "birth of freedom?" For about a decade or two, Black Americans' incomes skyrocketed. African Americans elected Black candidates to state and federal offices by the dozens. But American history often disappoints and elections are sometimes won by the wrong people. After the Civil War, Union veterans and Radical Republicans (those who promoted civil rights and racial equality) began losing the debate about the future of freedom and equality. Despite the North's victory in the war, the South and the Ku Klux Klan eventually won Reconstruction, leaving most Black Americans powerless and in poverty and debt as sharecroppers. There would be no "40 acres and a mule;" there would be no reparations for 250 years of unrequited toil. The Lost Cause Ideology, which glorified the Confederacy and Confederate leaders like Robert E. Lee, became extremely popular, horribly distorting the teaching of the Civil War and Reconstruction deep into the 20th century and even still today. Following a century of disenfranchisement, Jim Crow segregation, lynchings, and systemic racism, true freedom and equality remains elusive. Perhaps by acknowledging our past and learning from it, we can strive to make progress with regard to systemic racism and inequality in 2025 and beyond.

Meanwhile, gather your friends and family this Juneteenth and start your own traditions. (Maybe s'mores and the burning of the Confederate battle flag?) In any case, commemorate the end of slavery and honor the sacrifices of the Freedom Generation—Black Americans who survived slavery and the Black and white Union soldiers who fought to destroy it—by celebrating this newest of federal holidays.