Webquest Frequently Asked Questions

1.Ý Where was Freedman's Village located? Freedman's Village was located near Washington DC in an area called Arlington Heights, Virginia.

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2.Ý Were the U.S.C.T. (United States Colored Troops involved at the village?) Yes, some of the guards at the village were members of the U.S.C.T. Some of the soldiers also came to the village to enlist others into the USCT. Others came to the village to attend religious services and political meetings.

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3.Ý Were the villagers free to come and go during the war? Life in Freeman's Village was life under military rule. This meant the freedmen had to give up some independence for the protection of the military. Residents needed passes to go into the city of Washington. Friends from other areas had to obtain permission from the guard to come for a visit. At certain times members of the United States Colored Troops needed authorization before the guard would allow them to attend church services in the Village. Many of the residents of the village resented the external controls of military rule. Many people preferred to remain independent rather than come into the village and lose their independence.

4.Ý Was it the only village of its kind? No, there were many freedman's villages that were located in the South. There was a freedman's camp on Mason's Island that is now called Roosevelt Island. There were camps in Fredricksburg, Virginia, Vicksburg, Mississippi and in many other locations.

5.Ý What was the role of the contrabands during the war? Tens of thousands of soldiers served in the Northern Virginia area during the Civil War. Not only were the soldiers put to work building forts, batteries, stockades, earthworks and trenches but they also drilled and prepared for war. The presence of Union troops in the DC area created the need for additional workers. Some freed people of color, mainly women and children, served as cooks and servants to officers. Spies, teamsters, street cleaners, lumberjacks, horsemen, shoemakers, laundresses, and other laborers were also in demand within the military camps. Contrabands filled this need for additional workers.

6.Ý What is on the land where the village once stood? The land is now part of Arlington National Cemetery.

7.Ý Why was Freedman's Village established? Conditions in the freedman's camps in the District of Columbia were poor. Many newly freed slaves or contrabands came into the city for protection. Some needed support. Many were housed in camps that soon became overcrowded. Disease spread throughout the camps and a high death rate resulted. It was decided that the "pure country air" of Arlington would have a beneficial effect on the freedmen.

8.Ý What institutions were in the village? The village included a school, home for the aged and infirm, a hospital and churches. Mt. Zion and Mt. Olive were two churches that were established there. There were perhaps other houses of worship. The villagers raised funds to build a new church when needed. In addition to providing for the spiritual life of the village, the churches also served as a community center, a place to hold political meetings and to socialize.

9.Ý Did any charitable organizations help in the village? Yes, the American Tract Society, a charitable and religious organization based in Boston Massachusetts, helped to run the village. Also organizations like the National Freedman's Relief Association sent workers to ease the suffering of the villagers.

10.Ý How did the village help the freedmen? The village provided a transition from slavery to freedom for some former slaves. The villagers were given clothes, a place to stay, education and some also received training in job skills.

11.Ý Can I visit the camp? All that remains of the village are unmarked contraband gravestones that are in section 27 of Arlington National Cemetery. But if you take a bus tour of the cemetery the tour guide should be able to point out to you the where the village once stood.

12.Ý Where would I go to learn more about the village? The Virginia Room at Arlington, Virginia's Central Library has many documents about the village. In addition check out the bibliography for other resources and web sites.

13.Ý What was the pay rate at the time? Some of the area freedmen worked on Washington city streets under the direction of overseers furnished by the Mayor. The freedmen were paid forty cents per day. Others were employed as laborers in local hospitals such as Abbott Hospital in Freedman's Village and were also paid at the same rate of forty cents per day. Some freedmen hired as scavengers were paid eighty cents per day since they toiled a double shift. Many contrabands, who worked as teamsters and laborers, were paid a salary of $25.00 per month by the Quartermaster and Commissary departments .

14.Ý What was the contraband fund? From the salaries of the freedmen who were working, a five dollar fee was deducted each month for funding the care of the dependent contrabands. A portion of the salary of the working freedmen was set aside in a Contraband fund designed to administer to the needs of the contrabands. This fund was set up to help contrabands that were young, sick or otherwise could not provide for themselves. For example some of the money from this fund provided clothing for those contrabands in need. The federal government decided to have the freedmen themselves help provide for the dependent contrabands.

15.Ý Did all the contrabands get paid for their work? No, many of the contrabands were not paid for their work or received only food and lodging. Even some of the disabled people tried to earn their keep. For example, Benjamin Wade, a disabled veteran of the United States Colored Troops, regularly sought out work in Washington, in June of 1867, but was not hired. He had previously served as a nurse in the Old Folks Home in Freedman's Village. The village superintendent agreed that Wade and his wife could remain in a home in the village until the next pension installment arrived. They were also reminded that they must each cheerfully comply with all the village rules and must do whatever work they were able to do in return for their rations and quarters.

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