It's the middle of the night on May 13, 1862.

The American Civil War between North and South has been raging for just over a year,

and in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, a small paddle steamer, the planter, pushes through

the low mist coating the water. A wisp of smoke rises from its funnel. A Confederate flag

ripples at its mast. On board, a stocky young man named Robert Smalls peers out into the darkness.

He wears a captain's uniform, but he's not master of the boat.

He's a slave. Robert has heard that slaves like him can find freedom in the union-controlled north.

So he stole this boat, and he's driving it out of Confederate territory with 15 other enslaved passengers

and crewmen on board. But first, he has to navigate the steamer out of Charleston Harbor,

a heavily fortified rebel naval port.

At that moment, Robert sees a light, shining through the darkness from the shore ahead.

He crosses the deck, urgently.

He opens the door to the pilot house, and inside, another black slave manned the wheel.

Robert tells him that we're coming up on the first fort.

Robert takes the wheel and control with the boat.

Ahead is the first checkpoint.

Robert can see a sentry standing on duty in a guard tower, so he slows down.

Roberts worked as a crewman on this boat since last year. He's learned the

protocols in the harbor. He knows that in order to pass the checkpoint, he needs to send a friendly

signal to the guard, so he reaches up and pulls on a cord. Robert waits for the sentry to

reply and give him permission to pass, but he's nervous. If he and the other runaway slaves are discovered, there will be no hope for the sentry to reply and give him permission to pass, but he's nervous. If he and the other

runaway slaves are discovered, there will be no hope for them. The fort's guns could blow the

...