Civil War & Reconstruction
Trail to Freedom
John Washington
John Washington
John Washington was “born enslaved” in Fredericksburg on May 20, 1838. He was almost 24 years old when he escaped and crossed the Rappahannock River into Union lines.
In 1872, just seven years after his emancipation, a thirty-four-year-old John penned the story of his life, calling it “Memorys of the Past.”
