Symposium Spotlight: The Battle of New Market Heights

Early on the morning of September 29, 1864, the Third Division of the XVIII Corps (Army of the James) stepped off to do battle and stepped into history. In what is arguably the most significant moment in African American military history, this United States Colored Troops division attacked and drove the famous Texan Brigade from their entrenched position and in doing so performed heroic actions that resulted in 14 Black soldiers and two White officers receiving Medals of Honor. Often confused with the Battle of New Market which happened four months earlier in the Shenandoah Valley, and overlooked due to a pervasive unwillingness to give proper credit to Black soldiers in the years following the war, the Battle of New Market Heights offers valuable lessons and a thrilling story of perseverance over prejudice.