“Local historians and reenactors, Edward W. Gantt, Ben Hawley, and Michael Schaffner will give a presentation on African American regiments organized in what was then Alexandria County (now Arlington County) during the Civil War. The talk will focus on the Second United States Colored Infantry and the Twenty-Third United States Colored Troops, discussing both the service of the two units and a selection of individual soldiers. The decision to recruit African Americans as soldiers, officer selection, and the pay controversy will also be covered.

AHS usually hosts monthly free public events about a local history topic at Marymount University but due to the corona virus pandemic, that venue and all others are closed for the time being. So we are hosting this free event on ZOOM. For access and connection information, REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/xd7RQCfvTN8hesE99 by the end of the day on Wednesday, August 12. On the morning of the event (Aug 13) you will get an email with easy to use information about how to attend the online Zoom meeting.”