Enslaved on a plantation in South Carolina, Robert Blake had little chance for freedom. Then came a surprise battle, a bold choice, and a new mission in life: serving in the U.S. Navy. Robert’s heroism would make him the first Black sailor to receive the Medal of Honor. But what happened next is… a total mystery.

We’re committed to making Medal of Honor even better, and you can help! Leave your feedback for the show by filling out our listener survey at http://bit.ly/mohsurvey

Episode bibliography:

Reidy, Joseph P. “Black Men in Navy Blue During the Civil War.” Navy and Marine, 2001. 
https://www.navyandmarine.org/ondeck/1862blackinblue.htm

Jowdy, Laura. “Who Was Robert Blake? The Mystery of a Black Medal of Honor Recipient.” Congressional Medal of Honor Society, March 6, 2025 https://www.cmohs.org/news-events/medal-of-honor-recipient-profile/who-was-robert-blake-the-mystery-of-a-black-medal-of-honor-recipient/. 

Frazier, Herb. “Little-known Civil War hero once enslaved on South Santee.” Charleston City Paper, June 2, 2023. 
https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2023/06/02/little-known-civil-war-hero-once-enslaved-on-south-santee/. 

“Whatever Happened to Robert Blake and the Battle of Legareville, SC.” Civil War Traveler (Blog), January 5, 2024.
https://civilwartraveler.blog/2024/01/05/whatever-happened-to-robert-blake-and-the-battle-of-legareville/

The Frog of History. “The First African American Medal of Honor Recipient is Missing.” YouTube video. June 27, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aYHT8va5uM&t=233s

Quarstein, John V. “Ben Butler and the Contrabands.” The Mariners Museum and Park, May 28, 2021. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/05/ben-butler-and-the-contrabands/

National Archives. “Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War.” National Archives and Records Administration, October 4, 2023.
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war#:~:text=The%20black%20troops%2C%20however%2C%20faced,more%20harshly%20than%20white%20captives

Enslaved on a plantation in South Carolina, Robert Blake had little chance for freedom. Then came a surprise battle, a bold choice, and a new mission in life: serving in the U.S. Navy. Robert&rsquo;s heroism would make him the first Black sailor to receive the Medal of Honor. But what happened next is&hellip; a total mystery.
We&rsquo;re committed to making Medal of Honor even better, and you can help! Leave your feedback for the show by filling out our listener survey at <a href="http://bit.ly/mohsurvey">http://bit.ly/mohsurvey</a>
<hr>
Episode bibliography:
Reidy, Joseph P. &ldquo;Black Men in Navy Blue During the Civil War.&rdquo; Navy and Marine, 2001. <a href="https://www.navyandmarine.org/ondeck/1862blackinblue.htm">https://www.navyandmarine.org/ondeck/1862blackinblue.htm</a> Jowdy, Laura. &ldquo;Who Was Robert Blake? The Mystery of a Black Medal of Honor Recipient.&rdquo; Congressional Medal of Honor Society, March 6, 2025 <a href="https://www.cmohs.org/news-events/medal-of-honor-recipient-profile/who-was-robert-blake-the-mystery-of-a-black-medal-of-honor-recipient/">https://www.cmohs.org/news-events/medal-of-honor-recipient-profile/who-was-robert-blake-the-mystery-of-a-black-medal-of-honor-recipient/</a>. Frazier, Herb. &ldquo;Little-known Civil War hero once enslaved on South Santee.&rdquo; Charleston City Paper, June 2, 2023. <a href="https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2023/06/02/little-known-civil-war-hero-once-enslaved-on-south-santee/">https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2023/06/02/little-known-civil-war-hero-once-enslaved-on-south-santee/</a>. &ldquo;Whatever Happened to Robert Blake and the Battle of Legareville, SC.&rdquo; Civil War Traveler (Blog), January 5, 2024. <a href="https://civilwartraveler.blog/2024/01/05/whatever-happened-to-robert-blake-and-the-battle-of-legareville/">https://civilwartraveler.blog/2024/01/05/whatever-happened-to-robert-blake-and-the-battle-of-legareville/</a> The Frog of History. &ldquo;The First African American Medal of Honor Recipient is Missing.&rdquo; YouTube video. June 27, 2020. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aYHT8va5uM&amp;t=233s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aYHT8va5uM&amp;t=233s</a> Quarstein, John V. &ldquo;Ben Butler and the Contrabands.&rdquo; The Mariners Museum and Park, May 28, 2021. <a href="https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/05/ben-butler-and-the-contrabands/">https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/05/ben-butler-and-the-contrabands/</a> National Archives. &ldquo;Black Soldiers in the U.S. Military During the Civil War.&rdquo; National Archives and Records Administration, October 4, 2023. <a href="https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war#:~:text=The%20black%20troops%2C%20however%2C%20faced,more%20harshly%20than%20white%20captives">https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/blacks-civil-war#:~:text=The%20black%20troops%2C%20however%2C%20faced,more%20harshly%20than%20white%20captives</a>

Rewarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States’ top military decoration. The stories we tell are about the heroes who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism and courage that have saved lives. From Judith Resnik, the second woman in space, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice, these are stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, who have sacrificed something in the name of something much bigger than themselves. Every Wednesday on Medal of Honor, uncover what their experiences tell us about the nature of sacrifice, why people put their lives in danger for others, and what happens after you’ve become a hero.

Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton.

Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early.  Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

Rewarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States&rsquo; top military decoration. The stories we tell are about the heroes who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism and courage that have saved lives. From Judith Resnik, the second woman in space, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice, these are stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, who have sacrificed something in the name of something much bigger than themselves. Every Wednesday on Medal of Honor, uncover what their experiences tell us about the nature of sacrifice, why people put their lives in danger for others, and what happens after you&rsquo;ve become a hero.
Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton.
Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early.&nbsp; Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at&nbsp;<a href="http://pushkin.fm/" data-stringify-link="http://Pushkin.fm" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Pushkin.fm</a>.
Subscribe on Apple:&nbsp;<a href="http://apple.co/pushkin" data-stringify-link="http://apple.co/pushkin" data-sk="tooltip_parent">apple.co/pushkin</a> Subscribe on Pushkin: <a href="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-stringify-link="http://pushkin.fm/plus" data-sk="tooltip_parent">pushkin.fm/plus</a>

Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage

The Sailor Who Escaped Slavery

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9dbc4064-2e03-4d66-807b-b328010338df/transcript

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