The Why and Wherefore

Welcome to The Sable Arm – A Blog Dedicated to the United States Colored Troops of the Civil War Era!

It is my hope that this blog will serve several purposes:

To increase awareness of the role played by USCT’s during the American Civil War.

To examine the history, legacy, and memory of the men who served in the United States Colored Troops

To explore how veterans and contemporaries as well as professional and amateur historians have chronicled the story of the USCT’s.

To do away with some of the more longstanding and pernicious myths associated with USCT’s (i.e. only newly freed slaves fought in the ranks, etc.)

Lofty goals? You bet!

That’s where you come in! Like any good blog out there group discussion, polite debate, and a healthy exchange of ideas will hopefully lead to the accomplishment of the above-mentioned goals.

Now, for those of you wondering just who the heck this upstart trying to master the entire history of a subsection of the Union army is…here you go.

I am one of those lucky individuals whose passion is also their job. When my family moved to Virginia in the mid-80’s I became fascinated with the American Civil War and I have not looked back since (just ask my wife). I’ve had the good fortune to work at such places as Richmond National Battlefield, Pamplin Historical Park, and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar.

After completing my Masters Degree, I became a museum educator for the County of Henrico in 2008. As many of you know, Henrico was the site of the Battle of New Market Heights, where fourteen African American soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is my research on this battle that sparked the idea for this blog and the rest, as they say, is history.

And speaking of history, let’s get to blogging, eh?