Historical Marker: Wallace Turnage

This marker commemorates the remarkable story of Wallace Turner, an enslaved African American who managed to escape to freedom in July-early August 1864. At this location once stood the home of Collier Minge, Wallace's last owner. Wallace tried to escape slavery four times before being successful on the fifth. He was driving his owner's carriage home when a harness broke, flipping the carriage over on its side. Wallace was nearly killed by a passing carriage. When he arrived at the home, Collier's wife scolded him. Wallace replied aggressively, and then ran off. He was discovered a week later, taken to a "whipping house" and whipped 95 times by Collier, who then told Wallace to walk home. However, Wallace did not and began his long journey to freedom. Eventually, he made his way to Fort Gaines, which was recently captured by Union forces, where he finally obtained his freedom.

Wallace was born in Snowhill, North Carolina, in 1847. His slave mother was 15 years old but his father was the white owner (around a quarter of a million slaves were born to white fathers). He was sold to Hector Davis of Richmond, Virginia, in 1860. Hector owned a slave auction house and netted a fortune from the business. Wallace was then sold to James Chalmers from Alabama in 1863. That same year, Wallace once again was sold, this time to Collier. Each time he tried to escape during these years, he was beaten and whipped severely.

When he walked out of Mobile on that July day, he began his three-week journey southward along the western shore of Mobile Bay (he tried to return to North Carolina on his previous attempt). Through alligator-infested swamps, terrible weather, and the prying eyes of Confederate troops and slave catchers, he walked for 25 miles undiscovered. At the bay, he managed to find a rowboat which he then used to try to row to Fort Gaines (which he could see from the bay; he also heard the sounds from the Battle of Mobile Bay, which resulted in a Union victory led by Admiral Farragut), over which flew the Union flag.

As he was rowing a squall appeared and nearly sunk his boat before seeing another boat carrying Union soldiers. They brought Wallace to Fort Gaines, where he provided the Union with important information about Mobile. He was then given a choice to join a Black regiment or become a cook for a white officer. Wallace chose the latter and eventually entered Mobile with Union troops. After the war, he was able to go to North Carolina and gather his mother and half-siblings; they then settled in New York. He worked as a poor general laborer for the rest of his life but nevertheless died a free man thanks to his sheer willpower. 

Blight, David. "A Slave's Audacious Bid for Freedom." American Heritage, 58, no. 5. http://www.americanheritage.com/content/slave%E2%80%99s-audacious-bid-freedom.

" Wallace Turnage." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed January 9, 2017. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=86374.