RObert Smalls; the unsung civil war hero
Storyboard Text
- Here is Robert Smalls my wheelsman.
- Robert Smalls: A talented helmsman
- Just wait till I'm free!
- I try my best sir
- Looks like you got you a special one Henry.
- Henry McKee practiced the task system as opposed to the gang system when organizing his slaves. This allowed Smalls a lot more free time and freedom.
- Civil War begins
- I'm gonna try to escape
- It is a risk, dear, but you and I, and our little ones must be free. I will go, for where you die, I will die.
- Robert Smalls married Hannah Jones and had 3 kids. He had enough money to buy his own freedom legally but he wouldn't leave his family.
- The Plan
- IF we get caught we ain't getting kicked out no house we gone die and our families too
- You think I don't know. I ain't tryna be a slave my whole life. I'm gonna get my freedom and if you try to take that from me. I'll kill ya'll myself
- You a house slave and you trying to escape! I ain't tryna die over some house slave dream
- An important part of Smalls' plan was a straw hat. Charles Relyea, the Planter's captain wore a straw hat. Smalls looked similar to Relyea and had memorized his signals needed to pass the checkpoints
- Robert Small was a talented helmsman and slave to Henry Mckee. Around 14 Smalls had worked his way up from a longshoreman to a wheelsman. He was very talented and became their designated wheelsman any time the boat was needed. He always had the desire to be free and planned to do so ever since he was little.
- The escape
- I gots to get us through this
- Should have never trusted a house slave
- The first shots of the civil war began in 1861. Robert was 23 at the time. This Civil War presented an opportunity for Smalls. All Smalls had to do was make contact with Union soldiers and he would be free. Since Union troops now patrolled deep into the south Smalls now had an opportunity. But he was clueless about how to get to them. But then he had an idea.
- Aftermath
- I'm Samuel and you've just won 1500$. Oh and wanna help out the military
- Smalls' idea was to steal the USS Planter. He had many challenges to overcome. He had to find a way to steal the ship and find a way to sail far enough out of cannon range. He also had to find a crew of loyal, fellow slaves who also wanted to escape. Some escapees showed intent to rat out on his escape plan but were silenced when threatened with death by Robert Smalls.
- His Legacy
- A negro driving a ship. I've seen it all now
- At around 3 A.M Smalls's put his plan into action. He had a crew, a ship, Relyea's hat, and a pickup location for the escapee's families. The crew passed the first checkpoint and retrieved their families without trouble. Now carrying 16 people some wanted to turn back, but Smalls steered past the remaining 3 checkpoints and got to the Union ships. They took down their confederate flag and hoisted up a white flag of surrender.
- Mama, we wanna go home!!
- When they arrived, they met Captain Nickels. He saw their surrender and was delighted that 16 slaves had escaped from the confederacy. He arranged for them to meet commodore DU Pont
- God, if you get me thorough this...
- Little did Smalls know he had brought heavy cannons and a bunch of cargo placed on the ship including a bunch of military hardware. DU Pont also rewarded Smalls with the 1500$ reward bounty for the confederate ship. After reaching the Union Ships, Smalls was assigned to the Charleston area and helped tremendously with his incredible knowledge of the confederate military such as the locations of confederate mines and much more.
- I mean I guess so
- A few months later, Smalls went to D.C with Mansfield French and attempted to convince President Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton to let escaped slaves fight in the war. They succeeded and Stanton signed an order allowing up to 5,000 slaves to be enlisted.
- Smalls would go to participate in 17 battles throughout the remainder of the war. He piloted at least a dozen ships. He saved his crew in 1863 when the original captain fled. For that, He was promoted to captain and became the 1st black American to be placed in charge of a military ship. The next year Smalls piloted the Planter up the Savannah River in Georgia to support William Sherman at the end of his hard campaign. This was instrumental in bringing the war to a close. Smalls would retire from the military a few months later.
- How'd he know about the land mines?
- Charge!
- IS that the U.S planter?
- After the war he returned to Beaufort, California and purchased his former master's home. McKee tried to sue Smalls, but Smalls and his family lived there for the rest of their lives. He used his wealth to help the black community by starting black schools and a black newspaper.
- stay close to shore to avoid the land mines
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