Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. ALTERNATE TEXT: A portrait of a man looking to his left. He is wearing a dark suit and a bowtie, with a white shirt underneath. He has a moustache and short hair. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_14
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "Negroes building fortifications for the Confederates at James Island, S. C., under direction of General Beauregard, to repel the land attack of the Federal troops." ALTERNATE TEXT: A large Confederate army camp during the American Civil War: A group of African Americans digging a hole in the ground, none are dressed as soldiers. They are largely in farming type clothes, including bibbed overalls. Most men are using pick axes and shovels to work the ground. One man is pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt. A man on a horse watches the men dig. A few men on a hill near the digging site stand and talk. There are two cannons near the middle of the scene, and horses are pulling a train at the far middle of the scene. Down the hill from the scene are large tents in the rest of the army camp. There is a fort to the far right of the camp and what looks to be water and boats near the fort. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_31
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_32
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
Places: Charleston (South Carolina)
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "Negro baggage train drivers watering their mules." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_30
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Document of commemoration listing the principal events of the Spanish American War and the members of the 9th Battalion of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry of which Charles Young was the commanding officer. Charles Young was the first African American to reach the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army and, at the time of his death in 1922, was the highest-ranking African American officer in the Army. He is known for having been forced into retirement due to health concerns before the start of World War I and later riding from Wilberforce, Ohio, to Washington, D.C. to prove his physical fitness for duty. ALTERNATE TEXT: A large off-white sheet of paper with colorful artwork and portraits of military members. The top left of the paper has a colorful artwork of a battle scene, with men in blue uniforms in a field of grass. Their guns aim at a white building in the distance and there are mountains behind the home. The grassy field includes a palm tree. The artwork at the top right of the paper depicts a naval scene with a white boat at the front. One of the boats in the distance is on fire. The water has a greenish blue hue. The top middle of the paper has artwork of a woman in a plain white dress, with her arms outstretched at her sides. She holds two wreaths and is wearing a small red cap. Behind her head is a shield with an American parotitic theme. In front of her legs is a grey bald eagle with its wings stretch out sideways. The eagle's mouth holds a blue sash with "E Pluribus Unum" written on it. The eagle stands on two American flags crossed over each other. There is a green branch with leaves in the eagle's left talon. There are weapons and a shield under the eagle. Behind the woman and the eagle are soldiers in blue uniforms. Some soldiers have backpacks, guns, and injured arms in slings. The scene is surrounded by a stone arch behind the woman's head, and stone columns leading towards the bottom of the page. The left and right edges of the paper have military officer's busts surrounded by green wreaths, with seven men on either side of the vertical stone columns. The middle of the paper has two officers surrounded by green wreaths. They are in front of two white sheets with one golden tassel hanging on each sheet. the sheets hang down and end at the middle of the stone columns. Green branches are coming out of the white sheets and wrap around the stone columns twice. The two branches have two different types of leaves, with the left being a rounded oak leaf complete with sparse acorns, and the right being a more pointed leaf with red berries. The branches intertwine with themselves at the middle of the stone columns. Towards the bottom middle of the page are two thin red, white, and blue poles that lead to the bottom of the page. Two American flags drape over the bottom of the stone columns. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: NAM_OVS_32
Subjects: Spanish American War; African American soldiers; African American men; Military officers; Young, Charles, 1864-1922.
 

Description: Hand-drawn map of the West African country of Liberia done by Charles Young while on assignment as United States Military Attaché. The map was completed as a part of his larger intelligence-gathering duties. Charles Young was the first African American to reach the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army and, at the time of his death in 1922, was the highest-ranking African American officer in the Army. He is known for having been forced into retirement due to health concerns before the start of World War I and later riding from Wilberforce, Ohio, to Washington, D.C. to prove his physical fitness for duty. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: NAM_OVS_3
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Military officers; World War I, 1914-1918; Young, Charles, 1864-1922.
 

Description: Illustration of Phalanx soldiers receiving a gift of colors from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. ALTERNATE TEXT: Two African American soldiers stand in the middle of a crowd, up on a stage or raised platform. The two men are holding American flags, and one waves to the crowd with a smile on his face. A man sits to the left of the American American soldiers, while a crowd of soldiers and women stand behind them. A crowd of African Americans are below the stage, cheering on the two African American soldiers. Behind the stage is a large American flag and trees to the right of the flag. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_45
Subjects: African American soldiers; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration of Peter Salem, a free African American soldier who was born a slave ca. 1750, who is credited with the death of British Major Pitcairn at the Battle of Bunker Hill as printed in "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "Peter Salem shooting the British Major Pitcairn." ALTERNATE TEXT: Two small armies face off in a battle, with men mostly using guns. There is one visible sword. Below the men are two piles of straw-like material. The American army to the left includes one African American soldier. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_56
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Slavery; American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 

Description: Illustration of the death of Crispus Attucks at the Boston Massacre taken from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "While leading an attack against British troops in Boston." ALTERNATE TEXT: A chaotic scene in a town: A large group of people have gathered in the streets, with a group of soldiers to the left. The soldiers hold guns and are shooting into the crowd. One man lays in the street with another falling near him. There are buildings behind and to the left of the scene. Clouds and a few birds fill the sky. The crowds have kicked up dust from the street, while the guns have created smoke. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_57
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. ALTERNATE TEXT: A group of men lead a cattle drive through the trees, carrying long sticks. Some of the men are on horses while leading the cattle. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_58
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "The Confederate Generals Edward Johnson and G. H. Stewart, as prisoners, under guard of Phalanx Soldiers, May 12th, 1864." ALTERNATE TEXT: A scene during the American Civil War: Two Confederate generals stand in a camp. They are both wearing jackets and hats. A soldier stands to the right of the generals, wielding a gun over his shoulder and a hat. Other soldiers surround them, either standing or sitting. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_61
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration of Major Martin R. Delany while an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War printed in "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Delany helped recruit African Americans for the draft in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_10
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865