The 3rd USCT Regiment, which was organized in August 1863, was the first unit to receive training at Camp William Penn, located outside of Philadelphia. (You can read about this regiment’s flag raising ceremony in a previous post). The War Department initially sent this regiment to South Carolina, where it was involved in the campaign […]
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Apr
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Apr
10
Battle of Port Hudson (May 1863)
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic Periodicals, ImagesThe Battle of Port Hudson on May 27, 1863 did not include USCT regiments organized in Pennsylvania, but it was among the first major engagements of the Civil War that involved African American regiments. The Union’s efforts in late May 1863 failed to capture Port Hudson, Louisiana, which in turn led to a siege that […]
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Apr
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Jeffry Wert’s article in Pennsylvania History provides a great overview of Camp William Penn’s operation as well as interesting details on events that took place at the camp. Camp William Penn, which was located outside Philadelphia, was a critical part of the effort to train African Americans for service in the USCT during the Civil […]
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Apr
10
USCT at the Battle of Milliken’s Bend (June 7, 1863)
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic PeriodicalsThe Battle of Milliken’s Bend on June 7, 1863 was only a small part of the Vicksburg Campaign, but this engagement represented another important moment for African American participation in the Civil War. The three African American regiments, which had just been organized during the previous month, played an important part in the Confederate forces […]
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Apr
10
“Flag Raising at Camp William Penn”
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic PeriodicalsThis report appeared in the Boston Liberator in August 1863 and described the ceremony for the 3rd USCT regiment that took place at Camp William Penn. Even though this regiment was organized in “a comparatively short time,” the reporter believed that the men “[had] evinced a degree of enthusiasm and discipline that would do credit […]
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Mar
10
Captain Noah Hart Papers (1862-1865)
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic Periodicals, Images, Letters & DiariesThe Noah Heart Papers at Dominican University offer an interesting perspective on the Civil War from a Union officer. Noah, who served with the 10th Michigan Infantry, wrote a number of letters to his wife, Emily, between 1862 and 1865. His regiment took part in several campaigns, including General William T. Sherman’s March to the […]
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Mar
10
Railway Cars in Philadelphia
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic PeriodicalsPennsylvania Civil War Newspapers offers a great collection of historic newspapers published in cities across the state. This editorial from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin highlights that while those in the USCT were in the US Army, they did not enjoy the same rights and privileges as white soldiers. After a USCT surgeon was “ejected…[from a […]
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Mar
10
William Elisha Stoker: A Texas Farmer’s Civil War
Posted by sailerd Published in Civil War (1861-1865), Historic Periodicals, Images, Letters & DiariesListen to the essay Editor’s Comments: This essay was originally prepared for an exhibit co-sponsored by the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg and available online at http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/stoker/
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Mar
10
Becker Collection – Drawings of the American Civil War Era
Posted by sailerd Published in 19th Century (1840-1880), ImagesThe Becker Collection is a great digital project from Boston College that contains over 600 drawings by Joseph Becker and others who worked for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly. The “Featured Images” slideshow provides a nice introduction to what is available in the collection. These drawings cover a range of Civil War related topics, such as […]
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Mar
10
The Denver Public Library has a nice digital collection of images related to various topics in Western history. While not available to download for free, each set of images can still be viewed as a slideshow – these include “Railroads,” “On the Trail and Covered Wagon,” “Western Life,” and “Wild West Shows.” Other digital collections […]
