Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters

Source: Unidentified African American soldier in Union uniform with wife and two daughters. United States, None. [Between 1863 and 1865] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010647216/.

Date: ca. 1863-1865

Text/Transcription:

In May 1863, U.S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton issued General Order No. 143, creating the Bureau of U.S. Colored Troops. This image from Cecil County, Maryland, depicts a soldier who likely belonged to one of the seven United States Colored regiments raised in that state. It is the only known photograph of a Black Union soldier with his family. Although the identity of the family and the photographer are unknown, the image may provide deeper insight into the motives of African American men who enlisted during the Civil War.