Seeking Freedom: The Untold Story of Fortress Monroe and the Ending of Slavery in America

When President Abraham Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861, seven Southern states had left the United States. He prayed that his address would convince the remaining four Southern states to stay, but plantation owners, who depended on enslaved labor, didn’t believe Lincoln. One by one, these states deserted to join the new Confederate States of America- waging war against their former country.
War broke out on April 12, 1861.
On April 17, 1861, Virgina abandoned the United States. When the enslaved people in Virginia heard the news, they knew that their families would be separated, the men dragged farther south and forced into hard labor: digging trenches, building fortifications, and hauling weapons to prepare for battle. They were desperate to prevent this. They would do anything to be free.

May 26, 1861
George Scott hid behind a wide ash trunk, his cheek pressed against rough bark. The woods had been his home for two years, his bed the cold dirt of a dank cave. But it was far better than being tied to a whipping post.