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The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves' Civil War
Abraham H. Galloway (1837-1870) was a fiery young slave rebel, radical abolitionist, and Union spy who rose out of bondage to become one of the most significant and stirring black leaders in the South during the Civil War. Throughout his brief, mercurial life, Galloway fought against slavery and injustice. He risked his life behind enemy lines, recruited black soldiers for the North, and fought racism in the Union army's ranks. He also stood at the forefront of an African American political movement that flourished in the Union-occupied parts of North Carolina, even leading a historic delegation of black southerners to the White House to meet with President Lincoln and to demand the full rights of citizenship. He later became one of the first black men elected to the North Carolina legislature.
Long hidden from history, Galloway's story reveals a war unfamiliar to most of us. As David Cecelski writes, "Galloway's Civil War was a slave insurgency, a war of liberation that was the culmination of generations of perseverance and faith." This riveting portrait illuminates Galloway's life and deepens our insight into the Civil War and Reconstruction as experienced by African Americans in the South.
Long hidden from history, Galloway's story reveals a war unfamiliar to most of us. As David Cecelski writes, "Galloway's Civil War was a slave insurgency, a war of liberation that was the culmination of generations of perseverance and faith." This riveting portrait illuminates Galloway's life and deepens our insight into the Civil War and Reconstruction as experienced by African Americans in the South.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2012
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245 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 11, 2019
I have read over a hundred of books about the civil war: biographies, histories, and social theory, but The Fire of Freedom is one of my favorites, perhaps because it has to do with resistance, spying, bravery and bold daring-do, with standing up in dangerous times and refusing to give up. The narrative about slaves’ roles in the war is often a muted one: They waited and watched, they aided where they could, they ran to safety, and eventually, when given the chance, they fought bravely and decisively.
But this is not the story that David Cecelski tells. He tells us the life of Abraham Galloway, born in Smithville, NC–just down the Cape Fear River from Wilmington. Mr. Galloway was apprenticed to a master builder, and escaped from bondage in 1857, the year of Dred Scott vs Sandford – the Supreme Court decision that ruled that blacks could never be citizens of the United States. His escape itself is quite clever and exciting (I won’t spoil the fun) but what he goes on to do is nothing less than astonishing.
After getting on his feet with the help of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia, he builds a vast network of resistance to slavery. From Canada to the deep South, from Vigilance Committees to Black militias, from debate societies who argue and define the issues of the day to advisory committees who lobby Lincoln for emancipation and black rights, Mr. Galloway fights for equality and justice. He raises his eloquent and apparently quite persuasive voice again and again, becoming a force to be reckoned with. After the war, without ever learning to read or write, he is elected to the North Carolina Constitutional Convention (1868) where he is a dominant presence as the state’s constitution is reformed. He goes on to be a state senator, elected from his home county, and then takes a hand in driving the KKK from Wilmington.
His story had apparently been lost for a long time, likely for the usual unfortunate reasons, and perhaps also because, unlike Frederick Douglass and others who fought alongside him, he did not write anything down. Through careful research and compelling writing, Mr. Cecelski brings Mr. Galloway to life again, and he is an inspiration to us all.
But this is not the story that David Cecelski tells. He tells us the life of Abraham Galloway, born in Smithville, NC–just down the Cape Fear River from Wilmington. Mr. Galloway was apprenticed to a master builder, and escaped from bondage in 1857, the year of Dred Scott vs Sandford – the Supreme Court decision that ruled that blacks could never be citizens of the United States. His escape itself is quite clever and exciting (I won’t spoil the fun) but what he goes on to do is nothing less than astonishing.
After getting on his feet with the help of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia, he builds a vast network of resistance to slavery. From Canada to the deep South, from Vigilance Committees to Black militias, from debate societies who argue and define the issues of the day to advisory committees who lobby Lincoln for emancipation and black rights, Mr. Galloway fights for equality and justice. He raises his eloquent and apparently quite persuasive voice again and again, becoming a force to be reckoned with. After the war, without ever learning to read or write, he is elected to the North Carolina Constitutional Convention (1868) where he is a dominant presence as the state’s constitution is reformed. He goes on to be a state senator, elected from his home county, and then takes a hand in driving the KKK from Wilmington.
His story had apparently been lost for a long time, likely for the usual unfortunate reasons, and perhaps also because, unlike Frederick Douglass and others who fought alongside him, he did not write anything down. Through careful research and compelling writing, Mr. Cecelski brings Mr. Galloway to life again, and he is an inspiration to us all.
September 9, 2019
4.5. Abraham Galloway was a North Carolina mixed-race slave (his owner was a kid in the same family) and brickmason who become a runaway, a Union spy, organizer of black fighters for the union and later a North Carolina state senator, dying before he had to watch the forces of white supremacy resurgent (though as the author notes, he probably wouldn't have been surprised)
While dry in spots, it's really good to be reminded that the Civil War wasn't just two armies of white people with slaves and free blacks sitting around passively. Black Americans were active in the fight for their freedom, and the politics more complicated than I usually think of them (they were very wary that the Union might sell them out if it would reunite the country, for instance).
While dry in spots, it's really good to be reminded that the Civil War wasn't just two armies of white people with slaves and free blacks sitting around passively. Black Americans were active in the fight for their freedom, and the politics more complicated than I usually think of them (they were very wary that the Union might sell them out if it would reunite the country, for instance).
April 17, 2021
Fascinating history, well told. Highly recommend for those interested in NC history, the civil war, black leaders during the civil war and Reconstruction.
May 16, 2022
Excellent history of African American's fight for their freedom and equality during the Civil War, into Reconstruction.
I learned not only about Galloway and his influence, defiance, and political astuteness, but also about the Union-held coastal areas of North Carolina during the war.
p100 Galloway's final mission as a Union spy--Butler had him go among the captured Confederates to obtain the names of those who would be loyal to the Union and take the oath of allegiance.
p129 Galloway: "None can witness such a scene [mustering of the 1st North Carolina Colored Heavy Artillery**] and observe their soldier-like bearing, without being impressed with the conviction that this people will but their path to freedom through the most stubborn obstacles that can beset it--though every step be drenched in rebel blood, in which they will write with the point of a bayonet, on the tablet of this nation, liberty for themselves and their posterity."
**one of the African American regiments recruited primarily among the local slaves who had managed to reach Union lines.
p157 "Neither Galloway or Ingraham ever confused the Union's cause with the cause of black freedom. Neither ever forgot that the white North's racial prejudice ran deep or that the Lincoln administration's support for civil rights and political equality remained shallow. They never put their race's hopes anywhere except in their own hands."
p172 Battle of Bentonville--Union victory opened Sherman's path to Raleigh.
I learned not only about Galloway and his influence, defiance, and political astuteness, but also about the Union-held coastal areas of North Carolina during the war.
p100 Galloway's final mission as a Union spy--Butler had him go among the captured Confederates to obtain the names of those who would be loyal to the Union and take the oath of allegiance.
p129 Galloway: "None can witness such a scene [mustering of the 1st North Carolina Colored Heavy Artillery**] and observe their soldier-like bearing, without being impressed with the conviction that this people will but their path to freedom through the most stubborn obstacles that can beset it--though every step be drenched in rebel blood, in which they will write with the point of a bayonet, on the tablet of this nation, liberty for themselves and their posterity."
**one of the African American regiments recruited primarily among the local slaves who had managed to reach Union lines.
p157 "Neither Galloway or Ingraham ever confused the Union's cause with the cause of black freedom. Neither ever forgot that the white North's racial prejudice ran deep or that the Lincoln administration's support for civil rights and political equality remained shallow. They never put their race's hopes anywhere except in their own hands."
p172 Battle of Bentonville--Union victory opened Sherman's path to Raleigh.
September 20, 2022
Abraham H. Galloway (1837-1870) Was the son of a slave, Hester Hankins, and a white man, John Wesley Galloway. Abraham grew up along the Cape Fear river near Wilmington North Carolina. Abraham Galloway was outspoken, even as a slave, against injustice. He worked as a spy during the Civil War and recruited black soldiers for the union. After the war he was even more outspoken against the KKK and other injustices he saw against Black people. He was one of the first men elected to the North Carolina legislature after the war. However, after reconstruction, his story was basically erased as white supremacy became more and more prevalent. This is a fascinating part of history just now coming into the light. This book gives us an often ignored perspective of what slaves felt and endured.
February 19, 2023
4.5 stars. I've learned a lot from Cecelski's deep dive into Abraham Galloway. Anyone looking to understand more about this country would do themselves a favor in reading this book. Highly recommend.
May 9, 2023
The multitude of pages that make up the Notes and the Bibliography sections are a testament to the amount of research done during the creation of this book. The author scoured countless documents to uncover snippets of dialogue or mentions in journals or newspapers - any detail pertaining to the life and times of Abraham Galloway - to document the story of his life and his role in the Union's fight against the Confederacy. Galloway was a true hero of the Civil War, by the way, a fact previously obscured by his secretive nature, his fugitive (formerly enslaved) lifestyle, and his lack of literacy skills. Oh, and also by the racism he dealt with during his lifetime and that historians still deal with today. A must-read for anyone who has an interest in justice, history, or military strategy during the War Between the States.
June 18, 2021
Brilliantly told story of an under-recognized hero of North Carolina.
Read
October 18, 2013326.8092 C3879 2012
Want to read
June 4, 2015As a chaperone on a recent 4th grade field trip, I was introduced to this historical figure in NC history - Abraham Galloway. Can't wait to read this book about him.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews