Ms. Jenkins—a descendant of Landsman Albert Stevens Brass of the USS Avenger, as well as Fireman Edward James Brass, who served at sea in World War II—has worked in library technology and is passionate about genealogy and family history. She previously wrote about the Avenger in  "USS Avenger and the Brass Brothers" by Sandy Brass Jenkins and Gary McQuarie, Civil War Navy Magazine 10, no. 4 (Spring 2023), 48.

Articles by Sandy Brass Jenkins

Vessels of the Union Navy’s Mississippi River Squadron, shown here during the 1862 Battle of Island Number Ten, needed manpower—and those who escaped from slavery and joined the service as “contrabands” proved a valuable asset to the war effort.

Contraband Sailors of the USS Avenger

By Sandy Brass Jenkins
February 2024
In towns along the war-torn Mississippi, those who went from slavery to enlistment in the U.S. Navy in the Civil War forged a legacy that continues to inspire generations later.