Contraband Historical Society -VA

The story of the Contraband is not only a story of the past --  it's a story of courage, agency, and pursuit of freedom that continues to shape our understanding of this nation.

Frank Baker, Shepard Mallory, and James Townsend were the first successful enslaved  men to reach Fort Monroe seeking asylum.  Major General Benjamin Butler granted them that asylum through the Contraband Decision in 1861.  Fort Monroe is where the freedom seekers first found refuge during the Civil War -- an event that helped redefine the path toward emancipation in the United States.