Military Images magazine is especially proud to help connect historic Civil War photographs and the private collectors who preserve them with researchers and educators around the country. Recently, Charles Handras, Park Supervisor for Hart Island in the Bronx, reached out to us as his office deepens its historical research into the island’s past.
Hart Island.
Their work includes exploring Hart Island’s connection to the U.S. Colored Troops who trained there before serving in the Union Army. Among the images that captured their attention was a historically significant 1864–65 photograph of African American soldiers at L’Ouverture Hospital in Alexandria, Va.,—an image featured in Military Images’ story “Freedmen Warriors, Civil Rights Fighters” by Charles Joyce, a onetime owner of the image.
Group at L’Overture Hospital, Alexandria, Va., about December 1864-April 1865, from left to right: Tobias Trout, 31st USCT, Wounded, Crater; William DeGraff, 22nd USCT, Sick; John H. Johnson, 27th USCT, Sick, diarrhea and rheumatism; Jerry Lisle, 28th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Leander Brown, 30th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Samuel Bond, 19th USCT, Sick; Robert Deyo, 26th USCT, Sick, pleurisy; Adolphus Harp, 19th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Stephen Vance, 30th USCT, Wounded, Crater; George H. Smith, 31st USCT, Wounded, Crater; Adam Bentley, 19th USCT, Wounded, Crater; Chauncey Leonard, Chaplain, USCT, Assigned to hospital. Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection.
The photograph now resides in the National Portrait Gallery, thanks to Ross J. Kelbaugh, who generously donated it and graciously granted permission for Supervisor Handras and his colleagues to publish it in their educational work.
Military Images officially launched its traveling exhibit, Faces of Freedom: African American Faces of the Civil War Era, today at the historic Lincoln Depot Museum—just as a steady rain tapped against the roof of the 19th-century depot. Inside, the energy was high and the room full, as a packed house gathered to mark the opening.
Ron Coddington, editor and publisher of Military Images, delivered a wide-ranging presentation that set the stage for the exhibit. He traced the project’s development and explored the evolution of photography during the Civil War era. A “By the Numbers” section offered compelling data points, while detailed diagrams mapped the journeys of Black men from 1861 through the postwar years, culminating in the formation of the Buffalo Soldiers.
Coddington also addressed the evolution of terminology—from “Contraband” to “Freedmen” to “United States Colored Troops (USCT)”—and shared powerful, firsthand quotes from the soldiers themselves. Audience questions were both plentiful and insightful, underscoring the impact and importance of the stories on display.
Military Images extends a heartfelt thanks to Michael and Gail Bennett and all the volunteers at the Lincoln Depot Museum for their generous support and hospitality.
If you missed today’s event, don’t worry—the exhibit runs through July 12, 2025. Don’t miss your chance to experience this compelling visual and historical narrative.
We are thrilled to announce that our traveling exhibit, Faces of Freedom, is coming to the Lincoln Depot Museum in Peekskill, N.Y. The exhibit will be on display from June 7 through July 12, 2025, offering visitors a powerful opportunity to connect with the courageous Black men who fought for freedom during the Civil War.
Established in 2019, Faces of Freedom first appeared at the Hubbard House Underground Railroad Museum in Ashtabula, Ohio. After a pause due to COVID, the exhibit resumed its travels in 2024, stopping at the Goodridge Freedom Center and Underground Railroad Museum in York, Pa., followed by Manassas National Battlefield Park. Now, we are honored to bring this exhibit to the Lincoln Depot Museum.
The Lincoln Depot Museum is a fitting location for this unique exhibit. President Abraham Lincoln traveled by rail through Peekskill on the way to his first inauguration in 1861. Two years later, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that paved the way for the enlistment of Black men in the Union Army and Navy. The soldiers featured in Faces of Freedom fought for the very cause Lincoln championed—freedom and equality.
The exhibit features 37 stunning, high-quality prints of wartime portraits of Black soldiers and sailors who served in the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) and Navy. Each portrait is paired with a compelling biographical sketch detailing their wartime experiences—some gave their lives in service of a more perfect Union, while others continued their fight for justice as Buffalo Soldiers in the West.
This special exhibit is made possible by Military Images, with assistance from the Goodridge Freedom Center and Underground Railroad Museum. Editor and Publisher Ron Coddington shares, “We are excited to bring these incredible portraits and stories to the Lincoln Depot Museum, where visitors can truly appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of these men who shaped our nation’s history.”
The images on display come from both private collectors and esteemed public institutions. We extend our deepest gratitude to the following individuals for sharing images from their collections: Jonathan Beasley, David E. Brown, Kevin Canberg, Glen Cangelosi, Ronald S. Coddington, Greg French, Thomas Harris, Ross Kelbaugh, C. Paul Loane, Steve Meadow, Ronn Palm, and Paul Russinoff.
We also thank the following institutions for their contributions:
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
The Lawrence T. Jones III Collection at DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University
Gettysburg National Military Park Museum
Kansas State Historical Society
The Liljenquist Family Collection at the Library of Congress
National Archives
West Virginia and Regional History Collection, West Virginia University Libraries
Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University
Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience history up close and honor these forgotten heroes. Visit the Lincoln Depot Museum in Peekskill, N.Y., and immerse yourself in the powerful stories of the Faces of Freedom.
