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THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARYLAND 1812 TO 1880 Vol. III by John Thomas Scharf page 571-572.

…At the same time in the lower slave holding counties a majority of whose inhabitants he declared were at heart disloyal the value of slave property would very largely appreciate a result which it was impossible to suppose that Congress had in view when it passed the enlistment act of 1862. The course pursued by Colonel Birney of enlisting free negroes would put money in the pockets of the plantation interest at the expense of those who were at this period and had always been loyal to the government. The judge elaborated his views at some length and finally recommended that a proclamation be issued stating explicitly that the acts of Congress before referred to authorized the enlistment of all classes of persons of African descent and inviting free negroes and slaves alike to join the army. In the meanwhile however the abduction and recruiting of slaves was kept up in Maryland by the various negro companies in the State. It was practised to a very large extent on the Eastern Shore and in the southern counties of the Western In October the recruiting officer at Benedict in Charles County notwithstanding the protests of the Governor and county authorities openly declared his determination to establish recruiting stations at all the landings on the Patuxent river as far as Upper Marlboro and to carry off all the able bodied male slaves by force if it should be necessary. By this means the peaceable and law abiding people of that section of the State suffered greatly and were compelled to provide for the negro women and children and the superannuated and infirm. In October a party of negro soldiers from Baltimore with two white officers arrived at Benedict for the purpose of obtaining negro recruits for the army. After scouring the country and obtaining some fifty recruits from the slaves in the neighborhood and sending them off, a party of two negroes and a white officer visited the plantation of Colonel John H Sothoron in St Mary's County a few miles from Benedict. The officer in command informed Colonel Sothoron that he came to carry off his able bodied slaves which Colonel Sothoron was willing he should do provided they were willing to go with him. The negroes all declined to leave when an altercation ensued in which the officer declared his determination to carry them off and Colonel Sothoron expressed his intention to protect them. A struggle took place in which Lieutenant White the officer in command was killed and a negro soldier wounded. Colonel Sothoron and his son for fear of the vengeance of the Federal authorities escaped to Virginia and did not return until the close of the war.