unknown, Adam [13]
Item
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Title
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unknown, Adam [13]
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Gender
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Male
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Biography
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George Robertson enslaved Adam and became the focus of a conflict between Robertson and Colonel William Utley, commander of the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Both corresponded with Abraham Lincoln regarding Adam. In a letter to Lincoln dated December 1, 1863, Robertson claimed he "never was proslavery" and that living in Kentucky, he had been "necessitated to own a few slaves who are happier with me than they could be if free and of a degraded Caste." Utley's letter dated November 17 reported that Adam refused to return to Robertson, whose "cruel treatment... had already made him a dwarf." Though Adam's fate is unknown, Abraham Lincoln offered to buy Adam's freedom for no more than $500. Robertson asserted he was not as concerned with his specific case as he was with the military protecting freedom seekers running from Kentucky enslavers. Adam was one of many enslaved in Kentucky who sought protection and freedom in the military during the Civil War.
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Relationship
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Slaveholder(s): Robertson, George
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Bibliographic citation(s)
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Lincoln, Abraham. Abraham Lincoln papers: Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833 to 1916: George Robertson to Abraham Lincoln, Monday,Seeks return of his slave. December 1, 1862. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mal1985600/. ; Lincoln, Abraham. Abraham Lincoln papers: Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833 to 1916: Abraham Lincoln to George Robertson, Wednesday. 1862. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mal1976900/. ; Lincoln, Abraham. Abraham Lincoln papers: Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833 to 1916: William L. Utley to Abraham Lincoln, Monday,Indictment for refusing to return a fugitive slave. 1862. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mal1957000/.