One night in 1861, three escaped slaves made their way from the Confederate line to a Union-held fort. The runaways were declared ‘contraband of war’ and granted protection. As word spread, thousands of runaway slaves poured into the fort, seeking their freedom. These ‘contrabands’ made a home for themselves, building the first African American community in the country. In 1863, they bore witness to one of the first readings of the Emancipation Proclamation in the South – beneath the sheltering branches of the tree now known as Emancipation Oak.