Oxford Wharf

Oxford Wharf (HMN0W)

Location: Oxford, MD 21654 Talbot County
Buy Maryland State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 41.579', W 76° 10.446'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 595 views
Inscription

Recruiting United States Colored Troops

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1, 1863, authorized the recruiting of African Americans as United States soldiers. Blacks on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware sought freedom for themselves and their families in return their service in the Union army. Union Gen. William Birney and his staff raised seven regiments of what were called United States Colored Troops (USCTs) — the 4th, 7th, 9th, 19th, 30th, 39th and 118th — in Maryland. The Maryland General Assembly offered bounty money to each man who enlisted as well as to owners who freed their slaves for service. Many slaves, however, freed themselves to join the Federal forces, since the Emancipation Proclamation freed no slaves in Maryland.
Recruitment efforts on the Eastern Shore were successful, and Oxford became a principal embarkation point for the USCTs in this area. On September 18, 1863, loaded with new recruits, the steamboat Champion departed Oxford wharf for Camp Stanton on the Patuxent River at Benedict, where the men were trained for war. Quaker James Dixon wrote, "The [slave] owners and others stood silent and thoughtful upon the wharf and beach, and as the steamer moved off, the colored people on board, waving their hats in good bye, broke out into one of their jubilant hymns, such as they were accustomed to sing in their religious meetings, for having no patriotic songs those hymns were converted into songs of deliverance from slavery."

[Right-hand Inset]
The 19th USCT, recruited from African Americans living here, was organized at Camp Stanton between December 25, 1863, and January 16, 1864. It served in the Overland Campaign in Virginia in May-Jane 1864, at first guarding wagon trains during the Battle of the Wilderness. After the Siege of Petersburg began in mid-June, the regiment participated in combat operations, including the Battle of The Crater. It joined in the pursuit of the Confederate army to Appomattox Court House. Later it served in Texas and was mustered out on January 15. 1867.
Details
HM NumberHMN0W
Series This marker is part of the Maryland Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByMaryland Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 11:55am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 397893 N 4283361
Decimal Degrees38.69298333, -76.17410000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 41.579', W 76° 10.446'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 41' 34.74" N, 76° 10' 26.76" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)410
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 102 Strand, Oxford MD 21654, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?