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by Donald Paul Wyman (Foreword by), Beverly Steele (Author)
In 1863, on Sherman's "March to the Sea," his army had grown to over 10,000 runaway or former slaves. After the war, they became a major problem. Sherman along with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton met with slave community leaders to get their ideas on how they could best take care of themselves. The slave community leaders explained that they wanted land to farm to take care of their families.As a result, Special Field Order No. 15 issued January 1865 provided for 400,000 acres in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to be confiscated and given to the freed slave families to live on. The Freedmen Bureau issued Circular No.13 in July 1865 to provide 40 acres to each slave family and possibly a mule. However, no mules were ever given out.Sometimes the plantation owners like Master Green (Steele's ancestor's plantation master) directed the freed slaves from the Green Plantation to other plantation land for living and working. On Green's Plantation land, the freed slaves divided up the land into 40 acres with white picket sticks. It became known as "Picketsville" as a result of all the white pickets showing the parceled-out land.After President Lincoln's assassination, a new Circular No. 15 ordered by President Johnson, revoked the original, and took back the land. Special Field Order No. 15 and Circular No. 13 had provided for over 40,000 freedmen to farm the lands. But now, with the newly enacted Circular No. 15, only 1565 were able to keep it. Steele's people kept their land.President Johnson supported former slaves becoming sharecroppers and paying the original owners for the use of the land after the crops were harvested. The original owners, who were still feeling both their losses from the Civil War, coupled with both their resentment of losing to the North, were now incensed at being directed to give their former slaves their land or to share their profits. Most original owners did not agree with this humiliating obligation.By the 1880's and 1890's, the land was considered Public Domain and the freedmen could make land claims. 153 years later, Steele's beloved ancestor's and beloved historic Community of Royal are able to exist and thrive today.According to state records, the original founding families were the Harleys, the Picketts and the Andersons (Steele's family) that established this historic Community of Royal.It's educational and inspiring to observe Beverly Steele in action. These capsules from Steele's life story should help us to rekindle the Country's and our own awareness of how far we've come - and how far we have yet to go.Thank you, Beverly Steele, for sharing these illustrious stories and for being an inspiration to so many young performing artist whose talents the Country will enjoy for many years to come.
