Juliet Stewart
MSA SC 5496-50847
War of 1812 Refugee, Calvert County, Maryland
Biography:
Juliet Stewart was an enslaved girl who was owned by Elizabeth Ballard of Calvert County, Maryland. Juliet was the daughter of Charles and Sarah Stewart. Her father Charles was enslaved by Levin Ballard, while her mother and sisters were also owned by Elizabeth Ballard. Levin Ballard, who owned Juliet’s father, was the son of Elizabeth Ballard.
America went to war with Great Britain in 1812. However, the war didn't come to Maryland until the following year. As a result of the British placing a blockade on American waterways, many slaves in Maryland were able to flee from their homes. In 1814 British Admiral Alexander Cochrane issued a proclamation offering immediate emancipation to any person wanting to take up arms with the British military or relocate to a British territory. More than 700 slaves would escaped during this time. In June of 1814, when Juliet was seven years old, she escaped with her family to British vessels lying in the Patuxent River in Lower Marlboro. Juliet was lead by her parents from the home of Elizabeth Ballard to the British vessels which carried them to Nova Scotia. The War of 1812 ended when the Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814.
After the war, Maryland slaveholders filed claims seeking compensation for the loss of their property, including slaves, tobacco, livestock, and household items.A commission was formed through the Department of State to handle the claims. It was decided by the commission that property owners in Maryland and Virginia would receive $280 for each slave that was lost to the British. Juliet who was seven years old when she escaped was worth $200. Levin W. Ballard filed a claim with the Department of State as acting executor of his mother Elizabeth Ballard. The commission awarded Elizabeth Ballard $3,640 for the loss of thirteen slaves.
Return to Juliet Stewart's Introductory Page
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|