Robert smalls was a 23-year old slave
Pressed into service for the confederacy aboard a warship called the planter
For nearly a year he quietly observed the movements of the ship in its crew
Just before dawn on May 13 1862 smalls took his chance
while the Ship's officers slept ashore
He and his fellow slave crewmen pulled anchor and ease the planter into Charleston Harbor
they had pre arranged to meet their family members and to pick them up and
Then come back down the peninsula and they begin the process
And this is in the wee hours of the morning of sailing out of the harbor
They are embarked now on an extremely dangerous journey
Smalls knew these waters like the back of his hand, but he also knew the risk that lay ahead for
Confederate checkpoints
Castle Pinckney
Fort Ripley
Fort Johnson and Fort Sumter
Isn't smalls afraid of being caught how in the world is a black slave?
Gonna pull this off he's extremely afraid of being caught
he disguises himself as the Captain and also mimics the captain's gate as he walked back and Forth across the
Wheelhouse
small slipped past the first three checkpoints
undetected
the most dangerous checkpoint remained
Fort Sumter with its mighty guns and Fearsome cannons
discovery would mean certain death as
Dawn broke the crew Urged smalls to take a wide berth, but changing course could arouse suspicion
Smalls Gave the signal A
few seconds later the counter signal came back
pass on by
So they're safe right. They're free well. They're not completely free because now we have the situation where a
Confederate flag
vessel is
Sailing out and it begins to approach the vessels of the Union naval blockade enforce
fortunately the vessel was not fired on as
Astonished Union officers boarded the planter small stood at attention
saluted and spoke I am
Delivering this war material including these cannons
And I think Uncle Abraham Lincoln can put them to good use
