It was in Hampton Roads, Virginia, that hundreds gained their freedom.
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Upon arrival in the region, many took up arms for the Union, and the valiant deeds of some placed them among the first African American Medal of Honor recipients.
The teeming wharves were once a major station on the Underground Railroad, and during the Civil War, escaped slaves such as Shepard Mallory, Frank Baker and James Townsend fled to Fort Monroe to become contrabands under the protection of General Benjamin Butler.
It was in Hampton Roads, Virginia, that hundreds gained their freedom