History Talk by William A. Blair, Ph.D.
Sunday, February 11 at 2:00 p.m.
RSVP REQUIRED
Dr. William Blair, emeritus professor of history from Penn State, will present an illustrated talk based on his fresh research into local history which, at times, unearths treasures. Such is the case with the story of the military service of Centre County’s African American soldiers who served with the United States Colored Troops in the Civil War.
Find out how the experiences of 28 Black men from Centre County augments understanding of a broader story of the Civil War. Twenty-seven Black men from our region served in the United States Colored Troops and another one enlisted in the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment depicted in the movie Glory. Their experiences shed light on an under-appreciated part of recruitment history—that free Black men in the North were drafted and otherwise enticed to join the military.