Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

York Stewart
MSA SC 5496-50916
War of 1812 Refugee, Charles County, Maryland 

Biography:

York Stewart was an enslaved man who was owned by Alexander Greer of Charles County, Maryland. He was a slave for life and worked as a laborer on Greer’s farm. York had a wife and children.

In June of 1812, America declared war on Britain. By 1813, British vessels of war arrived in the Chesapeake Bay, placing a blockade on Maryland Waterways. On April 2, 1814, British Admiral Alexander Cochrane issued a proclamation offering immediate emancipation to any person looking to take up arms with the British or wanting to relocate to a British Territory.

York along with two enslaved men, Joshua and Moses, escaped from Alexander Greer in August of 1814. The three men went on board the vessel when it was ascending the Potomac River. York who left behind a wife and children, expressed a desire to be returned to his owner. However, he never returned. At the time of his escape, York was 30 years old and worth $500. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on Decemeber 24, 1814, ending the War of 1812. 

Following the war, Maryand citizens submitted claims to the Department of State seeking compensation for the loss of their property to the British. A commission was established at the Department of State to handle the claims. It was decided by the commission that Maryland and Virginia claimants would receive $280 for the loss of each enslaved person that escaped to the British during the war. Alexander Greer was awarded $280 for the loss of York Stewart.


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