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.
Return to York Stewart's Introductory Page
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