In the early 1850s; white American abolitionist Benjamin Drew was commissioned to travel to Canada West (now Ontario) to interview escaped slaves from the United States. At the time the population of Canada West was just short of a million and about 30;000 black people lived in the colony; most of whom were escaped slaves from south of the border. One of the people Drew interviewed was Harriet Tubman; who was then based in St. Catharines but made several trips to the U.S. South to lead slaves to freedom in Canada. In the course of his journeys in Canada; Drew visited Chatham; Toronto; Galt; Hamilton; London; Dresden; Windsor; and a number of other communities. Originally published in 1856; Drews book is the only collection of first-hand interviews of fugitive slaves in Canada ever done. It is an invaluable record of early black Canadian experience.
#442780 in Books 2016-09-10Original language:English 9.00 x .52 x 6.00l; #File Name: 1537600273208 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The true side of historyBy RWRMainerFor those who hate history because of all the dates and names here is your book. It is a book about everyday life for the everyday soldier caught in a tragic moment in history. The amazing thing about this book is if you have served in the military you can see how timeless this is and how each generation of soldiers in each unique conflict are remarkable similar in how they strive to stay sane in the madness about them. The simple complaints and grouching that are so much about of being in the military. We often forget that war is not mostly about the battles and generals; it is about the many men and now women who stay the course; serve faithfully for their families and just want to come back home. Bless all who give so much so we can have so much!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A complete account of conditionsBy Peter C ParsonsA wonderful and insightful book about what ir was like for a Civil War soldier (northern). Not an officer. Part of his survival technique was to maintain his sense of humor. The chapter on mules will make you laugh out loud. On the other hand there is the grim chapter on how turncoats and spies were executed. The book is replete with descriptions of the living conditions; food; weather; armament; supply trains; foraging; clothing---really; there is nothing left out. A valuable tool for in-depth historians as well as the armchair variety. Or merely the casual reader. Billings us a very learned and articulate writer. Charming in his lack of pretension.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. I'd recommend purchasing a copy as this scanned copy has apparent ...By Kindle Customerindulge your latent historian! I'm re-reading this book which I'd read in hardcopy years ago. The author's account of life in the union army is enlightening. I'd recommend purchasing a copy as this scanned copy has apparent OCR transcription errors and lacks illustrations found in the original.
