The June 26 issue of Civil War Emancipation discussed an
unintentional defect of the Contraband of War policy–that it
only gave refuge to slaves of disloyal owners, while slaves of
both loyal and disloyal owners wanted to be free. The policy’s
weakness was illustrated in late June 1861, when George, the
slave of a Rockville, Maryland woman, fled her custody and was
allegedly taken in by Ohio troops. As the Ohio soldiers were
part of Irvin McDowell’s Army of Northeastern Virginia, McDowell
ordered Brig. Gen. Robert C. Schenck, a brigade commander in
Daniel Tyler’s division, to investigate. There was silence on
the matter until July 5, when commander of the 1st Ohio
Infantry, Col. Alexander M. McCook wrote the Assistant Adjutant
of Schenck’s brigade, Donn Piatt. His letter stated: I have the
honor to acknowledge receipt of the letters from the
Headquarters of the Army relative to a runaway negro from
Montgomery County, Md., purporting to belong to Mrs. Caroline
Noland, of said county. Mrs. Noland says “by the i