In the film "Lincoln," actor Daniel Day-Lewis portrays the president and much of it is on his huge efforts in 1865 to get the 13th Amendment passed, abolishing slavery forever in the United States. The film focuses on the political struggles, but men and women "were making a social revolution, inspired by Lincoln's bold proclamation in 1863. The Civil War had become a war against slavery."
General Nathaniel Banks' troops marching through Louisiana 150 years ago, met thousands of former slaves shouting "Massa run away, hi, hi!! I think dat now de Kingdom come, Dat Dis De Year of Jubile!"
This article makes it seem as if most every slave was voting for freedom with their feet, but, one has to wonder why cotton was still being grown and food still available in the South even to the end of the war, except for in areas laid waste by Union troops. Union General William Tecumseh Sherman marched across Georgia, living off the land and there was plenty of food.
Evidently, a fair number of slaves must have stayed on the plantations in order for that to have happened.
And, I'd also have to think many of these runaway slaves were of the field hand variety, not so much among the house servants.
Just Thinking. --Old Secesh
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