-Author-
Don 'Ogbewii' Scott
THE BOOKS
ORDERING BOOKS
The Montiers: From Enslavement To Paul Robeson and Beyond
ISBN-13-9781955041041
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The very important story of an interracial family that can be traced through multiple generations and into the 21st century.
The African-American Montier family traces its roots to the British-born Caucasian son of Philadelphia’s first mayor, Richard Morrey, who had a relationship with Cremona, a young woman who had been enslaved by the Morrey family, resulting in five mixed-race children. Before his death, Richard would pass to Cremona 200 acres of land, giving her an almost unique position in 18th-century Philadelphia. On this land a small Black town known as Guineatown would grow up, with an associated cemetery.
Cremona’s descendants and luminaries associated with the family include Cyrus Bustill, a black activist and baker who made bread for the Continental Army; David Bustill Bowser, a 19th-century activist who designed and created the colors for eleven African-American regiments at Camp William Penn; the great Paul Robeson, renowned scholar, lawyer, diplomat, athlete, singer, and actor; and William Pickens, Sr., a co-founder of the NAACP. The Montiers traces this unique family to the present day.
Camp William Penn: 1863-1865
America's First Federal African American Soldiers' Fight for Freedom​
ISBN-13-978-0764342530
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Located in Chelten Hills just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Camp William Penn was the largest and first Civil War facility to exclusively train Northern-based federal black soldiers during the war. Boasting the biggest free-black population in the country and the 19th-century’s epicenter of the Underground Railroad, Philadelphia and Camp William Penn, hosted the greatest anti-slavery abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Robert Purvis, and William Still. Douglass and Tubman spoke to and rallied some of the almost 11,000 soldiers, many of them runaway or ex-slaves, who trained in eleven regiments that fought in a slew of major battles, helped to corner the Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his Rebel forces, as well as capture President Lincoln’s assassins. Several earned the Medal of Honor for their bravery, and many gave their lives. At a time when America’s very existence was threatened, the warriors and freedom fighters for human equality associated with Camp William Penn were a major part of the country’s salvation. The complete story is told here.
Images of America: Camp William Penn
ISBN-13-978-1531636746
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Camp William Penn, established in 1863, was the largest federal facility to train black Northern-based soldiers during the Civil War and is steeped in Civil War history. Almost 11,000 troops and officers trained at the sprawling facility outside of Philadelphia and a special officers' training school in the city. The camp, backed by the Union League of Philadelphia, was located near the home of antislavery abolitionist Lucretia Mott. The area, today known as Cheltenham Township's LaMott, was also instrumental in the Underground Railroad, with such great abolitionists as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass addressing the troops. The soldiers were a part of Abraham Lincoln's Bureau of United States Colored Troops, and several earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroics during battle. The vintage photographs in Camp William Penn were obtained from government agencies, universities, historical organizations, and the personal collections of soldiers' descendants.
Remembering Cheltenham Township: American Chronicles
ISBN-13-978-1596297494
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From its founding in 1687 by Quaker settlers searching for religious freedom, Cheltenham Township has been a hub for social history and change. On the edge of Philadelphia, the township was a rallying point for fiery abolitionists such as Lucretia Mott, the sight of the first African American Civil War camp and a retreat for Gilded Age tycoons. Local historian Donald Scott Sr. has compiled a series of vignettes to chronicle the history of a small but influential township from its earliest days and into the twentieth century. With tales of a locally born ice cream empire, the early life of Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and an exploration of striking neighborhood architecture, Scott pays homage to this remarkable community.