Seeking Freedom

November 1, 2021
The story of how two men and a fortress paved the way to freedom for an entire population. It is May 1861, and George Scott--a formerly enslaved man hiding in the Virginia town of Hampton--hears the story of three Black men's escape to a nearby Union fortress. Remarkably, the three men were not returned. After seeing more Black men enter the fortress, Scott decides to have a look for himself. Upon entering Fortress Monroe, he meets Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler, who interviews newcomers and seeks information about the Confederate soldiers. Butler quickly becomes impressed with Scott's knowledge of the area and the Confederacy and sends Scott on a special mission--to track the soldiers and relay their whereabouts. Scott's efforts--and Butler's decision to keep formerly enslaved people as contraband--save the fortress and contribute to the passing of the Confiscation Act of 1861. The succinct text allows the art to take center stage while relaying pertinent information. What is lost to the brief text is put on display in the rich backmatter, which gives a more in-depth look at life for the contraband and the effect of Butler's decision to turn the fortress into a place of refuge. The watercolor illustrations present eye-catching images; readers can nearly feel the rough texture of the very woods Scott ran through. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A dramatic, superbly illustrated account of a little-known story. (notes on the aftermath, the contrabands, Benjamin Butler's legacy, George Scott, and Fort Monroe; bibliography; the proclamation on the establishment of the Fort Monroe National Monument) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

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November 29, 2021
Castrovilla spotlights the actions of a little-known contributor to the end of slavery: a Black freedom seeker named George Scott, who assisted white Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler “to track down the Confederates” who threatened Fortress Monroe, a Union military base in Virginia, in 1861. Scott’s heroic feat led Butler to write a letter to President Lincoln “arguing for Scott’s liberty—and for that of all the contrabands,” or the freedom seekers who sought refuge at the Fortress. Bolded headings track time as action-centered diction moves the plot forward: “Scott peered at the bridge to Fortress Monroe. He’d arrived to see eight more Negroes headed inside.” Immersive watercolor art by Caldecott Honoree Lewis presents realistic portraits and natural landscapes with dramatic use of light and shadow in this well-paced historical narrative. Extensive back matter includes further historical context as well as a bibliography. Ages 7–10.

Starred review from November 1, 2021
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* In 1861, George Scott had been living in the forest and swamp near Hampton, Virginia, for two years, hiding from those who would force him back into slavery. After hearing that Black freedom seekers were protected inside nearby Fortress Monroe, he sought shelter there. Major General Benjamin Butler interviewed Scott and gave him a mission: to locate the Confederates rumored to be in the nearby woods, preparing to attack the Union stronghold. Scott found their hideout, escaped under gunfire, and returned to tell Butler, who sent infantry troops into a bloody battle that ensured the fort's safety. Besides telling Scott's dramatic story, the narrative highlights Butler's pivotal decision to regard people who escaped slavery as contraband--a legal strategy enabling the U.S. Army to protect them. Archival photos illustrate the back matter, which includes the shifting legal status of the people regarded as contraband, Butler's further contributions to his country, and a little more (perhaps all that is known) about Scott's life. With a muted palette featuring grays, greens, browns, and pale, tawny yellows, Lewis creates a series of haunting watercolor paintings that make Scott's story intense and memorable. This beautifully illustrated picture book enables readers to see the Civil War from a different point of view.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2022
A true story from the Civil War offers insight into a little-known aspect of African American history. In 1861 Virginia, a man named George Scott, who had escaped enslavement, overhears how field hands had rowed to the nearby Fortress Monroe seeking refuge -- and Union soldiers had not returned them to captivity. Scott joins the flow of people seeking freedom, known as "contrabands." At the fortress, he tells Major General Benjamin Franklin Butler that he knows the location of some Confederates, and Butler sends him on a reconnaissance mission. His bravery and heroism prompt Butler to seek freedom for Scott and the others, writing, "These contrabands had been property, but since they had been abandoned, they were now simply men, women, and children... These human beings must be given the free enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Castrovilla's straightforward narrative style makes the events readily accessible to readers who are interested in this complex era of American history. Lewis's atmospheric watercolors convey themes of urgency and humanity. Comprehensive back matter includes additional information about contrabands, Butler, Scott, and Fort Monroe; archival photographs; and a bibliography.

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