The Freed Slaves of Montgomery County (TN)
By Tracy Jepson | December 14, 2015
... There were approximately 3.9 million slaves in the United States in 1861 with over 275,000 residing within the state of Tennessee. Nationally, approximately 500,000 were able to escape their masters ... Freedmen camps for refugees began to emerge in 1862 and, in Clarksville, the first camp consisted of 2 large buildings which housed approximately 200 people. Many persons in the camp were illiterate and now also lacked employment, adequate housing, and sustenance ... By 1864 the camp in Clarksville had numbers that swelled to over 3,000 refugees in a town that previously was home to only 5,000 citizens before the war ... In 1865, the federal government officially established the Freedmen’s Bureau ... The Bureau assisted with education, negotiating labor agreements and also basic needs ... Violence against Freedmen schools and their teachers was pervasive during this period throughout the state. Several teachers were killed and some attacked and beaten. A total of 37 schools were burned ...
http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2015/12/14/freed-slaves-montgomery-county/
