Image photographed and color corrected by Pat Cagney.

Negro Quarters, Army of the James

Artist Captain L. L. Langdon (American, 1830 - 1910)

Publisher Harper's Weekly (American, 1825-1916)

CultureAmerican

DateFebruary 25, 1865

MediumEngraving

DimensionsOverall: 11 1/4 x 7 in. (28.6 x 17.8 cm)

Credit LinePurchase, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA

Object number98.15.1

Not on view

DescriptionThis wood engraving depicts war-time quarters of an african-american unit. A tree is on the left border, while the central figure is in the foreground, to the right of the center.

Label TextCaptain L.L. Langdon American, 1830-1910 Negro Quarters, Army of the James, 1865 Engraving During the Civil War, numerous enslaved people flocked to the Union lines to secure their own freedom. Many of these individuals found employment with the army as laborers. By 1862, the Militia Act authorized the president to form units of African American soldiers, which were comprised of both formerly enslaved men and enlistees from Northern states. This branch of the army, known as the United States Colored Troops, eventually numbered over 175,000 enlisted men who served with distinction in every major campaign during the final years of the war. Museum purchase 98.15.1 Exhibition History"Sacred Sites, Then and Now: The American Civil War," Large Changing Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, May 1 - Sept. 6, 1998. Published ReferencesHarper's Weekly, February 25, 1865, p. 124.