Amy Spain facts for kids
Amy Spain (born around 1848 – died March 10, 1865) was a teenage American slave. She was sentenced to death by a Confederate military court during the final days of the American Civil War. She was found guilty of a serious crime, similar to betraying her owner, for taking items from his home. She was executed in Darlington, South Carolina. Many believe she was the last female slave to be executed in the United States.
Amy Spain's Early Life
Amy Spain was owned by Major Albertus C. Spain. He was a wealthy landowner in Darlington, South Carolina. He had also been part of the group that decided South Carolina would leave the United States. Amy was about 17 years old when she died. People described her as having light skin.
In early 1865, soldiers from the Union Army arrived in Darlington. This was part of their Carolinas Campaign.
Amy Spain was very happy to see the Union soldiers. Many white residents, especially men, had left the town by then. The Union commander allowed slaves to take any belongings that had been left behind. Amy and her brother Willie took some furniture from an empty building. They also took linens, sheets, pillow cases, flour, sugar, lard, and some furniture from their owner's house.
Her Trial and Execution
The Union Army soon left Darlington. The town's residents then returned. A short time later, Confederate troops came back. They were led by General Joseph Wheeler.
People who had stayed in town during the Union visit told the Confederate soldiers that Amy Spain had led the effort to take items. They also said she showed Union troops where valuable things were hidden. Amy was captured and charged with "treason" by a Confederate military court. This meant she was accused of betraying her owner by taking his property during wartime. Major Spain, her owner, reportedly defended her in court.
She was sentenced to death. Amy Spain was executed in the Darlington town square on March 10, 1865.
What Happened After
On September 30, 1865, a newspaper called Harper's Weekly shared Amy Spain's story. They said her name was now "hallowed among the Africans." This story and a picture were printed in many newspapers in the Northern states.
Harper's Weekly suggested that the people of Darlington were more responsible for her execution than the Confederate soldiers. They said most citizens of the town watched and agreed with her execution. In response, a local newspaper, the Darlington New Era, said Harper's was spreading a "wholesale slander." They claimed the town had tried very hard to stop the court's decision.
Major Spain was interviewed by the Darlington New Era. He said Amy had a "hot, hasty, and ungovernable" temper. But he also said she was always dutiful to him as her master. He believed her actions during the war led to her early death at age seventeen.
