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| Vol. 17, No. 2 | Sept. 11, 1997 |
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| Vol. 17, No. 2 | Sept. 11, 1997 |
Sometimes, a person's interest in a certain period of history, such as the American Civil War, can lead to the discovery of groups and individuals whose contributions may have been forgotten or overlooked by others.
The experiences of one such group, African-American soldiers from Delaware who fought for the North in the War Between The States-is part of the focus of a new production, A House Divided, which is scheduled for several presentations throughout the state this fall.
Taking part in this presentation is Ron Whittington, director of affirmative action and multicultural programs, who plays the part of William Owen, a freed black man from Milford, who fought with the 54th Massachusetts' Regiment during the Civil War.
Whittington first became interested in the 54th when Vince Staley, a friend who had just moved from the Virgin Islands to Virginia, got him to don the uniform worn by Union troops.
"He got me dressed up in a Civil War uniform," Whittington said. "He then sent me to try out for the part of an extra in the movie, Glory."
Despite not landing a part in the movie, Whittington continued to be interested in the 54th and began to learn what he could about the regiment's history.
The 54th, one of the few black regiments that saw action during the conflict, was established in 1863 when U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton authorized the governor of Massachusetts to raise volunteer companies, which could include black soldiers.
Commanded by Robert Gould Shaw, the 54th saw action in Olustee, Fla., and the Battle of Fort Wagner, S.C. Approximately 1,500 U.S. black troops were killed in these two battles alone.
Earlier this year, while viewing a display about Delaware during the Civil War presented by the Historical Society of Delaware, Whittington was once again reminded of the contribution of black soldiers to the Union war effort.
"Looking through the list of black men from Delaware who fought, I saw this freed man from Milford," Whittington said. "His name was William Owen, and he was 36 years old at the time."
Owen had came to Wilmington to hear Frederick Douglass speak at the house of William Garrett, a Wilmington abolitionist who helped direct many slaves to freedom.
It was Garrett who helped Frederick Douglass by taking him by boat up the Delaware River to Philadelphia. Douglass and Garrett became lifelong friends and leaders of the Abolitionist Movement.
The fact that Owen had to journey to Boston to enlist in the Union Army is one of the underlying themes that surfaces in A House Divided, which was written by Tom Reed of New Castle.
"Delaware was a slave state, with slaves being kept as far north as Middletown," Whittington said. "At the same time, Delaware was also a Union state, with one of the largest numbers of black troops taking part in the war effort for the North."
Part of the reason for the large number of black Delaware troops was the experimental Compensated Emancipation program, sponsored by the federal government. Through this effort, slave owners were reimbursed for allowing their slaves to enlist in the army and fight for the North. Although the program was discontinued, Delaware played a major role as a test site for the experiment.
The conflicting loyalties that this division produced among Delawareans is, in some ways, symbolic of the conflicting feelings and beliefs that led to the war itself.
In A House Divided, these differences are given voice by four men gathered around a table in a discussion moderated by a Civil War reporter named George Alfred Townsend, played by Steve Newton, a member of the Delaware State University faculty.
Others taking part in the discussion besides Owen include Union Capt. Ricketts, who returned to Delaware after being wounded at Fredericksburg- played by John Benson, a Widener University law student; John Dunning, a Confederate soldier and member of Mosby's Rangers-played by Tom Reed, a Widener University faculty member; and the Rev. Hanby, a retired minister from Odessa, Del., imprisoned at Fort Delaware and played by Fred Syfert, a retired New Castle County minister.
In addition to showing the conflicts that existed in the country, Whittington said that A House Divided also points out to present day Delawareans that the First State played a significant role in the war, with Wilmington a major Union port and Fort Delaware a large prison.
Although he is quick to point out that he is not a reenactor, Whittington said he found that taking part in the play gave him a greater appreciation for the characters who actually were caught up in the horror at that time.
"When you are in character, you become that person," Whittington said. "This helps to bring history alive."
-Jerry Rhodes
