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A Dead Confederate Soldier in Petersburg, Virginia

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A Dead Confederate Soldier in Petersburg, Virginia

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This Confederate soldier's body was left and found in a random trench in Fort Mahone, Petersburg, Virginia. There were no other bodies around, just this single soldier lying with his gun. The gruesome nature of the war made scenes like this possible because there was no time to bring back your dead comrade. You would run the risk of losing your life too. People never truly understood what it was like to be a soldier in the midst of battle because we never got to hear from some of them. The people who made it only got to share their stories while the people who died on the battlefield, like this soldier with no name, were never given the chance because of the war. -Nasir Yankey

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1 photograph : print on card mount ; mount 18 x 10 cm (stereograph format) | Photograph shows a dead Confederate soldier in the trenches of Fort Mahone, Petersburg, Virginia.

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“The poor fellow died yesterday, such a handsome bright boy. Apparently with the strongest of constitutions. That dreadful fever Typhoid and Pneumonia takes off so many of the poor fellows... I cannot tell you how thankful I am to be able to relieve the poor fellows. You must try and feel so too and be glad that I was born for some use in the world.”  Letter from Sarah Blunt to her mother. March 11, 1865. AHMC – Blunt, Sarah. New-York Historical Society.

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Sarah Blunt, a nurse in Union Army Hospitals in MD and VA, wrote a series of letters to her mother describing her experience during the war. In this letter, Blunt describes the intense array of emotions she feels while witnessing so much death and violence. During this era, Sarah Blunt and many other women made large sacrifices to protect the Union and support soldiers on the battlefront. -Sonali

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“It was a glorious sight to officers and soldiers on the line where these white flags were visible... The troops felt that their long and weary marches, hard fighting, ceaseless watching by night and day... were at last at an end and the Union sure to be saved.”

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General Ulysses S. Grant's Account of the Siege of Vicksburg (1863)

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General Ulysses S. Grant's Account of the Siege of Vicksburg (1863)

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In General Ulysses S. Grant Personal Memoirs, he recounts the moment when Confederate forces in Vicksburg showed white flags of surrender on July 3, 1863. This important event not only marked a major Union victory but also liberated thousands of enslaved individuals who sought protection and freedom within Union lines. The account shows both the military significance of Vicksburg and its transformative impact on enslaved people.

Grant’s observations show the physical and emotional toll of the campaign, the resilience of Union forces, and the symbolic importance of Vicksburg’s surrender on Independence Day. The victory strengthened the Union cause and signaled the collapse of Confederate control along the Mississippi River. - Armaan Sethi

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Grant Remembers the Surrender and Victory at Vicksburg

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The following excerpt is from the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant and details the arrangements for the Confederate surrender at Vicksburg, Mississippi…

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"I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor’s visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to."

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Letter from Jourdon Anderson to His Former Master (1865)

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Letter from Jourdon Anderson to His Former Master (1865)

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In this letter, Jourdon Anderson, a formerly enslaved man, responds to his former master's request to return to work on the plantation. He writes in a tone that combines politeness and irony/humor, Anderson outlines his conditions for return, including back pay for his years of unpaid labor. This letter shows the complexities of the post-emancipation relationship between freed individuals and their former enslavers, showing the demand for justice and fair treatment. The letter shows the economic exploitation enslaved individuals faced for decades and shows the new dynamics emerging between freed slaves and former enslavers. His request for back pay also puts light on the larger problem freed slaves faced in securing economic independence and justice. The letter symbolizes both the personal and collective determination of freedmen to reclaim their agency and demand fair treatment in the post-emancipation South. The letter shows a clear example of the changing relationships between former masters and freed slaves. - Armaan Sethi

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Jourdon Anderson Writes His Former Enslaver, 1865
Black Americans hoped that the end of the Civil War would create an entirely new world, while white southerners tried to restore the antebellum order as much as they could. Most former enslavers sought to maintain control over their laborers through sharecropping contracts. P.H. Anderson of Tennessee was one such former enslaver. After the war, he contacted his former enslaved laborer Jourdon Anderson, offering him a job opportunity. The following is Jourdon Anderson's reply.
Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865.

To my old Master, Colonel P. H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee.

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,-the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,-and the children-Milly, Jane, and Grundy-go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq.,

Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve-and die, if it come to that-than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson

"Letter from a freedman to his old master," The Freedmen's Book, Lydia Maria Child, ed. (Boston: 1865), 265-267.
Available through Project Gutenberg

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Jourdon Anderson Writes His Former Enslaver, 1865

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Black Americans hoped that the end of the Civil War would create an entirely new world, while white southerners tried to restore the antebellum order as much as they could. Most former enslavers sought to maintain control over their laborers through sharecropping contracts. P.H. Anderson of Tennessee was one such former enslaver.

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This print by James Fuller Queen depicts six Union soldiers on the cliff of Point Lookout. The date of publication is unclear and was created between 1863 and 1880.

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Union soldiers at Point Lookout, Tennessee

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Union soldiers at Point Lookout, Tennessee

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Point Lookout was an outcropping on Lookout Mountain overlooking the town of Chattanooga. This location is famous for the Battle of Lookout Mountain occurring from November 23-25 of 1863. Lookout Mountain was held by Confederate forces and used to shell the Union town of Chattanooga. The battle ended with Union forces successfully attacking and routing Confederate troops from Point Lookout and the rest of mountain. This print depicts the Union triumph which can clearly be seen with the inclusion of an American flag over what was Confederate territory. It also depicts a turning course of the war as this victory enabled Chattanooga to be a supply hub that supported the Union march through Georgia and North Carolina, leading to the liberation of slaves and the reunification of the country. - Charlie Holtman

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Dear Mother, I received your letter this morning and was very glad to hear that you were still all well... I tell you what I was glad to get news from home for I have not hardly any news at all from you. You wanted to know how these wet Nights affected me well they dont hurt me at all. I am as hearty as any one can be. I lay out some nights when It Is to warm in the tent... I tell you we have good living as any one could wish. Beans, Pork, Beef, Rice, corn meal to make hominy that Is our very fine meal; Vegetable soup, coffee, Sugar & every thing one could wish for... There Is 3 or 4 Regiments goes past here every day all armed and Uniformed. They look as if they could whip the South without any help. I tell you what It is a sight too see the men about here. 

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Letter from Tilton C. Reynolds to Juliana Smith Reynolds, September 22, 1861

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Letter from Tilton C. Reynolds to Juliana Smith Reynolds, September 22, 1861

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This letter is by Tilton C. Reynolds to his mother Juliana Smith Reynolds. Reynolds is most likely a young soldier attached to the Army of the Potomac camped a few miles from D.C. This letter describes daily life in a Union camp in the beginning of the war. Reynolds' thoughts about the regiments passing through the camp demonstrates the common belief at the start of the Civil War that a Union victory would be quick. Many young soldiers, potentially due to their youth, thought that the Union would be vastly more powerful than the Confederacy and that the war would not consume the lives of so many soldiers. However, this belief was shattered among soldiers and civilians as little progress was made in the first few years. This letter suggests that Reynolds did not expect the scale of the war that he became involved in and provides another lense to view the war aside from the writings of Union commanders and leaders. - Charlie Holtman

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Letter written by Lt. Col. C.T. Trowbridge of the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.)

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Letter written by Lt. Col. C.T. Trowbridge of the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.)

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This is a letter written by Lt. Col. C.T. Trowbridge of the 33rd U.S. Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) to his friend Jack, describing a series of violent incidents targeting Black soldiers and officers in the post-Civil War South. In this letter, he explains how the violent attacks against his soldiers were extremely prejudiced against black soldiers specifically. This caused Trowbridge to retaliate against one of the Confederate soldiers who murdered one of his soldiers. He was later sent to court for this action because of the continued Confederate ideals of black people during this time. Confederate soldiers continued to resist Black military presence and equality which illustrates the brutal racial tensions and resistance to emancipation by Confederate soldiers. - Nasir Yankey

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William A. Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection: Letter by Colonel Trowbridge, 33rd United States Colored Troops (1st S.C. Infantry), returning Confederate soldiers attacking or killing his men, Dec. 1865

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Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

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"The chance is now given you to end in a day the bondage of centuries, and to rise in one bound from social degradation to the plane of common equality with all other varieties of men."

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Excerpt from Frederick Douglass’ Speech “Men of Color, To Arms!” (1863)

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Excerpt from Frederick Douglass’ Speech “Men of Color, To Arms!” (1863)

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This speech, delivered by Frederick Douglass, passionately calls on African American men to join the Union Army during the Civil War. Douglass argues that this is a "golden opportunity" for Black men to fight for their freedom, prove their equality, and forever end the bondage of their enslaved brethren. By referencing historical figures like Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner, and John Brown, Douglass reminds his audience of the sacrifices already made and inspires them to rise to the occasion. This source shows the critical role of freedmen and free Black individuals in the Union's fight against slavery. Douglass’ words reflect the urgency of the moment and the belief that participation in the war would secure not only military victory but also political and social justice for African Americans. It shows the broader theme of African Americans actively shaping their own liberation through courage and sacrifice. - Armaan Sethi

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After the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted on January 1, 1863, Black leaders including Frederick Douglass swiftly moved to recruit African Americans as soldiers. "A war undertaken and brazenly carried on for the perpetual enslavement of colored men," Douglass wrote in Frederick Douglass' Monthly, "calls logically and loudly for colored men to help suppress it." This broadside, endorsed by Douglass (third name in the first column) and other African American leaders, urges free African Americans to enlist, declaring, "If we value liberty, if we wish to be free in this land. . . . If we would be regarded men, if we would forever silence the tongue of Calumny, of Prejudice and Hate, let us Rise Now and Fly to Arms."

Questions for Discussion

Read the document introduction, view the content of the poster, and apply your knowledge of American history in order to answer the questions that follow.

1. Historian David Blight has noted that this poster first appeared in spring 1863. What is the significance of that date?

2. Carefully consider the message in the bold face type. Which of the arguments do you think would have been most convincing to a free African American? Explain your answer.

3. In what ways did the message in this poster differ from a poster aimed at recruiting White northerners for the Union Army?

A printer-friendly version is available here.

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" 1863 | after the emancipation proclamation was enacted on january 1

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black leaders including frederick douglass swiftly moved to recruit african americans as soldiers. | after the emancipation proclamation was enacted on january 1

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black leaders including frederick douglass swiftly moved to recruit african americans as soldiers. “a war undertaken and brazenly carried on for the perpetual enslavement of colored men

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” douglass wrote in frederick douglass’ monthly

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“calls logically and loudly for colored men to help suppress it.” this broadside

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endorsed by douglass (third name in the first column) and other african american leaders

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if we wish to be free in this land. . . . if we would be regarded men

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if we would forever silence the tongue of calumny

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"Men of Color, To Arms! To Arms," 1863 | After the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted on January 1, 1863, Black leaders including Frederick Douglass swiftly moved to recruit African Americans as soldiers. | After the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted on January 1, 1863, Black leaders including Frederick Douglass swiftly moved to recruit African Americans as soldiers.

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Homer, Winslow, “Our Women and the War, from Harper's Weekly, September 6, 1862,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/693c02bc190917b1304fa7ac1921a03e.

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“Our Women and the War” by Winslow Homer

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“Our Women and the War” by Winslow Homer

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"Our Women and the War" is an engraving by Winslow Homer in 1862. The image depicts women's roles while their husbands were deployed in the war. During the war, women were eager to support the Union, and they did so by organizing items for the troops, creating sewing circles, and volunteering as nurses. The women in this engraving are bringing comfort to those on the battlefront, and they believed helping soldiers was their duty during the war. -Sonali

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Letter written by a Confederate soldier  W.J. Estill on February 11th, 1865

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Letter written by a Confederate soldier  W.J. Estill on February 11th, 1865

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This is a letter written by a Confederate soldier named W.J. Estill on February 11th, 1865, near the end of the American Civil War. In this letter, he talks about how he was initially against having black soldiers in the military because of previous racist Confederate beliefs. Now that the war is getting worse for the Confederacy he laments about his earlier beliefs and concludes that black soldiers are their best chance at turning the tide in the war. This change in identity that the Confederate soldiers had during this time because of their situation was a pivotal moment in the Civil War. - Nasir Yankey

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William A. Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection: Confederate letter, “I was not in favor of putting negroes in as soldiers, I am willing to go right by the side of the blackest negro in all chrisendom and shoot round for round with him,” Feb. 1865

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Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

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-Armaan Sethi

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Diagram for Organization - History Project Padlet

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Between 1800 and 1865, the United States underwent profound political, social, and economic transformations. During the early 19th century, territorial boundaries expanded, industrialization in the North increased, and plantation slavery in the South became further entrenched in society. The U.S. economy began to transform with the rise of factories, the cotton gin, and innovations in transportation. However, conflicts over slavery and states’ rights increasingly divided the nation, as the North industrialized, while the South remained heavily reliant on an economy rooted in slavery. These divisions ultimately culminated in the Civil War, which was fought between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states that seceded). - Sonali

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This museum features letters, photographs, speeches, and more from the Civil War era displaying how the lives of Union and Confederate soldiers, freed black people, and women have been affected. Overall you get to see these sides of the Civil War that aren’t always the first thought of. Through our museum exhibits, you will see how each of these groups contributed in some way to the Civil War. Our exhibit shows you a different side of the war that most people don’t see, but needs to be brought to light to fully understand the war. - Nasir Yankey

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The entrance to the museum starts with the Union Soldiers exhibit. This is because Union soldiers represent the foundation of the Union cause and their military efforts to preserve the nation. Here, visitors will see artifacts such as letters and prints depicting battles like Lookout Mountain, where Union success turned the tide of the war.

Next, visitors move to the Freed Blacks exhibit. Placing this exhibit second highlights the direct impact of Union victories on the liberation of enslaved individuals. Artifacts like Jourdon Anderson’s letter and accounts of freedmen during campaigns like Vicksburg showcase how the war became a fight for freedom and justice for African Americans.

The third exhibit focuses on United States Women, showing their important, often overlooked roles during the war. Letters from nurses like Sarah Blunt and images of women organizing support for soldiers illustrate their sacrifices and contributions on the homefront and battlefield hospitals.

The museum ends with the Confederate Soldiers exhibit. This shows the somber realities of the war’s devastation, with artifacts such as letters from Confederate soldiers and images of fallen soldiers. It reflects the emotional toll and ultimate defeat of the Confederacy, reinforcing the broader transformation of American society.

This progression—Union Soldiers → Freed Blacks → US Women → Confederate Soldiers—tells a chronological and thematic story. It starts with the fight to preserve the Union, moves to emancipation and societal change, and ends with the war's consequences, leaving visitors with a deeper understanding of how the Civil War reshaped America. - Armaan Sethi

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The Civil War, which took place from 1861-1865, was driven by disputes over slavery and sectionalism, resulting in significant deaths among both parties, economic devastation, and eventually the abolition of slavery. In late December of 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States. Following this secession, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas left the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. The Civil War began when Confederate forces opened fire on Union controlled Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. This attack initiated a four year long war that included about two and half million soldiers and caused the deaths of about 800,000 soldiers. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union forces. This initiated a rapid string of surrenders from other Confederate generals that brought the end of the Confederacy. The Civil War officially ended on August 20, 1866 when President Andrew Johnson declared that the rebellion had ended. - Charlie Holtman

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“American Civil War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 11 Dec. 2024, www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War/Shermans-Georgia-campaigns-and-total-war#ref229937.

Anderson, Jourdon. “Jourdon Anderson Writes His Former Enslaver, 1865.” The American Yawp Reader, 7 Aug. 1865, www.americanyawp.com/reader/reconstruction/jourdon-anderson-writes-his-former-master-1865/.

“Chattanooga Battle Facts and Summery.” American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/chattanooga.

“Grant Remembers the Surrender and Victory at Vicksburg.” American Battlefield Trust, www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/grant-remembers-surrender-and-victory-vicksburg.

Grant, Ulyssess S. “Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on the Siege of Vicksburg, 1863.” Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/gen-ulysses-s-grant-siege-vicksburg-1863. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Grant, Ulysses  S. “Letter from Ulysses S. Grant to Henry W. Halleck (July 14, 1864).” Encyclopedia Virginia, 14 July 1864, encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/letter-from-ulysses-s-grant-to-henry-w-halleck-july-14-1864/.

Homer, Winslow. “‘Our Women and the War,’ an Engraving by Winslow Homer Published in Harper’s Weekly, 1862.” Digital Public Library of America, 1862, dp.la/primary-source-sets/women-in-the-civil-war/sources/813.

Johnson, Eastman. “The Girl I Left Behind Me.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1872, americanart.si.edu/artwork/girl-i-left-behind-me-11492.

Kiter, Tammy. “Women in Nursing during the Civil War.” The New York Historical, 25 Mar. 2016, www.nyhistory.org/blogs/women-in-nursing-during-the-civil-war.

“Letter By a Rebel Soldier.” Library of Congress, 11 Feb. 1865, tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/gdccrowd/mss/mss13375/002/04/00204.txt.

“Men of Color to Arms?” Virginia Museum of History & Culture, virginiahistory.org/learn/men-color-arms.

Queen, James Fuller. “Union Soldiers at Point Lookout, Tennessee .” Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/resource/ds.00298/.

Reynolds , Tilton C. “Letter from Tilton C. Reynolds to Juliana Smith Reynolds, September 22, 1861.” The Library of Congress, 22 Sept. 1861, www.loc.gov/resource/mreynolds.002002/?st=text.

Roche, T C. “A Dead Confederate Soldier.” The Library of Congress, 1865, www.loc.gov/resource/stereo.1s04682/.

“‘Men of Color, to Arms! To Arms,’ 1863.” “Men of Color, To Arms! To Arms,” 1863 , Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/men-color-arms-arms-1863.