He Stole a Ship to Free His Family

He Stole a Ship to Free His Family He was enslaved. So one night, he stole a warship and sailed his family to freedom. This really happened. Charleston, 1862. Robert Smalls was enslaved, and worked as the pilot of a ship called the Planter. He knew every channel in the harbour, and every signal the captain used. One night, the officers went ashore. Robert made his move. He picked up his wife, his children and other families, waiting in secret at another wharf. Then he put on the captain's straw hat, and sailed straight past the guns of the fort, giving the right signals. If they were caught, they had agreed to sink the ship rather than surrender. Past the fort, he raised a white bed sheet, and steered toward the Union ships. They were free. Robert Smalls later became a captain, and then a member of the United States Congress. That's Robert Smalls. He stole a ship, and sailed his family to freedom. Comment FREEDOM.