Free at Last
By Ross J. Kelbaugh In the 1860 U.S. Census, Louisiana enumerated 331,726 Black and mulatto enslaved persons and 18,647 free colored individuals. With the occupation of the state by the
Tag: African
Army Life: An essay in ambrotypes and tintypes
By David B. Holcomb, with images from the author’s collection The Sentries Around 8 a.m. following reveille, breakfast call, and sick call came the call for Guard Mounting. The first
Trilogy Is a Treasure of Rare Photographs and Artifacts
It is altogether fitting that a Frederick Douglass quote is prominently featured in this trilogy of Black lives spanning 175 years of photography. In his 1861 “Lecture on Pictures,” Douglass
Men of Nerve: The 5th Massachusetts Cavalry in the Civil War
By James Paradis The 5th Massachusetts Cavalry was the only black cavalry regiment from Massachusetts. Its veteran commander, Col. Henry S. Russell, had distinguished himself earlier in the war with
Thoughts on Private Booth
By J. Matthew Gallman When we attempt to understand history, we often find that empirical truths unfold alongside significant symbolic moments. And, to make things even more complicated, it is
“Conquer We Must, For Our Cause Is Just”
By Kathleen Heyworth White attitudes towards African Americans varied greatly throughout the Union army during the Civil War, even within regiments. Such was the case in the 7th Illinois Infantry.
Revealed: The Identity of an Officer in an Iconic Group Portrait
By Kurt Luther As photo sleuths, many of us spend significant time working with relatively obscure images. We may stumble across a loose tintype at a flea market or unearth