"Lee Surrendered. We Didn't! Colbert and Lauderdale Heroes of the 1860s."

Subject

Community; George W. Seawright

Description

This is a photograph of the 1921 Confederate Veterans reunion at Mars Hill. Florence historian Lee Freeman notes: "Part of a Landrum Studios photo of the August 30, 1921 annual Mars Hill United Confederate Veterans Reunion showing black Confederates from left, George W. Seawright (standing holding umbrella), Reuben Patterson (seated next to Seawright and holding cane), and Peter Stewart. Approximately 18 African-American men from Florence-Lauderdale served in the Confederate States Army as body-servants and/or cooks. Five of these Lauderdale County men routinely attended United Confederate Veterans reunions (local and national) after the war. Bizarre as it sounds to us, it is a little known fact to the general public but long known by academic historians that an estimated 15,000 and 30,000 black men, slave and free, served within Confederate States' armies, many under compulsion, others willingly. Most of these men were never officially enlisted, serving as body servants to white soldiers, as musicians, cooks, teamsters, hospital orderlies or in Confederate States labor battalions. Several former Confederate states awarded pensions to eligible body servants after the war. The Confederate Congress authorized regiments of all-black Confederate States Colored Troop regiments however these regiments, organized near the end of the war, saw very little combat, though the men who served in them were officially enlisted with service records. Many of these men faithfully attended UCV reunions after the war."

Creator

Landrum, G.W.

Source

Landrum Studios

Date

1921-08-30

Contributor

Lee Freeman

Rights

Images are available for educational and research purposes. This image may not be reproduced for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the interested party to identify the copyright holder and receive permission.

Format

JPG

Language

English

Type

Still Image

Identifier

Lee_Surrendered_We_Didn't_Photo.jpg
George_W_Seawright_1921_Landrum_Photo.jpg
Reuben_Patteston_from_Landrum_1921_vets_photo.jpg

Original Format

Newspaper

Files

Lee Surrendered We Didn't Photo.jpg
George W Seawright 1921 Landrum Photo.jpg
Reuben Patterson from Landrum 1921 vets photo.jpg

Collection

Community

Citation

Landrum, G.W., “"Lee Surrendered. We Didn't! Colbert and Lauderdale Heroes of the 1860s.",” Shoals Black History, accessed April 29, 2024, https://shoalsblackhistory.omeka.net/items/show/439.