Dr. Kurtz Discusses Black Virginians in Blue at Appomattox

Will Kurtz
Tuesday, January 16, 2018

On Saturday, January 13, 2018, Managing Director Will Kurtz gave a presentation about the Center’s “Black Virginians in Blue” project at the American Civil War Museum’s Appomattox location. First, Dr. Kurtz discussed how the project found all 249 black soldiers and sailors from Albemarle County, Virginia. Then he highlighted four stories that show the range of experiences of these men, including the story of the Carter slaves of Missouri, the trials of the soldier and politician James T. S. Taylor, the reenslavement of Peter Churchwell after his capture at the Battle of the Crater in 1864, and the experiences of three men who served in the 127th USCT Infantry Regiment during the final Appomattox campaign. Dr. Kurtz answered many questions about the project and the usefulness of Civil War pensions for doing genealogical research.