--- title: "This slave escaped to join the Union Navy then bought his former master’s house" description: "This is the story of Robert Smalls, a slave turned Union solider turned landowner and congressman. Read more on WATM." date: "2022-07-14" modified: "2023-07-12" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/slave-escaped-joined-the-union/" categories: - "Heroes" - "History" - "Navy" - "War History" --- # This slave escaped to join the Union Navy then bought his former master’s house ![robert smalls]() If there's such a thing a revenge served warm, the story of Robert Smalls best describes it. Smalls was born into slavery in 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was hired out by his master in Charleston by the age of 12, working the hotels, docks, and wharves of [Charleston Harbor](). It was while he was working in the hotel he met his wife, Hannah Jones, whom he married in 1856. She had a daughter already, and the two had a son and daughter. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Smalls was pressed into service on board the [CSS Planter, a Confederate transport](). This is where he would make history. While the Planter's three white officers were ashore, the seven slave crewmen decided to make a break for the Union blockade. The slave escape wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision. They planned the escape meticulously, even picking up their families, who were hiding near the southern wharf. He brought the ship and its cargo of cannon and ammunition to the Union, as well as the Confederate Navy's code book and the map of Charleston's harbor defenses. ![Robert Smalls]() *From a spread about Smalls in Harper's, ca. 1862* President Lincoln and the U.S. Congress would award the prize money for the capture of the Planter to Smalls and his crew. Smalls' bravery and skill became the instrumental argument for allowing black troops to fight for the Union. "My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of any people anywhere," Smalls said. "All, they need is an equal chance in the battle of life." Smalls himself enlisted with the Union as a Naval pilot, eventually ending up back on the Planter, now a Union transport, as a free man. He piloted the USS Keokuk during a major attack on [Fort Sumter]() in Charleston Harbor. When the Keokuk's skipper wanted to surrender during the failed assault, Smalls took command and got the ship to safety. For this, he was promoted to the Keokuk's captain. When the war ended, Smalls took the Planter back to Charleston for the ceremonial raising of the American flag at Fort Sumter. ![union flag at fort sumter]() *The raising of the Union flag at For Sumter, 1865.* He returned to Beaufort, S.C. as a free man during Reconstruction. He opened a store for newly freed slaves and purchased his old master's house. He eventually allowed his old master's wife to move back into the house shortly before her death. The house still stands. https://vimeo.com/3080509 Smalls went on to serve in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate as well as the South Carolina militia as a major general. He was eventually elected to represent South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives and served for four years before his death in 1915. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()