Church of the Brethren, Unsung Brethren Nancy Campbell (Antietam)

15 South Mulberry Street
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
301-733-3565

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Hagerstown Church of the Brethren is to celebrate the love of Jesus Christ and glorify the
Lord by striving to live as Christ lived, experiencing the power of God's healing in our lives. We seek to nurture
our faith community through prayer, music and the proclaimed Word, while enthusiastically reaching out to
others with compassion, respect and love for everyone so that we may grow in faith and commitment together.

VISION STATEMENT
Journeying with Christ - Serving Our Neighbors - Uniting at the Master’s Table

Unsung Brethren

Nancy Campbell was born into slavery, October 15th, 1813. Only a little
over 5-foot in height, this humble, black woman could hold her head up
with pride and stood taller than most. Being against the law to teach a
slave how to read or write, few records exist to state where Nancy was
born or who her parents were. A deed dated June 14th, 1859, in
Washington County Court House shows an Andrew Miller of Tilghmanton
recorded, "1 do hereby set free my Negro slave, Nancy Campbell, her
freedom to commence from the year eighteen hundred and fifty nine." The
small domestic servant with an appraised value of $250.00, about the
price of a good horse, would be considered free from this date forward.

By 1860, Nancy had become a member of the Manor Church of the
Brethren near Tilghmanton. The Manor Meetinghouse was the Mother
Church of the famous Dunkard Church (Tunkard in German) on the
Antietam Battlefield. At this time Nancy was employed as a nanny for the
William Roulette family of Sharpsburg. In less than a year after being
freed, she had found friends in a mostly-white congregation while
becoming part of a loving farm family -even receiving wages for her labor.
"O God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee." Psalms 86:2

To escape the Battle of Antietam, Mr. Roulette took his family with Nancy
Campbell six miles north to the Manor Church east of Tilghmanton. Once
again, Miss Campbell found refuge for her soul behind the same solid
limestone walls of a familiar sanctuary and survived the "bloodiest single
day of the American Civil War."

On January 20th, 1885, the former slave recorded her Last Will and
Testament with the Register of Wills. The document provided the
following, "I give and bequeath to the Manor Church of the Tunker
(Brethren) denomination to which I belong in Washington County ,
Maryland, the sum of Fifty Dollars." The Afro-American Methodist
Episcopal Church (Tolson Chapel) situated in Sharpsburg also received a
$20.00 gift. These sums from a woman once held in bondage,
demonstrates her value put on spiritual guidance and worship. The will
also provided money and personal effects going to both the Miller and
Roulette families. The strong bond of color-blind affection left no room for
prejudice.

On a cold winter's day -January 5th, 1892 -
the little 79-year-old black lady born in
darkness of slavery, neatly folded her
white apron for the last time and prepared
to receive the fruits of her labor.
A small stone was placed on her grave
in the Manor Church Cemetery.
For someone who couldn't read or write,
Nancy Campbell was a remarkable achiever.
"Well done thou good and faithful
servant -enter into the joy of the Lord."
Matthew 25:21

Nancy Campbell