Category Archives: USCT

Their Faces: Those Who Fought To Be Free – A Photographic Essay

Posted on February 22, 2019 by Sarah Kay Bierle

When I have a lazy evening, I like to wander through the files of photographs on the Library of Congress website. The rain drummed outside, its even cadence echoing the drums of war from long past years. I decided to … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography, USCT | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Newby Family Fights for Freedom

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Jon-Erik Gilot

For more than two decades I’ve been fascinated with John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. There’s so much intrigue to the story…it almost reads like a Hollywood script. More than the voluminous books, the artifacts and the sites associated … Continue reading →

Posted in Slavery, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Remember Poison Spring!

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Kristen Pawlak

If you have seen the 2012 film Lincoln, you may remember the first two scenes: a gruesome hand-to-hand fight between white Confederate troops and African-American Federal soldiers, and two USCTs speaking with their commander-in-chief. Besides the overarching themes of race, … Continue reading →

Posted in Trans-Mississippi, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

At Sea: Fighting For Freedom

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

African Americans hazarded their lives and freedom against the nation’s enemies in the colonial and United States navies while achieving a level of respect, relatively fair treatment, and economic opportunities generally not available ashore. (Dwight Hughes, 2018, ECW Blog) In … Continue reading →

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“Freedom!” Their Battle-Cry: 1863 Poetry For African American Soldiers

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Poetry has many form and uses, and this writing form has legendarily been used to celebrate heroes. Some of the earliest epics in World History – Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey – were crafted in poetry form. Through meter, rhythm, and … Continue reading →

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Facebook Cover Photo: African American Soldiers for the Union

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Todd Arrington

“Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on the earth … Continue reading →

Posted in USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reminder: February is Black History Month!

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Emerging Civil War

February is Black History Month, and here at Emerging Civil War, we will be spotlighting African American History during the Antebellum, War, and Reconstruction Eras. From surviving and rebelling against the horrors of slavery to fighting as soldiers in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Slavery, USCT | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Preservation News: Camp Nelson National Monument

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Emerging Civil War

Although the presidential decision and designation has been politicized and received controversially, historians can still rejoice in the creation of a new national monument with Civil War significance. This week Camp Nelson in Kentucky received designation as a national monument, … Continue reading →

Posted in National Park Service, Preservation, USCT | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Citizen Archivists’ and Civil War Documents

Posted on May 9, 2018 by KellyDMezurek

When I began my research on an Ohio African American Civil War regiment, the 27th United States Colored Troops (USCT), the only option I had if I wanted to read the soldier’s compiled military service records and pension files was … Continue reading →

Posted in Primary Sources, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

USCT Captain Richard Etheridge Memorialized

Posted on February 28, 2018 by ECW Guest Post

Emerging Civil War welcome guest author George W. Hettenhouse The Northern Outer Banks, a narrow strip of sand that extends from the Virginia/North Carolina border to Hatteras Inlet, NC, roughly 120 miles to the south, is full of history. The first English … Continue reading →

Posted in Slavery, USCT | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments