slaves wanted to fight against their slave owners, and therefore join Northern soldiers in battle. They wanted the chance to fight against the thing that had been beating them, raping them, killing them. So, the first chance they got, they ran. They ran, ran, ran by the droves. They ran north to cross into the Union and join the Union army. Anything for freedom. And then got sent back. Anything for slavery. Union soldiers were enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act, which mandated that all runaways
