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Silas Chandler

Overview

Silas Chandler (January 1, 1837 – 1919), was an African American slave was born on the Willis Chandler plantation in Halifax County, Virginia. In 1839, the Willis Chandler family, including wife Rebecca, their five sons and two daughters moved from Halifax County, Virginia to West Point, Mississippi.

During the American Civil War Silas was assigned to accompany Andrew Martin Chandler (the son of Silas’s owner). During this period of time Silas was instrumental in saving Andrew Chandler’s life, preventing Andrew’s leg from being amputated after an injury, accompanying Andrew as a prisoner of war in Ohio and assisting Andrew in returning to the Chandler plantation in Mississippi. After the war Andrew Chandler and his family expressed gratitude for the acts of valor displayed by Silas and took photographs of Silas and Andrew both dressed in confederate soldier uniforms and brandishing swords and firearms. The Daughters of the Confederacy and other modern pro-confederate individuals and organizations have utilized these rare photos of Silas with the son of his master to support their contention that the slavery was not a significant issue during American Civil War, that relations between slaves and their masters was generally pleasant and cordial and that African Americans in the south willing joined the Confederate Army in mass because of a general dislike for “Yankees” and the perceived tax, tariff and sovernity issues that they represented. This wide-spread interest in Silas Chandler as a poster card example of a more benign view of slavery has inspired art work, a fiction novel, t-shirts, documentaries, educational series for elementary students and speaking tours. The Silas Chandler issue has also been featured on the Jan 20,2010 episode of the Antique Road Show TV series where a picture was taken of Andrew and Silas dressed in Confederate uniforms carrying weapons was appraised to be $30,000-$40,000. This tin type picture was placed on auction by Andrew Chandler Battiale, great-great grandson of Andrew Martin Chandler.

The controversy has gone all the way to Silas Chandler’s grave site where confederate ceremonies have been held and where an iron cross and confederate flag were placed (items later removed by members of the Silas Chandler family). Of note, there are some descendents of Silas Chandler who agree with the pro-confederacy viewpoint, while others view the pro-confederacy viewpoint as an opportunistic agenda of neo-confederate civil war revisionists.

Early Years

Over the past ten years a great deal of controversy has arisen regarding Silas Chandler. A number of African American slaves accompanied the Chandler family, including 2-year old Silas. The Willis Chandler family received land in West Point, Mississippi from the Federal Government as a result of the Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty signed between the Federal Government and the Choctaw Indians. This Treaty opened up 11 million acres of land to White Americans through the heart of Mississippi in 1831. White settlers won their specific plots of land in a lottery. The Willis Chandler plantation grew from 320 acres to 1,280.

Silas was owned by one of Willis Chandler’s sons, Guildroy Chandler and grew up on the Chandler plantation, in Palo Alto, Mississippi. He worked in the fields as a slave. Currently no one knows what happened to Silas’ parents or if he had siblings.

Adult Life and Civil War Experience

Silas married Lucy Garvin. Lucy and her mother Poly Garvin were both slaves inside the Chandler home. Silas and Lucy had 5 children; William Henry, Charlie W, George W, Clarence and Mamie.

Andrew Martin Chandler was one of Guildroy Chandler’s sons. Andrew was born in 1844. That makes Silas 7 years older than Andrew. Andrew M. Chandler enlisted in the Civil War on August 16th, 1861 at the age of 16 and carried his father’s 23-year old slave Silas with him. Silas made many trips from the battleground to the Plantation, carrying packages and messages to Andrew. There is no evidence that Silas ever fought in the War. Some of Silas’ children were born while he was away with Andrew.

Andrew with Silas as his servant, participated in battles at Shiloh and Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Chickamauga, Georgia. On September 20, 1863, in the Battle of Chickamauga, Andrew was severely wounded in the leg. Army doctors wanted to amputate Andrew’s leg, however, Silas somehow managed to help the injured Andrew return home. He is credited with saving Andrew’s leg. This leg injury left Andrew crippled for life. During the last part of the war, Silas served Andrew’s younger brother Benjamin S Chandler. Benjamin, with Silas as his servant served under A.K Bltyhe and Miller with the 9th Mississippi Cavalry and 1st Captain D.F. Cooperwood which escorted Confederate President Jefferson Davis when he surrendered at Washington, Georgia.

In 1916 the General Prorate Class Law was passed in Mississippi which allowed servants to apply for a pension. On July 17, 1916 Silas applied for his pension. The application for Silas is different from Andrew’s.application. Silas had to do “Form No. 5, General Prorate Class.” This was an application for Indigent Servant of a Soldier or Sailor of the Late Confederacy. The nature of the questions and other text on the application clearly indicate that a servant is not recognized as a Confederate Soldier, but is entitled to a pension due to his service to his owner during the Civil War. Silas states on his application that he served A.M. Chandler and B.S. Chandler. Silas died in 1919.

After Silas received his freedom, he moved from Palo Alto to West Point, Mississippi. In 1880 Silas and his wife Lucy purchased some land in West Point, Mississippi for $1,000.00 with 8% interest. They paid off their debt before the due date. Shortly after he built the family home, a group of calloused Confederates attacked Silas and tried to take his home. When he resisted, they threatened to take his life. At this point, Andrew stopped the attack. Silas did lose an eye in the attack. He later lost sight in his other eye and was blind when he died.

Community Contributions

Silas became a successful home-builder. He, along with his son George built many homes in and around West Point, Mississippi. Silas Chandler helped build the first Court House in West Point, and nearly 100 years later in 1958, his son George was the foreman in the remolding of this same Court House. George’s son Gerdine also worked on the remolding job making three generations to work on this court-house.

Silas Chandler helped to found the first Church for African Americans in West Point, Mississippi. The history of this Church dates back to the year 1868 in the days of the Reconstruction period. “A few ex-slaves realized the importance of the religion in their community life and began to establish a Church. Among these people was the late Mr. Silas Chandler who helped in the erection of a Bush Harbor. A bush harbor is a alter made near a cluster of bushes. The bush harbor was later replaced by a small wooden Church. The Church has been rebuilt several times and is currently known as Mount Hermon Baptist Church.” The Church is 13.29 miles from Palo Alto. There is no graveyard near this Church and Silas is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, which is 1 mile away from the Church.

Silas Chandler was an active member of the Masons, it’s emblem and Lodge Number “1832” are inscribed on his tombstone. On September 17, 1994, The Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of the Confederate Veterans placed a confederate Iron Cross and Confederate Flag on the grave of Silas.

The overwhelming majority of the descendents of Silas have signed a petition to have the cross and flag permanently removed. It is their belief that Silas’s acts of humanity and valor are being used against him by organizations and individuals who to this day do not recognize equality and who have interests of putting a benign and even friendly face onto the issue of slavery in the United States of America.

Silas Chandler became a respected member of the black community. Although he had been a slave, he sent his son George W. to William and Mary College in Nashville, Tennessee. George taught carpentry to Veterans at Mary Holmes College in West Point, Mississippi. Silas has many successful descendents. They include a grandson who graduated from Yale Law School in1928, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, mathematicians, chemical engineers, physicians, attorneys, concert pianist, a classical dancer, a Capital Hill restaurant owner, a personnel supervisor of a major corporation, teachers, an international soccer coach, a systems analyst, civil service employees, a minister, the spouse of a president of Tuskegee Institute, accountants, an NBC News producer, printers among many others.

Myths and Controversy

1. That Silas Chandler was a volunteer enlisted soldier. a. See attached pention application documenting Silas as being a slave. 2. That Silas was a childhood playmate of Andrew M. Chandler. a. Evidence of birthdates documenting Silas as being 7 years senior to Andrew. 3. That Silas Chandler was given a wife in gratitude for his acts of valor. a. Evidence that Silas was married and will children prior to the war. 4. That Silas Chandler was given his land in gratitude for his acts of valor. a. See deed documenting bill of sale to Silas Chandler 5. That the uniform which Silas wears in his famous photo was issued to him as a confederate soldier. a. The stripe on Silas Chandler’s pants would have been reserved for a sergeant or other officer. 6. That Silas was armed during the war as he was in his famous photo. 7. That Silas Chandler’s participation in the Civil War represented a deep understanding of political issues which would have transcended the issue of slavery. 8. That Silas Chandler’s participation in the Civil War is evidence of wide-spread African American military participation as volunteer soldiers for the confederate army.

External links

http://dixieoutfitters.com/dixie_store/view_details?department_id=24&item_id=5061 http://www.petersburgexpress.com/Petersburg_Black-CSA.html http://www.thesouthernamerican.org/colour.html http://cwmemory.com/2010/01/19/how-much-for-the-black-confederate/ http://www.calebstriumph.com/black_confederates/biographies.html http://www.desertrosefilms.7p.com/ChandlerBoys.html http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/civil-war/2010/oct/21/black-confederates-old-argument-surfaces/ http://kevinmweeks.com/wordpress/?p=1512 http://writesong.blogspot.com/2010/01/chandler-boys-of-mississippi.html

Overview Early Life Adulthood and Civil War Experience Community Contributions Myths/Controversy References Links