In support of the Cameron Art Museum’s mission for their Boundless sculpture, the ACWM will be hosting a “Call for Descendants” page, designed to honor USCT soldiers and aid local descendants in learning more about their connections to these individuals. Cameron Art Museum now issues a call for descendants of the 1st, 5th, 10th, 27th, and 37th United States Colored Troops regiments for oral history collection and for a homecoming celebration for descendants in November 2023 to honor the legacy of these brave men and their families.
Click to view a PDF documenting the names of United States Colored Troops at the battle of forks road in Wilmington, nc
If you believe you are a descendant of the soldiers listed above, please contact Daniel Jones, Cultural Curator at Cameron Art Museum, at djones@cameronartmuseum.org for more information about the Call for Descendants event in November 2023 to honor the legacy of these brave men and their families.
United States Colored Troops Digital Series
To further illustrate the intersection between art and history, the ACWM will be producing a digital series about the United States Colored Troops to continue the conversation about their contributions during the Civil War and to American history.
Our first installment of the digital series will focus on the “Boundless” sculpture at Cameron Art Museum. This documentary will (1) demonstrate the historical connection between our institutions, (2) emphasize the significance of USCT descendant stories, and (3) educate viewers about the courage and determination of the United States Colored Troops during a tumultuous period in American history. Stay tuned to our YouTube Channel for updates!
A special thank you to Cameron Art Museum for inspiring our pop-up exhibition Beyond Valor and for collaborating with us to share these important stories. Be sure to visit ACWM-Tredegar and Cameron Art Museum this summer and prepare to be inspired by the stories and motivations of the USCT who fought for their freedom–Beyond Valor.
PART I:
Boundless
PART II:
Behind the Scenes | Beyond Valor (Coming Soon)
Company E, 4th Regiment of the USCT
(Battle of Forks Road, Wilmington NC, 1865)
February 1865, 1,800+ United States Colored Troops fought for 2 straight days on the grounds of what is now Cameron Art Museum. In November 2021, CAM erected a bronze sculpture by North Carolina artist Stephen Hayes of eleven USCT soldiers to honor the brave men who charged into fire for the preservation of this nation but more importantly, the freedom of themselves and all their loved ones still in bondage.
It took a combined community effort to excavate the land, comb through old military documents, and raise money to commission the artist and install the permanent installation of Boundless on our grounds.
As we take a deeper look into the individual lives that marched, fought, and died, we know only so much information can be found online. The stories of these brave men were passed down as oral histories that lives in the hearts and minds of the descendants walking the globe today.