Who’s Who in Newspapers – Robert Smalls edition…

March 3, 2025 by  
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The 9th installment of Who’s Who in Newspapers

Let’s explore for a moment. Would you leave your small child alone in your car with the engine running? Might you ask your best friend, who happens to be a recovering alcoholic, to watch your house – and especially your liquor cabinet, while your family is on vacation? Would you have your dog guard the steaks you’re grilling so you can take a bathroom break? Continuing in the food category (yes, I’m hungry), would you leave a tray of fresh-baked cookies out in the open during your 5-year-old’s birthday celebration and leave for 30 minutes expecting all would still be present upon your return? I’m guessing the answer to all of the above would be a resounding “NO, of course not.” In fact, “What were you thinking?” would be any observer’s reasonable response.

How about this one? If you were the captain of a confederate vessel holding a number of “quite capable” slaves, would you and a large portion of the crew leave them unshackled and largely unguarded so you could enjoy a bit of shore-leave? Before you say, “No capta07in would be so foolish”, it would be worth your time to read about Robert Smalls‘ and his enslaved companions’ escape from the Charleston Harbor on the USS Planter during the Civil War. An article printed in the New-York Tribune date May 24, 1862 is shown below. However, after (hopefully) enjoying the article, it might be worth your time to read more about the event and this fascinating man. Two possibilities are the brief summary found on Wikipedia and/or author Cate Lineberry’s, “Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls’ Escape from Slavery to Union Hero“. Once again, I am grateful much about him was chronicled in the newspapers of his day – making him an easy edition to “Who’s Who in Newspapers”.

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Filed under: Collecting Newspapers, Illustrated Newspapers, Newspaper Collecting Ideas, Noteworthy Issues, Pre Civil War, The 19th Century
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