Wars generate refugees, and the Civil War
was no exception. After Union forces
took control of Clarksville
and New Providence in early 1863 many
escaped slaves and few uprooted white
Unionists came here for protection and
assistance. They were housed in tobacco
warehouses and in camps near fortified
posts like Fort Defiance/Fort Bruce. Called
"contrabands," some were hired by the
army as civilian labor.
Fourteen infantry regiments and eight
artillery units were organized with
24,000 men from Tennessee beginning
in October 1863. The 16th USCT (United
States Colored Troops) and one company
of the 9th US Colored Heavy Artillery
were raised in Clarksville. While in
Clarksville, these soldiers engaged in
duties including checking civilian passes,
driving wagons, handling supplies, and
guarding contraband camps (later known
as Freedmen's camps).
All USCT units were transferred from
Clarksville to other parts of the state
for similar duties. Men from Clarksville
serving in the 12th and 13th USCT
completed the Nashville & Northwestern
Railroad from Kingston Springs to
Johnsonville, Tennessee before fighting in
the Battle of Nashville.
Near the war's end, the US
Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau to
further post-war employment and create
schools for refugees. After the war many
remained and established neighborhoods
near the now abandoned military posts.
Much of present-day New Providence is
an outgrowth of the Freedmen's Camp
located here. Some current residents are
direct descendants of former slaves who
sought the security of the Union troops
garrisoned at Fort Bruce.
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