confederate Slave impressment) Manuscript Confederate Army orders lp 4to Nov 1861 instructing that a long list of slaves each named be escorted through Richmond and returned to their owners The slaves had been impressed by Confederate authorities to construct earthworms and other defense at Fort Huger and Harry Bluff As most of the able Southern men were being pressed into military service the Confederate government was obliged to use requisitioned slaves to perform much of the needed manual labor for the army With transmittal envelope