Amy Spain

Amy Spain ( – March 10, 1865) was a teenage American slave who was executed by a Confederate military court in the final days of the American Civil War. She was convicted of treason for stealing from her owner, and hanged from a sycamore tree in Darlington, South Carolina. She is believed to have been the last female slave to be executed.

Background

Spain was owned by Major Albertus C. Spain, a Mexican–American War veteran who owned a large property in Darlington, South Carolina, and had been a member of the South Carolina Secession Convention. She was about 17 years old at the time of her death, and was referred to as "mulatto", with sources noting her light skin."Confederate forces hanged Amy Spain 94 years ago"
'' The Augusta Chronicle-Herald'', May 10, 1959.

In early 1865, a detachment of the Union Army arrived in Darlington as part of the Carolinas Campaign. Spain reputedly exclaimed "bless the Lord, the Yankees have come!"Hanging of Amy Spain
''Harper's Weekly'', September 30, 1865. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Many white residents (including almost all adult men) had deserted the town by that point, and the Union commander allowed slaves to take whatever belongings had been left behind. Spain and her brother Willie dragged some mahogany furniture from an abandoned warehouse, and later took "linens, sheets, pillow cases, flour, sugar, lard, and some furniture" from the home of their master.

Trial and execution

The Union Army soon moved on from Darlington, and its residents returned. A short time later Confederate troops (led by General Joseph Wheeler) re-occupied the town. Those who had stayed behind during the Union occupation reported that Spain had been the "ringleader" of the looting, and accused her specifically of guiding Union troops to places where valuables had been hidden. Spain was captured and charged with "treason and conduct unbecoming a slave" by a Confederate military tribunal; Major Spain reputedly acted as her defense counsel. She was sentenced to death, and hanged from a sycamore tree in the Darlington town square on March 10, 1865.

Aftermath

The September 30, 1865, edition of ''Harper's Weekly'' gave a somewhat embellished account of Spain's execution, proclaiming that "her name is now hallowed among the Africans". The story and its accompanying illustration were reprinted by many Northern newspapers. ''Harper's Weekly'' attributed the greater share of responsibility to Darlington's residents rather than the Confederate troops, stating that her execution "was acquiesced in and witnessed by most of the citizens of the town". In response, the ''Darlington New Era'' accused ''Harper's'' of committing "a wholesale slander upon our community", and said the town had made "every effort ..to reverse the decision of the court".

Major Spain was interviewed by the same newspaper, and said "Amy's temper was hot, hasty, and ungovernable, yet to me, as her master, she was always dutiful up to the unfortunate time when she exhibited traits of character, adopted a line of conduct, used expressions, and committed acts which contributed to the violent termination of her existence at the early age of seventeen".Gandy, Brian
Darlington County Historical Commission: Amy Spain, “Juneteenth”
''Darlington News & Press'', June 17, 2016.; retrieved November 28, 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spain, Amy
1840s births
1865 deaths
American people convicted of theft
People from Darlington, South Carolina
Executed American women
People executed for treason against the Confederate States of America
People executed by the Confederate States of America by hanging
People executed for theft
Executed African-American people
Capital punishment in South Carolina
History of slavery in South Carolina
19th-century American slaves
19th-century executions of American people
Year of birth uncertain
Civilians who were court-martialed
Civilians killed in the American Civil War
Children killed in wars