Harriet Tubman Posthumously Commissioned as Brigadier General on Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, November 11, 2024, Harriet Tubman, the renowned American abolitionist, was posthumously commissioned as a brigadier general in the Maryland National Guard. The ceremony, held at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Dorchester County, Maryland, honored her significant military service during the Civil War.

Tubman, born Araminta Ross around 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, is celebrated for her role in the Underground Railroad, where she led approximately 70 family members and friends to freedom. However, her contributions extended far beyond her work as an abolitionist. During the Civil War, she served as a nurse, cook, and recruiter for Black troops, and later as a reconnaissance scout and squad leader with the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, a unit of the U.S. Colored Troops.

Her military achievements include leading a party of soldiers on a mission to destroy local plantations and liberate roughly 750 enslaved people along the Combahee River. She was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war and provided crucial intelligence to the Union Army about Confederate troop locations and supply lines.

The ceremony was attended by dozens, including Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Major General Janeen Birckhead, who officially recognized Tubman’s military service. Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece, Tina Wyatt, participated in a symbolic pinning ceremony, praising Tubman’s legacy of tenacity, generosity, and faith.

Governor Wes Moore emphasized the significance of the occasion, stating that it was not just a great day for Maryland but for the entire United States. He highlighted Tubman’s leadership and selflessness, noting that she embodied the philosophy of ‘leave no one behind’.