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Edmonia Highgate, the New Orleans Massacre, & Christian Recording 

9/18/2015

12 Comments

 
More folks are beginning to read the work of Edmonia Goodelle Highgate, who penned more than a dozen lively letters to the Christian Recorder and who I’ve worked to reintroduce through both part of a chapter in Black Print Unbound and an essay in Toward a Female Genealogy of Transcendentalism. 

She deserves much, much wider attention.

Born in 1844 to Charles and Hannah Francis Highgate, probably in either Syracuse or Albany, New York, Edmonia Highgate was immersed in Black activism early.  Her parents, for example, were friends of Jermain Loguen and Henry Highland Garnet, supporters of Samuel Ringgold Ward’s early Black newspaper (the Impartial Citizen), and acquaintances of white abolitionist Samuel Joseph May.  A rare Black graduate of Syracuse High School (1861), Edmonia Highgate taught in both Montrose, Pennsylvania, and Binghamton, New York, after being denied a position in Syracuse because of her race.  Like a number of young Black women teachers, Highgate felt the call of education efforts for the newly freed people of the South, applied to teach for the American Missionary Association, and was eventually posted in Norfolk, Virginia, with, among others, Recorder writer Sarah “Sallie” Daffin.

She taught in Norfolk for several months, and it was a life-changing experience.  The conditions there, paired with the stress of desperately working to help folks who had been enslaved for their entire lives, eventually took a toll on Highgate, and she seems to have had a breakdown.  Accompanied back to Syracuse by friends and nourished by family there, though, she recommitted herself to the struggle and, only weeks after returning home, addressed the 1864 National Convention of Colored Men.  A year later, she was teaching in schools for newly freed people again, and her work would eventually take her as far South as New Orleans.  During these years, she was thinking through both practices and philosophies of activism, and she began writing to the Recorder to share some of those thoughts (as well as broader news) in 1865.

One of Highgate’s pieces I’ve talked about most, her 3 November 1866 Recorder  “On Horse Back—Saddle Dash, No. 1,” directly invokes Henry David Thoreau and a marked Transcendentalist sensibility.  She places this thinking in dialogue with her experiences as a teacher in rural Louisiana, in the midst of seething “unreconstructed” Confederates who, Klan-like, fire shots when she is out riding. 

But the way she got to rural Louisiana is just as frightening and worth remembering just as much.  That story also found print in the Recorder. 

In an event that echoed racist violence across the South and is now known as the New Orleans Massacre or the New Orleans Riot, on 30 July 1866, former Confederates active in Louisiana’s Democratic Party attacked folks who were attempting to reconvene the state constitutional convention (originally held in 1864).  The conventioneers hoped to fight to extend voting rights and civil safeguards to African Americans in the face of a Democrat-controlled state legislature that was quickly moving to codify new Black codes.   Dozens of people—mostly African Americans—were killed; many more were wounded.  Images depicting the riot at the NYPL can be seen here and here. 

Highgate, then teaching in New Orleans, was there, and, in a letter published in the 18 August 1866 Recorder titled “New Orleans Correspondence,” she described the events that would soon push her from the city. 

The original appears as a single long paragraph.  I’ve added paragraph breaks for readability.


                                                                                          For the Christian Recorder
       MR. EDITOR:— During a lull in the grand saturnalia of blood I write you. Any reconstructionist who has fanatically believed Louisiana’s loyalty, beyond doubt has had demonstration to the contrary which would convince the most incredulous. On Monday, the 30th ultimo, the friends of universal suffrage, including Michael Hahn, the ex-Governor, Dr. [A. P.] Dostie, Revs. Jackson and Horton, also, one Mr. Judd, met in Convention, and endeavored to revive the Conventional measures of 1864. They assembled in the Assembly Hall, Mechanics’ Institute, only to be assailed by armed policemen, who shot into the crowd of colored men who gathered outside, killing and wounding white and colored as they chanced to be within the range of their shot. All of the mentioned persons were wounded, some of them mortally, beside over one hundred negroes, who were also, many of them taken to the Marine Hospital, and were humanely cared for by Dr. Harris, surgeon in charge, his faithful assistants, and the noble-hearted Madame [Louisa] Demortie. Your correspondent did what she could of wound-dressing until near midnight.
       
Some ten died, to say nothing of those who died in the workhouse, and were locked up in the several stations by the “policemen under orders,” “all honorable men.” One of the local preachers in St. James’ Chapel was severely injured. There has been some equally unnecessary shooting of colored residents since the 30th, by our civil guard. For a day or two the city was under martial law, and we expected thorough justice from the Military Commission which was trying these rioters, but now civil power is supreme, and the revivers of the “’64 Convention” are considered “the disturbers of the public peace,” and they are to be tried before a civil tribunal. That being the translation which our mayor gave Andy Johnson’s telegram “to prevent the establishment of a new form of government here.” He was literally obeyed, and so bloodshed and carnage have their sway, all save the bloodhounds, as they had six years ago! But we must have no better government, even though the proved loyalists desire it, and simply because that government would be “new.” Dost thou forget, old Judas, the Freedom’s and Justice’s sway is as old as the heavens?
        Nor is New Orleans yet perfectly safe. The hunted non-recognized defenders of the Republic are yet threatened, and the creole fire in their veins burns—for what they syllable in a whisper—REVENGE—but it is as forcible as the serpent’s hiss, and the portents are fearful. When unoffending people are treated like dogs while returning from their daily toil; even slaughtered in cool blood in their beds, and the school-building in which their offspring are instructed in Wisdom’s ways is burned as they tried to burn mine, may not this community expect retribution?
        The Crescent City is not alone in this display of the old spirit of rebellion. In Jackson, La., about two hundred miles from here, a gang, one of whom was a “Justice of the Peace,” attempted the life of Mr. Geo. T. Ruby of Maine, because forsooth, as an agent of the Freedmen’s Bureau, he attempted to establish a school in that community for the freed people. They beat, and were only deferred from killing this brave, trusty colored educator, because they feared that some one of their party would betray the secret of his death. This party were brought before Judge Sherman, of the Military Commission of this city, and, after pleading “not guilty,” were bailed $1,000 each until November. In the mean time, Mr. R. is teaching steadily on, sublimely indifferent to the muttered threats against his life. We have some trusty men in the department and women, too, who “do and dare” for Freedom's cause. The estimable Rev. John Turner is on leave of absence from his charge for a few weeks. We need his calm, cheerful, powerful, executive arm in this disquieted region greatly.
                                        E. GOODELLE H.
                                        New Orleans, August 4th.

 
Certainly one of the goals of Black Print Unbound is to help recover texts and authors and histories like this.  In this vein, I’ll note Highgate wrote in a rich range of genres and with a vast sense of subjects.  

Additional Recorder works by Highgate include:
* “Salvation Only in Work,” 4 February 1865
* two parts of what seems a three-part short story “Congojoco,” 20 and 27 May 1865
* “Truth,” 27 October 1866
* “Letter from New Orleans,” 19 October 1867
* “The Work in Mississippi,” 16 January 1869

Highgate’s fellows—both writers for the Recorder and teachers and other Black activists in the post-Civil War South—similarly demand much more attention.  Daffin’s letter on Highgate’s collapse, for example, is in the 8 October 1864 Recorder, and more on Daffin can be found in my Unexpected Places: Relocating Nineteenth-Century African American Literature.

But I also hope that our recovery of Highgate helps combat the senses that are far too common in our nation: that incidents of violence by white men against African Americans are the exception rather than the norm in our history, that such violence can be seen as a collection of random acts rather than acts tied deeply to politics and power, or that the Civil War ended all of the conditions connected to the massive system of chattel slavery and the national racism surrounding that system.

Like much of the Black press, the Christian Recorder worked tirelessly to help America remember what many folks in power wanted forgotten, never known: think of the radical power in the paper’s title if we make it a verb: Christian recording. 

I’ll take up some of these questions, these acts of remembrance, in my next post.

12 Comments
brenda Cave-James link
4/13/2016 01:56:19 am

Thank you for bringing Sister Highgate to life again for us to respect and ponder. I want to know more of her, and where she taught in Montrose Pa.. I am from Binghamton NY area- have studied the Loguen family of my own AME Zion church here (and ties to Montrose)! I knew of Miss Highgate's name only- as teaching possibly with or before Amelia Loguen in Binghamton. There may be a large portrait of E.M. here- mistakenly identified as Loguen- I know it is not she. Please correspond.

Reply
BarnesLeigh
6/21/2016 04:52:33 pm

Hello Ms. Cave-James,

I was wondering if you have been able to determine whether or not the large portrait (you mention in your post) is, in fact, Edmonia Highgate. Does anyone know of any portraits of Edmonia? (Doing a little research of her work in Darlington). Would appreciate your response. Thank you.

Reply
Eric Gardner
4/23/2016 04:40:06 pm

Sorry to be slow to reply. I wish I knew where she taught in Montrose--or in Binghamton; I think it very likely she worked with Amelia Loguen at the latter. The material cited above fills in more of her biography, but let me know what you're hoping to find out. I'll certainly try to help.

Reply
Monique Patenaude
4/23/2017 09:38:36 pm

I am currently working on a book on the Highgate family. There is no known photo of Edmonia. It would not make sense for there to be a portrait of Edmonia in Montrose. But it would be great to see!!! There are photos of Amelia, so I am curious why Ms. Cave-James thinks it is not her. Hoping she might post a photo of the painting. I had not seen these letters of Edmonia's before. Much thanks for posting them!

Reply
Iris Barnes
4/25/2017 05:16:02 am

Hello Ms. Patenaude,
When do you expect your book on the Highgate family to be published?

Still wondering about that large portrait Ms. Cave-James mentions. I hope she will post it for us to see.

Reply
Brenda Cave-Jame
4/25/2017 11:29:34 am

Hello fellow "Highgate ponderers"....

I have tried to contact the fellow with a large portrait of who he was told "was a teacher in Binghamton and possibly Amelia Loguen...and it came from a local cabin" (or words to that effect). He was going to put it (and a slew of nasty racist early artifacts) on line to sell. I begged him to at least offer it for sale to the Historical Society as I could not purchase the portrait myself. This was a good while ago.
I knew instantly that she was not Amelia Loguen. I'm only guessing (or hoping) her to be Edmonia.

Thinking about this- I believe the fellow was informed by a local historian who knew of Amelia and may have just assumed a well done portrait and frame of a woman of colour at the time had to be some one of standing- hence "a teacher named Helen" (Helen Amelia).
Edmonia did teach in Montrose Pa. which is just across the boarder here from Binghamton N.Y.. There was lots of back and forth with early black families and our AME Zion churches.
She may well have taught in the physical church (as Amelia did here) or another black church, I believe there were then three in that tiny town (now with AA population of less than ten). Montrose had lots of Underground RR activity, was freedom seeker friendly and the Loguens were busy there as well- at least the Reverend.
There could have well been another place assigned for her teaching.
I have seen Miss Edmonia's grave in Syracuse if that is of any help.
Please contact me at brendacavejames@gamil.com as I would love to be of help. I invite any one to my home here as a passionate researcher of this overlooked history. My work and loss of my husband (and "digging in all things dusty" partner) has sadly, taken me away from much of this- while I do speak on the Loguen family now and again. I would love to be of help- and I am going to try to find this "Luke" fellow to see if he still has portrait.

Sadly, lots of our early black history- even items from our churches and family photograph books were flying out of here in auctions and the like for a spur of time to the wrong folks for the wrong reasons. It horrifies me what people throw away or let be snatched away!

Reply
Brenda Cave-James link
4/25/2017 02:28:11 pm

I incorrectly typed my email. It is brendacavejames@gmail.com.

While I am writing, let me say to let no one- and certainly not the folks from the history centers here (Binghamton NY and Montrose Pa) -while they may want to be helpful- tell you "that did not happen here!" You must dig for your own treasures and precious threads of information often right at hand but never known or cared about.

Were it not for papers and info from elders in my AME Zion church- (local elders, that is- sadly not AME ZION at large!) and stubborn digging (literally) indoors and out with my late husband- I would have never known or believed the significant activity and pieces to the early African American big picture from this once very rural area- including the URR!

Reply
Eric Gardner
5/7/2017 08:35:20 am

So glad to see this interest in Edmonia Highgate! I've heard that some of her writing may be included in Penguin's forthcoming Portable Nineteenth-Century African American Women Writers anthology, so more folks will hopefully know about her soon.

Reply
Iris Barnes link
5/28/2019 07:50:08 pm

Hello Fellow Highgate Researchers

Just wondering if there are any new developments concerning Edmonia Highgate. Thought you might find it interesting that in Harford County, Maryland we have a living biographer of Miss Highgate. She will be featured at the Juneteenth Festival sponsored by Hosanna School Museum (www.hosannaschoolmuseum.org).

Any word on the portrait?

Reply
Eric Gardner
6/2/2019 10:47:31 am

No word on the portrait from me, though I continue to find bits about her lecturing and her travels. What a fascinating figure.

(She is indeed included in the Penguin collection; see https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Nineteenth-Century-African-American-Classics/dp/014310599X. And some folks are now teaching her work.)

And how cool about the Hosanna School Museum!

Allison Brooks link
3/29/2021 04:05:59 am

Very thooughtful blog

Reply
Brenda Cave-James
3/29/2021 01:49:04 pm

Hi Folks! I know it has been a while. I have been to the place where I saw the mystery portrait several times- "Luke's Antiques" on Clinton Street near Oak in Binghamton. Seems like he is never there. His place looks like it is locked up, while still full of stuff. I was hoping he lived upstairs- perhaps he does, but I have had no luck.
How can I obtain any of these books or essays? The woman who was mentioned as her biographer- can she speak to where Miss Edmonia taught in Montrose Pa (as in the church building or house next door?).
I go there often. We were at one time restoring the old African Methodist church there- where Rev. Loguen helped to hide freedom seekers. Sadly, after a lot of work and some progress, that may not ever happen.
I am stepping out to say I am quite disgusted with SOME in high places within my AME Zion organization, who seemingly have little interest or lack of urgency with our churches' great abolitionist/anti slavery history.
I will try Luke's place again. I pray he did not sell the portrait. He said he knew he could get a pretty penny for it- who ever she is! Seems like he cared more about his vast collection of vile and nasty "Black Americana" crap ...which he was proud of ( not for educational reasons!). ....And this cat was mixed..at least half Black. How sad.

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    Eric Gardner

    I'm a student of early Black print culture.  Building from my second book Black Print Unbound (Oxford 2015), I'll use this space to talk about C19 African Americans and print.

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Background Image: "The United States," quilt by Beth Gardner.