Alice Gallman has fought for what she believes her whole life. This 87- year- old Columbia woman’s great uncle, a former slave and Confederate soldier, John Alex Sarter, had that same fighting spirit.
Gallman contacted Lt. Commander for S.C.’s Sons of Confederate Veterans and also the founder of radiofreedixie.com Don Gordon and asked him to investigate her great uncle’s history. Gordon found Sarter fought for the Confederacy first as a slave and later as a free man. His owner, William Sarter was appointed Captain of S.C.’s 18th Infantry Regiment, Company B on August of 1862. Sarter died the following September from his war wounds. But Alex Sarter chose to enlist after William died.
Sarter was later captured by Union soldiers and forced to help dig a tunnel the army filled with explosives. The Union army used the explosion to divide Confederate forces during the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia. The SCV gave an account of the battle in a DVD Gordon presented to Gallman on September 2, 2009. The footage chronicled a memorial service by the SCV at Sarter’s gravesite.
But Gallman remembers Sarter as her wise, old uncle. When she was a girl growing up in Union, the adults would sit around the fire in the winter and have what they called “fireside chats.” Gallman remembers sneaking up behind Sarter and eavesdropping on the adults’ conversations. She said she learned a lot from the older generations.
Gallman’s grandparents were sharecroppers. Gallman was her mother’s first bi- racial child. Her father was Jewish. She said her status made growing up difficult. “There were so many days I didn’t have a bite of bread,” she said. But humble up bringing didn’t stop Gallman from giving her time, energy, and skills to other people who needed help.
Gallman taught the poor to can vegetables, so they would have foodstuffs when times were lean. And when she was a teenager she taught people how to construct mattresses made of cotton instead of straw.
Gallman has fought for the poor and she was involved in helping African- American teachers receive adequate books instead of the damaged hand- me- downs used by white children.
Today, Gallman shares her stories and wisdom with younger generations. Gallman worked hard to send her daughter to Heathwood Hall Episcopal School. Her daughter later attended Yale University and went into the law profession. And her son worked at the Pentagon.
Alice Gallman, like her uncle, has been a fighter.
I did a quick search for William Sarter and then John Alex Sarter in the 18th South Carolina Infantry and only found William in the ranks. Not one mention of John Alex anywhere which seems to be par for the course when it comes to black confederates/confederate slaves. Maybe someone else how reads this post and has better access to SC archival material can do a search with more luck then I. But my guess is…I doubt it. This is more likely another tale similar to the one you can find over at Cenantua’s Blog.
There is a Christopher C., Danel R., Robert, and a William Sarter in the records of the 18th SC. All of them served in Co. B. The question is … if John Alex did actually enlist, how late did he enlist and how good were the records of the 18th SC as of 1864? Since I’ve run across a few whites who enlisted (but have no record of enlisting) in the Confederate army in late war, that might explain the absence of even John Alex Sarter’s service record. However, every one of those that I found had Confederate veteran pension records with affadavits by fellow veterans to attest to the fact that they did indeed enlist. The question, therefore, stands… does John Alex Sarter have a pension record, not as a servant, but as a Confederate Veteran?
Well, how does one go about gaining access to those pension records? It appears that Don Gordon found something in which his claims are based. It there any chance of Mr. Gordon releasing that information?
You know I am going to ask that Susan and the others put you back on the site just because I miss these little intellectual posts of yours.
First off, Alex Sarter (or Sartor) is hardly a “new black Confederate” considering the fact I have known his name for the last 20+ years, as has anyone who read the book Black Confederates by Charles Kelly Barrow rather than skimming through it.
Secondly I am very curious as to what you think this woman and the rest of Mr. Sarter’s descendants have to gain from making a false claim about the man’s service. I mean given how little the Confederate heritage of the South supposedly means to African-Americans, what does this woman have to gain from making herself and her family a target of “good folks” like you, Andy and Kevin?
Really? Can you dignify that with an answer?
Don’t bother with the SHPG…it is really a waste of time.
As for dignifying your question with an answer…I sure will. It appears from this story that Sarter’s descendent asked the SCV’s to investigate Alex Sarter’s history…apparently meaning she did not know it herself. And since it has been documented over and over that the SCV’s research is shoddy at best, I believe she has been provided incomplete information at best. As other commenters on this article have noted, Alex does not appear on the muster rolls of the 18th SC…that may be due to incomplete records for 1864 or that he was not a soldier.
I always hate to see someone like Ms. Gallman misled, but when dealing with the SCV’s it seems to be SOP!
Or it could just mean that black men were not usually included in those roles….does not mean they were there or that his story is inaccurate now does it?
As for your claims about the SCV, so far none of you Deniers has offered any real proof of those accusations.
Really Corey I expected something more original from you….and what of Sarter’s own son who was told these stories from his father, a man who was actually there? Do you think he’s lying? Why? To gain what? A headstone for his dead father? What of the rest of the family? If the story is bull, then I assume one of them would have done their own research and called it out after 20 years.
I am not surprised, this is what happens when you give an activist a diploma.
If your going to continue to snipe at me…and by the way I earned that diploma, it was not given… you will find that you have made your last post here.
If the south really did enlist blacks into units and they served as you claim and everyone in the south knew it as it is claimed, why the cover-up during and after the war? It seems your argument is full of holes.
Gentlemen,
I am Alice Gallman’s grandson currently serving in the military. My grandma always told me about Uncle Alex. I belive the grave where he is buried in SC has a headstone that is only afforded to Soldiers who served in the military. I would think someone verified his service before placing the marker there. Be as it may, I am very interested in knowing whether he did serve. My father, my grandma’s oldest son and deceased for about 3 years now, fought in two combat tours in Vietnam. My youngest brother also served in the Navy. It would be interesting to know whether serving our country is in our blood, willing to put our lives on the line for freedom. Thank you for your posts. This is a most interesting read.
Vincent,
Thank you for your comment. Could it be possible for you to forward a picture of the grave and headstone to me? In many cases these headstones are ones put in place by the Sons of Confederate Veterans without any real historical basis. It would be great to know who added and when the stone was put in place.
Let me know what you can find out about this grave.